Low

5/5. The first, and best of Bowies Berlin trilogy where he teamed up with legendary producer Brian Eno. And starting with the producer, Low contains some of my favorite production on any album period. The way the bass sounds on songs like “Breaking Glass” is perfection. And the songs themselves have this infectious energy to them, where you could tell they had a ton of fun messing around in the studio to craft the songs, the whole album feels very adventurous in that way. Low is split in two halves across its relatively lean run-time. The first half containing the harder hitting rock songs, like the previously mentioned “breaking glass” or the chaotic “what in the world”, but then the back half becomes a lot more slow-paced and atmospheric, forgoing vocals almost entirely, and this is where you can really feel the Eno touch. And I vastly prefer the instrumental portion of this album to the one seen on sister album “Heroes.” Songs here like “Warzawa” or “art decade” are just some genuinely great ambient pieces. When it comes to Bowie this is in a three-sides headlock with Station to Station and Blackstar as my favorite of his. It’s an album bursting with so much creativity, so many ideas, that it feels almost inspirational.

Very Bowie album is so unique. This one has haunting instrumentals and plenty of variety, especially in the latter half of the album. Excellent. Would listen again.

The sonic experimentation on here is incredibly interesting especially in the second half. The baseline on Be My Wife is fantastic. This album is amazing not sure what else I can contribute to the conversation about it. I like Heroes slightly more. Now does Bowie deserve nine albums on this list? Maybe not, but I’m not going to complain about it.

More insidious and addictive and, actually, better than "Heroes". An album that feels lowkey and easy to overlook but is actually incredibly substantial. Lyrically it's also more troubling than a casual listen indicates (perhaps because rebirth and possibility become implied, when married to the music). I think Station to Station edges it (just by virtue of the opener) and Lodger is certainly more immediate but this may be the most atmospheric and beguiling of that run of albums.

This was the first David Bowie album I ever bought, which I did despite not really being into Bowie, because Brian Eno was on it (I was one of those "Eno is God" people in 1977). I've gained far more appreciation for Bowie since then, but "Low" is still my favorite album by him. It was my introduction to krautrock, and to so much of the kind of music I like to listen to now. I have a copy of this record on my phone, so I played it in the car on the way to a waterfront park this morning, husband and me singing along together with "Sound and Vision" and enjoying the whole album once again. 5 stars

My 9th and last album from Saint Bowie. If I ever meet Robert Dimery I'm going to ask him how many David Bowie albums did he actually want in the original book. I'm saying at least 10. I also predict that Scary Monsters and Lodger will be added in the upcoming revised edition at the end of '26. But anyway, this is probably his 5th best album and it's absolutely excellent. One of these days I'm going to do a proper deep dive in the catalog of Saint Bowie.

One of my favorite Bowie projects. So unlike what most people think of when they think of Bowie. Sound and Vision is truly one of my favorite pieces of music ever recorded. Not to mention that Sound and Vision through A New Career in a New Town is an incredible 4 song run. A very easy 5 star album for me.

This record is an enigma. Sometimes the riddle is more satisfying than the solution.

As always Bowie delivering a different sound than other albums. His way of reinventing and adapting while keeping creative and experimental is only bested by the beatles. Right now this is my second favorite Bowie album. Masterpiece

Can’t go wrong with David Bowie!

Rulla det deppiga bildmontaget från DDR! Att en av dåtidens största stjärnor bränner ut sig på drog och gör det här. Utmanar lite. Har svårt att komma på något liknande?Skivbolagsnissarna vägrade ju tydligen släppa och marknadsföra denna. De hade ju trots allt sajnat Bowie och inte nån sorts tysk krautrockare. Men vilket sound! Kallt coolt, melankoliskt, mörkt och vackert.

5.0. Meu álbum favorito do David Bowie. Obrigado pelos mimos Brian Eno

A top three Bowie album for me (along with Ziggy and Hunky Dory) for me, and therefore I think his best outside of the glam period. So an album I love and know very well, so an easy top mark.

