As I mentioned at the begininng of this project, because some of the artistes I want to cover here have already had some of their albums reviewed by me previously, when I get to that point I will link in to the original review. However, I've decided to keep the main part of the framework even for albums I have reviewed, as in those reviews, there is none of the categorisation and note-taking I'm indulging in here. So you'll get the bit before the review, then a link, and then the tracklisting ratings and the final album rating.
And so, in that spirit, we come to
Album title: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Artiste: David Bowie
Genre: Art Rock/Glam Rock
Year: 1972
Label: RCA
Producer: David Bowie and Ken Scott
Chronological position: Fifth album
Notes:
Album chart position: 5 (UK) 75 (US)
Singles: “Starman”, “Rock'n'Roll suicide”, “Suffragette City”
Lineup:
David Bowie: Vocals, guitar, sax, piano
Mick Ronson: Guitars, keyboards, piano, vocals
Trevor Bolder: Bass, trumpet
Mick Woodmansley: Drums
Review begins
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
TRACKLISTING AND RATINGS
Five years
Soul love
Moonage daydream
Starman
It ain't easy
Lady Stardust
Star
Hang on to yourself
Ziggy Stardust
Suffragette City
Rock'n'Roll suicide
Afterword: When I heard this album first, I was wholly unaware of the story, and even looking back on it now, I find it a little hard to follow. Where, for instance, does “Suffragette City” fit in to the plot? And I always believed “Rock'n'Roll suicide” was Ziggy breaking down, while someone comforted him, helped him try to break the habit (I assumed drugs were a lynchpin of the album) and maybe, failing, stayed with him till he died. (“Oh no love, you're not alone...”) But I find it hard to reconcile the title with the actual ending, now that I know it. I mean, it's hardly suicide to be torn apart by black-hole jumping aliens, now is it? I can just see it: “No, no your honour. He just started tearing bits off himself and handing them to us, telling us we should ... use them to ... coalesce our .... anti ... matter ... into .... um, yeah, this way to the cells is it?”
Kind of ruined my perception of it. Still love it though, and it's probably my favourite Bowie album, of those I know, though of course as I'm finding out, there are a whole lot more brilliant ones waiting to vie for that title.
Rating: 