Station To Station
David Bowie
1976
Album Summary
Station to Station is the 10th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 23 January 1976 through RCA Records. Regarded as one of his most significant works, the album was the vehicle for Bowie's performance persona, the Thin White Duke. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, Station to Station was mainly recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California, in late 1975, after Bowie completed shooting the film The Man Who Fell to Earth; the cover art featured a still from the film. During the sessions, Bowie was dependent on drugs, especially cocaine, and later said that he recalled almost nothing of the production. The commercial success of his previous release, Young Americans (1975), allowed Bowie greater freedom when he began recording his next album. The sessions established the lineup of guitarist Carlos Alomar, bassist George Murray and drummer Dennis Davis that Bowie would use for the rest of the decade, and also featured contributions by guitarist Earl Slick and pianist Roy Bittan. Musically, Station to Station was a transitional album for Bowie, developing the funk and soul of Young Americans while presenting a new direction influenced by electronic music and the German music genre of krautrock, particularly bands such as Neu! and Kraftwerk. The lyrics reflected Bowie's preoccupations with Friedrich Nietzsche, Aleister Crowley, mythology and religion. Preceded by the single "Golden Years", Station to Station was a commercial success, reaching the top five on the UK and US charts. After scrapping a soundtrack for The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bowie supported the album with the Isolar Tour in early 1976, during which he attracted controversy with statements suggesting support for fascism. At the end of the tour, he moved to Europe to remove himself from L.A.'s drug culture. The styles explored on Station to Station culminated in some of Bowie's most acclaimed work with the Berlin Trilogy over the next three years. Positively received by music critics on its release, Station to Station has appeared on several lists of the greatest albums of all time. It has been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.
WikipediaThis is the first Bowie album I listened to over and over again, because my girlfriend at that time owned it. For the next few years I bought all his new releases and then started buying up all the older ones in my twenties. It’s an epic album, especially listened to within the context of his everchanging output from Hunky Dory to Lodger. I think that the one song he didn’t write, Wild is the Wind, is maybe his greatest vocal performance of all time and by-far the most creative interpretation of that standard (at least until Esperanza Spalding’s).
Quick and fun 38 minutes. Let's rewind. I think the Thin White Duke era could be my favorite of Bowie's. Or does the preference always Ch-ch-changes?
David Bowie, known as the Thin White Duke at the time, delivers an album heaped with emotion but also devoid of it at the same time. The Duke addresses themes of religion and love throughout this short piece of work Bowies excessive cocaine use during these sessions is well documented, and is also addressed in both the title track and stay, lamenting "its not the side effects of the cocaine" Although this addiction resulted in bowie not capable of recalling any part of his recording of this album, it is clear the effect which it seems to take on the recordings themselves, which come across with an incredible energy that doesn't stay longer than it needs to. My favourite track would have to be either Word on a Wing, which is commonly viewed as bowies cry out to God during what he recalled as "one of the darkest periods of my life", or his astounding cover of Wild is the Wind, a cover which he was inspired to record after meeting Nina Simone just a few years prior. Overall, this album was an enjoyable experience, the instrumentals were fantastic, and Bowies voice, particularly on Wild is the Wind, was brilliant.
Only six tracks, but an impressive degree of variety. I get a good sense of Bowie's eccentricity, especially from his concluding the album with a cover of "Wild is the Wind." I'm not sure I've ever listened to a David Bowie album in full (aside from Black Star), but there are a handful of tracks from Bowie that I've grown up knowing. "Golden Years" is one of those tracks. I'm looking forward to hearing more albums from Bowie that are, no doubt, on this list. Favorite tracks: Golden Years, Word on a Wing Album art: Very cool. Love the bold, red font. Bowie stepping into some space-age studio--looks about right to me.
the opener of this album is weird i wasnt into the first half at all but the second half was so stupidly good i had to go back and check like did i miss something? was i not paying enough attention?? but no it really is just that split in quality. golden years is really good, easily the best song here imo. not a single second of wasted space which is kind of hard for a lot of 70s rock apparently. like damn a lot of songs just went on and on didnt they. its not even a bad thing just nice to get a song thats actually compressed down like that. anyway the ballads arent bad at all, i see a lot of people saying theyre the worst songs here but disagreed. theyre dramatic enough to work. also i still have trouble telling what the fuck hes saying but apparently this is just a concept album about how pathetic some fascist dude is. wild 9/10
I’d never listened to this album in its entirety before but I will absolutely be revisiting it. Frequently. An eclectic mix featuring a spectacular rhythm section.