I first heard this when Pitchfork released their list of "Best albums of the 1970s" and put this at #1. I was surprised to see it at the top. But, after giving it a close listen, Low really changed my understanding of pop music. This is, still, my favorite Bowie album. He successfully synthesized all of his best abilities and made something truly weird, heartfelt, and funky. Low feels like a minor miracle.

One of my favorites I found before 1001, with my limited time with Bowie's discography this is my favorite

One of his best albums. Can’t be anything less than maximum points for this masterpiece

Bowie was so ahead of his time. He was so in-touch with the artistic scenes that were happening outside of the mainstream, and like a fearless and excitable child, always jumped in head-first to take them on right away. That's how Krautrock and ambient electronica became a staple of three of his albums, the Berlin trilogy, starting with “Low”. This is Bowie, Brian Eno and Berlin. Yes! Let's go! “Speed of Life” kicks things off with that sticky, strange intro. You often think of this album as two halves, day and night, with the big shift happening in the second half, but Bowie actually gets right into the weirdness with the first song. It's absolutely class too. You're slapped in the face by that huge drum sound, pitch-shifted by a device that Tony Visconti described as “fucking with the fabric of time”. The catchy guitar melody is bent out of shape by electronic textures swooping in from all directions. There's no space for vocals in this panic-attack on all the senses. “Breaking Glass” doesn't give us a chance to catch our breath. It's like a funk tune from another dimension. Guitars solo, and bass lines groove, as electronic noises cut through the middle to blast warning sounds at us. The first half of the album is known as the more accessible, but it's still very out-there. There's a manic and frenetic energy to everything, with the nervous restlessness carried by that ridiculously great drum sound. “A New Career in a New Town” acts as a transition, signalling the end of the daytime chaos of side A and the beginning of the more controlled and mesmerising side B: “Night”. I can't imagine the surprise and confusion Bowie fans must have had back in ‘77 after flipping the record over to encounter “Warszawa”. It's quite far from the Bowie of “Station to Station”. Dark, brooding, minimalist, with tribal chanting, it’s mind-blowing stuff. “Art Decade” seals the deal. There's no going back now. But I wouldn't want to. Hypnotic synth and electronic textures swirl around my head until I'm dizzy. “Weeping Wall” uses synthetic vibrato and sustained, distorted guitar tones to convey emotion. “Subterraneans” closes things out with a sweeping cacophony of keys, chanting, synth, distorted vocals and a devastating sax sound. I can't explain it, but somehow the soundscapes of side B paint a picture in my mind of a place I've never been, in a time I wasn't alive for. Eno and Bowie manage to create more emotion through instrumental minimalism than I could ever have imagined possible. “Low” was a huge moment in music, and massively influential. Joy Division almost named themselves after the song Warszawa. Gary Numan, Wire, NIN, Philip Glass and TV on the Radio have all been shaped by the album in one way or another. Decades later “Kid A” would follow its blueprint of the rock album as fractured, atmospheric self-reinvention. I love how Robert Smith put his experience of listening to “Low” for the first time: “My whole perception of sound was changed.” Bowie can have that effect on you.

Mooi

Ça commence fort avec speed of Life. Ok entend pas bowie, j’aurais pas deviné que c’était un son sur un de ses albums Always crashing in the same car ! On dirait le Sample d’une chanson là « sister go, sister… » Warszawa : c’est quoi cette chanson de fou C’est un album de grand malade en fait, ultra expérimental, très unique et troublant Jusqu’à la toute dernière chanson. Magistral

202 / 1089. My favorite Bowie album. And my favorite album to feature Brian Eno in any capacity. I was instantly fascinated by Side 1. But Side 2 is where Bowie's genius goes into above and beyond, and it can take several listens to understand. "Warszawa" keeps amazing me decades after I heard it. 10/10.

