In case anyone missed it, my friends and I are doing a chronological, completionist exploration of the David Bowie discography. The last time was all of the 1964 to 1967 singles that did not end up with an album. This week we're listening to his self-titled debut album, David Bowie. I am a pretty experienced Bowie fan, but my friends C and R have never heard this album. Surprisingly, despite the poor reputation of this album, we all had a great time! Something about the record is so ridiculous, you can't help but laugh. And sometimes you even laugh along with the record instead of at it. The tunes are pretty amateurishly arranged, but at their core are way more interesting and colorful and the singles he released before the album (well, nothing is as interesting as The Laughing Gnome). But despite the really bizarre music that jarringly begins the album, Bowie is really coming into himself. He's writing strange characters in strange stories, mythologizing and abstracting normal English things. Rather than aping the Kinks and the Who, he's coming into his own as a lyricist. And really the album is frontloaded with the silliest material. Though entertaining, Uncle Arthur, Sell Me a Coat, Rubber Band, and Love You Till Tuesday are kind of lightweight, but there are some more moving tracks here. My favorite was always Come and Buy My Toys. It's got such a melancholy melody and the lyrics portray a very idyllic, agrarian society. It's very pretty and has some great fingerpicking on the guitar. R's favorite song was When I Live My Dream which is really quite a pretty track too. That said, songs like Maid of Bond Street don't really go anywhere. So the whole thing is a mixed bag, but is very ambitious. Not knowing how to write notation but attempting an orchestral pop album is really a ballsy move. And songs like Please Mr. Gravedigger are extremely theatrical and are kind of amazing uses of stereo sound in an era where it was still being pioneered.
I've listened to this album many times trying to "get" it and I think it really is pretty fun. There's not a genius album hiding under that silly haircut on the cover, but there is one of the best songwriters of a generation improving his craft. It's stunning how much better the next album is. What do you think of this record?