Low

Solid album, lovely sound, the better Bowie I’ve heard so far

Great

Unexpected, with a striking contrast between the two halves. Not sure how often I'll be reaching for it, but I did find it enjoyable, if a bit opaque.

The first half was solid if uninspired Bowie, then the back half shifts to solid but out of place ambient music. Overall I liked it more than I expected! Probably because the ambient tracks sound like they could be Disney World area loops.

I could just copy paste my 'The Next Day' review here. I won't but I could. And why? Well, dear reader--really just Newman--you deserve better, more trenchant insights. 'Low' is in one of Bowie's low--there's a pun here--periods. I'm not a big fan of the Berlin Trilogy--it's bleak and reminiscent of living near the Berlin Wall. This album also sounds half and half--half good stuff in front and half film score in back. Still though, it's a Bowie, my fave solo artist, and has two good tracks, so that merits 'Low' a three. Top tracks: “Sound and Vision,” “Speed of Life”

I generally like Bowie, but this one did not do it for me.

I really like Sound and Vision, and the other instrumental tracks are pretty cool as well. Not as iconic as some of his other work but pretty good.

Good listen.

Not a fan of this Bowie period, but not unlistenable.

Showcases some guitar skills.

Melodic. Needs a relisten

Боуі це не моя чашка чаю, скільки не намагався його слухати.

мені завжди подобалася така розмова форма співу у боуі, і мені дуже подобається трек sound and vision своєю простотою, як ніби він просто є видображенням твоїх думок і подібні моменти. легка музика о різних складних речах

Preferred the ambient side of the album.

okay. not my fav bowie album

2.5 Experimental Bowie. Just ok. The redeeming quality here is that you can see where the jazz and orchestration experiments led later on, and that is fulfilling

This was an interesting listen and felt like a departure from Bowie's early days.

At the first listen I didn’t like it at all, but then the secind listen was different. I started to appriciate it and even like some of the songs. I can see how inspirational could it have been.

Probably the most interesting Bowie album I’ve ever listened to. The instrumental songs were something alright.

Experimenteel as fuck. De nummers aan het begin van het album zijn te kort om er een deftige en volwaardige mening over te hebben. Hoe verder in het album, hoe langer de liedjes worden en hoe meer er ook is om van te genieten.

A little experimental for my tastes. No bangers. Still Bowie so high floor.

Não atinge o meu gosto musical, desculpa David Bowie

3/5.

This one slips through the Bowie cracks, suffering from the lack of an enduring single most likely. The musicality is here, however, if this isn't a "Bowie Album," it's not on this list. The context makes this one worth a listen.

this was good! didn't save anything, but enjoyed listening to it.i was a fan of how it sampled through songs with lyrics and without -- added a nice break, in a sense.

I do like the one

I think the more I listen to this one, the more I'll like it.

Love Bowie, album is solid, but definitely not my favorite of his. Realistic rating of 3/5

Comforting. Movie soundtrack.

Not my favourite Bowie album but a good listen overall, felt like it fell a bit flat in places and tbh was kind of expecting more from him.

I had high hopes for the "experimental" side of the album but only "Subterranean" worked for me. As far as the pop side "Speed of Life" is a promising start. I am not a huge Bowie fan but usually I find one or two cuts each album that takes me by surprise, but there was nothing there the stood out.

Interesting sounds for the time

Late 70s Bowie. Iggy Pop collaboration, with Brian Eno. Experimental rock. Mostly instrumental. Short songs.

Best album I’ve listened to so far, I know it’s only day 3 but still, decent album, the songs with just the instruments sound amazing however, I feel like the album needs more body to it or more experimental sounds Overall it’s a decent album, it just needs a little more body, more of that Classic Bowie Best listen “Breaking Glass”

3.0 RYM

Well produced album, prog rock experimental sound. Once again Bowie is just not my thing. Pink Floyd has a lot of similar albums but their stuff is cohesive whilst this is more random. 6/10

Some of these tracks I loved, like “breaking glass” and “sound and vision” (“I’ve been breaking glass in your room again” is a great line). Other songs seemed like meandering soundtrack fodder for a sci-fi movie.

I went into this album blind. I've always thought Bowie was just a cool musician. He had significant impact on music and managed to turn up in some of the cooler pop culture moments in my youth. He was the guy you liked if you really understood music. Well, that's what my younger self thought. Fast forward fifteen years and he died. Around that time I was playing in a band where the singer was obsessed with all of his music, and the radios were blasting his hits at full force. I tried to listen, but I lost interest Low begins with the instrumental, 'Speed of Life'. There are cool, quirky synths, tasteful (but also quirky) guitar lines and a dance beat. I was hopeful that this was a taste of what was to come on the album. Certainly making my playlist. Low is littered with instrumentals. Sadly, very few match the energy of the opener. They range from strange and ambient which could feature as a soundtrack to a 70s sci-fi, to sad and miserable. There's only once that they set up a song too. The songs themselves are Bowie. You can see his stamp on them. There's no absolute catchy banger, but there's what I can only guess if him experimenting without losing his identity. I read up about the album and see what he was aiming for. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I think I did. Would I listen again? Probably not in a hurry. 3 stars.

Fairly easy listening but nothing too exciting

Love second half first half is not my vibe

Prefer Bowie before Low. I liked the album.

It’s ok.

Not my favorite Bowie stuff, but the sound was interesting.

