Aladdin Sane

I’m listening to all of David Bowie’s studio albums while we’re all mostly staying inside. My thoughts about David Bowie and Space Oddity are here. The Man Who Sold The World is here. Hunky Dory is here. Ziggy Stardust is here.

It’s hard to follow up a masterpiece. In isolation, Aladdin Sane is good. In a lot of moments, it’s great. The title track’s jazz influences make it the most interesting song on the album. “Time” feels like it could soundtrack an old burlesque show (minus the corny dual-harmonizing guitar part). And “Lady Grinning Soul” has one of Bowie’s best vocal performances I’ve heard so far.

But some songs are just ok compared to the others’ brilliance. And that’s fine! These are songs that I probably wouldn’t skip over if it shows up on the playlist. “Watch That Man” does away with subtlety as it kicks off the album. It’s louder than anything on Ziggy Stardust, and it sounds kind of like a Rolling Stones song. The vocals are very low in the mix, however. The rest of the album isn’t mixed like that, and I’m wondering if that’s a mistake. “Drive-In Saturday” sounds like a Ziggy Stardust B-side. Not as good as any of those tracks, but it’s still a good listen.

“Let’s Spend The Night Together” is the only misstep on the album. Aladdin Sane already had the Rolling Stones-like song with “Watch That Man,” so the cover seems superfluous.

Fun fact — I had no idea the iconic David Bowie image with the star on his face was from the cover of this album. I always thought it was from Ziggy Stardust.

If my vague memory of the David Bowie story is right, I think I’m heading toward the end of his glam-rock period. I’m undecided whether I’m going to listen to his album of covers, Pin-Ups, or move straight into Diamond Dogs. I’ll play it by ear.