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I first encountered David Bowie when I was about 5 or 6 years old, after my Dad gave my sister and I pre-recorded Top of the Pops videos to watch. We had just moved to a city where English programs were scarce on TV, and he did not want us to pick up the pidgin English that did feature on TV [though I ended up doing so anyway], so TOTP it was [amongst others]. 'Ashes to Ashes' scared the heck out of me, but I was also intrigued, and by the time 'Lets Dance' came out, I was enchanted by Bowie. I discovered his earlier repertoire a little later, but never listened to the 'Space Oddity' album until now ... this album for me, captures the zeitgeist of the fading 60's better than any other album from the era that I have listened to.
To pick a favourite song on this album is hard, but if pressed to select between 'Space Oddity' and 'Cygnet Committee', I will pick 'Cygnet Committee'. For me this is storytelling at its best. While it has been mentioned that the inspiration for the piece came from Bowie's disappointment with the Beckenham Arts Lab, the subject matter – the hijacking of an ideal/cause by misguided followers, is a universal theme, and the way Bowie uses multiple POV's to weave his narrative is pure genius. When he breaks into an anguished wail, and pleads to live, it is to me as if he channels the cry of every disenfranchised, oppressed, and brutalised persons, of whom too many exist in this world.
The rest of the album is music gold. Some other favourites of mine are 'God knows I'm good', 'Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud', and 'Unwashed and somewhat Slightly Dazed'.
I love the album's cover art, and the illustrations by Bowie. In the wonderful 'David Bowie Is' archive book, there is a finished illustration derived from the sketch on the back sleeve.
David Bowie during his commencement address at Berklee in 1999, said he liked to play 'what if', with his merging of musical styles. I like to play 'what if' as well, but with history. So here it goes: What if 'Space Oddity' was the mega hit it should have been on its initial release, and a commercial success? Would David Bowie still have created an avatar in the form of Ziggy Stardust, to spread his message in a way that the audience of that time would find appealing?
While I love very many of the numerous musical treasures David Bowie created throughout his magnificent artistic career, I have a soft spot for this album; it reflects a certain vulnerability and a whole lot of genius. Rest in peace David Bowie, and thank you for the music.
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Reviews with images
Beautiful picture disc that looks nice but sounds horrible
The packaging is excellent and the record is visually stunning. Unfortunately, this is the worst repressing I’ve ever bought. It’s slightly warped and there’s a dull roar of background noise, such that it’s virtually unlistenable. If you want this on vinyl, get the plain black version.
Top reviews from other countries
Styve Curadeau
Nice ☆☆☆☆☆
Reviewed in Canada on April 12, 2021
Styve Curadeau
Reviewed in Canada on April 12, 2021
Images in this review
David Williams
Looks so cool, sound quality poor.
Reviewed in Australia on July 5, 2020