Though I really like David Bowie, I don't know this album or any songs on it. I was surprised at the brevity of the songs on the first half of the album. But they're catchy little vignettes with guitar and synths, with some vocals. I really like these -- they feel fresh, and none are long enough to wear out their welcome. The second half contrasts with its longer instrumentals featuring a lot of synths. Though Warszawa gets a little long, I really like the latter three. I can hear influence from Kraftwerk... and I can hear future influence on new wave and synthpop music that I love in the 80s. Overall this was a very enjoyable listen.

A record of 2 excellent halves. Side 1 is pretty great, but side 2 takes the cake.

Top 5 all time favorite albums

Utterly and completely brilliant. My favourite Bowie album by a country mile. Released in the days when vinyl and cassette were the only options, so intentionally split in to two distinct sides. Side one is krautrock perfection. Side two is the best ambient music I've ever heard (not usually a fan). Bowie should have spent more time depressed and locked up in his bedroom all alone with no friends like 13 year old me 😅

Incredible album.

Side B was amazing. beautiful dreamy synthesizer.

Yes for ever!

They sat down and told me this was the best Bowie album. Yeah, probably it is and it finally took for now to listen to the whole thing. Heck, maybe I did listen to it before but I just don't remember but its quite the experience for a first listen. It was mainstream of obscurity and pretty influential. One popular hit track too. Lovely Berlin Trilogy.

Album #87: Low - David Bowie Genre (W): Art rock, avant-pop, electronic, ambient, experimental rock Singles: Sound and Vision / A New Career in a New Town, Be My Wife / Speed of Life I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: I love this album. The first side is weird but conventional, but the second side is absolutely gorgeous. I love Eno’s contributions to this album, along with Bowie’s lyrics. Overall a perfect, bizarre album! Favorite songs: All of it!!

liked it listened during val

I really love how much this album continues to grow on me, even after having been a huge Bowie fan for years now. It's such a fun and dynamic mix of his classic sounding glam adjacent style, but throwing a lot of seemingly really oddball moments going a lot more into ambient. Of course Brian Eno is the genuis behind the production, and in my opinion killed it even more on Heroes, which is definitely my favourite Bowie album. But the Berlin trilogy still started so strong, and was a huge part of laying the groundworks for distancing himself from the style that made him so iconic throughout the 70s.

The myth, the legend. Overall great album. Some songs even fit into Zelda games.

my live reaction to Warszawa: https://tenor.com/view/rodrick-crying-gif-7160379518049051904

Great Bowie record, what an artist. 5.

Can’t believe I hadn’t heard this album before, you can feel the Iggy Pop and Brian Eno influences, movie scores, rockers, and pop stars have all definitely cribbed extensively from this album

The first, and in my opinion, greatest of the Berlin trilogy, Low is David Bowie's first collaboration with Brian Eno. And I will say, it sure sounds like they hit it off well. As with "Heroes", to which this truly feels like a sister album both artists bring something really special out of each other. Eno pushes Bowie's sound in a more textural, avant-garde direction, and Bowie provides a huge, grandiose, cinematic quality to Eno's more cerebral tendencies. And the result is, as with "Heroes", a side of art rock and a side of textural ambient pieces. The former glisten and mutate, threatening to alternatively become hits, or leave orbit, but never really doing either, and capturing this unique tension in amber. I think the two greatest songs on this side may be Sound & Vision, which is *unbelievably* catchy, and A New Career In A New Town, which kind of feels like a reflection of where David Bowie was at the time; he had fallen apart, changed location and re-invented himself. But the skronked out funk of Breaking Glass, and the fascinating textures of What In The World are also worth noting (although frankly, every song on the side is immaculate). Then side two is the ambient pieces; Warszawa, Art Decade, Weeping Wall, and Subterraneans are all *fantastic*, essential explorations into mood and texture. Warszawa and Subterraneans even make room for some incredibly striking vocals. But this whole side seems to effectively hint at the sadness tugging at Europe in the aftermath of World War 2, and the pieces on this side all have a well-realized, deeply centered emotional core. Low is the kind of extremely detailed, complex album that manages to sound so simple while you listen to it. It all just makes sense, it seems so natural. But what's here is completely daring and fascinating, and Low, as it's own weird little package ends up among Bowie's greatest, and most deeply resonant albums.

