SPACE ODDITY / WILD EYED BOY FROM FREECLOUD

R.I.P., dear David. This is the famous single outtake of his album of the same name, which wasn't his first long player but the first one of the classic status. Often, when rating singles, I have saved the full rate for cases offering a good non-album song (or even two in the rarest of cases), but I think this is worth the exception. These two songs are none less than the very best songs of the ten-track album.

'Space Oddity', the earliest classic Bowie hit song that everyone knows. It's simply timeless. The music captures the magical power created by the deeply touching story of the unfortunate astronaut "floating in a tin can" (I love the lyrics!), there are just some rather outdated arranging details such as handclaps that I'd rather have left out, but nevertheless this is among the greatest pop songs from the sixties. One to give you goosebumps. Lovely, lovely pop classic indeed.

'Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud', the album's 8th track, is naturally far less known, but it's really an all-too-forgotten gem of early Bowie. It contains orchestration perhaps slightly reminding of some moments in The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed, giving the basically simple and, in a way, folky song a majestic and many-nuanced shape. Bowie's vocals are marvelous here, and like my friend pointed out some time ago, some lines really get under one's skin, such as "it's the madness in his eyes". Have a listen if you don't remember hearing this unique song.