LOW

LOW: not quite pop, not quite ambient, not quite art rock. There are traits of each found in the music on this album, but none of these descriptions fit the bill. To start things off, the album is divided into two distinct halves--a collection of strange, processed pop-rock (Side 1 of the LP) and a set of MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS-style instrumental *stuff* (after all, both LOW and MY LIFE... were co-wrote by Brian Eno). To be honest, I'm not a big this half-and-half division on this album, though the idea seems to somehow work a little better on "HEROES." Despite the unevenness of this record, LOW, along with "HEROES," is still a seminal work in Bowie's oeuvre, influencing the sound of many rock and non-rock genres alike (e.g. post-punk, electronica, '80s pop). Highlights include: "Sound & Vision" and "A New Place in New Town." GRADE: B (85%)