Hopefully the worst Bowie album on this list. Very 3 star

A side was great. B side not so much

I feel like David Bowie is insanely talented and known for his artistic approach. I just don't think this is my favorite of his albums.

pretty good, hella ambient

Dit voelt wel even als een momentje jongens. Ik onthul m'n album voor vandaag en ik krijg die rare drop waarmee ik m'n David Bowie sidequest eindelijk kan voltooien. Ik mag hem morgenochtend inleveren en dan is het hopen dat ik meer krijg dan een handjevol xp, maar ik ben er bang voor. Ik heb Bowie inmiddels twee keer 3 sterren gegeven en één keer 4 sterren, dus ik ben al lang geen Bowie hater meer. Wat opvalt aan dit album is dat het uit twee duidelijke helften bestaat. Normale liedjes met wat gekke arcade-achtige geluiden tijdens de eerste helft. Rondzweven in een eindeloze ruimte in de tweede helft. De trouwe volgers zullen snappen dat ik die tweede helft dus best tof vind. Ik ben er uit. Ik heb m'n Bowie-sporen verdiend. Ik kan vanaf nu zonder te knipperen zeggen dat Ziggy Stardust m'n favoriete Bowie album is. Als ik een interessante snob wil uithangen kan ik zeggen dat ik de B-kant van de eerste plaat van de Berlijn trilogie ook gaaf gedaan vind. Ik vind Bowie nog steeds een klein beetje overhyped, maar tegelijkertijd heb ik me uiteindelijk (het had even een aanloopje nodig) meer vermaakt met zijn muziek dan ik vantevoren had verwacht. Dit album krijgt gewoon een prima 3 (en een half, als dat kon) sterren.

Low is not my favourite Bowie album, but it contains one of his very best songs, and that alone lifts the whole record for me. When it was first released it divided opinion, and I can understand why. The minimalist approach and the instrumental heavy second half make it a challenging listen. It is not an album that immediately opens itself up. It takes patience. That said, I appreciate it far more now than I did when I first heard it. With time, the atmosphere really starts to reveal itself. There is something brave about how stripped back parts of it are. It feels experimental without being careless, and the mood it creates is genuinely striking. Sound and Vision is the clear highlight. It is upbeat, melodic and full of colour, and it stands in perfect contrast to some of the colder moments elsewhere on the record. Favourite track: Sound and Vision Least favourite: Art Decade. It still feels slightly impenetrable to me Album artwork: Very cool and iconic. Simple, bold and instantly recognisable

Started pretty well then got weird and slow....

meh

Imagine 1977 and this drops. Ziggy is gone, The Thin white Duke is a memory and then.. DB goes and finds himself in West Berlin. Fascinating to think... Some very nice melodies in the front half (Assuming Side 1 of the record) Speed Of Life was the gem. Sound and Vision was catchy. Always Crashing the same car has cracking guitar bits by Gardiner. Honestly wasn't expecting much, but I should know better than to underestimate Bowie.

Glad to have got ‘The Idiot’ before this and understand the story and where this fit in. Also interested to see how I find Eno’s contribution, when not the main artists. Some pretty whacky, experimental electronics but nicely brought together by Bowie. My first full Bowie album and interested to hear more, over the span of his career (and without ENO!) interesting to read his bio - so ridiculously varied and rich. Feel like the last few tracks lose Bowie and more of the Eno experimental, ambient, electronic music I’ve come to resent on this list. Yeh, last four tracks not needed and take away from Bowie’s style and offering. Love ‘Breaking Glass’ and first half seemingly better (and quite different) to first (3.5)

A very Bowie album. Not my favourite of his, and the experimental stuff hit and miss

Hearing references to Neu! and Kraftwerk, but also ambient mentions, I was very interested in listening to this album. I was however left with dissapointment after listening, due to this sounding like David Bowie pop record, meaning something I found very familiar. I'm not that familiar with his discography, but I have heard atleast two of his previous albums and don't immediately find the difference as staggering as it's made out to be.

soso

It was alright

57/1001. 2nd Bowie in this list and for the three first songs I thought it was Bowie at his lowest. If avant-garde is synonymous to boring, uninteresting songwriting, songs that are not more than demos, count me out. Thank god Sound and Vision saved that thought, for a moment. Around about the B-side (stupid Spotify doesn’t let me flip the album) the music began to be interesting again, which I credit more to Eno than Bowie — this might be a wrong thought but perhaps not far from the truth (which is: David Bowie alone is super boring). Well, according to wikipedia: ”Eno arrived after the backing tracks for side one were "essentially" finished.” So, for that and Sound and vision, a 3

If I wanted to listen to instrumental shit i wouldn’t pick Bowie 😭. First half banged

not my jam

Meh?

This isn't high on my list for Bowie Albums, but there are a few highpoints here. I especially enjoy Sound and Vision and Breaking Glass.

I wonder if bowie ever read mein kampf

What a big mood. If grief could be sonically reproduced this is how it could sound. No idea what’s actually behind the album. I’ll read up.

A weird, fun ride. Not his best work but Sound and Vision is an all-timer.

This was a fun, groovy ride. Not sure I'll be returning, but liked the listen.

far out

Damn. I actually found the back half of ambient tracks to be more interesting. Very cool sounds that are somehow unmistakably Bowie.

I've heard some Bowie before, but nothing off of this album. "Low" starts off a little slow, but by the middle of the album, we get some bangers. David Bowie has always been a staple of art rock and this album shows it, intertwining high-energy tracks like "Be My Wife" with more thoughtful, experimental pieces like "Warszawa". Favorite tracks: Be My Wife, Subterraneans

The last couple instrumental tracks were really cool. I enjoyed "Subterraneans" and "Art Decade."

I guess I really haven’t listened to Bowie… not what I was expecting but good.

Didnt know david was so experimental

Started of pretty decent but after the hit sound and vision the rest of the album was weird. Didn't enjoy the experimental stuff at the end.

If I could give it 2.5, I would've. It's one of those ones where if someone played it, I wouldn't mind or complain, but it's not an album I would've actively went to listen to if not for this project

Good stuff, nice step up from the previous album, Off the Wall by Pichael Jackson. I did't mind the more ambient stuff at the end.

almost wished for a little more weirdness in the back half, things got nearly there

decent album, great synths

Overall, I enjoyed food prepping for dinner and doing dishes while listening to this album. The first two vocal tracks (2 and 3) were rough and it was not because of the onions I was cutting. I don’t think so, anyway. Album picked up for me at Sound and Vision (track 4). I really dug the instrumentals and ambient sounds on this album. For me, I believe it would have been a better album solely instrumental with maybe the only vocals being on “Subterraneans” to close it out. Due to this thought, it gets a 3 from me. There’s better Bowie.

