Forty Years Ago - David Bowie -Hunky Dory

DAVID BOWIE “Hunky Dory” 1971



Aligning yourself with other popular artists by name checking them can often seem a bold move and could be seen as using the fame and works of others to further your own career.  Unlike U2 who have convinced only themselves that they are great as THE BEATLES. On “Hunky Dory” DAVID BOWIE chose to reference Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed and manages not to come off as pompous.  This is largely due to the theatrical approach often taken both in the lyrics and the vocals.  “Song for Dylan” starts with a convincing imitation of Dylan’s voice before BOWIE finds his own voice to tribute the man “with a voice like sandpaper and glue”.  “Queen Bitch” is possibly the best LOU REED imitation ever performed.  Not only is the voice similar but also the guitar strumming and the lyrical approach is similar to much of LOU REED as the song is also about a transvestite and nightlife.  “Andy Warhol” is an acoustic guitar piece with a playful tongue in cheek that due mostly to Bowie’s voice and lyrics has so much more to offer than Warhol’s art.

Radio programmers all around the word have made sure we’ve all heard album opener “Changes”.  There’s definitely no denying its catchiness.  “Oh! You Pretty Things” is fantastic piano driven pop with drums coming in mid-song and then disappearing like a thief in the night but speeding up the piano’s heart-beat.  “Life on Mars” is classic BOWIE and has an ambience that rivals “Space Oddity”.  The upbeat catchy “Kooks” ensures a cheerful change of pace and the piano and touches of trumpet aid in convincing that the cross dressing songwriter really is a kook.  “Quicksand” despite the melancholic piano does the opposite of sinking with clever lyrics about Crowley and well known World War Two heroes and enemies.
The piano and falsetto on “Fill Your Heart”are custom fit for stage shows and BOWIE’s versatility is once again proven. Bowie’s showmanship is integral to this album and gives it a timeless quality.  Dated is a word that definitely cannot be used to describe this album.

Forty Years Ago - Stray-Suicide

Second albums are always difficult affairs.  With the initial album release preparation time is often suffice to prepare a great album but with the second both pressures and expectations mount within a shorter time frame.  However UK heavy rock band STRAY hit the nail on the head with their sophomore album “SUICIDE”.

 Opening track “Son of the Father” starts with some quiet singing over an acoustic guitar before turning into an uptempo heavy rocker.  This turns into an instrumental with a number of time changes.  Like most anti-war songs, there is a military beat but it’s not there for long at all.  The song stops and then starts again repeating the battlecry-like soft intro before launching back into song.  The fuzzed out guitar of Del Bromham
 On “Nature’s Way” ensure this album rocks out further and the rhythm section that grabs the listener by the throat with their effective timing and tempo changes while the guitar leads smoke in the instrumental piece.  “Where Do Our Children Belong” and “Dearest Eloise” are quieter tracks that equal the BEATLES mellower moments both instrumentally and due to singer, Steve Gadd’s voice.  “Jericho” lulls the listener in with some of the great instrumental work.  There’s a feel to the song that is similar to early IRON MAIDEN.  When making “Making all of Jericho crumble to the ground” is sung, the falling city collapsing is convincing with the panic sounds that the guitars and drums imitate.  The organ sound tremor warns of a horrific earthquake.  However, the melodic hooks within the song could have stopped the city crumbling as they offer the listener much more than simply something to hang on.

“Run, Mister, Run” has a chorus that is listed in doctor’s notes as being contagiously catchy.  The bass and guitar riffs are listed as a fire hazard by emergency departments.  “Do You Miss Me” has a shuffling beat before going into a jam with some hot grilling and baking guitar riffing.  If barbecuing and collapsing cities weren’t enough, the title track “Suicide” is an explosion of anger, bass riffs, guitar leads with lyrics that tell the story of a black man about to kll himself.  The heaviness of the subject matter is more than matched by the music.  The phrase “Rocks like a bitch” was invented as a worthy way of describing this song and in fact, this album.  This STRAY album should be adopted and loved despite the possibilities of setting your house on fire

Third World War

Take cover. It's the Third World War. Flying in the face of the late sixties/early seventies peace and love movement with the chosen band handle and a song titled "Preaching Violence". There were so many great albums released in 1971, Third World War became one of the many largely forgotten bands. Sometimes credited as British proto-punk and at other times called heavy metal, Third World War were clearly a band that didn't fit in. The lyrics often represent the politics of the working class, the vocals are gruff and the guitar sound is often heavy but whether it could be metal or punk is up for debate.

War!