ALADDIN SANE

Bowie's best album is an absolute classic of rock history featuring his cynical rock god anti-hero Ziggy Stardust in all his glam glory. Of course the legendary album was a milestone for Bowie and he took up the persona on stage with both barrells loaded. The music is glam rock and proto-punk with futuristic psych all rolled into one.

The rock comes thick and fast from the outset with the catchy 'Watch That Man' and then into the high falsetto of 'Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)'. 'Panic in Detroit' is a sensational rocker with loud vocals and brash guitar. Ronson is dynamic throughout on fuzz guitar especially on 'Cracked Actor'. I always liked the storyteller vocals of 'Time'. 'Let's Spend the Night Together' is a Rolling Stones cover that I never liked. However I adore the riff heavy guitar in 'The Jean Genie'. It is virtually the same riff as T-Rex's 'New York City' though I do not know which came first. The lyrics are compelling and I always loved the line; "keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear, poor little greenie" and "smiles like a reptile, sleeps in a capsule." The nonsense of the lyrics always appealed to a young teen who was sick to death of the lovey dovey sap on the radio at the time.

Thanks Bowie for putting music back into the hands of the listeners, and doing it in style.