Off the cuff remark: a strange beast of an album and I don't think I recognised any of the songs which I was very confused by. I can't decide if it sounds very of its time or ahead of its time. Standout track: Sound and Vision Revisit?: it would certainly stand up to repeat listens and it might need that to get a handle on it.

Alright

Overall, not bad, but I do wish there had been a bit more Bowie and a little less Eno in this one.

6/10

Not a fan, but this album was better than Hunky Dory. I liked that it was mostly instrumental, and w/o counting the last three songs, I enjoyed all of them.

Just OK. I did like the instrumental tracks at the end

Pretty trippy, cool album! Need to listen to it more. Added a few to my instrumental playlist.

Didn't expect not to hear David Bowie's voice on the second half of the album. Overall, pretty enjoyable.

Strange second half of the album, even by Bowie’s standards

I liked parts of this album. Mostly the songs where Bowie actually, y'know... sings. The rest of the album was kind of like weird mood music.

I have never been a big Bowie guy, full disclosure. I liked the first half a bit more than the ambient/electronic second half, but generally enjoyed this more than I have other Bowie records. Hoping there's one in here that ends up making his whole schtick click for me

I love Bowie but for me this was too dramatic and artsy with too many random sounds and instruments. It's risky, I just didn't like it that much. 2.5⭐️

Liked, but not likely to back to it

This one just isn't for me I think. I mean the switch is cool and respectable, and I like some songs on it, but the overall sounds (either of them) just aren't enough my style.

Pierwsza połowa płyty była taka 7/10. Nadal eksperymentalna, ale z mocnym wokalem, który sprowadzał ją na ziemię. Druga połowa wystrzeliła już w kosmos, a ja niestety nie jestem fanką tego rodzaju międzygwiezdnych wycieczek. Finalnie daje temu albumowi 6/10 i dużo szacunku, bo chociaż mi nie pod pasowały to lubię eksperymenty jako takie.

Not as bad as the first one, kinda liked it actually I don’t have to listen to that shit piano

Liked this a lot better than Station to Station. Quite nice for a car ride.

Late 70's Bowie being experimental. Not too long with some interesting instrumental bits. Includes Sound and Vision

Not my favorite Bowie but has some interesting tracks.

Usually like Bowie but this feels like it needs multiple listens to really get. 3 stars, for now.

The Chameleon moniker fits Bowie really well. Really wonderful change of pace to add yet another layer to his persona.

This was OK

Listened to it three times. The first two didn’t do much for me and this was cruising for a 2. But I gave it another shot and paid closer attention and it grew on me a bit. I said to Carly that the one song sounded ambient like Brian eno. Lo and behold it turns out he was a major collaborator. Along with kraftwerk and neu which we had before. Still don’t love Bowie the way the diehards do but this was ok.

I think this album is overhyped

I love Bowie Cool but not my fav

3.5

Listened to this on the plane. Majority of songs were instrumental. Not my favourite.

Really cool, obviously influential. Casually fun to listen to but not like a blast by any means.

Ibland väldigt intressant, främst när det är mer ambient o experimentellt, överlag lite tråkigt typiskt Bowie som jag har svårt för.

Not a big Bowie fan, I prefer the ambient side, which I think is interesting. 3.5 stars

Unlike yesterday’s Japan album, this is the real Bowie thing. Except it’s not quite the proper Bowie thing because half of it is pretty crap and cobwebby sub-Boo’s haunted mansion ambience. Some classic Bowie moments on the first half like with Speed Of Life, Sound & Vision and New Career In A New Town but second side is a vast disappointment and like a sudden album quality prolapse to the centre of the earth.

eh

3/5 nice ambiance

Interesting album that while it didn’t grab me by the David Bowie’s straight away I feel like it is definitely a grower. Maybe a bit too much instrumental for me but it was definitely different!

Se sabe que adoro a Bowie, y aunque el Low me gusta, no lo pondría entre mis favoritos ni en la mitad alta de mi top. Aún así es buen disco, las canciones son geniales y las instrumentales son super atmosféricas y me recordaron un poco a Laberinto. Pero sí, no mi favorito de Mr. Jones.

I hadn't heard Bowie like this before. I can appreciate the album and how groundbreaking it likely was, but it didn't arise any reaction from me.

Almost more of an Eno album than a Bowie album. Side 1 is immaculate, Side 2 is a drag.

Sound & Vision is in my top 5 Bowie songs. Album is super interesting. He was putting out so much work during this era that there were always a few gems and always a few songs that were out there but on every album. 3.5 for me.

Good, enjoyed it but dont know how often ill go back to this one from bowie

Good mid level Bowie

I’ve always found Low to be one of Bowie’s most overrated albums. It still has great moments, but I feel it doesn’t quite deserve the accolades it receives.

Probably my least favorite Bowie album.

A tad dramatic, no? It really seems like I haven't missed anything by only knowing Bowie's singles.

Great album, but to be honest the sound kind of bounces off me. The songs have a similar feel, and "ambient" is right. I feel like there must be 1001 better albums than this; for the second Bowie production I've had so far, I really am not blown away with his stuff beyond the mainline hits. It's possible that it's about the influence it's had downstream, the diversity of genres etc., but ultimately I am not saving songs off this for a future listen.

Both surprisingly good considering he was sitting on big hits as his contract ended. And yet I don’t get the whole Berlin trilogy thing. Anyway, it’s a good enough listen.

Not one of my fave Bowie albums, but it's still Bowie.

Pa lijep album, Sound and Vision mi je vrh stvar. Možda mi nije najdraži njegov, ali ga općenito rado poslušam. 3/5, 6/10

weird, ambient, fun, a collection of sounds that never lost my interest.

