Gack. It's like Davie escaped with the bastard offspring of Lawrence Welch and Burt Bachrach.
Posted by virtue on 2007-01-03 00:04:30 +0000
Except with disaffected youth lyrics. Psychadelic Tyrannosaurus Rex is a work of goddamned genius compared to this.
Posted by MF DU on 2007-01-03 04:08:15 +0000
Welk is nowhere near the league of Bacharach.
But after listening to 'Uncle Arthur' I see where you're coming from.
All I can do is feel embarassed for Bowie on this one. This would be the music the little people dancing around to the miniture Stonehenge in <is>Spinal Tap</i> would listen to.
Ahhh - Lets Go On to The Next Track, shall We?
Posted by tommy on 2007-01-03 13:10:58 +0000
If I could go back in time to the 60's, and make a stage musical out of Blur lyrics, it would sound like this.
Still, some signals of things to come: the song where he pretends to have a cold maybe presages his later weirdness. That "Mr. Grownup, go away, sir" might have grown up into "and these children that you spit on..."
Before it was posted, I had no idea this album even existed. I miss those days.
Posted by virtue on 2007-01-03 16:06:44 +0000
That's one of these reasons this album is so crazy--most, maybe even all of the qualities that make Bowie Bowie and fabulous are present, and it's still gawdawful.
Posted by Epoisses on 2007-01-04 20:12:04 +0000
I need to listen to it again. First impressions weren't that good -- uncontrollable cringing and squirming.
Posted by MF DU on 2007-01-04 21:01:10 +0000
yes.
Posted by virtue on 2007-01-05 23:41:27 +0000
I gave the album a couple more listens today, and it does improve. It won't ever be my favorite album, but I no longer feel embarrased *for* Bowie. Uncle Arthur is probably the weakest song.
For the most part, the songs are too archly campy to be taken seriously, though a lot of them have a fair bit of substance (Little Bombadier and Mr. Gravedigger, in particular, and When I Live My Dream, even if it is a stalker song). I think most of that might just be the excessive use of strings (the Bachrach/ Welk impression from my first listen).
Posted by jbcardinale on 2007-01-08 22:13:28 +0000
I hope it was a happy one! The Thin White Duke could use a facelift on his website - Its been <i>Reality</i> themed for well over 2 years...
Posted by Epoisses on 2007-01-09 06:39:43 +0000
Heard a good interview with Bowie on 'Fresh Air' today, circa: 2002. He said that he preferred recording to performing, which I thought was surprising.
But after listening to 'Uncle Arthur' I see where you're coming from.
All I can do is feel embarassed for Bowie on this one. This would be the music the little people dancing around to the miniture Stonehenge in <is>Spinal Tap</i> would listen to.
Ahhh - Lets Go On to The Next Track, shall We?
Still, some signals of things to come: the song where he pretends to have a cold maybe presages his later weirdness. That "Mr. Grownup, go away, sir" might have grown up into "and these children that you spit on..."
Before it was posted, I had no idea this album even existed. I miss those days.
For the most part, the songs are too archly campy to be taken seriously, though a lot of them have a fair bit of substance (Little Bombadier and Mr. Gravedigger, in particular, and When I Live My Dream, even if it is a stalker song). I think most of that might just be the excessive use of strings (the Bachrach/ Welk impression from my first listen).
<a href="http://www.davidbowie.com/">davidbowie.com</a>