Déjà écouté avant. Deuxième album de Bowie dans la liste, deuxième chef-d'œuvre. Au funk rock halluciné de Station to Station, Bowie ajoute, avec la complicité de Brian Eno et Tony Visconti, une dimension plus ambient et expérimentale, comme la bande-son d'un film de science-fiction postapocalyptique est-allemand. Fondateur et essentiel. Top : Sound and Vision Flop : Weeping Wall

This album is incredibly strong in it's atmosphere. It doesn't have songwriting as good as Ziggy Stardust or Station to Station, but it makes up for it with it's own strength. Brian Eno and Bowie are a great combination together and the album itself makes a great listen. The first side starts off normal and then gradually the album becomes more and more sprawling and atmospheric. Great and influential piece of work, I can see how Pitchfork called it the best 70's album at one point.

Is Low a high point, probably. Not my favourite album of his, but still a work of genius.

wow! beautiful, just him, his soul, his voice.

Not my favorite from Bowie, but possibly his best. I don’t have much to say, the album just rules and I give it 10 or so listens a year.

a masterpiece, specially in the bass department.

gotta be the best non death related bowie album right? gonna listen to the drum and bass album next

Album 168. Low (https://open.spotify.com/album/2de6LD7eOW8zrlorbS28na?si=7nPh9lhHTj2MBoWZ8wDAKw) — David Bowie (1977) That's why David Bowie matters. You're listening to Warszawa and you can't even imagine it's Bowie's music. (Yeah, I must mention Brian Eno, his work as co-producer is undeniable in the whole Berlin Trilogy.) That's his greatness. Throughout his life, he kept going, kept experimenting with everything. Listening to Bowie, you're not just listening to Bowie, you're listening to everything basically, because he, pain in the ass, stuck his nose everywhere he could. This is the first album of the Berlin Trilogy, sober, clear head and ready for experimentation. His first experiment was with electronic and ambient sounds. Low words, a lot of instrumentals. It's a strange choice, unexpected and very risky, I mean, RCA refused to release it initially, but it was worthwhile. Low definitely isn't my most loved Bowie album, I don't really know where to put it in Bowie's album hierarchy, but it's fucking great. Hope to relisten the whole Berlin Trilogy while exploring the city someday. 5/5 Liked: — Breaking Glass — Sound and Vision — Always Crashing in the Same Car — A New Career in a New Town — Warszawa — Art Decade — Weeping Wall

I loved the album!! Some of these were such an interesting listen. Got me in a daze. Would recommend it.

The first of the Berlin trilogy! Low is a classic that needs no further introduction.

Wow

From the upbeat, swinging rhythm of Sound and Vision, to the dark, otherworldly ambience of Subterraneans, the tone shift in this album is absolutely stunning while the tracks stay fresh. Another David Bowie banger.

I have limited knowledge of Bowie, perhaps just four albums I know well, and about the same again for others I have listened to at least once, but this has become my favourite in the last couple of years. Perhaps not quite perfect, but so close I am definitely rounding up.

Heavy, moody, really nice. I loved every part of it.

Side A is arguably Bowies finest hour and goes toe to toe with any other work he produced Side B is groundbreaking, however it is definitely more influential than it is enioyable. An album that would warrant a half star feature, but will round up as I didn't round up for Aladdin Sane and this is better

