I am no expert on Bowie's massive discography, but when I first heard his 1977 release Low, I was blown away. It is a very early instance of electronic ambient music, thanks to Brian Eno who should be credited with the album's brilliance as much as Bowie. The first few tracks are classic glam rock, but you can hear a mood being created in the background that slowly seeps to the surface. Side B is like traveling through that scetchy tunnel in Willy Wonka and the Chocloate Factory...its clearly Eno's half.My brother made a good comparison by calling Low Bowie's OK Computer...textbook style, several singles, but it carries a very holistic and serious mood. I know that is a reverse analogy (one was recorded exactly 20 years later) but it seems right. Either way I am interested in areseven's thoughts (maybe over a beer?).
David Bowie: 'Sound and Vision' (1977)
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2 comments:
Hey Limo!
Great post, BUT: Eno's DIRECT influence on Low can be overplayed (if not underestimated!). Longtime producer Tony Visconti does not get enough credit for Low's unique sound, and Eno would be the first to admit it
:)
Thanks for the correction...you must be right though, most things I read on Low give Eno almost more praise than Bowie. I guess Visconti just got lost beneath the shadow of the Bowie/Eno epicness.
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