The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Too much acoustic guitar soiling the songs

A full 5-star album, full stop! Even though I've been listening to Bowie, and this album specifically, since I decided to give it a spin when I was about 18 or 19, I was pumped to get this on a Friday and then proceeded to listen to it on repeat all weekend long! This album is such a bona fide classic that it's surprising to find out it only peaked at 89 on the Billboard top 200 back in it's day. Favorite Tracks: I mean, all of it, but if I have to pick... Five Years, Moonage Daydream, It Ain't Easy, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

I certainly familiar with David Bowie and already have 32 songs liked by him on Spotify - with 4 songs liked on this one. Currently liked songs are "Five Years", "Starman", "Ziggy Stardust" and "Suffragette City". I only recently discovered "Five Years" - maybe in the last year or so - but that is probably my favorite David Bowie song now. It's just so good - lyrically especially but also the way the arrangement builds. Hoping to discover some more great deep cuts through this listen. After listening 3 times, I ended up liking 3 more songs - "Soul Love", "It Ain't Easy" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". As I relistened to "Starman" I realized the intro part definitely has a Modest Mouse feel - I'm sure MM has been influenced by this. "Lady Stardust" - definitely has an Elton John feel. I'm not sure who influenced who here. I'm not sure I get the hype about this album. It has some really good and even great songs (Five Years and Starman in particular). But it also has a bunch of forgettable filler to me. Some of the lyrics are pretty dumb (Moonage Daydream and Star in particular). The idea of a concept album definitely seems like a stretch. I like 7 of 11 of these songs - so I like a lot of it - but it's definitely not in the running for greatest album of all time in my mind. It seems like it get's talked up more than I would expect. For example, its the 7th highest ranked album on this website. Even ahead of much better albums like St Peppers and Revolver, OK Computer, The Wall, and the first 2 Zep albums. I don't get that. Station to Station and Heroes are better Bowie Albums than this. Also - why does the production sound so "murky"? It's pretty distracting. Anyway, I'm glad I listened to it all the way through several times - at least I added a few new to me songs. Liked songs on Spotify: 7/11 Rating: 3/5

Only recently last 4 years got into Bowie, this is a solid album daddy.

Wham bam, thank you ma’am! A classic that is an actual loose concept album (throwing shade at my Sgt. Peppers review) and it works really well.

I don’t know what I expected. I owned this on vinyl at one stage (one of those grabs from a dollar bin at the Salvos store) so I’m sure I’ve listened to it. But the only track that grabbed me was Suffragette City. Picks up in the second half. 3/5

Favorite track(s): Five Years, Soul Love, Moonage Daydream, Starman, It Ain't Easy, Lady Stardust, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide A defining album for every music fan that I know. A defining album for one of the best songwriters of all time. A defining album for the ideas of pop and rock music. Heard before Previous rating: 9/10

Have listened to this many, many times and will take any excuse to listen to it again. Probably one of my favourite albums ever, something about it makes me come back to it again and again. I love every track but if I had to narrow it down to three favourites, right now, it would be Moonage Daydream, Lady Stardust and Suffragette City.

I liked this one a lot. Good variety of styles.

my favorite bowie

I love this album. I found a tape of it when I worked at Cultures in the prep kitchen. I originally sort of thought it was goofy and the first song that I got really into was Moonage Daydream. Eventually all these songs got into my head and I listened to obsessively. The run of his from Hunkey Dory all the way to Let's Dance is pretty incredible. This album has so many bangers it's nuts.

Rate: 10/10.

Well here it is, in all its sequined, slightly tatty, horny, gender-fluid, era defining, English, well hung madness. The idea that it's a concept album - or worse, a rock opera - is obviously a con job. It's a collection of killer songs that threaten to connect up into something coherent, but never really do. There's a story - that was obviously written after the fact - that sort of floats above them and provides a framework, but they don't really fit into in any neat and tidy way. But what songs they are! There's not a skip on the album. Even the cover of Long John Bawldry works a treat. The band is tight and plays like their lives depend on it. Bowie sings like Antony Newley having a breakdown and is all melodrama and sex on a stick. Before this album Bowie was a niche artist who sold a few albums to a small audience. The moment he went on Top of the Pops, draped his glittering arm around Mick Ronson's shoulders and sang Starman he was a superstar. "Just watch me!" Indeed.

I love every song on this album.

Great album! Such great song writing

my favorite album ever. when i die, rock n roll suicide will be played at my funeral

I guess I’m in the minority here judging by the average review score, but I thought this album was just ok. I’m probably missing something but I don’t really understand how this album is so universally lauded. There are some excellent songs, definitely, but the album as a whole didn’t knock my socks off

Good Bowie. I know this is a lot of peoples favourite Bowie, so I'm a little disappointed that it doesn't quite land for me. It's excellent obviously! It just feels dated in a way that the others don't for me. Some excellent compositions and interesting arrangements and production choices. Maybe I'm not crazy for the concept?

