David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
RCA
April 19th, 1973.
Bowie's sixth studio album 'Aladdin Sane' further infiltrates the world of sleazy and snazzy glam rock. The androgynous antics of Bowie come through in a plethora of influences including Doo-wop and early Rock & Roll. Glamorously primal, Aladdin Sane sprinkles glitter on an often noisy and boisterous affair.
Soft in a sense of jazz-y and sharp in a sense of burnt nostrils - the pinpoint focus comes through in razor-sharp riffs; tones akin to shards of glass. Colombian flus must've been airborne and part and parcel of the studio experience as everything sounds fixated and full of purpose - a certain rigor and vicarious lust for life shines through in the records sheen; living fast and living lean.
Although the material is of a haphazard and flippant nature, Bowie still finds time - ayyy - to speak on somewhat of a philosophical and existential festering; 'Time, he's waiting in the wings, he speaks of senseless things, his script is you and me.' Played - plagued - by the game, the game being time. Aladdin Sane would be the final Bowie album to feature the full 'Spiders From Mars' formation - The SFM consisting of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass and Mick Woodmansey on drums.
Adding to the whole glam schtick, the Aladdin Sane album cover would be the most expensive album cover ever produced up to that point - a bit of a testament to the strides and strengths that Bowie and his cohorts were speedily sauntering through. It's a good thing the music can live up to - surpass - the esteemed cover and price tag.