This is the best I’ve ever heard Bowie, who I of course don’t typically like. This record has a certain vitality and is quite compact. I adore the instrumental opener and the comparatively less theatrical nature of the whole thing. Standout tracks are “Speed of Life” and “Be my Wife”

3/5 interesting sounds but not my favorite / didn’t add any songs to my playlist

I could tell that David Bowie had fun making this album, but I can't say the fun transferred to me while listening to it.

Not his best, saved by a couple if tunes

very weird compilation of rock and psychedelic music

I love Bowie, but I didn't care too much for this album. But still better than most others. 3/5

Classic Bowie album, it is good, but never something I would listen to again.

Not my cup of tea

didn't make an impression, but I liked Sound and Vision

quite good to be fair

Not as good as his later music.

3.2

A handful of good songs (one great) and some apparently unfinished ideas padded with some filler ambience do not make a great album in my book.

Nothing bad about it, but nothing that great either. Whole album felt a little insincere

Always crashing in the same car - like. I can respect the album but it just isnt my vibe.

This is pretty middle of the road as far as Bowie goes

This album has lots of snippets from different genres, there is a little hard rock on "Breaking Glass". "What in the world" has a very talking heads style vibe early on in the track. Whats up with subteraneans - real weird vibes. Does seem underground with teh chanting etc.

5/10

Never listened to Bowie before. Was not expecting an eclectic synth-symphony. Interesting, sort of makes me want to sit in a hazy basement.

You can definitely see how a lot of these ideas would progress to a more 80s rock sound. Definitely ahead of its time and some really good stuff in here but for whatever reason it just doesn’t hit with me as much. I definitely understand the appeal but it’s not my favorite though it did grow on me as the album progressed. The more I think about it, you can see some industrial synth stuff in here that was definitely ahead of its time but the prog aspects seem tired to me in relation to actual prog brands from the same time.

Total jams followed by pretty sounds. The first half of this album sounds like what you’d imagine someone from the 70’s thinks the future sounds like. It’s got some absolute jammers with a unique sound to it. Bowie has such a great voice. “Always Crashing in the Same Car” has a killer guitar riff. Not something I think is going to stick with me, but nonetheless still very good. “Be My Wife” is also a banger. The second half of the album is purely instrumental, and while it’s pretty and very well composed, is not something I’d listen to very often. First half of the album is almost perfect, but the ladder half is utterly forgettable. Still, a solid album from one of the all time greats.

This has been my favorite of the Bowie records on this list so far. Not a huge fan, but this one was a bit better to me.

Atmospheric and interesting, but far from my favorite Bowie.

Different sound to usual Bowie. I liked the instrumentals, Sound and Vision is amazing and uplifting. I think there’s better Bowie albums out there. It reminded me of Blackstar a bit which is strange cause it’s 39 years before it Enjoyed: Speed of life Be my wife A new career in a new town Always crashing in the same car Overall I’d give it a 4.5/10

Veel instrumentaal

David, are you gonna bother to sing on the rest of these tracks? Errr…. No. You sure? Yeh. Oh. Okay. We’ll just put it out like this then? Yep. Okay!

On the fence with this one because I don't know this side of Bowie. But I wanted to wait until I was mature enough to see his artistic arch. I'll refrain from a critical analysis and just say the Bowie I know and love is certainly not this album. But this was cool. Ironically got fired from my job today and "A New Career in a New Town" came on shortly after the meeting and termination. A sign for things to come.

Liked the spacey vibe and feel of it. Felt like I was in another world. It was relaxing yet moving. Dark and moody. Enjoyed it

I actually enjoyed the latter half more.

Die erste Hälfte hat mich nicht gepackt, aber die Instrumentals.

This is one of the better Bowie albums I've been served up on this site. Probably because it doesn't sound like the rest of them. lol

This for me is one of his weakest but it actually gets better as it goes on- the more ambient/eno it gets the more I enjoyed

My first album in this project!

well. um. huh. i think this was good. low 3. lots of ambiance. too much for my taste

Pre-listening thoughts: if I had a nickel for every time we got an album rated on the bottom twenty of this website immediately followed by a David Bowie album, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. Post/during listening thoughts: the white hot spotlight starts making my face sweat profusely as I nervously clamber my way on stage. I tap the microphone and the feedback whines. I clear my throat. I can hear the impatient shuffling of people who don’t care enough to read all of this to see what my opinion is. “David Bowie’s ambient stuff is mid and the Berlin trilogy is overrated.” I say, mustering up the courage to stand up straight and look at the audience without picturing them in their underwear. All of a sudden I hear rumbling, a thousand simultaneous boos from Brian Eno dick riders. Tomatoes start pelting my skin, and I rush off stage, wondering if I stooped too Low. 5.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nope Fav tracks: Breaking Glass, Sound and Vision, Be My Wife Least fav tracks: all of side B

It's Bowie, so its gonna be good. Not his best, and a lot of pyschodelic instrumentals, but good background music.

Honestly, there’s too much Bowie on this list. Low is an okay album, but it never really reaches greatness. The first half has some decent tracks, while the second half dives into an instrumental, concept-album vibe that’s more interesting than enjoyable. It’s a bold experiment, but not something you'll find me returning to.

Bowie again? Enough!!!

Meh. It's Bowie, so it doesn't suck, but it's Bowie, so it's weird.

Definitely an acquired taste for sonic landscapes and a bit of the avant garde. Not for everyone.

Ja, little Davie und sini spannende, chli experimentelle Ahfangs-Albe. Die erste Lieder hani biz mässig gfunde, aber ab de helfti hani mi denn is biz experimentelle und chli ruhigere chöne driigeh und hans denn au recht entspannt und nice gfunde. Mal chli was anders was mer sust so da hend. Aber irgendwie ned sone mäntigs-mood-album, darum fahri mit mine drü Lowriders, arm dusse, riise lunte im muul, gmüetlich am little Davie verbii und begrüessen miteme lässige chopf-nicke.

