David Bowie – David Bowie
(what a sexy beast)
1. Uncle Arthur
2. Sell Me A Coat
3. Rubber Band
4. Love You Til Tuesday
5. There Is A Happy Land
6. We Are Hungry Men
7. When I Live My Dream
8. Little Bombardier
9. Silly Boy Blue
10. Come And Buy My Toys
11. Join The Gang
12. She's Got Medals
13. Maid Of Bond Street
14. Please Mr. Gravedigger
Year: 1967
With the exception of his voice, there is very little in this release that alludes to the coming career of the chameleon of rock. It’s fitting that a man known for changing styles to keep with the times has a completely unique debut in relation to his later works. The songs are simple, quick tunes and the song writing works well in the context.
There’s a lot of things here that defines it from a simple pop album however. You’ll hear nice little quirks like the tuba on Rubber Band. There’s a lot more depth to this album than first seems present. So in certain aspects it seems very ambitious for a debut, especially for a 1967 solo artist. It is however easy to see why this was a commercial failure at the time.
Rubber Band
You’ll notice, the further you go into it, the less remarkable it is. For a vocal heavy pop album, there are very few hooks or catchy melodies. It does however make for a very relaxing journey through the pastoral landscapes. The problem here is; there’s nothing to really make you want to go back to it. It’s hard to envisage having any of the songs stuck in your heard unless you become very familiar with them.
Of course, all of these factors lead to one thing: Cult status. Cult status is a wonderful thing. I can almost guarantee you that a lot of people loved this. Played it constantly on repeat and learned every word. The problem is; the public are not like that. They need something that is quick, simple and memorable. This only ticks two boxes. As such it really is just another mediocre 1960’s release. Apart from a few, easily overlooked, quirks there is nothing that separates this from all the other pop albums of the time.
Little Bombardier
So while there’s technically nothing wrong with the album, there is a massive room for improvement. There is nothing for the listener to connect to immediately, which is incredibly important for a pop album. Bowie’s voice shows a lot of promise and so do all the nice little effects and instrumentations. All I can say is; we’re very lucky this is a man that changes with the times, and does so masterfully. Because no one would remember David Bowie now had he kept doing this.
5/10