Such a classic. Love it.

5 Star album. I don't know that I buy the concept album stuff- it feels like they retconned that in after recording and connected some dots which is why the link in some cases is tenuous. The opening is great, I loved 5 years...but the final 3 songs - what a way to leave you wanting more.

Milestone in concept albums.....no fillers!!!

I love David Bowie. No skip album

I probably listened to this last in about 1975 - my brother was a big fan. Some highlights - quite a few mises - and lots of memories.

Perfect.

10 Stars The first wall to wall banger in a long while. Everything is in its right place on this album. It’s rock, it’s out of this world, it toys with you, and it delivers.

I get the hype

Is it Bowie's best album? I'm not the right person to say, because I'm largely underwhelmed by his catalogue. But it does contain some of his best songs. On the flip side, it's glam rock and glam rock is shit. And like most of Bowie's albums, there's the inexplicable inclusion of brass, and as we all know brass as only good for one thing (hint - not for music).

Always a vibe!

Da isser wieder. Aber mit Ziggy kann ich tatsächlich mehr anfangen. Irres Album.

Habe es schon mehrfach mit diesem Album versucht. Mir ist bewusst, dass das als eines der besten Alben aller Zeiten gilt und so sehr ich auch die ganze Verrücktheit hieran schätze, gibt mir das nichts. Stabil finde ich es allemal und Bowie weiß, was er tut, aber ich sehe noch nicht, dass das bei mir zünden wird.

Incredible opened, multiple bangers, all round unskipable album

Already listened, 9.1/10 ⭐️: Soul Love

Fun album.

Não tem muito o que falar não, escutei todos os albuns do Bowie e Ziggy é praticamente perfeito, embora não ser meu favorito.

Big Bowie fan and TRAFOZSASFM was my absolute favourite album a few years ago. I wouldn’t say it's still my favourite but a mix of how good it is and the nostalgia makes me have to give it 5 stars

one of the easiest 5's on the list

Legendary songs. But of a labyrinth vibe

Wham bam thank you ma'am

Too big for words. But he saw us in the Ice Cream Parlor, and knew we're not alone.

i love you bowie ‼‼‼ when i was 14 and not long out of the closet bowie was my absolute hero, he still is but he meant the world to someone who'd never seen someone like him in the media before. bauhaus' cover of ziggy stardust also got me into them so there's another positive

A few magnificent songs

I'm giving it 4 for historic reasons and because I like Bowie generally but I could be pretty easily talked into a three, I think.

Before re-listening: brilliant. After re-listening: brilliant

The most mystical feast of cosmic rock sensation, an album almost too glam for glam rock Some of the faster songs feel a little more "standard glam rock", but when it's truly being itself, space alien rock 'n' roll superstars in tow, it sounds like nothing else

Great album. Some fantastic songs like Starman and Lady Stardust. Great ending song as well.

This album is so fucking peak

Traditionally I've been somewhat of a Bowie sceptic. However I thought this was an excellent album, very consistent all the way through.

Highlights: Starman Hang On to Yourself Ziggy Stardust

Classic

Up front always been a big Bowie fan and when this came up I thought a solid 4 stars. Then I listened, Five Years must be one of the best opening tracks on any album and it finishes with 3 stormers, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City and Rock N Roll Suicide does it get any better. Only issue now is when my two favourite Bowie albums come up, which they will, I have no where to go

I am not much a fan of Bowie's albums, but this one was pretty good!

Rise to the top of the galaxy

W bowie

This time I actually tried to pay close attention to the story, but I'm still not 100% sure I fully understand it. Either way, it's still a great concept album due to the story of Ziggy's rise and fall, while keeping the musical component too. Each song sounded unique but still connected, which is exactly how to do this type of album.

One of my all time favorites

Rather good, I’d include in a playlist with the likes of Billy Joel and Elton John.

I think I missed the portion of life where this would've been integrated deeply into my brain. Very clean production, though. Punchy and clean. Some surprisingly good riffing on the more single-y songs on here. Bowie's voice and the overall direction really don't do much for me, unfortunately.

A classic David Bowie album! I love him dearly, but more his albums from the 90s and younger.

The Spiders from Mars should do a collab with the Biker Mice from Mars.

Ziggy played guiitaaa ahhh

Making love with his eeeeaaagle!

