Episode 6. David Bowie

This is a special Friday episode in memory of David Bowie, who passed away on January 10 after battling cancer - everyone familiar with him surely feels a loss. Incomparable both personally and artistically, Bowie's musical career spanned over twenty genres and five decades. His voice is singular, but in terms of musical innovation, there is one album in particular that stands out. The album name, Low, has at least two meanings: (1) Bowie himself felt low as he wrote this record due to cocaine withdrawals, and (2) the nature of the music, especially compared to Bowie's other super-glamorous work, is low-profile (also notice his low-profile style on the cover art - compared to this at least). This album was originally intended to be a soundtrack, so it's relatively easy to visualize and feel situations that correspond to the music. Listening to this music is almost like dreaming.

Musically, Low was far ahead of its time. The producer, Tony Visconte, manipulated new synthesizer technology - many of the sounds that you hear on this album had never been heard anywhere before. While certainly not the most popular or the catchiest Bowie album, it isn't exactly an underdog - Pitchfork rated it the best album of the '70s. And the '70s is arguably the best decade for music so... yeah, it's good.

#1. David Bowie - "Sound and Vision" (1977)


 "Sound And Vision" is a very tactile song - you can feel the cool release of pressurized air. The soaring soundscape in the background. The heavy, beefy drum beats. Bowie's sighs. The bass takes the backseat as the guitar works some magic. Bowie's singing in this song definitely shows signs of his low mood. There are two lead vocal tracks playing - one where he sounds strained, and another where he sounds resigned, more or less.

#2. David Bowie - "Always Crashing in The Same Car" (1977)


 Again with mind-boggling synthesizer sounds from the outset. Often the most significant and characteristic aspect of a drum beat is the snare drum, which usually sounds like a "pop." In this case the pop sounds attenuated - it's almost like something is popping in slow-motion (it comes in at 0:35). This is part of the synth magic I keep talking about.

#3. David Bowie - "A New Career In A New Town" (1977)


 My personal favorite David Bowie song. This instrumental track completely aligns with its title. You can feel the hesitation and anxiety of moving to a new city in the beginning with the atmospheric sounds and the fast heartbeat. By the way that heartbeat drum sound is a groundbreaking feat of synthesizer engineering - part of the reason this album is far ahead of its time. It sounds half artificial half real. I'm not sure if they thought this deep, but this could reflect a move from the "real" country to the "artificial" city. And then boom! the surge of excitement from the new job and the new town kicks in with the harmonica sounding like an old western movie driving the emotion. There is then a return to the anxiety and loneliness for a short period as the subject questions his move, and finally a return to the excitement, which feels like a happy ending. A nostalgic story of personal growth, exploration, and anxiety combined with the wonder of cab ride at night through a brightly lit unknown city, told brilliantly through instruments both real and synthesized. Proof that Bowie's magic is not just in his voice. Perhaps not his most catchy song, but one that is brilliantly able to transplant the listener into a specific experience.

#4. David Bowie - "Weeping Wall" (1977)


A man is being chased down a darkened alley by some kind of futuristic police. Just when it looks like he's about to escape, the horns come on. But he doesn't give up, he keeps running at a pretty good clip. At one point he tries to blend in with the crowd, but that doesn't last long. Everybody rats him out, those bastards. The police close in, yelling at the man to stop, but he just won't comply. It looks like it's the end of the line, but then it turns out that the police were just actors and the whole thing fizzled out and became like a set break. It wasn't a practical joke like in that one movie. It was just an acting lesson. The guy went home and drank hot chocolate with a heart rate of 180.