David Bowie – Aladdin Sane

Description

Described by Bowie as “Ziggy goes to America,” ‘Aladdin Sane’ saw him create a rockier, more frenetic album than its predecessor, with The Rolling Stones a possible influence on album opener ‘Watch That Man’ and a transgressive cover of their song, ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’. Elsewhere, Muddy Waters’ influence could be heard in the riff of the UK number 2 single, ‘The Jean Genie’ and the “futuristic nostalgia” of ‘Drive-In Saturday’ – which charted at number 3 in the UK – was inspired by 1950s doo-wop. ‘Cracked Actor’, possibly David’s most decadent moment, was written after he had toured Hollywood Boulevard, translating the images and environment into raw rock ‘n’ roll. The addition of Mike Garson and his remarkable talents, infused some of the album’s key tracks, in particular the title track with its dissonant improvisation, the Brechtian cabaret of ‘Time’ and album closer ‘Lady Grinning Soul’ with an edgy, schizophrenic quality.