Fascinating threesome

These three albums demonstrate just how versatile David Bowie used to be in his early days. Aladdin Sane is a weird mix of sharp rock and futuristic cabaret, Diamond Dogs is a powerful glamrock outing and Hunky Dory is David at his lyrical and melodic best, paying tribute to his musical heroes in an impressive variety of styles.



Aladdin Sane was a weird follow-up to Ziggy Stardust. It isn't really a rock album, with the exception of Watch That Man, The Prettiest Star, Cracked Actor and The Jean Genie, four classic rock numbers of which the latter was a prelude to punk with its short, sharp riffs and inherent aggression. Songs like Time, Aladdin Sane and Lady Grinning Soul are like futuristic torch songs, mostly bleak observations with slow arrangements over loungey piano music. His cover of Let's Spend The Night Together is fast, dispassionate and throwaway, not an exceptional addition to his oeuvre but a tribute to 1960s pop like his Pin-Ups album. Although there are some great songs here, overall this album is not one that invites repeated listening for the rock music fan, apart from the aforementioned songs like The Jean Genie and The Prettiest Star. It's an album of interesting experimentation in both the lyrics and the music and quite valuable on that level, but perhaps too stylistically weird. That's why so few tracks from Aladdin Sane ever make it onto Bowie compilation albums.



Diamond Dogs sounds better to me now than all those years ago. From the dramatic howling introduction, through the gripping title track, Sweet Thing, Candidate, Sweet Thing Reprise and into the catchy Rebel Rebel, Diamond Dogs is a marvellous tour de force, comparable to the best work on his very best albums. I love the innovative piano rolls on Sweet Thing, and the bridge between the Reprise and Rebel Rebel is absolutely brilliant. Rock `n Roll with me is another powerful song while Big Brother/Chant impresses with its complex arrangement. Perhaps this album need to be assessed on its own terms, not in context of what went before or after. As such, it remains a tour de force of Glamrock with melodious songs and interesting ideas.



Hunky Dory was Bowie's last album as a wannabe, just before he found fame with Ziggy Stardust. It's a fascinating work on many levels, displaying lyrical depth, wit and great musical variety, from the music hall pop of Changes, through the sixties pop of Oh You Pretty Things to the cinematic lyricism of Life On Mars, a breathtaking masterpiece. Another of my favourites is Fill Your Heart, a quirky number with his somersaulting voice over lively piano and cheeky sax. Elements of the folk singer/songwriter are evident on numbers like Song For Bob Dylan while The Supermen reminds me of his later science fiction work. Bowie also salutes Lou Reed and Andy Warhol here, in fact the whole album makes references to his musical influences. It is a bridge between his earlier music hall style and the glamrock that was to follow, and this was just the right mixture to ensure a timeless classic.