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~~MicShazam~~ · 06-04-2018, 01:29 PM

I mentioned a few albums like how it felt like Bowie had heard Roxy Music and tried to partially emulate them. This time around, Bryan Ferry seemed to pay back the favor, as his two dance pop albums Boys and Girls and Bete Noire both feel like an attempt at doing something in the vein of Let's Dance - both done a few years later.

I'll get to the disappointing bit right away: Ferry does it way, way better. Both of his dance pop albums are downright classics and particularly Boys and Girls gets a fair share of respect.

Bowie's first take on dancey 80's pop numbers is one of the blackest sheep in his entire discography, so I feared the worst. Actually, I don't think Let's Dance is bad by any means. It's a bit hit and miss, but I don't dislike any of the songs, and some are quite good. I really enjoy China Girl, for example.

Call it sacriliege, but I'm more likely to buy this one for my CD collection than most of the albums I've been through so far. It's not a classic, but it brings some variety next to his other albums and it's got some neat pop tunes spread across the disc. Some numbers aren't very good. I feel like the opening track, Modern love, does not quite fit in. It's too backwards looking, stylistically speaking, while the rest of the album is more modern. More 1983 and beyond. Modern Love feels like a lost Grease number.

I'm going with a 3/5 for this album, but like I said, I like how it's something different for Bowie, so it adds some discography variety. If the next two pop discs from Bowie are better than this one, I might not want to add it to my collection. But there's a possibility.

I'll take this an opportunity to suggest that you check out those two aforementioned Bryan Ferry albums. You won't regret it. Bowie may be a legend, but it's not always that he does the best available take on a particular style. Ferry upstages this album fiercely on Boys and Girls/Bete Noire. Don't be such a Bowie fanboy. Check them out with an open mind

_Previous ratings:__________________

(Rated on a scale relative to only Bowie's own discography, where 1 means the worst he's done and 5 means the best he's done.)
David Bowie: 1/5
Space Oddity: 2/5
The Man Who Sold The World 4/5
Hunky Dory 3/5
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust 3/5
Aladdin Sane 3/5
PinUps 2/5
Diamond Dogs 2/5
Young Americans 1/5
Station to Station 4/5
Low 5/5
Heroes 4/5
Lodger 3.5/5
Scary Monsters 3/5
Let's Dance 3/5
Tonight
Never Let Me Down
Black Tie White Noise
1. Outside
Earthling
Hours
Heathen
Reality
The Next Day
Blackstar

06-04-2018, 01:29 PM	#12 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	I mentioned a few albums like how it felt like Bowie had heard Roxy Music and tried to partially emulate them. This time around, Bryan Ferry seemed to pay back the favor, as his two dance pop albums Boys and Girls and Bete Noire both feel like an attempt at doing something in the vein of Let's Dance - both done a few years later. I'll get to the disappointing bit right away: Ferry does it way, way better. Both of his dance pop albums are downright classics and particularly Boys and Girls gets a fair share of respect. Bowie's first take on dancey 80's pop numbers is one of the blackest sheep in his entire discography, so I feared the worst. Actually, I don't think Let's Dance is bad by any means. It's a bit hit and miss, but I don't dislike any of the songs, and some are quite good. I really enjoy China Girl, for example. Call it sacriliege, but I'm more likely to buy this one for my CD collection than most of the albums I've been through so far. It's not a classic, but it brings some variety next to his other albums and it's got some neat pop tunes spread across the disc. Some numbers aren't very good. I feel like the opening track, Modern love, does not quite fit in. It's too backwards looking, stylistically speaking, while the rest of the album is more modern. More 1983 and beyond. Modern Love feels like a lost Grease number. I'm going with a 3/5 for this album, but like I said, I like how it's something different for Bowie, so it adds some discography variety. If the next two pop discs from Bowie are better than this one, I might not want to add it to my collection. But there's a possibility. I'll take this an opportunity to suggest that you check out those two aforementioned Bryan Ferry albums. You won't regret it. Bowie may be a legend, but it's not always that he does the best available take on a particular style. Ferry upstages this album fiercely on Boys and Girls/Bete Noire. Don't be such a Bowie fanboy. Check them out with an open mind _Previous ratings:__________________ (Rated on a scale relative to only Bowie's own discography, where 1 means the worst he's done and 5 means the best he's done.) David Bowie: 1/5 Space Oddity: 2/5 The Man Who Sold The World 4/5 Hunky Dory 3/5 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust 3/5 Aladdin Sane 3/5 PinUps 2/5 Diamond Dogs 2/5 Young Americans 1/5 Station to Station 4/5 Low 5/5 Heroes 4/5 Lodger 3.5/5 Scary Monsters 3/5 Let's Dance 3/5 Tonight Never Let Me Down Black Tie White Noise 1. Outside Earthling Hours Heathen Reality The Next Day Blackstar