Aladdin Sane 2013

David Bowie is one of those well-known artists that most people already have formed an opinion about, and if you are here reading reviews of his albums on Amazon I am thinking you are probably at the very least a casual admirer of his music. I am not the biggest Bowie fan by a long shot. I don’t even like some of his hits from the late seventies on (my opinion and taste, which in no way invalidates your own); I do however like his Ziggy Stardust period and the music that bookends it. Therefore, this review of one of my favorite albums of Mr. Bowie’s will be sticking to the quality of the 2015 180-gram vinyl re-issue. Specifically, this is for those that are considering buying this 1973 album for their collections. The music itself earns the five stars above but I’ll leave the detailed descriptions to others. Many recordings have a “happy spot” where the level needs to be in the right range before the mix comes alive; generally, this occurs when the volume on your stereo begins to approach the level at which the track was mixed (or sometimes mastered) at. Ziggy Goes to America (Aladdin Sane) is particularly such a recording and the volume level that breathes life into it is fairly high. Too quiet and the mix is flat and lifeless, too loud and it sounds brash and harsh. There is a lot going on in many of these tracks and this pressing does an excellent job of sorting it all out. On the guitar driven tracks Mick Ronson’s guitar tone is nicely fat and chunky, and well separated when multitracked. Bowie is in fine voice throughout and portrayed with aplomb. The frequency extremes are somewhat truncated (this is an old trick when mixing – by narrowing the frequency ranges of individual instruments it is easier to clearly place instruments with overlapping frequencies in the soundscape) this is particularly noticeable on these mixes with the kick drum and cymbals; but the bass guitar has a pleasant round tone. This is not the place to look for subterranean bass nor extended highs. This pressing/remaster excels at clarity and tone (at least the tones that Mick Ronson and Ken Scott wanted to focus on while mixing) more so than imaging. This is perhaps because it is digitally mastered vs. the original analog master (or maybe that’s just the way this album is supposed to sound). Very nice quality in terms of the pressing/manufacturing, quiet vinyl, well centered spindle hole, and very flat. I don’t think it differs enough from the original early pressings to warrant a repurchase unless your copy is worn out or if you have one of the recycled vinyl re-issues from the late 70s/early 80s that suck. If you don’t already have a copy of this album this is a decent version to get especially given the quality/price (when I bought it at least) ratio. I would search out an older good pressing (preferably an English, German, Japanese, or first American pressing edition) if I were willing to pay a premium price. Packaging: Well done job of recreating the original gatefold presentation with all of the original artwork and lyrics, it even includes the folding black and white fan club insert (no longer valid). High quality printing and card stock and a plastic lined paper inner sleeve that appears to be static resistant. I felt no need to follow my usual practice of using an aftermarket inner sleeve, I did put it in a ClearBags outer sleeve to make the iconic cover pop visually and protect the whole thing.

great album, crappy packaging, these cardboard sleeves are hard to get CD out of without getting fingerprints all over the disc.

a Great album, clean and no pops and sounds wonderful

I bought this on vinyl on Amazon, and was quite surprised. Surprised in a good way, which is rare now days. It actually surpasses many of my audiophile pressings many in the $49.00 or more range. At least this copy does. Hope you also get a good one, odds are you will. I also bought Dark Side of the Moon on vinyl at the same exact time and vendor for more than twice the price of this Bowie. It had a bad warp on the edge. The Bowie album though is nice and flat without even the slightest warp. It also has extremely quiet vinyl. As for the music, this is one of Bowie's best, and not as over played as some of his other releases. Not sure if it is all analog or not, but the fidelity is there so don't worry. I would prefer an all analog chain for all vinyl releases. Vinyl really doesn't need any 1's and 0's, but if it has to be that way and not compressing it to death in mastering then I'm still in. Of note on the Bowie album is the excellent piano playing, which is truly amazing as well as the production and writing all first notch. This album is easily a 10 out of 10. Don't let the ultra low price fool you. Buy this now. As for Dark Side of the Moon although it sounded good I just couldn't get over that warp. I guess I will exchange it, and give it another try since it's obviously a great classic. I'll keep you posted.

And some nice extras on the 30th Anniversary Edition as well. I wouldn't consider any of it that essential, but the live version of Drive-In Saturday is a highlight. But back to the original album. I've never been a fan of "Watch that Man", it's too conventional and sounds like your typical '70s rock band, very little of Bowie's 'unique' additions are present here. But the reason every Bowie fanatic (like myself) must buy this album is chiefly because of 4 tracks: Panic in Detroit, Time, The Prettiest Star, and Lady Grinning Soul. Jean Genie is also a great one, but I've heard it so many times it's lost much of its impact. "Cracked Actor" has a simple (but catchy) progression with great blending of harmonica and distorted guitar (read 'raunchy'). "The Prettiest Star" is ridiculously catchy. Mick Ronson's lead guitar is almost anthemic and practically makes the song work. "Drive-In Saturday" is an above-average tune, with some nice chords and well-written lyrics. The title track has a great chorus and some purely blissful piano playing by Mike Garson. "Let's Spend the Night Together" is a guilty pleasure. Why so many people despise it, I don't know. It's pure fun without sounding contrived or overly conventional. It sounds like Bowie doing Bowie, not Bowie doing Jagger (so to speak). "Lady Grinning Soul" is an excellent way to end the album. A kind of cabaret feel to this one and some fantastic vocal work from Bowie. Overall, there's very little of what I would consider filler (Watch that Man I would include in that category, though many would disagree with me). A great album by a great artist.