The album I most associate with the strange intersection of personal and professional that was my twenties. Close friends, dead friends, cosplay, band rehearsals, hold music, anniversaries. It’s practically a greatest hits album, easily taken for granted, so influential that it sounds like a forgone conclusion. Bowie practically inventing the concept of becoming someone else in order to be more like yourself. Fully becoming the character to the extent that the line between who is who disappears. He never shows his cards. The theatricality pushes past representation and becomes real, much as the music itself takes presentational musical theater flamboyance and crosses it with the raw heart of rock and roll to emerge fully alive, present and authentic. Best of all, Bowie’s persona is funny, without ever trying to be. Ziggy Stardust is the back alley of a neon glam karaoke bar where you can belt, scream, laugh and cry songs that have been sung for centuries.

I like some David Bowie songs some of the time but most of this album is just fine. It doesn't really inspire me to listen much deeper.

Hear me out: this is a very good album while being a terrific “rock opera”. Judged as an album of songs, it holds up with some absolutely timeless songs but as a rock opera, the story and characterization is weak.

Classic Bowie - this is some good stuff! Very enjoyable listen. I think my fav tracks are Five Years, Starman, and Star. This kind of rock is not my absolute favourite so I'll only give it a 4. Still though, pretty cool.

album immenso e dalle sonorità inglobanti capaci di monopolizzare tutto l’ambiente circostante ed essere assoluto protagonista. BANGER e non mi sento di aggiungere altro

On first listen, I liked all of the songs. There is nothing to skip, all of the songs were great.

First 5 star and worthy of it…classic

No need to write notes for this one... truly a great piece of work.

I have, without looking but for the same reasons as everyone else, given this a 5. It is very obviously a 5. I don't know why I'm writing this note for me or anyone else. Considered giving it a 4 to be contrary but I won't because it's obviously a 5. Thank you for your time, future me.

Squaking like a pink monkey bird! It must have felt like aliens arrived to earth at the time when David Bowie released this album. It's not my favorite album of his, but it was my gateway to become a huge fan of music in general. Few albums come close to such a concise selection of hits, deep cuts and overall narrative that holds your attention and asks for instant repeat listens.

In a nutshell: "let all the children boogie" The only notes I have: * Five Years- although lyrically important in establishing the concept- sounds like a dirge. Not the best choice for an opener. A hot take, sure. * Soul Love and Hang Onto Yourself get better with each listen. * Would recommend listening to one live recording of Rock and Roll Suicide when you finish the album. Find Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture soundtrack. IYKYK. Overall: 8/10

FAV

Iconic

aldrig varit min grej

The more I listen to Bowie over the years, the more I like his work This album was a solid 4/5 for me, 3 outstanding tunes on it

Of course 5 stars

What can you say really it’s David Bowie

Iconic 70,s album Start ( if you don’t count Hunky Dory) of a classic run of albums

What a masterpiece. So great.

I was actually disappointed with this album after my initial delight with it appearing on my app. Apart from the 2 or 3 recognisable hits - great songs - the others as i said disappointed. So that's why I don't rate it higher

There’s better albums by him. I promise Station to Station and Heroes will be five stars.

As a lover of David Bowie I was ashamed to admit I hadn’t previously listened to this album. My word though, I absolutely love it. What a fun album, it started off strong with “five years”, but when “moon age dream” started I was blown away. This album flows just so well. Obviously “star man” is a banger but to be fair every track on here is brilliant. One of my favourites was “Ziggy stardust”.

LOVEEEE IT

Phenomenal album. I'm not majorly huge on Bowie, but this album just shines on its own.

It's Ziggy Stardust!

Rating: 4.9/5 Short Review: Yeah, this is fucking great. Glammy, theatrical, weird, but also packed with ridiculously good rock songs. Bowie sells the whole Ziggy character without letting the concept overwhelm the music. And that final stretch is killer. Favorite Track: Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

Some classic songs in here – Starman, Suffragette City. An enjoyable album.

Ujevnt, men greit nok.

Great, Great Album. 5/5 Standouts: Starman, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Soul Love, Five Years, Rock & Roll Suicide ...and the rest of the songs

AMAZING ALBUM OMG. ive never really been into david bowie. this still feels like an album ill listen to again but not individual songs cus not my usual kind of music

Shsh

very good album

Bowie at his finest. I think I’d never heard the first 1/2 of this album, though I’ve listened to the 2nd half dozens of times. The second side contains classics like Ziggy Stardust & Suffragette City. He blends art rock with mainstream rock and opens the horizons for each. Influential and highly enjoyable. A 4.

Perfect from beginning to end.

good, 4.5

💎

Easy 5.

Absolute classic.

Simply one of the best records ever made. Without a doubt my favorite David Bowie album and what more is left to say than; there’s a star man waiting in the sky🎵