I’d never listened to this one top to bottom. So good. Might be my new favorite of his, but I definitely need to go through the catalog
The funk is real on this one. The record that preceded the Berlin years (my favorite era of Bowie) and started his second renaissance into the public consciousness. It’s got everything, art rock, soul, funk, jazz elements, melodica for Christ sake. The birth of the Thin White Duke. It is said that Bowie sustained himself on cocaine and peppers during these sessions and was so fucked up that he didn’t remember recording this album. If I dropped this banger and didn’t remember it, I’d be pretty upset. Favorite song: Station to Station Least favorite song: Wild is the Wind (if I had to choose)
Everything was perfect about this album. Perfect run time, solid production, amazing vocal performance, a unique blend of 70s music styles, progressive in its own way, and kept me intrigued from beginning to end. Bowie is a fascinating person, I really look forward to his other albums. Masterpiece.
David takes a short intermission, returns to the stage wearing a cocaine white suit and opens the second set with Station to Station. How many years ago was that? Fuck if I know but I remember it like it was yesterday. During that set Mick Ronson joined the band for Jean Genie. Bowie said he invited him when he bumped into him at the Four Seasons that day. Mick wasn't prepared and didn't even bring a guitar. He grabbed Earl Slick's guitar, strummed a bit and then just swung the guitar around rather than play it. On a day when I’m not a complete Bowie cheerleader I'd admit the extended opening of St 2 St didn’t age very well. But the rest is still magic. Golden Years was the “hit” and it along w TVC15 have aged quite nicely. The timing of this album selection couldn’t be better. I’ve been listening to Wild is the Wind every day for the last week or so since I’ve been learning to play it on guitar. Bowie's vocals are on Gldn Years and Wild is the Wind are among his best. Sorry for the long review Mike but I didn’t say a thing yesterday. And this is David
Tied for my favorite Bowie record, but usually inches ahead of the others thanks to an all-killer tracklist that doesn't overstay its welcome. The hooks are here, the production is here, the experimentation is thankfully present but not drowning or too slow (I love Low but some cuts drag on). Bowie proves you can make a pop/post-punk/krautrock/dance record that appeals to normies and snobs alike.
This is one of my favorite Bowie albums, and one of the few that doesn’t have a skipable track as far as I’m concerned. I think "Word on a Wing" and "Wild is the Wind" are among some of Bowie's best vocal performances of his career. “TVC15” is a fun outlier, with some crackerjack piano playing by E Street’s own Roy Bittan. "Golden Years" is a true classic, best track of them all. Even with the 10+ minute opener, I think this is one of Bowie's more accessible albums musically. The lyrics are another matter and can be rather opaque, especially on the title track. But I honestly think a lot of what Bowie does lyrically is for effect and we're better off going along for the ride than putting too much effort into deciphering them. Much has been made of Bowie's drug use at the time, to which I say look at the product. If this is the work of an artist whose sensibilities were at all blunted by drug use, it's hard to see. Fave songs: Word on a Wing, Golden Years, Wild is the Wind
Everything has that grand piano feel. Really unexpectedly short. Very good and I finally get the station to station reference.
5 stars. Probably my favorite Bowie. Progressive, moody, thoughtful. And then there’s TVC15 now that’s just entertaining.
6 tracks. Just under 40 minutes. Every minute is great. Sometimes David Bowie's stuff is shamelessly artistic, but comes off a bit too kooky and inaccessible. Other times he makes something undeniably catchy, but without all that depth and substance. Here, he pulls off the best of both worlds. This album grooves - the bass lines are punchy and fun, and the guitar alternates between Chic rhythm and pink Floyd lead. Great album with lots of great moments
Great, great album! Bowie is a star. Somehow the songs seem much shorter than they are, everything is still compressed, and stuff happens. Oh damn ok, "Wild Is the Wind" slaps so fucking hard. Good shit. This aged well, and I think it will age even well'er. 5 Didn't enjoy "Golden Years" as much as everyone else it seems, very overrated imo. But the whole of the album makes up for it.