Que genio 🙂‍↕️👏

I was once walking with a friend to a Bowie tribute show and we started talking favorite albums. He’d been a music writer in another life and he said, “This is where I’m supposed to have a whole speech about how it’s so hard to choose, but who am I kidding, it’s Low?” And it is for me too. There are so many reasons, but the most important one is that it’s the pivot from the many personas of early Bowie to his later career when he could simply be himself (despite occasional costumes and characters). Early Bowie was Major Tom, later Bowie was “we know Major Tom’s a junkie,” but to recover as a junkie, you first have to hit your low. There are plenty of times when I have wondered why any of the songs on this record have words at all. But “Sound and Vision” aside, they are the texts of the junkie trying to make sense of his scattered experiences. “Always Crashing the Same Car” grew out of a Bowie between Bowie and his dealer. “Breaking Glass” is obvious. “Be My Wife” is pretty clearly the words of someone who is going to be unmarried soon. Yet somehow none of those songs are about those topics. The words of Low are as ambient as the sounds. I think the first side is better thought of as one long composition made of fragments, like the second side medley of Abbey Road. They are junkie moments broken down and reassembled like a mosaic. The second side is so transcendent that it’s hard to discuss. It’s a kind of classical music from another reality. I think it’s the final statement of Bowie on being an alien. In “Space Oddity” he imagined being an alien, in Ziggy Stardust and “Starman” and The Man Who Fell to Earth he played an alien, but in the second side of Low he is truly, finally, alien at last. Kraftwerk and Eno inspirations acknowledged, but there is nothing like it. I’ve heard it a hundred times, but giving it the 1001 headphones listen, I still heard sounds I hadn’t heard before. I don’t know if I believe in the legend of the Berlin Trilogy. Most of this album was made in France. It’s pretty different from “Heroes” and Lodger to me, as much as I love them. I see them as closer to Let’s Dance and Heathen and Blackstar, artistic statements of the finally liberated Bowie. But Low is the process of liberation itself. Like Patti Smith’s Horses and the Radiohead oeuvre, it has always been there when I needed that liberation, and I’ve needed it a lot. There are plenty of times I’ve wondered about the value of my life and where it is going. It is incredibly reassuring to know that Bowie felt those things too, and music this great was the result.

zo grappig dat ie dit niet eens getourd heeft en gewoon als toetsenist bij iggy pop ging chillen. god ja de berlin trilogie... alles van bowie is eigenlijk gewoon goed. deel van de inspiratie is dus neu! wat we al geluisterd hebben. kijk je moet geen cocaïne doen. maar als je dan eenmaal gaat stoppen met drugs en met je homoerotische bestie twee albums gaat maken (bowie produceerde in deze tijd ook iggy pop's solo debuut), dan is dat toch wel wat waard heerlijke sfeer dit 10/10. if the berlin trilogy has no lovers assume i am dead

Classic.

I've been aware of how Bowie never had any limits to experimentation when it came to his entire discography, although I can't say I found everything he created to strike my interest in full. However after listening to this album in full, I think this might be one of my personal favorites from him. The song 'Sound and Vision' I've heard multiple times beforehand and made me believe this wasn't going to be too different from his more accessible albums. Surprised by how simplistic yet oddly mixed the first few tracks are, the distorted snare and guitars grabbing my immediate attention. Then the vocals appear and fit in oddly well with the rest of the instruments. Gave me an unusual feeling of both relaxation and anticipation. Lots of instrumentals than expected, then the later part of the album started playing. Not sure how to describe it, but it was nothing that I could have predicted. Soothing synths and chanting's that could work well with some early 80s fantasy setting. The entire album was full of surprises and can't believe I missed this marvelous piece of music. Highly recommend to those who want to witness some beautiful yet surreal composure of rock and ambience.

5/5 banged Michael in the back seat of my car today to this album. Easily my new favorite Bowie album😍