Perfect

Showed up in great condition. Happy customer

Bien envuelto, buen gramaje y sonido

CD in Ordnung

David Bowie dopo Elvis è il mio cantautore preferito questo album ha segnato generazioni è tra gli album più conosciuti di questo artista lo consiglio a chi non lo conosce d’iniziare da questo album e poi procedere con gli alti album tanto per farvi un idea di come sono i suoi brani e lui.

David Bowie dispensa comentarios. Fantástico ! Entrega feita no prazo e o fornecedor foi muito gentil enviando uma capa de CD extra para o caso de haver problemas na caixa original - o que não ocorreu.

The schizophrenic cousin to '...Ziggy Stardust...' and sometimes referred to as 'Ziggy goes to America', this follow up to that seminal album is almost as good - some might say better - than its illustrious predecessor. There's no denying that it has a harder, rockier sound and the lyrics are far more cynical than on '...Ziggy...' In many respects, 'Aladdin Sane' depicts the harsh realities of stardom, where the previous album was very much the wide-eyed dream. It boasts much the same line-up as that masterpiece of popular music, with Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey all returning but the addition of Mike Garson on piano gives 'Aladdin Sane' a jazzier, avant-garde and perhaps more authentic feel. Most of the tracks are wonderfully sleazy and decadent, with a jaundiced Bowie commenting on what he saw beneath the glittering façade of fame and the American entertainment industry. The album's final trump card is its cover; surely one of the most iconic record covers ever! 1. Watch That Man - I wasn't keen on this song when I first heard it but it has grown on me over the years. I think the main reason it took me so long to appreciate it was because I could barely make out the lyrics as Bowie's voice was so low in the mix. Apparently, it was done to give the song a rawer, Stones-like feel. The lyrics themselves seem to refer to some decadent, drug-fuelled party. 2. Aladdin Sane - One of my favourite tracks, largely due to Mike Garson's brilliant, utterly deranged, avant-garde piano solo mid-way through the song. What it's about, I'm not entirely sure but it seems to hint at society's decadence before the outbreak of war with (1917-1938-197?) suggesting that Bowie was anticipating a further outbreak in the not too distant future. 3. Drive In Saturday - Fusing 50's doo-wop with a futuristic soundscape, the song reached number #3 in the charts, yet it seems to be the forgotten Bowie single as it rarely features on a greatest hits compilation. Shame, as it's a wonderful song! 4. Panic In Detroit - Tales of revolutionaries in Motor City, propelled by Ronson's bluesy guitar and soulful backing singers, it has a wonderful opening line... "He looked a lot like Che Guevara, drove a diesel van..." 5. Cracked Actor - Bowie's harmonica and Ronson’s guitar sound downright sleazy, which is appropriate for a song about an aged actor, well past his sell by date, paying for sex in some Tinseltown back-room. 6. Time - Arch, theatrical and brilliantly bonkers! It's yet another wonderful song in which Garson's piano playing distinguishes itself. From the lyrics, I have a vision of Bowie and the Spiders, bored out of their minds, waiting in the wings for some terrible act to get off stage and allow them on. Also includes drug references & a certain rude word - oh, my! 7. Prettiest Star - Some more 50's doo-wop, nostalgic lyrics and a great guitar solo from Ronson, in what is one of the more pleasant sounding tracks from the album. 8. Let's Spend The Night Together - A camp, dazzling, deranged and speeded up cover of The Rolling Stones classic, which manages to do what all good covers should do and that's to be different from the original. It is also completely in tune with the album's pervading air of decadence. 9. Jean Genie - One of Bowie's biggest hits, reaching number #2 in the charts, it is a perfect slice of glam rock. Rumoured to be inspired by his great friend Iggy Pop, it has an irresistibly catchy guitar riff that bears a striking resemblance to The Sweet's number #1 'Blockbuster,' which was released at around the same time. Apparently, it was just a coincidence that they sounded remarkably similar. 10. Lady Grinning Soul - Beautiful song with a gorgeous arrangement; rippling piano and flamenco guitar. I don't think it would have been out of place as a Bond theme, as Bowie paints a vivid picture of a sensuous seductress who is always one step ahead of you. It's a great song on which to end the album. In many respects, 'Aladdin Sane,' marks the end of the Spiders, with Mick Woodmansey being effectively sacked over a pay dispute and Trevor Bolder and the brilliant Mick Ronson dropped after the next album, 'Pin-Ups.' Bowie, easily bored and restless for change, wished to take his music in a new direction and so he did.