David Bowie – Aladdin Sane (Vinyl)
RCA Records (1973)

2 reviews for David Bowie – Aladdin Sane (Vinyl)
RCA Records (1973)

1. 

   4 out of 5

   AMG – April 30, 2015

   Campy and avant-garde simultaneously, a soaring fusion of sci-fi doo wop and melodramatic teenage glam. Ziggy Stardust wrote the blueprint for David Bowie's hard-rocking glam, and Aladdin Sane essentially follows the pattern, for both better and worse. Aladdin Sane is actually a stranger album than its predecessor, buoyed by bizarre lounge-jazz flourishes from pianist Mick Garson and a handful of winding, vaguely experimental songs. Bowie abandons his futuristic obsessions to concentrate on the detached cool of New York and London hipsters, as on the compressed rockers "Watch That Man," "Cracked Actor," and "The Jean Genie." Bowie follows the hard stuff with the jazzy, dissonant sprawls of "Lady Grinning Soul," "Aladdin Sane," and "Time," all of which manage to be both campy and avant-garde simultaneously, while the sweepingly cinematic "Drive-In Saturday" is a soaring fusion of sci-fi doo wop and melodramatic teenage glam. He lets his paranoia slip through in the clenched rhythms of "Panic in Detroit," as well as on his oddly clueless cover of "Let's Spend the Night Together." There's a wealth of classic material here. 4 ½ Stars
2. 

   5 out of 5

   Geoff – April 30, 2015

   Includes hard rock gems "Jean Genie" & "Cracked Actor", gorgeous "Drive in Saturday" & emotion-drenched "Lady Grinning Soul"... FANTASTIC! One of the coolest albums ever recorded! The ultimate Glam Rock album, 'Aladdin Sane' captures the Spiders from Mars at the peak of their powers (particularly guitarist, Mick Ronson) and introduces the manic and angular playing of jazz pianist Mike Garson to the Bowie fold. Highlights on this iconic recording include the hard rock gems "Jean Genie" & "Cracked Actor", the gorgeous "Drive in Saturday" and emotion-drenched finale, "Lady Grinning Soul"... the whole album is FANTASTIC! 5 (Prettiest) Stars