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David Bowie - All Filler No Killer

Started by ex lion tamer, February 18, 2021, 08:20:36 PM

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ex lion tamer

Which tracks from classic era Bowie albums (Space Oddity up to Let's Dance) make you die inside?

For clarity - I am a huge fan - first live gig i ever saw, obsessed during my teenage years etc etc. But I have to admit, there are very few Bowie albums that are outstanding all the way through. Even a masterpiece like Hunky Dory has a clunker lurking in there (can you guess which?)
Let's see which press your buttons.
In no particular order...

Space Oddity / David Bowie - God Knows I'm Good

https://youtu.be/lU2cul_g_3I

To be fair, there's some strong competition here (the Lloyd-Webber bollocks of .. 'Freecloud ' for one) but GKIG is a stinker of the highest order.

Salvaged from the Newley grab bag, sanctimonious social commentary with appalling lyrics 'tin of stewing steak etc'. Feels so forced, like he wrote it for a competition or something. Horrid.

shagatha crustie

You've already started in with the answer I'd give - most of Space Oddity. It only counts as a classic era album because it has 'Space Oddity' on it.

Scary Monsters always struck me fairly fillery between the singles too.

Pauline Walnuts

If any of you dares to throw shade on Please Mr. Grave Digger I'll swear I'll do time.


Everything after Glass Spider on the second side of Never Let Me Down. Yes, Glass Spider is one of the better ones.

ex lion tamer

 
Quote from: shagatha crustie on February 18, 2021, 08:28:13 PM
You've already started in with the answer I'd give - most of Space Oddity. It only counts as a classic era album because it has 'Space Oddity' on it.

Agreed. Bit of an easy target the first album - though I think Side One isn't bad, it's definitely a transition album.

Mick Ronson couldn't get down from Hull soon enough. 



ex lion tamer

Quote from: OnlyRegisteredSoICanRead on February 18, 2021, 08:31:07 PM
If any of you dares to throw shade on Please Mr. Grave Digger I'll swear I'll do time.

I was thinking of doing a more positive thread - Best Bowie songs pre Space Oddity, as there's quite a few , but a lot of dross to wade through. Maybe I will...

Pauline Walnuts

Quote from: ex lion tamer on February 18, 2021, 08:35:19 PM
 
Agreed. Bit of an easy target the first album - though I think Side One isn't bad, it's definitely a transition album.


Second album.

Oz Oz Alice

Mostly for me it comes down to the cover versions: It Ain't Easy on Ziggy, Let's Spend The Night Together on Aladdin Sane and Across The Universe on Young Americans. None of them are terrible they're just the definition of filler: none of them are as dire as God Only Knows on Tonight, but none of them even approach the majesty of Wild Is The Wind on Station To Station. Yassassin off Lodger, sometimes I quite like it sometimes I skip it.

non capisco

I don't mind It Ain't Easy but the instrumentation on the verses make it sound like fuckin Rentaghost or something.

Station To Station, Blackstar and Low are the three I love every second of. Diamond Dogs might be my favourite Bowie album but I'm not wild about We Are The Dead.

kalowski

Star and Hang on to yourself don't float my boat in any way.
Don't like The Supermen and I agree with you on For Knows I'm Good.
Love every second of Station to Station to Scary Monsters.

SteveDave

It might not be classed as "filler" but if you remove "Eight Line Poem", "Oh You Pretty Things" goes into "Life On Mars?" beautifully.


jobotic

Not a huge Bowie fan but Hang on to Yourself is one of my favourites (first song I ever knowingly heard from the album.

There at least three really good songs from his first album, which I only became aware of a few years ago.

ex lion tamer

Station to Station is flawless for me. His finest work with Low a close second.

I'm surprised there's been no nominations for

'Song for Bob Dylan' off Hunky Dory. 
A real turd amongst the diamonds. Clunky as anything.

Agreed on the covers on Ziggy and Aladdin Sane, would have been better records without them.

kalowski


Oz Oz Alice

Quote from: ex lion tamer on February 19, 2021, 06:32:28 AM
'Song for Bob Dylan' off Hunky Dory. 
A real turd amongst the diamonds. Clunky as anything.