Bööörououou bäärouououo To windows, to walls Ah falsches lied falsches album. David bowie bowster Sehr experimentel, was mir eich na gfahlt, aber denn halt doch nöd d bnger wualität erreicht. Has gfühl ich wirde zwenig lieder vu dem albums jemals wieder lose zum mit gutem gwüsse es 4 low fives z geh. Coole socke ische er glich 3 muurdurbrechendi kuss-songs für berlin vu mir

This kind of music is usually hit or miss. I don't listen to it very often, but I can appreciate the direction it is taking. The same is true of this album. It's not David's best work but good nonetheless.

This one doesn't really get going for me until Sound and Vision comes on. Great song and the highlight of the album. The next song, Always Crashing..., was cool and had a really good guitar solo finish. Be My Wife feels like a very introspective song and one that resonates really well. Everything after that feels so unlike Bowie, which makes sense once you read about the backstory behind this album. It is quite a bit of electronic-sounding instrumentals. Not quite what I was expecting at all. I like most of Bowie's stuff, but most of this album wasn't for me. Still a solid 3 or 3.5 at the end of the day.

This felt different than most Bowie albums we have had so far (this is the ninth album holy hell). This one felt more like an atmospheric adventure, especially in the second half. I think I have heard Sound and Vision before. I sincerely don't think I need any more Bowie. At least he's better than Morrissey. 3.5 here.

Didnt enjoy it as much as his other albums. But overall solid. Standout songs: Always Crashing in the Same Car Warszawa

interesting musically i guess

Interesting vibe for Bowie but still good. Not likely to return though.

Full disclosure I'm a big Bowie fan but rarely listen to a whole album straight through because they often consist of a few really good tunes and a few meh tunes. This one is no exception

I guess a cog in the machine of Bowie - not my favorite album of course but Sound & Vision is a gem

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate Bowie’s ingenuity and creativity. He was such an original and pioneer. This album is so interesting with the atmospheric instrumentals. And I’ve always loved the groove of Sound & Vision.

going to hit the rest of the group the wrong way i fear.

instrumentals at the end weren't doing much for me. other than that another 4/5 bowie album.

6/10 - David Bowie has too many albums on this list. This album did not need to be on there i think.

It's alrighrt, but nothing fancy. Mostly because it's not my genre

This and Lodger were always my least favourite early Bowie (n.b. I stopped paying attention after Never Let Me Down which I didn’t like much either) but Bowie I don’t much like is still head and shoulders above so much else. Side 1 would be a 4, but dragged down by the dreary instrumental electronica on side 2.

Sehr entspannt, fast liminal

Very interesting...didn't expect this to have so few vocals.

Meh.

Bowie is baffling to me. On one album he can conjure up a hit at will to save it. With Low he seems content to meander around a laboratory of incomplete or inarticulate ideas with mild enthusiasm. Nothing really seems to be great or really catch hold of the imagination. It's like he is showing off the worst kind of artistic entitlement imaginable. Bowie is certainly a talented songwriter and musician, but even the best creative minds lose their way.

Its not as good. There are some good tracks, and the sleeve is iconic, but the last couple of tracks are mehhh.

The second time of listening to this album had me appreciate it a lot more, especially the second half. Whilst not everything here hits the mark for me, I feel it is just shy of getting 4 stars and this may be an album that I rate higher with further listens.

Not sure what I'm missing, but apparently I'm missing it.

It does have quite possibly the best Bowie single on it ("Sound and Vision") and I get it, bRiAn EnO tHo, but like...it's a lot of soundscapy bleepin and bloopin. Powerfully haunting at time but start-to-finish? Not the BEST of Bowie

The weakest David Bowie Album i have heard yet (from first listening experience wise) but I'm still and continuously stunned how consistent bro was... (3.0/5.0)

I like Bowie and obviously respect his contributions to music and acting, but this album is kind of mid. It’s not bad, but it also wasn’t very memorable.

I've never heard this album before now. I enjoyed it - all of it. I don't fully get it, but I'd be more open to hearing it again over Nick Cave or Euro synth pop. I'm really at a 3.5 on this one, but I don't want to give it a 4 until after I've digested the 2nd half of the album some more.

The first of Bowie's albums to become known as the Berlin Trilogy. Not one of my favourite Bowie albums, but it does contain the single "Sound and Vision".

An eclectic mix. Interesting and not bad, but not my preferred listening really.

I liked the feel of the album, but nothing really grabbed my attention. Some of the instrumental pieces I really enjoyed.

I wasn't mad about it. Diamond Dogs recently blew me away but this I didn't enjoy too much. I may have to listen again at some point soon

Is/was it avant-garde, ground-breaking, and "interesting"? Oh yes. Do I like it? Not really. It has been part of my collection for some considerable time but it is a long way from being my favourite Bowie album. Since I am scoring on "how much do I like it" rather than "value to pop/rock music as an art form" this gets a middling 3/5.

Listened Before? N Another awesome Bowie album! Really solid, beginning to end. Also a bit of a different sound for him. Thoroughly enjoyed. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sound and Vision

Discordant in parts - when good, really good

GAY NAZI COKEHEAD PEDO RAPIST. ALBUM WAS OK

Obviously with Bowie you get a lot of different manifestations of the dude, but I can’t imagine this is anyone’s fave. This overly instrumental collection is just too lacking. Hurts but I can’t go above 3 for this one

Not my fav from Bowie. Many of the songs weren’t very musical and hard to get into. Respect the creativity. 2.5

Love me some Bowie but this just doesn’t do it for me. Hard for me to rate this any better than good especially when compared to his other albums. 3/5

Another “here’s a new sound” album. Listening to Bowie is always interesting and a joy. But he hasn’t yet come into his own on this album.

It was okay, but nothing special.

I guess the Labyrinth soundtrack is really Bowie's best. 3.4.

This is probably my favorite Bowie album to date. Thanks, Iggy! Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

Bangers but teh unknown sings are unknown for good reason

Second half was little too much ambient for my tastes.

