Track by Track Album Review: Aladdin Sane by David Bowie

I always liked the way that Bowie hid the true title to this album in a pun on the phrase "Aladdin Sane". This is just another example of the creative talents of David Bowie, and the entire album speaks volumes about his songwriting skills and poetic knack for turning a phrase. The players all do credible jobs on this album, but the performance of Mick Ronson is the most compelling.

Aladdin Sane was recorded in London and Nashville in 1972, and released in April of 1973. Don't ask me how the country music capital of the world got involved with the recording of this album, but it did. This album presents David Bowie at the height of his "glam" phase, with only Diamond Dogs left before he began his descent into a more tame, mainstream type of music. The players and their contributions are as follows:

David Bowie, vocals, guitar, harmonica and sax
Mick Ronson, guitar, piano and vocals
Trevor Bolder, bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey, drums
Ken Fordham, sax
Mike Garson, piano
Juanita "Honey" Franklin, Linda Lewis, and G. A. MacCormack, backing vocals

Here is a list of the songs on the album, and a brief synopses of each:

1. Watch That Man--This a song about a party that someone named "Shakey" threw and Bowie describes some of the weird, perverse and surreal scenes he witnesses--"When the Reverend Alabaster danced on his knees" and "A Bennie Goodman fan painted holes in his hands". These are just two descriptions--the tune is chock-full of intense imagery created by Bowie's lyrics. The mood of the song is rock n' roll, and Mick Ronson ornaments the song with just the right amount of tasty guitar licks. The backup female singers add a cutting edge to the song.

2. Aladdin Sane--A somewhat discordant piano part opens this song, and continues through in a glissando style. The feel of this song is Oriental to me, and the song dies in the way it began, in a discordant fashion, in a literal cacaphony of sound.

3. Drive In Saturday--Again, the imagery is intense, with many phrases that only David Bowie could conjure up. The song is obviously set in a modernistic era, but overall creates a feel of nostalgia. The background singers sound almost "fiftyish", even though the lyrics overtly suggest a futuristic theme. The double-tracked saxes lend to the effect, and Bowie's vocal delivery has never been more poignant. The back-up vocals and saxes take this tune home, with some good ad-libs by Bowie.

4. Panic In Detroit--The guitar intro gets this song going in the right direction. African rhythms dominate this song, and a particularly memorable guitar riff by Mick Ronson, along with some double guitars during the brief instrumental solo, are particularly effective. The female backup singers again are used perfectly. Ronson takes the tune home with some dazzling guitar work. Maybe this song should have been called "Manic" in Detroit.

5. Cracked Actor--A blatantly sexual song about an over-the-hill actor who goes seeking sex-for-hire in Hollywood. The actor becomes a little too involved with his prostitute, and ultimately empathizes with she/he. The heavy opening guitar chords and the powerful bass and drum line make this tune a real rocker. Bowie's vocal delivery is almost pleading, and Mick Ronson unmercifully flogs his Les Paul guitar at the end of the song. Some really fine rock n' roll playing. Bowie does some understated harmonica work at the end to compliment the guitar.

6. Time--This song has an almost carnivalesque piano intro before settling into a hard, straight beat driven by bass guitar and some excellent drumming. Mick Ronson's guitar solo is superb, and he adds more cool, tasteful licks at the end. A rambling piano concludes the song, to Bowie's repeated "la-la" vocal line.

7. The Prettiest Star--I can't say enough about Mick Ronson--his guitar hook in this song is powerful. If it wasn't for the guitar, this song would be pretty forgettable, but Ronson makes the difference here. This is a piano and sax-laden song, the perfect setting for the excellent guitar line.

8. Let's Spend The Night Together--The only non-Bowie composition on the album--this one was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Again, the discordant piano is featured (did they intentionally play it out of tune?). Bowie offers a more upbeat, driving version of this Stones song, and he could get away with more sexual connotations than the Stones could ever dream of in the 1960's.

9. The Jean Genie--Another pretty cool play on words by Bowie. Musically, he takes the classic blues formula with harmonica, and puts a glam spin on it. Mick Ronson again excels--the song has a line about "razors", and the way Ronson attacks his guitar creates a "slashing" effect. The other players are more than adequate, and the total contributions make this song a rocker.

10. Lady Grinning Soul--A pretty tame note upon which to close this album, actually. The model for this song was "Lady Stardust" from the Ziggy album, and this one could be construed as somewhat autobiographical also. A beautiful, flowing piano starts the song and remains the centerpiece throughout. Bowie's voice has never been more supple, and in the high ranges, his voice is gorgeous. Mick Ronson struts his acoustic guitar stuff with a touching flamenco guitar solo, as saxes soothe the ear. Ronson again checks in at the end, this time with a screaming electric guitar, as the song fades.

This is really a good album. I'm not sure if it is really an important album in the whole scheme of things, but it is certainly entertaining if you admire Bowie's skills as a writer and singer, and the skills of Mick Ronson as a guitarist.