features in: Album Chart of 1977 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die  |
In ’77 the ultimate fashion chameleon seems content to ignore punk and hang his hat on the New Wave scene, a scene which has informed both of his albums this year, “Low” (January) and now “Heroes” (October), all of which was recorded just 500 yards from the Berlin Wall. “Beauty And The Beast” kicks the album off in an upbeat manner, immediately eschewing the melancholic mood which had latterly dominated the preceding LP. The track has a weird attraction. Along with this years’ offering from Ultravox! it perhaps heralds the dawning of another new era, that of the new romantic, all paint and pomp and incredibly hip darling. The almighty “Heroes” is third in. It’s a song which can have you sitting on top the world, at one with self and nature, even if at the back of your mind you know it could all be gone tomorrow. It’s genius, and completely glorious. Can you believe this never even made the Billboard 100? What on earth is wrong with your American music fan? The fantastic b-side of the single, “V-2 Schneider”, appears, somewhat cleverly, as the first track on side 2 of the album. It’s a nice tribute to Kraftwerk’s Florian Schneider, and continues Bowie’s long standing tradition of doffing the cap to key influences. This speaks volumes for him, and always goes down well with me. The ominous electronic instrumental, “Sense Of Doubt”, helps to break the album up, and similarly the inclusion of ”Moss Garden” and “Neuköln” aligns the whole work as a sequel to “Low”. He’s a smart operator that Bowie feller.
The Jukebox Rebel
13–Sep–2005
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [03:32]  David Bowie - Beauty And The Beast (David Robert Jones) New Wave |
| A2 | [03:05]  David Bowie - Joe The Lion (David Robert Jones) New Wave |
| A3 | [06:07]  David Bowie - Heroes (David Robert Jones, Brian Eno) New Wave |
| A4 | [03:15]  David Bowie - Sons Of The Silent Age (David Robert Jones) Cerebral Pop |
| A5 | [03:50] David Bowie - Blackout (David Robert Jones) New Wave |
| B1 | [03:10]  David Bowie - V-2 Schneider (David Robert Jones) New Wave |
| B2 | [03:57]  David Bowie - Sense Of Doubt (David Robert Jones) Electronica |
| B3 | [05:03]  David Bowie - Moss Garden (David Robert Jones, Brian Eno) Electronica |
| B4 | [04:34]  David Bowie - Neuköln (David Robert Jones, Brian Eno) Electronica |
| B5 | [03:46]  David Bowie - The Secret Life Of Arabia (David Robert Jones, Brian Eno, Carlos Alomar) Disco / Funk |
