Low- David Bowie. '77

Low

A masterpiece. Fun fact- RCA originally rejected this album and told him to go back to Philly to make something more like Young Americans. Not a great look, RCA!

The album almost feels like it’s two different ones made in the same place- As if you had given Miles Davis and The Everly Brothers two different drugs in Berlin and let them craft half a side.

The first side has short, well-written, concise songs- whether they feature lyrics or not. Speed Of Life might be just an instrumental intro, but it kicks just like a pop hit. It’s so good you’re almost mad at Bowie for leaving it because you know he could have crushed it. You need that break straight from the intro, however, because the album is about to knock you out.

The next five songs is probably the best five-song stretch in album history. You can give me any stretch from any genre- Two Dope Boys (In A Cadillac) to Elevators from ATLiens, Visions of Johanna to Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat from Blonde on Blonde, Wouldn’t It Be Nice to I’m Waiting For The Day from Pet Sounds- and I think I’d still pick this.

The advantage is they just hit so quickly. Five of the best weird pop songs you’ll ever hear, and it takes less than fifteen minutes. From the very first line you know you’re in for greatness- the tempo and phrasing is incredible.

Baby, (beat, beat) I’ve been (beat, beat),

Breaking (beat) glass in your room again.

It’s a masterclass in letting a track breathe that any hip-hop artist could gain from hearing. The answering synth on the listen line, the surprise jump of such a wonderful person and letting the guitar finish the line, my god. Talk about songwriting- there’s one tiny chorus that lasts twelve words, and it’s a complete story.

Such a wonderful person, but you got problems, I’ll never touch you.

We’re gonna try to run through the other incredible songs a little quicker because I could write three paragraphs about each. What In The World Can I Do is a crazy, computer frenzy that I love. The chorus is so damn long and incredibly good. There’s basically no verse- it’s a pre-chorus! The chorus goes all the way from

So deep in your room/you never leave your room

until

For your love/For your love.

I swear he broke songwriting. Sound and Vision is a necessity because the album is attacking you. There’s a nice cooldown instrumental carried by light singing and synths to keep you in the vibe, but you get a breather. The actual song doesn’t really start until halfway through, and it’s just some self-contained stretches. There’s not much of a pattern (no, David, you’re not fooling me just because you repeat sound and vision a couple times) and they barely relate to each other, but who cares? They all sound good, they’re all interesting, you’re never in danger of tuning out.

Always Crashing In The Same Car is more proof this guy is the king of pace and weird. Sound and Vision was supposed to be a slowdown, but you sink lower into this one, and almost forget he was just bludgeoning you with quick pop gems. There’s a funky space vibe to this one, and it’s perfect for him.

Be My Wife. My god, Be My Wife. Yeah, sometimes you do get so lonely. Piano as percussion, a 50s rock guitar intro, melodic lifted bass, dueling 70s hard rock guitars, a funky bass change when he drops the sides out, I mean come on. This was only the second single on this album! He’s already made ten albums! Holy hell.

In the second half, Eno and Bowie and Visconti (the unsung hero of the Berlin trilogy) apparently decide to stick that sweet, sweet Miles Davis heroin through a synthesizer. It’s longer with more sparse songs; it’s a comedown.

That’s not meant as a dig, there are moments that I really enjoy. Warsawa in particular is absolutely beautiful. It’s just a different intent: if the first side is the frenetic, urgent, inspired high, then the second half is the tail off where you relax and recover.

I can’t say I love the second half as much as I love the first. You have to be in a certain mindset to truly enjoy it, whereas the first half works anywhere, anytime. The album fits all my rules- It’s a good length, not too many songs, a ton of standouts, and the mood is consistent.

Almost Perfect/5

The State I'm In- Belle & Sebastian

I was surprised, I was happy for a day in 1975

I was puzzled by a dream, it stayed with me all day in 1995

My brother had confessed that he was gay, it took the heat off me for a while

He stood up with a sailor friend and made it known upon my sister's wedding day

The Low End Theory- Tribe Called Quest. 1991.

The Low End Theory

There’s a real beauty to the early 90’s in Hip-Hop. It was perhaps the last time you could have fun and not have to live up some persona of being hard/chill/dangerous.

Q-Tip makes this album go. He is clearly well astute in his knowledge of music history because the past is dripping off this album. The highlights for me are Excursions, Buggin Out, Check The Rhime, Everything is Fair, Jazz (We’ve Got), and Scenario. That's 6 songs that I would deem classics on a 14 track album. Almost batting .500, which leads to the most impressive part.

None of the tracks really stand out unless you really focus on this album giving it all your attention. I’ve listened to it in full 3 times for the past 3 days and every time I do, I find something new to mark over. This idea spits in the face of how most people view rap. The more singles, the better; just give me songs that stand alone as songs. Low End Theory doesn’t do this. It’s about the album, so yes there are parts that might have a real malaise. You look up and realize that you’re 3 songs farther than you thought you were, but that's a big part of the appeal.

The album is more than the sum of its parts and would open up Tribe for their massive album 2 years later. If you’re looking for laid back jams to just have on this is your kind of album. Only 2 tracks I would avoid are Butter and Infamous Date Rap.

8.5/10