ALADDIN SANE

David Bowie rocks with an immediately enjoyable, early '70's sound with this stylish, nuanced, and sometimes raucous album. Aladdin Sane is a crowd-pleasing experience which may not measure very high in the "prog" scale, but offers up classic rock gems that artfully show us why the early seventies are probably the best years in music. It will appeal to most listeners at a variety of levels: as energetic background music with a bottom-heavy feel, a cynical yet melodious indictment of pop-culture, or as darkly playful art rock. I fall in the third category.

While there are enjoyable musical moments throughout, the standouts for me include the hot and heavy "Watch That Man," which has layers and layers of sound with a pleasing bass guitar groove. The title song features wonderfully disjointed rhythms and soloing, courtesy pianist Mike Garson. This song sort if sets the tongue-in-cheek tone that I picked up on in many of the other songs. The combination of sax and piano, as well as numerous backing vocals, help make this more than just a straight-ahead rock album. Mike Ronson's guitar shines in his use of feedback, and especially in the solo on "Panic in Detroit." "Time" may be the most interesting track on the album; it's ambitious, lyrically creative, and uses a smart sense of pacing to build to a layered conclusion. This, and the textured ballad "Lady Grinning Soul," which concludes the album, make for a varied and highly enjoyable listening experience.

As for Bowie himself: he's actually quite incomparable. As someone who's never listened to his works, it's easy to hear why his career is discussed with such respect. He's a wonderful singer, with passionate phrasing, inflection, and use of tonal changes to create emotion. His lyrics in this record are thoughtful without pretense, and even when at their bawdiest, they retain a sharpness and wit.

A great combination of musical sounds that will appeal to rock fans of many stripes. Definitely not prog, but definitely not "normal" rock, either. A worthy addition to any classic rockers library, and perfect diversion from the prog-minded listener.

Songwriting: 4 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Lyrics/Vocals: 4 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 4