I'm not big on bowie's vocals but I enjoy stuff like the instrumentation on Warszawa, Art Decade and Subterraneans. Some of the vocals on Subterraneans remind me of some of Maynard James Keenan's vocals which is odd and surprising. I was also surprised by how rocky the album was and thought the structure was thoughtful. Definitely need to revisit this one for a third time and beyond for more understanding.

I can appreciate the history and the background with Brian Eno and the fact that it was going to be a film score. Standalone it is just an odd film score of an album

3.5/5

Odd album. Kind of a journey if you’re hopeful going out, and the night slowly degrades as you go on

OK

261/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Not his best, but interesting and definitely ahead of it's time.

normally I adore him, but this album is just not for me.

speed of life-3/5 breaking glass- 2.5/5 what in the world- 3/5 sound and vision- 4/5 always crashing in the same car- 3/5 be my wife- 2.5/5 a new career in a new town- 2/5 warszawa- 4/5 art decade- 3/5 weeping wall- 2.5/5 subterraneans- 3.5/5

didn’t like it, not a fan of electric.

okay, not his best album

A great opening seven Bowie songs, ruined by the closing four Eno songs.

The album was very good, a bit odd, but I thought the amount focused on the instruments really pulled it all together

Not his best album. I'm surprised it made this list, tbh.

I love Bowie, so much awesome stuff. But this iiiiis not really Bowie I like as much.

Maybe I'm missing something, but it was very basic. Probably should have been there.

Less familiar to me than other bowie. Sound and vision really strong single, album tailed off a little in the back half.

Versatile moods and collab with Brian Eno. Emotional and darker. Of course made an impact in the late 70's and fed into the post-punk genre. I think this is critically acclaimed, and I like it, but doesn't serve me in the same ways

I read the wiki on this album and it says some of the origins of this album were originally intended to be a soundtrack and it shows. This album plays like a movie score at times with mostly instrumental numbers. It is ok.

Not my favorite Bowie album. I really enjoy Sound & Vision

Think I need to listen a few more times

I listened to this when I was at work and was expecting something amazing, especially as Sound and Vision are on this album and I love that song. I was disappointed. It was almost as if he had heard Jean-Michel Jarre and got a bit carried away. It just seemed to be watered down version of that.

A decent album for him.

Pretty good. Not my favorite, but good background music. All kind of sounds like music that would belong in a different movie. Christmas music, suspenseful, old time, detective, music, etc.

3/5 - Interesting first half but loses me on the second half. Nice introduction to experimental Bowie. FAV: Always Crashing In The Same Car

Previously rated: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (4/5) Aladdin Sane (3/5) The Next Day (3/5) Young Americans (3/5) Station to Station (3/5) Hunky Dory (4/5) ************************************************************************** First half has good stuff; I was enjoying it. Second half instrumental movie soundtrack or whatever did nothing for me.

This is an album to listen to in the evening or night, not at 4:30 pm like I have been I like the synth and the overall atmosphere of the album Nothing too special, and I'm pretty sure he has better stuff, but decent nonetheless. Ooo that random bit of sax in the middle of the last song was good

Zdecydowanie lepiej mi to weszło niż \"Heroes\". Może dlatego, że tak mało śpiewu Bowiego na tym albumie. A może po prostu dlatego, że jest dużo bardziej eksperymentalny i przez to ciekawszy dla mnie. Te instrumentalne kawałki były przyjemne. Oczywiście bonus ode mnie za zatytułowanie jednego utworu \"Warszawa\" i dodatkowy plus za zachowanie polskiej pisowni. W tych czterech ostatnich utworach starałem się szukać uczuć, które ewokują we mnie ich tytuły i muszę przyznać, że rezonowało to ze mną. Poniesiony umiarkowanie pozytywnym odbiorem tego krążka przesłuchałem jeszcze raz utwór \"Heroes\", ale nic się nie zmieniło, dalej mi nie podchodzi. I ten album też, mimo lepszego odbioru, nie przekonał mnie jakoś do Bowiego i nie sprawił, że zrozumiałem jego fenomen. Z czasem robi się dla mnie ciekawy, ale wyłącznie na poziomie intelektualnym i głównie dlatego, że moje niezrozumienie dla jego twórczości wciąż mnie delikatnie frustruje. Mamy jeszcze 7 jego albumów przed nami, może na zasadzie syndromu sztokholmskiego na koniec zostanę wyznawcą. Na razie umiarkowane 3, także oczko wyżej, niż Heroes, które długimi fragmentami mnie zwyczajnie irytowało.

Kurde... I hate it, ale nie potrafię pokochać tej płyty. Frustrujące, bo w teorii powinna mi się podobać, przemawiać do mojego gustu. Jest naprawdę ciekawa, różnorodna, śmiała, eksperymentalna. Słyszę to, ale z jakiegoś powodu nie umiem docenić. Słuchałem 3 razy, it's time to move on, może to nie czas dla tej płyty. Póki co czuję, że ciężko mi będzie do niej wrócić, nie mam konkretnego punktu zaczepienia. Słuchało mi się dobrze, ale trudno było mi tu odnaleźć coś dla siebie, coś co by mnie poruszyło. Nie umiem tego lepiej opisać

It was good. Like some of his other stuff better. My knock against it was that it was too “musical” and not enough action. I know this is weird since I am a huge Pink Floyd fan and my kids always yell at me there are no words on their songs. But this felt different.

Sound and Vision was a catchy classic. I enjoyed the more ambient parts, but wasn't wowed overall. Album cover: (B) Good arresting image and colors.

At times pretty good, at times annoying.

Why is David Bowie so mid? I said this in my last review but Bowie is a boring Elton John. The songs are so slow and boring, and when they occasionally threaten to pick up, they quickly abandon ship and go back to being boring. 5/10, it's so fine but never gets good.

It’s Bowie?

Not my favorite Bowie album but still a solid effort, more important than good

Somehow never heard this before. I liked it. It has that kick I need in music, that rhythm.

it’s an alright album but i feel like im taking crazy pills, how is this album so highly lauded?