Wow. Can someone pack that much into six songs? It's funny that he was struggling with drugs a lot during this period because the music is so on point and solid. He has an incredible way, always and forever, of matching the feel of the music with the feel of the vocals (not just the lyrics but HOW the lyrics are used). I would have loved to see this played in its entirety live. Listening to this sent me on a spin of listening to Bowie albums, trying to decide if "Five Years" was indeed my favorite song. I got stuck on Hunky Dory, forgetting how perfect it is from beginning to end.
Widely considered a transitional album that bridges Young Americans and the Berlin trilogy, I always viewed this as a natural evolution. Great musicians all around, although Earl Slick, Carlos Alomar and Roy Bittan are superb. Bowie shows the full range of his vocals. His cover of Wild is the Wind could be my favorite Bowie cover and perhaps favorite Bowie vocal. Bowie never embraced punk, but there are post-punk elements here before there was post-punk.
An era perhaps best short lived given how Bowie was living at the time, but the grandeur of Station to Station is a masterstroke of The Thin White Duke which eventually led to The Berlin Trilogy. It's title track is one of the most powerful album openers in music and from there it's quality never falters. Few artist can claim multiple masterpieces, but this is definitely one of Bowie's.
David Bowie claims he couldn’t remember writing this album after a bender. That’s quite impressive seeing as the last bender I was on I couldn’t remember how many zinger boxes I’d consumed
One day at David Bowie's house, Iggy Pop took a bunch of drugs and hallucinated that his girlfriend was being eaten by a TV, so naturally, Bowie turned it into a song. He was so coked out while making this album that he says he only has one memory of asking for a certain guitar riff, and nothing else. I think the lesson here is, if you're going to do drugs, you should either be as talented as David Bowie or have a friend with that level of talent that can turn your experience into a trippy song. Best track: TVC 15
A manifesto for that most unmanifestable of things: unorthodoxy. Never helps to overstate the lyrics with Bowie, but certain ideas resound: "run to the shadows", "I'm trying to fit into your scheme of things", "this age of grand illusion". He's interminably travelling on the opener, wild as the wind on the closer. It's all gauche, all different, all repudiating the idea of normal. Title track starts with a coda, moves to the bridge, follows that with an intro, ends with a different song. The guitar solo at the end of TVC-15 may melt brains. Everything on Stay is gauche and two beats off. Throughout, the white freak funk combines Eno and Clinton.
I don't think this is peak David. There are a couple of memorable tracks but the rest are just competent. For Bowie completists.
disaffected jazzy krautrock pop by a man obsessed with cocaine. lovely tho fav track: stay
Production: 17/20 Songwriting: 16/20 Innovation: 14/20 Bangers: 20/20 Emotional response: 18/20 =85 Classic. Awesome.
awesome. the second track “Stay” really epitomises the style and talent of this era of Bowie music. the guitar is all round funky and fun and David’s vocals boast the arty and raw nature of the album. I also think the last track “Wild Is the Wind” is notable just for its slower but passionate style. really enjoyable and worthwhile :)
David Bowie is my favorite, and this is among his best albums. Full stop
This was recorded when Bowie lived in Berlin with Iggy Pop as his roommate
Top 3 Bowie album. Title track his best ever tune in my opinion. Golden Years, TVC, Word On A Wing all absolute bangers too.
Classic. One of the best albums of all time. "Stay" is impossibly great.
I’ve not listened to anything other than his hits really so it was an invitation.
Brilliant album that showcases Bowie at his darkest point (excluding Darkstar, but that album was recorded whilst he was at deaths door). Each song has its own unique identity and, even though they are lengthy tracks, don't outstay their welcome.
One of the best of Bowie (on some days my favourite of them all) and that is saying something.
This album revealed to me why Bowie is so widely beloved. Uniform, and Diverse. Epic, and Elegant.