Forgot that even existed! Now you've mentioned that I've also remembered Fill Your Heart on Hunky Dory, another useless cover version but this time one that is actively incredibly irritating and has no place on an album with gems like Quicksand, Life On Mars and The Bewlay Brothers.


Natnar

Scary Monsters is one of the few albums to have a filler side rather than filler tracks. Side 2 has four filler tracks and an inferior version of a track on the other side. Most of the Ziggy album leaves me cold, i much prefer the Arnold Cornes version of Moonage Daydream than the Ziggy Version.


sweeper

If we're being honest, half of Ziggy is nothing special.

Aladdin Sane is the key glam-era album. Every track a banger.

sweeper

Quote from: Natnar on February 19, 2021, 11:28:32 AM
Scary Monsters is one of the few albums to have a filler side rather than filler tracks. Side 2 has four filler tracks and an inferior version of a track on the other side. Most of the Ziggy album leaves me cold, i much prefer the Arnold Cornes version of Moonage Daydream than the Ziggy Version.

Are you counting Teenage Wildlife in that?

greenman

Quote from: ex lion tamer on February 19, 2021, 06:32:28 AM
Station to Station is flawless for me. His finest work with Low a close second.

Probably helps that on those two he wasnt depending on having to come up with as many songs, more willing to extend songs out on the former and include simpler instrumentals on the latter. You could counter that I spose by saying the title track on Station to Station is really a medley of 3 songs all of which are good.

SteveDave

Quote from: ex lion tamer on February 19, 2021, 06:32:28 AM
Station to Station is flawless for me. His finest work with Low a close second.

The first side of "Low" is amazing. The second side of my copy of "Low" has never been played.

Natnar

Quote from: sweeper on February 19, 2021, 11:33:28 AM
Are you counting Teenage Wildlife in that?

That's probably the best track on side 2. I don't think it helps having 4 tracks that basically sound very similar grouped together like that.

buttgammon

Quote from: Natnar on February 19, 2021, 12:03:25 PM
That's probably the best track on side 2. I don't think it helps having 4 tracks that basically sound very similar grouped together like that.

I do agree about the end of Scary Monsters but I really, really like Teenage Wildlife; I normally turn the album off after it plays though.

Jerzy Bondov

I'm so upset by the idea that Teenage Wildlife is filler! One of his best songs. Scream Like a Baby is great too. The other two I could take or leave, and I agree that It's No Game 2 is inferior but I like the way it works as part of the album. I just wish he'd put Crystal Japan on there as originally planned.

Aleister Growley

I like most of Dave's stuff, but I can't get into the Young Americans album at all, and god knows I've tried.
It does not surprise me that Luther Vandross is involved. Not at all. Terrible.

Other than that, it's just Starman and Life On Mars that grate. 

thugler

The entirety of Tin Machine I and II.

Without you off let's dance.

Don't like much of pinups.

Man who sold the world bar a couple of tracks is pretty mediocre.

Tonight/never let me down is weak.

Don't really like Earthling or Black tie white noise that much bar a few tracks, sounds a bit dated in places, extremely 1990's big pop production and it's a bit excessive.

Low/Scary Monsters/Station to Station/Hunky Dory all pretty much perfect. Aladdin sane/heroes/lodger/blackstar/Diamond Dogs sitting just below.



SweetPomPoms

I love Diamond Dogs but Rock and Roll With Me is not up there with the rest of it. Watch That Man should be buried on side 2 in place of the Stones cover.

ex lion tamer

Quote from: SteveDave on February 19, 2021, 11:50:28 AM
The first side of "Low" is amazing. The second side of my copy of "Low" has never been played.
https://youtu.be/FODvjYoVEi8

Johnboy

Wouldn't be crazy about It's no Game, happens twice and all.

I'm not mad about the title track of Diamond Dogs but love all of the rest of it.

There really is nothing wrong with Station to Station is there?

markburgle

I hate "Up the Hill Backwards", sounds like the arrival of Bowie-as-irrelevant-duffer to me, all rubbish melodies and  try-hard pomp signifying nothing. Not that he didn't have some good tracks after

TheMonk

Enjoyed Heathen but never quite bought Everyone Says 'Hi'.