at a glance...

Hometown: Brixton, England
First Recordings: 1966

Personnel:
David Bowie -vocals, saxophone, synthetic strings, cellos, harmonica, piano, guitar
Carlos Alomar -guitar
Dennis Davis -percussion
George Murray -bass
Roy Young -piano
Ricky Gardner -guitar
Brian Eno -synthesizers, piano, mini-moog, guest vocals
Mary Visconti -guest vocals
Iggy Pop -guest vocals

Related artists:
Tin Machine, Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, Mott the Hoople, Queen, Nine Inch Nails

Notes:
David Bowie began singing with rhythm and blues bands in the early- and mid-sixties but saw little success, so he began to experiment with a number of different musical styles. 1969's Man of Words/Man of Music (re-released as Space Oddity in 1972), The Man Who Sold the World (1971) and Hunky Dory (1971) gave him a name and set the stage for 1972's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which marked Bowie's ascendance as the leading glam rock performer. Three albums followed before 1975's Young Americans, which featured a collaboration with John Lennon, returned him to his r 'n' b roots. After his next album, Station to Station, stardom began to take its toll, and a drugged- and freaked-out Bowie retreated to Berlin in 1977 to record three albums with Brian Eno. Low, Heroes and Lodger explored the more experimental side of Bowie and, though spawning few hits, were critically acclaimed. Bowie returned to the mainstream in 1980 with Scary Monsters, and the '80s and early '90s saw the release of five more albums and the formation of his band Tin Machine. In 1995 he returned to experimental music with Outside, followed by 1997's Earthling, an album whose songs he debuted in large part at his 50th birthday concert in Madison Square Garden. His latest album, Hours, is due for release on October 5.

Links:
Our David Bowie Mothership
We Love David Bowie

Nebulocity: a growing number of features on mostly cool artists

Warning: This album may induce severe lethargy. Do not attempt to drive or operate heavy machinery while listening.

Low, the first of Bowie's trilogy recorded with Brian Eno in the late '70s, will make you feel like not moving, but in a very good way. Recorded while Bowie was hiding out in Berlin from the pressure and insanity his stardom had brought on, this album and is rife with soul-searching themes and introspective moods.

The songs on the first half of the album (side one of its original LP release), are well worth listening to, especially "Speed of Life," the piano intro to "Be My Wife" and the peppy Sunday-afternoon romp "A New Career in a New Town." As enjoyable as it is, the first half is really just a prelude to the spectacular second. The last four tracks, almost entirely instrumental, are some of Bowie's finest, and work more as more of a continuous musical voyage than distinct songs. The lyrics are actually nonsense (described in the liner notes as "ambient sounds") using Bowie's voice like another instrument. Though titled and generally described as commentaries on his surroundings, "Warszawa," "Art Decade," "Weeping Wall" and "Subterraneans" are passionate works that open a window into Bowie's soul and psyche at the time. This is slow, haunting, disturbing and intense music.

The 1991 re-release includes bonus tracks "Some Are," "All Saints" and an alternate version of "Sound and Vision." The first two songs extend the bleak mood of the end of the album and are welcome bonuses. The remix of "Sound and Vision" is a terrible annoyance that disrupts the overall ambiance.

Though never a big hit, Low is a must-have for any Bowie fan and a fine addition to the collection of anyone who appreciates expressive music. But don't expect to be running any marathons when it's over.

If you like David Bowie, check out:
David Bowie Hunky Dory
David Bowie ...Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
David Bowie "Heroes"
Pink Floyd Obscured by Clouds
Renaissance Tales of 1001 Nights
Ozric Tentacles Strangeitude
Rush 2112