BOW DOWN TO KING BOWIE

Every single song is as savory as Godiva chocolate; then, the songs make you crave even more. Just don't buy this one. Buy Aladdin Sane and Diamond Dogs to round out this era. Everyone raves about this for a reason, and the reason is that it is good.

David Bowie's best work

What can I say about this album? There's so many things I could, but I am without the words. There is a raw emotion and connection when Bowie sings "Five Years," "Soul Love," wait, actually, he sings the entire album that way. Five Years starts us off with maybe our first impression of Ziggy, aware of his limited time as a star. Moonage Daydream is supposed to be a song written by Ziggy. After that, Bowie takes us through every persona of Ziggy, the teen-hero, the martyr, the fool, and the washed-up star. After the song Ziggy Stardust ends, the album seems to be speeding up and running out of time. You won't even have to look at the track listings to know that Rock n' Roll Suicide is the last song. Then we know that Ziggy's time is over, but life moves on, and it always does.

This ain't genocide, this is rock and roll

Yes it's a concept album, but that's not what makes it legendary 33 years later. For the countless words that have been written about the Ziggy persona, the persona did not make the legend. Only great songs could do that and Ziggy Stardust delivers. Concept schmoncept as far I'm concerned. Every track on this CD (possibly excepting "It Ain't Easy") stands on its own as a great song.



"Five Years" may be unparalleled in the rock catalog for sheer drama. Sometimes the lyrics seem a little silly or obtuse when you actually try to figure out the meaning. But with a song as brilliant as "Starman", Bowie could be singing about Cheez Whiz for all I care, it's that good.



You don't need to be a Bowie fan, a glam fan, or a 70's fan to love this disc. I'm a fan of great melodies in any genre played with passion. The 11 songs here are irresistible. If you have any empathy at all for popular music you must own this disc.



Oh, and thank you Virgin for not cluttering this release with tons of forgettable B sides and alternate takes which only dilute the quality. These 11 original tracks are all I need.