The first album of the Berlin Trilogy. This takes place in a challenging period for David Bowie's life, he had recently quit cocaine even though he was a full-on addict he still managed to see how badly it was affecting him (especially during the previous album, Station to Station) he also decided to leave the U.S. on top of quitting. Which I'm sure the withdrawal symptoms had a heavy influence on the sombreness present. He brought some friends along, like for instance Brian Eno who had a big hand in the creation of this album, mainly the ambient stuff. For the A-side has these simple-minded rock and pop songs with new wave, krautrock and electronic elements and it even has instrumentals, which I'm sure was very shocking for contemporary casual listeners of Bowie as well as for the critics. For the B-side it focuses more on instrumental, wordless vocals (if there are ANY vocals present,) full on ambient music, stuff that you might hear in a soundtrack album and not something you would expect from a big name rockstar like David Bowie. Literally everything about this album I love, the tone, the emotions, the bleakness, the execution, etc. Definitely safe to say this is my favourite album ever. Possibly because it exemplifies Bowie's left-field nature and him always trying to re-invent himself, which I like the mentality of and all of the above which I just mentioned. Highlight Song/s: "Breaking Glass", "Sound and Vision, "Warszawa" and "Subterraneans"

I’m surprised, didn’t think I would like this much as I do. Really was not a fan of heroes, but this one’s being in the same trilogy, it’s awesome. All of the ambient tracks are great, five stars.

Eno!!! my favorite. This is my jam. Subterraneans sucked me in as I was working. Stopped, rewound, soaked it up.

I’ll admit that after recently listening to “Heroes” and Station to Station I was worried that while I really enjoyed Bowie’s discography outside of the his most famous works, they didn’t inspire in me the same level of intense enjoyment as Hunky Dory or Ziggy Stardust. It turns out I didn’t need to worry, as Low might be his best album. Low is a completely different kettle of fish. Bowie takes us on an incredible journey with no weak spots. It’s astonishingly free and melodic, only snapping into a more organised shape when you reach the big single Sound and Vision. It stretches itself into something even looser, smoother and abstract on the back end, which is where some of the biggest and most satisfying surprises are. Closing track Subterraneans completely reshapes my image of Bowie and what his music is capable of. A masterpiece.

Going an *ahem* Low 5 for this Bowie - sometimes its higher for me but generally i think him and Eno nailed what Eno tried to do with less success on Another Green World (unpopular opinion). The songs here are great and the soundscapes are great, but I could do with just a dash more cohesion to make it a solid 5. Sound and Vision is my favourite Bowie song 🙏

Genius

Has some of the best instrumental tracks of all time

Bueno, que decir de esto, inconmensurable Bowie, creado ambientes etereos, tremenda obra de arte, de principio a fin, te amo David

Rich imagery, excellent music, somewhat dark

His best album

Great album, i love the vocals especially on songs like sound and vision

Possibly my favourite Bowie album. Both sides offer such interesting music and sounds. It is weird to have a peak Bowie album with so little lyrics, but that's just how it worked out! 5 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes 59/234 (24%) Will I get: Already have

my favourite zavid zowie album

I'm about to give my first 5 to David Bowie of all people - did not see that coming. I like Tangerine Dream - so the B side is right up my alley. It is worth it to go read up on the history of Bowie at this point in his life and the events that inspired some of these songs (like "Always Crashing in the Same Car"). This album is the sound of a man hitting rock bottom (thus the title) - disillusioned with his career, on the verge of losing his marriage, low in inspiration and strung out on too many drugs. And this is how he processed that. This is gorgeous. I mean I liked it the first time through but each time after I appreciate something new about it.

