C2S7CD3 My love affair with David Bowie ended with the release of Never Let Me Down prior to that he could do know wrong in my eyes and I would defence his music to the hilt, I love Let's Dance and will even say that Pin Ups has it;s moments. Back Never Let Me Down and all that came after that Tin Machine ET AL has passed me by, but Station To Station is slap bag in the middle of my affair with Bowie and made up a third of the Berlin trilogy (unofficial title) with Low and Heroes. Doing this review made me realise that the 3 Berlin albums are my favourite body of work from Bowie, after these 3 albums are sandwiched between two live albums, David Live and Stage, David live signified the end of 'The Thin White Duke' and Stage put a full stop after the Berlin albums prior to Bowie moving into his next phase.
I have posted the original art work (the black and white picture ) and the remastered CD version. I thought I preferred the original cover but looking at them side to side I think the coloured version is better. Bowie B&W pic and the latest deluxe box set has been restored to it's former glory.
So to the music, 6 tracks 38 minutes (great album length not too long) of beauty. This album is complete with no tracks I want to skip. The opening Station To Station lasts 10 minutes and starts with Carlos Alomar replicating the sound of a train on his guitar, with the music building for over 3 minutes before Bowie starts singing. the song is amazing unlike anything Bowie had ever done before. I could talk about the other tracks all day Golden Years, TVC15 were and are classic singles but it's the final 2 tracks of the album Stay and Wild Is The Wind that I want to talk about. Stay starts again with Alomar's guitar howling before the funky base kicks in a wall of sound is built until Bowie starts in with the vocals.It's a great track that played live takes on another dimension. Wild Is The Wind unlike the rest of the album is not written by Bowie it is written by Dimitri Toimkin and Neil Washington and was originally sung by Johnny Mathis, I haven't heard the version by Mathis but can't imagine that he could match the Bowie version. Bowie rings every inch of emotion out of the song a love song in the purest sense of the word.
I have always know I loved Bowie's music doing this review has made me reconnect with this album and realise also how much I love the Berlin albums.I was maybe unfair to stop buying Bowie music as I'm sure some of his later work is good but truthfully I feel happy with music I have, I buy the odd compilation and live album that cover the period of work I like and life seems simpler that way. I wouldn't know where to start with his later music but if someone would like to suggestion something.....
Mark 10/10
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