Absolutely superb

This is an album of cover material by one of the great masters in rock history. Just like Let's Spend The Night Together, from his Aladdin Sane album also released in 1973, every cut here leaves the original version in a cloud of dust. Next to Ziggy this is his best effort.

Bowie's worst 70s album...

Ok: so people DO seem to love or hate this album. I find it Bowie's worst during his (almost perfect) decade. The songs are 60s mod turned 70s glam, which mostly means British lads watering down american blues and rock just so Bowie could do it a second time and nearly ruin the whole substance of the thing. He manages exceedingly well to choke the tunes out of their adrenaline with "Everything's Alright" and... well, mostly everything here.

"See Emily Play" is somewhat engaging, since it has that English eccentric kookiness Bowie clings quite often to. The only track that sparkles here is the one that refuses to rock: "Sorrow" - a proof Bowie was always a pop star playing the rock game. During "Sorrow"'s last minute the strings and the vocals go all histrionic and baroque and you are right in the middle of a Burt Bacharach kitchen-sink mini opera. But then it fizzles.

Nevertheless, this is Bowie's most chillingly androgynous and brutally hypnotic record cover. I keep it as a wallpaper on my laptop. He never looked this alien again...

You don't have to listen to it: just look at it...

See David play

On this album, David Bowie performs some of his favorite songs by mid '60s British groups . Most of these songs were big hits in the U.K., but not in the U.S. The album works pretty well, for the most part. He has a top notch band, and the arrangements are good, if occasionally a bit "busy". Bowie is in good voice, although sometimes his vocals get a bit too "hammy". Think of this album as "Ziggy Stardust plays the '60s hits". It's not the first Bowie album you should get, but if you want to delve deeper into his catalogue, it's worth a listen.