THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS

Ziggy Stardust is a classic title coming with high praise from most rock critics. But just like many other highly praised classics, I find it hard to see it as anything better then average. Each song is memorable, catchy and witty, but the predictable chord progression clichés and verse-chorus pop structures aren't bound to get me very excited about this album anytime soon.

But it's not just a matter of formal structure. On top of that, I find this album missing character and personality. The production is nice, but simply too safe and typically pop: harmless guitar sounds, soft drums, a dot of piano, sweet violins and vocals that are completely pushed to the fore, dominating everything else. It's a singer songwriter type of album so of course this is what the fans of the style expect, but it is too tame for me and it has aged rather badly. There's next to nothing in the arrangements providing for a deeper layer, nor is their any musical development or any other excitement catching my attention.

That being said, the songwriting is very good for the genre. But only Moonage Daydream really stands out and brings back the emotive power of my favourite Bowie album The Man Who Sold The World. Mick Ronson shines with a great solo that provides the first (and only) moment on the album where the music is allowed to take the spotlight. Also the Suffragette City sounds fun.

Ziggy Stardust nowhere reaches the majesty of The Man Who Sold The World for me. It is a good classic rock album, but unfortunately, that happens to be a type of music I really don't like at all. So I generally condemn this album to serve as background music when having folks over for a visit. 2 stars for me, upped for its obvious qualities.