Station to Station is an album I've listened to many times, but made the mistake of never listening closely. I've been missing out. It's an amazing album, particularly when appreciated in the context of Bowie's struggles with drugs at the time. Every track is fantastic...high points for me include the guitar work, particularly the outro for "Stay," Bowie's top-notch singing, and the heartbreaking lyrics. Lyrics that really hit: In "Station to Station": "It's not the side-effects of the cocaine/I'm thinking that it must be love." In "Stay": "Stay - that's what I meant to say or do something/But what I never say is stay this time/I really meant to so bad this time/'Cause you can never really tell when somebody/Wants something you want too." Brilliant album. Easy 5 rating.
Bowie is one of those rare artists who’s body of work is brilliant. This album has some standouts tracks with Bowie effortlessly transitioning between styles of music from funk to ballads. Golden Years is probably the best known track from this album. But the rest deserve a listen, especially the emotion of Word on a Wing and Wild is the Wind to hear the way he plays with dynamics and tension.
This is up there with the greatest Bowie albums… which means is up there with the all time greatest albums!
The best way to describe this listening experience is that it was incredibly smooth. I'd listen to this again and again and again and again.
Stay - Cool lead guitar and melody. Wild is the wind - Very nice atmosphere in the song and like the depth of sound you can hear lots of good details in the background. I like the sound and melody. Overall 8/10 This album is pretty great i liked almost all the songs and there wasn't a dull moment the songs fit together very well no problems there. The only thing is that i didn't like opening to the first song it was to monotonous and i grew tired of it quickly, but the ending of the song is very good :)
The man was a music giant. He can't be accused of playing it safe or finding a niche. He was adventurous. He explored every genre, every rhythm. This short slice of his oeuvre is an example of just how broad was his talent. Added.
Maybe my second favorite Bowie album after Low. This album sounds like drugs.
Ásamt Songs in the key of life er þetta uppáhaldsplatan frá mínu góða fæðingarári. Viðurkenni að TVC-15 er ekki eitt af mínum uppáhalds lögum en þar fyrir utan er platan yfirgengileg snilld. Alltof mikið kókaín samt.
More Bowie brilliance, an incredible artist, constantly restless, exploring new moods and sounds, even as those sounds unsettle the listener.
Outside of Revolver, perhaps the greatest transitional album of all time. The Thin White Duke, in route from Philly to Berlin, throwing darts into the eyes of those who dare to question or call into doubt anything he could do. Ready to shake the scheme of things, indeed. Bad enough he couldn't remember making it.
I've listened to several Bowie albums, but somehow this one had eluded me. Somewhere in the vein of '70s rock and disco/funk-tinged prog, Station to Station is a compelling listen start to finish. Golden Years is of course a well-known single, but I also really enjoyed TVC15 and Stay.
Eine nahezu perfekte mischung aus "young americans" und dem eher von kraftwerk und neu inspierierten sound. hat wirklich keinen schlechten track. highlight ist sicher der titeltrack. glaube bowie ist an das was hier passiert später nur selten wieder rangekommen, glaube ich bevorzuge das sogar den berlin alben.
"Station to Station" is David Bowie's best album from the second era of his long career. It takes the funk and R&B explored in his previous album and mixes it with the art rock that would define his style for the next four albums. It show an artist pushing his creative limits with amazing results. "Station to Station" explores krautrock and conects with disco music, "Golden Years" sounds like Bowie became the Elvis of funk, "Word on a Wing" is where his cocaine addiction is more apparent, "TVC 15" is a raw, almost new wave masterpice, "Stay", the best track on the album, goes from funk to hard rock and has Carlos Almoar guitar at his peak and "Wild Is the Wind" is a Nina Simone homage for the ages. Thematically it's a very ethereal album, with lyrics about existentialism, occultism, mythology and religion, but also about love and surreal dreams. A masterpice, from start to finish.
Premier album où je clique: Les 6 chansons de l'album sont déjà cochés. Quel homme, quel génie Du coup ben 5 étoiles quoi d'autre
It's saying something about Bowie as an artist that, even starving and cracked out of his mind, he was able to produce an absolutely exceptional album. It runs the whole spectrum from blues to funk to experimental at an absolutely (and unsurprisingly) breakneck pace. A less-talented musician in the same drug-addled state would have created something frantic and broken. Bowie, though he barely remembered even making the album, managed to craft coherent, compelling, beautiful, and haunting songs that stand up decades later. The man wasn't human. He had to have been something else.