Started strong but then went weird

Firstly, I’d just like to say that Bowie has always creeped me out a little bit. He looks like a lollipop lady who smokes a pack a day with an apparent disdain for children. Ultimately trying to do a nice thing, but it’s all a bit weird and confusing. Went into this a bit worried as I’m not a massive Bowie fan. However, the music wasn't too bad for the most part. Wasn’t a fan of the little extra he seemed to add to each song though, some really strange futuristic noises thrown in for some reason. I believe it was Goliath who once said “David, stop pissing around with it or you’re going to hurt someone” but David didn’t listen and Goliath received a bit of biblical GBH (great big headache, if I’m not mistaken). Thats a bit like what David Bowie did here, took a perfectly nice sounding album and tried to give me a GBH. Apart from that though, middle of the road album for me, which is a compliment as I’m not a massive Bowie man, and neither is Goliath, he’s just massive.

I was initially concerned I'd let nostalgic bias interfere with this review, as Bowie was one of the first artists I was introduced to as a child. Luckily, listening to a bootleg cassette tape in my Dad's rusty van whilst he drove around trying to sell poppadoms didn't have much sway in today's review, as 1) I've never heard this album before, and 2) me and my old man, never got on. The album is exactly what I think you'd end up with if you left an alien with a synthesizer, some pan pipes and a wah wah pedal for 6 months. Trying to look at the album objectively for what it would have been back in the 70's I can completely see this being something ahead of the curve and quite pioneering. It was, for the most part, an acid trip of extra-terrestrial proportions.. and better still, it wasn't Bob Dylan. The album is fucking nuts. Not Tom Waits nuts, but more like "Where am I? Where's David gone? Why is this Alien trying to grab my arse.. and why do I kind of like it" Sort of nuts. Funnily enough, like my old man, Bowie turns up late and at points just fucks off completely throughout large parts of the album, vocally at least. I spent a bit of time initially waiting around, abandoned in this bustling intergalactic circus I'd been thrust into, hoping for David to come back.. like some mad, androgynous father figure, who was supposed to help guide me through whatever this escalating bedlam was. Catching Bowie's vocals on this was like trying to catch acid-laced smoke as he was a much more diffuse and mercurial figure, ultimately attempting to tell interpretative stories through the instrumentals more so than objective lyrics. Sometimes it really worked and sometimes I felt like I was in the middle of a Doctor Who episode. I thought 'Sound and Vision' was great, 'Be My Wife' was fun and probably the last real exposure you have to Bowie's voice on the album.. and then, like any meaningful trip, it takes a much more sombre tone as 'A New Career in a New Town' is the last beacon of optimism, before 4 strikingly different and darker songs kick in. Whatever journey you are on with Bowie prior to this point, and the novelty you find along with it, comes to a jarring end. 'Warszawa' hits you hard and unexpectedly because of this.. and jolts you into realising that you've been sold a one way ticket, to whatever dystopian world you've now been abandoned on, with only this effeminate lunatic for company. I appreciate the journey, but now I'm trapped here I'm not sure I signed up for, or wanted any of this. With a bit of luck I can maybe squint and pretend David looks just enough like a woman that we can try and colonise this new planet.. although I have a feeling it will be more colon, and less nice.. if you catch my drift. I wanted to rate this album higher than 3 stars, but couldn't bring myself to rate it 4 stars, not whilst I was sober at least. What I have learned is that my old man really learnt a lot from Bowie and that I probably need therapy. 3 stars and I need a drink.

Not an album I often think to put on, but I'm usually happy to hear it by accident. I appreciate Low in the context of the Berlin trio, which I always thought was a very cool innovation in how artists can release music and carve out their own little places and moments in time, and not be concerned with commercial appeal. Sound and Vision is a cracking song. Nice jangly guitars, driving bass, great vocal performance, synths, strings, sax and eno on backing. It's such a pop belter you forget it's about isolation at a time when Bowie has fled L.A to kick drugs and other life pressures. The bleeps and bloops, and overall dalliance into electronica come together well. Warszawa has the hallmarks of Eno and obvious kraut art rock influences, without being totally derivative. Hauntingly powerful even if the lyrics are total gibberish. The track was so influential, Ian Curtis named his band Warsaw before changing it to Joy Division. Enjoyable but omitted from my own Mount Rushmore of Bowie albums.

Just like his next album Heroes, it starts strong (though this one is better) yet finishes dark and ambient. I find the sound interesting throughout, but wish he could have trimmed down the ambient instrumentals, cause the regular songs to me are awesome.

I found this album extremely charming. Speed of life immediately locked me in. It was very lovingly crafted. Be my wife had my head bopping A new career in a new town sounds refreshing and modern even to my ears today. Probably not something I’ll listen to, but I loved the experience. Very fun, different, and thoughtful. I would 100% put this album on this list myself. However, it didn’t shake me to my core or really move me at any particular point, so I can only rate it a 3.

Surprised by how meh I thought this one was.

ziggy was better

Ok album

Dope.

Sound and Vision is a brilliant songs. Speed Of Life, A New Career In A New Town and Subterraneans are good too. Rest ok 3/5

I sort of understand why this is so hyped, and it is truly an inventive and interesting album. But I still find David Bowie less of a musical genius, and more of a rock star that had the resources to experiment with technology. The result is something that sounds experimental in a dated way, lacking the timelessness of focused songwriting in favour of experimenting with the newest toys on the market.

A nice listen, but felt more like a movie soundtrack than a David Bowie album.

3.5 stars

cool listen the kind of album if you played some of those songs i wouldnt just guess it was david bowie sound & vision a banger

It's fine. It can get a bit boring.

I just think its fine

A few years back I had a drunken and slightly heated debate with a mate who said a lot of Bowie songs are shit! My position being that a shit Bowie song is far better than most artists great songs! However on revisiting all Bowie early albums, including this one, I can’t help thinking my mate might of been in to something. There is what can only described as an awful lot of “filler” in between the undoubted classics that we all remember and love so much, food for thought?

Interesting record. Bowie is an institution. Glad I have listened to it, but I won't put it on repeat.

