Colocally

If I may, I would like to revive this seemingly deceased thread.



Some people put this album down and at first glance it does seem to be a minor album, hidden between the more popular "Heroes" and Scary monsters, but it is the perfect stepping stone between the two. The last of the Famous 'Berlin' Trilogy, this one was actually recorded in Montreaux and mixed in New York. It was Bowie at his most daring, there are songs on this album which are quite unique. Bowie also dabbled in world music a good five years before it started to gain popularity.
A perfect album for vinyl it has two distinct sides, one to do with travelling and one dealing with the pressures of modern life. Despite the lack of instrumentals Eno seemed to be at his most influential on this album with songs which echoed his own work and his work with the Talking heads, but in the end were distinctly Bowie songs. On this album Eno used chord charts to tell the musicians what to play, would swap around their instruments, reuse melodies and chord progressions from other songs and generally shake things up.

Fantastic Voyage, a majestic way to start the album, with a fabulous lyric and a truly great musical arrangement. It may have the same chords structure as Boys keep swinging, but it still is a great song in it's own right, a lovely addition to the reality tour.

African Night Flight is one of the maddest tracks to ever be released by Bowie (or anyone), almost a rap in places, quite disconcerting when first heard but a definite grower and one of my favourites, I love it when Bowie has these fits of verbal gymnastics.

Move On started off as All the young dudes played backwards but you would hardly know it. The story goes that Bowie had a bag full of cassettes with him and he played one and it ended up playing in reverse and he heard the chorus of ATYD and really liked the way the melody went, so he then used it as the refrain of this song. A great vocal, the lyrics seem to really lay a statement of Bowie's life at the time.

Yassassin is a reggae song with Turkish instrumentation, who would have thought of that, a really fun song, a single in Turkey (for obvious reasons) and also in the Netherlands (for not so obvious reasons).


Red Sails taught Adam Ant all he needed to know, pirate chic a good two years before Antmusic, one of the best songs on the album and what an ending.

DJ is not one of my favourites, I always found it a bit too discordant for my ears, but when I am in the mood I do like it.

Look Back In Anger is one of the most well known songs on the album which has beeb performed live throughout 1983 and then reprised it on the Outside/Earthling tours. Very good video with a Dorian Grey twist to it.

Boys Keep Swinging, who can part this from the groundbreaking video, the garage band sound just makes this a really fun song, there is a good alternative video from the Kenny Everett Video show too, which is worth checking out.

Repetition deals with wife beating and is the first of Bowie's "Johnny" songs, which still go on to this day as there is one on the new album. This is a subject not handled by many people in song, great music, if a little downbeat. Revived in concert in 1997 with a number of acoustic versions floating around from his various radio appearances that year. Was also played in 1999/2000.

Red Money I really think this is a poor way to end the album, I would have preferred Sister Midnight, as of the two that is the better song, something which Bowie must agree with, as he has sung the latter more in concert than he has the former.

All in all though, an album I love revisiting, a forgotten classic to many but one which is always refreshing.

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