DIAMOND DOGS

Even though Mick Ronson had already departed from the band, he is definitely present in spirit on Diamond Dogs. What we get here is just another rehash of the ideas that felt old even with the release of Aladdin Sane, but that might be because I like my bands and artists to show signs of progress and improvement with every new release. With Diamond Dogs, Bowie was pretty much grasping at straws and even though Young Americans is considered to be an even weaker release, at least it pushed Bowie further away from his Ziggy Stardust persona. This is really not the case with this album. The same old rock & roll numbers are mixed together with rock ballads without a second thought of trying anything new. The whole concept that Bowie was going for is pretty ridiculous even by his standards but at least, this time around, it's not as clear as it was on the two previous albums.

The only standout moment that we get here comes in the form of the straightforward rocker Rebel Rebel which would remain in Bowie's repertoire for many years to come. The rest of the material on side one is decent but is in no way near the stuff off Ziggy Stardust. Side two is where the album slowly starts to roll downhill. By the way, is it just me or does the track 1984 sound very much like the title track from Rick Wakeman's album with the same name? They do share a similar groove, but I still happen to prefer Wakeman's take just for his keyboard arrangements.

In conclusion, you might find this album interesting if you've enjoyed Aladdin Sane but other than that, skip this release all together. David Bowie was smart enough to realize that this approach wouldn't win him any new ground and so he swiftly shifted things in a new direction with the next release.

***** star songs: Rebel Rebel (4:34)

**** star songs: Sweet Thing (3:39) Sweet Thing (Reprise) (2:32) We Are The Dead (4:59)

*** star songs: Future Legend (1:08) Diamond Dogs (5:58) Candidate (2:40) Rock 'n' Roll With Me (4:02) 1984 (3:27) Big Brother (3:20)

** star songs: Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family (2:04)

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