Many fans of David Bowie consider this his best album. I've always found it a frustrating listen because most of the tracks on Side One seem like sketches, as if their creator didn't have enough imagination to fully complete them. Secondly, the ambient Side Two is pretty dull ("Art Decade" being the only real standout), paling in comparison to collaborator Brian Eno's ambient experiments of the period. One thing I like about the album is the production. Bowie and longtime production partner Tony Visconti really make Dennis Davis' drums sound like grenades (especially on the album's hit, "Sound and Vision"). I also respect Bowie for stepping out of the Top 40 ghetto of his previous albums and attempting something that drew on the era's better art/rock acts (Eno, Can, Stockhausen). Contrary to popular opinion, I think Bowie realizes and synthesizes these influences much better on Low's successor, "Heroes".
By: YerBlues.
Low is the 11th studio album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 14 January 1977 by RCA Records. Recorded following Bowie's move to West Berlin after a period of drug addiction and personal instability, Low was the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno and producer Tony Visconti later termed the
Low is the 11th studio album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 14 January 1977 by RCA Records. Recorded following Bowie's move to West Berlin after a period of drug addiction and personal instability, Low was the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno and producer Tony Visconti later termed the "Berlin Trilogy", although it was recorded primarily in France at the Chateau d'Herouville. The album marked a shift in Bowie's musical style toward an electronic and ambient approach inspired by the German music scene, particularly bands such as Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Harmonia and Kraftwerk; Bowie became interested in these bands while producing and co-writing Iggy Pop's debut solo album The Idiot (1976). Side one consists primarily of short, direct avant-garde pop song-fragments while side two consists of longer, mostly instrumental tracks heavily featuring Eno's contributions. The album's distinctive drum sound was achieved by Visconti through use of the Eventide H910 Harmonizer. In subsequent decades, Low has been considered ahead of its time and been widely acclaimed as one of Bowie's best and most influential works.
LP pressing on 180-gram vinyl.
A1 Speed of Life
A2 Breaking Glass
A3 What In The World
A4 Sound and Vision
A5 Always Crashing In The Same Car
A6 Be My Wife
A7 A New Career In A New Town
B1 Warszawa
B2 Art Decade
B3 Weeping Well
B4 Subterraneans
Catalogue Number: 0190295842918
Record Label: Parlophone / Warner