David Bowie - Station to Station

RCA

Never has an album caused as much of a muddle of emotions and uncertainty for me personally. On one hand this is up there with Bowie's best work, instrumentally speaking its superb. On the other hand it's as detatched and somewhat scatterbrained as it gets. There's quite a lot to unpack as you dig deeper. The Thin White Duke left a breadcrumb trail in which there's no end.

Peculiar in feel, Station To Station catches Bowie at the height of his cocaine habits and it's reflected in the aforementioned detatched tangibility that these tracks find themselves existing within. The blend of funk and krautrock influence shapes this release as both interesting and simultaneously danceable without sacrificing quality. It has a crossover appeal that not many have managed to pull off quite as effectively.

This album, for me, swivels on a hinge between exceptional and not quite as good as I remember it being. An enigmatic quality resides within the walls of Station To Station. It seems to present a different side of Bowie's facade upon each and every listen.

There aren't many acts like Bowie with his willingness to experiment and expand. A one of a kind star and soul.

"It's not the side effects of the cocaine......"

January 23rd, 1976.