This was mostly new for me but I’m loving it so far. Musically, it’s a lot of soul and funk, and the style is very loose and free. David Bowie has an incredible band behind him for this one! Whoever plays bass on this is awesome. The drummer too! I’m going back and forth on my rating but I’m gonna tip it in favor of a 5 because I anticipate spending a lot more time with this album.
Hi- Golden Years, TVC15, Wild Is The Wind What can I say, it's Bowie, so of course it's excellent. While not my favorite album (that will always be Ziggy), it's got a good variety of styles here, which never feel out of place or forced. Golden Years is a classic single, and I've always felt like TVC15 doesn't get enough play. The album closes with a lovely cover of Wild Is the Wind. Even though there are only 6 tracks here, they each stand on their own while also being a complete unit.
I consider Station to Station to be Bowie's prologue to his famed Berlin trilogy. For those unaware, the Berlin trilogy consists of the three album that came out right after Station to Station, that being Low, Heroes, and Lodger, all written during Bowie's time in Berlin. This period during 1976 to 1977 was pivotal, as Bowie would work with such great names as Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, Lou Reed, and a few others. While punk rock was developing, Bowie would be in Berlin effectively crafting the beginnings of post-punk with Iggy Pop. It's hard not to understate the important of his Berlin albums. So why was he in Berlin? Well, Bowie was dealing with a cocaine addiction around the time of Station to Station, and was dealing with a great bit of backlash from the fascist elements of his "thin white duke" character. It's clear that Station to Station comes from a darker place of his psyche, but wielded in such a way that the music speaks for itself. Bowie transforms himself several times over his career, and this is probably the most striking one for me. Each song carries so much weight, there's not a second wasted on this record. Bowie would go on to claim that he does not remember making Station to Station. He would realize his cocaine use had spiraled out of control and decided to move to Europe to kick the habit. I think this album carries a big weight in Bowie's career, showing both the excellence and problems with his music and performance. I appreciate it deeply for being a standout art rock album. Absolutely worthy of praise.
Tää ei joskus ollut niin erityinen, mutta nykyään varmaan top3-Bowie. Mieletön. Ja törkeän hyvä bändi tässä.
It's not the side-effects of the cocaine I'm thinking that it must be love.
Més que de transició, com sí va ser 'Young Americans', 'Station to Station' és una porta d'entrada a la trilogia berlinesa. Tot i no estar emparat per un context com el de Ziggy o Berlin, el disc és una meravella. Mai una cançó de més de 10 minuts s'ha fet tan curta, ni les altres 5 que l'acompanyen no passar desapercebudes, sinó reclamar el seu protagonisme com a joies d'orfebreria musical cada una d'elles, sense excepció
FULL OF hits! This is my favorite Bowie project besides Let's Dance, my parents played him a lot growing up. First time funk music became mainstream & popular in the US/UK
Este Bowie romanticón y tan meloso como puede serlo me gustó mucho. El disco completo me funciona, cuatro vueltas y cada una fue mejor que la anterior. Muy buenos arreglos, letras románticas que parecen incómodas pero sinceras. La mejor del disco es Wild Is The Wind seguida de Stay.
That's some top notch Bowie alright. Fave track - "Golden Years" has long been one of my all time fave Bowie tracks!
Aside from the Berlin Trilogy, this is another one of my fave Bowie albums. The title track, "TVC15," "Word on a Wing," and "Wild is the Wind" are my faves off of this.
Weirdly I've just had the previous Bowie album 'Young Americans' and it's interesting to see the transition and thinking ahead to Low (which I did a couple of weeks back). It helps to solidly play them (not just the hits) and get into the vibe. I get a real feel for the 70's hedonistic lifestyle from this. Almost spaced out. Well written and produced- quite rocky after the smooth Young Americans. It's Bowie in the end and a classic.
I was introduced to this one by a good friend (one of his favourites). It is absolutely wonderful from beginning (the intense, slow-march build of the 10 minute title track) to end (most beautiful version of Wild is the Wind). Enjoyed listening again and again.