This is an interesting Bowie album, but I'm not sure it's essential listening. The production is great, like all of Bowie's albums, but I didn't expect to go into this only really listening to instrumentals. Best Songs: Speed of Life, Warszawa Worst Songs: Weeping Wall,

I have this vinyl pressing in my library. Supposedly worth quite a bit. :) Interesting listen, this one. Kind of trippy.. Reminds me of 'Golden Years' and some of the music he did in Labyrinth.

my parents had best of bowie on CD so i know all the hits, and i’ve picked up various songs from soundtracks and references and other people’s playlists, but i’ve never Sat My White Ass Down And Listened to any bowie album all the way through….which seems kind of insane/borderline impossible. but it’s true! i really liked the pop songs on this album but the atmospheric instrumental chanting stuff really lost me toward the end i fear…i guess i just don’t get it…it’s kinda nuts that “sound & vision” is on the same album as all the ambient stuff but the progression to get from one to the other wasn’t in fact that jarring, so. maybe it was more effective than i’m giving it credit for? either way the bass goes crazy!!! fav tracks: breaking glass; sound and vision; always crashing in the same car; a new career in a new town

Bowie is a legend. I enjoyed listening to the album. Just a couple songs I really enjoyed though.

Was expecting more vocals, didn’t realize the instrumental and synth focus this album had. Could kind of take it or leave it.

Good but not his best

I don't really like instrumental albums. It was fine background music.

Low is interesting and has some really good tracks, but it’s kind of lacking Bowie himself. Still impressed with his ability to grow and change and evolve but never release anything sub-par.

Again, did not feel much for this. Definitly more good than bad and I might have been a little harsh on the last record, although I think my last assertion about standout tracks rings true here as well. Best song: What in the World Worst song: Warszawa

I really enjoyed the contrasts of each half of the album. While the first half is more experimental pop rock that's energetic, the second half is very melancholic and ambient that challenges the listener. I like the idea of the concepts better than most of the songs, and it got worse on a second listen. Best song: Sound and Vision / Subterraneans Worst song: Be My Wife

I really liked the first seven songs of this album and just wish the second half had followed suit. If it had then a strong score of 4 would have been forthcoming. Unfortunately the last 4 songs were just a bit too experimental for me and brought the overall score down. Still, easily the best album on here I’ve listened to so far.

bowie’s bowie, and his (timely) 77 collab with eno proves to me that post-coke bowie sounds a lot like mid-coke bowie but… ambient? i guess? pretty alright record but not much stood out to me…

Glad I listened to it. Not sure I’ll listen to it again

Not my favorite Bowie record, but the worst Bowie record beats the best of most artists.

Ikke hvad jeg havde forventet med fedt ‘soundscape’

It was great background music that helped me focus, but it was not memorable.

I was tempted to give it 4 purely for ‘always crashing in the same car’ which might be my favourite Bowie song. I like the brooding atmosphere of this album and the synth tones. Not a huge fan of instrumentals in general but I did think this album was really well done.

Very ambient and strange. Not the Bowie I've heard before but it was educational.

Philip Glass wrote his first symphony based on this album, saying "My generation was sick to death of academics telling us what was good and what wasn't." The irony is that Glass got it exactly backwards. In praising Low as a masterpiece, he became the very academic he was criticizing. Pitchfork named it the greatest album of the 1970s in 2004. Most people don't listen to it. The Spotify numbers tell the story. "Sound and Vision" has 112 million streams, which sounds impressive until you remember it's riding Bowie's general fame and is one of the more accessible things here. The next highest track has 13 million. For "Bowie's best album" and "#1 of the 1970s," that's pretty pitiful. I enjoy Captain Beefheart. Odd and innovative are fine by me. But a record still has to be something I want to listen to, not just appreciate. If someone played guitar at twice the speed anyone thought was possible, that might be genuinely impressive. But I don't listen to music to be impressed. As is the case with the rest of Bowie's Berlin trilogy, I tend to like the second, experimental half better. If you're going to experiment, go for it. Trying to mix the experimentation into pop songs, like with the first half, doesn't work as much for me.

not my favorite Bowie album.

Man, all my notes got wiped out, but I'd call this a transitional album. Clearly Bowie, with all its influences worn on its sleeve, but not fully made his own. While I can agree that 'boring' would be a good descriptor, I think the ambient stuff is pretty decent. Not all music has to go somewhere, and especially not ambient. It's no mistake that there aren't any classic Bowie hits on here, but that doesn't make it bad, just hit-less. The separation between the first half and second half make it feel a bit more like an art project than something coherent, so on that I'm knockin' it down from a 4 to a 3.

I like this, reminiscent of a Pink Floyd album where the it feels like a journey. It stands on it own from beginning to end. Sound and Vision is a jam. I wish I could give half stars cause this feels like a 3.5. Not quite a 4 in my opinion so I'm going with a 3. I'll listen again though

Cool, vibey Not particularly exciting, but I fw it

Really liked some of it, but some tracks were just ok for me

Overall cool but weird ending

Still like picturing him in Berlin getting back on track jammin with homies. But prob the lowest ranking Bowie for me. Low Bow. 2.5

Surely there are 1001 albums to listen to before this one

Much better than the last Bowie album

Its's ok. Very much fragments, and though he was getting clean this feels like I can only imaging coming down off cocaine does. Not sure I want instrumentals from this guy, whose whole lyric containing songs are pretty good. Still some cool moments. Better than the idiot.

Full disclosure, I'm a big Bowie fan. As usual I love the pop rock songs but not so much the electronic instrumentals. Also, my least favorite of the Berlin Trilogy.

bowie just like many artists apparently went through a weird experimental phase, first tracks are good but the last ones are not so good

I get the 1st half being pop and commercial-oriented and the 2nd being ambient and experimental and showcasing David Bowie's ability beyond just singing, BUT it still feels like 2 different albums or EPs from different genres shoved into one. NOT for me

Not his best

It's a nice album. Listnened 3 Times to it yesterday.