Album #91 David Bowie: Low Well, it only took 91 albums, but I am finally graced with an appearance from the single greatest musician of our time, the one and only David Jones. Since this is the first David Bowie album I have received, I am incredibly tempted to wax lyrical about his career in its entirety and how much he means to me and to music as a whole; however, Low is an album that deserves my undivided attention. As someone who considered myself a Bowie fan for years, despite only listening to his glam era, by the time I listened to Low, I had already established him as one of the GOATS. Because of this prior affinity, I was willing to give his more experimental works a chance, such as the iconic Berlin Trilogy, despite being some way from embracing ambient and experimental music. Some tracks on Low took no adjustment period; whether you only listen to Bowie’s hits like Heroes and Space Oddity, or you really just prefer his eclectic albums like Earthling and Blackstar, you can immediately, after one listen, acknowledge that "Sound and Vision" is a banger. However, like on the albums Heroes and Station to Station, Low contains some tracks that are entirely without Bowie’s iconic voice, and for a David Bowie album, this can be a hard sell. So for a while, Low sat on a podium of the appreciated but not adored, and I continued to stuff my face with Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory (which I still do). But eventually, you grow, you hear the name “Brian Eno” associated with one too many albums that you love. Naturally, your curiosity turns into discovery, and from the first listen of “Another Green World”, you immediately understand Low. Eno and Bowie are one of the great musical collaborations of our time, up there with Eno and Byrne, Eno and Ferry, Eno and Bono, Bowie and Iggy Pop, Bowie and Reed, well, you get the point. Taking David Bowie’s inherently astral vocals, which have long inspired listeners to dream of life beyond our planet, and Eno’s synthesizers and production, which practically invented ambient music and redefined sonic landscapes, you get what is perhaps the most transformative and magical album of all time. Since I was a child, all I’ve wanted was an escape. I have come to realize in my life that the only true emotion and inspiration I experience comes when I consume art. When I walked into Kokiri Forest for the first time and watched the first episode of the Pokémon anime, these were moments as a child when I truly escaped and dreamed of more. As a young adult, these moments become fewer and farther between, as your mind grows numb to whimsy and your spirits break at the ever-revealing bleakness of reality. But when those moments come, like a sprout in the desert, they hit harder than ever before. And if you give Low a chance, it may not be the first listen, it may not be the tenth, but one night you will be lying in bed listening to Warszawa, you will start to see the light and feel the warmth, a world will open up before you, and I will meet you there. Best Songs: Sound and Vision, Warszawa, Always Crashing in the Same Car Worst Song: None Score out of 10: 10

Arguably Bowie’s masterpiece. A superb mix of quirky pop and abstract soundscapes, a work of genius in every sense of the word.

5/5 sólo porque es Bowie ❤️

I fucking love this album. It's the original "Kid A" moment - huge star basically torches their old style and releases something super weird. Honestly, even the more typical sounding tracks on the first half are themselves pretty weird. Oddly low-key. Sort of a progenitor for the indie rock sound. Really really cool. Must-listen #307.

The more I progress through these 1001 albums the more Bowie stands out as one of the all time greats.

I think one that needs multiple listens. Amazing to see how influential it was.

My favourite Bowie I want to be cool and say I like the second side best but actually it is tracks 4-6 that form my favourite sequence on any Bowie album. Sound and Vision is a brilliant single with the confidence to leave the vocals until half-way through, knowing it has enough rhythmic interest to keep us entertained. Then I love the way the guitars and synths weave in and out of each other on Always Crashing in the Same Car, a woozy masterpiece on the verge of collision. I kind of like his voice here too - sometimes he is a bit too theatrical but on this song he sounds completely washed out and distant. It was obviously a bad time for him, but it works for me. Be My Wife is a forgotten single that is actually one of my favourites of his. As a rule, sad songs are slow songs. This one is achingly lonely but still keeps up momentum with a propulsive piano riff leading into some gorgeous weeping guitars. The rest is very good too, but that section is the highlight for me

amooooooo

I relistened to this recently and it all clicked, what an album.

Very good album

Один из моих любимых альбомов Боуи, гениальный, опередивший время и сильно повлиявший на пост-панк, нью-вейв, пост-рок, индастриал и многое другое. Просто не верится, что это было записано в 1977м. Электроника здесь очень органично сочетается с живыми инструментами, создавая уникальный и абсолютно новаторский для тех лет звук и вайб. И бэнегр Sound And Vision, и инструменталы второй части альбома мне очень заходят, поэтому оцениваю эту работу по максимуму.

Второй альбом Дэвида Боуи за месяц в этой подборке (лол а завтра будет третий). И до сих пор ни одного альбома oasis…. Первая половина очень классная. Во второй началась крафтверчная шиза с добиванием от Брайана Ино. Ну в целом норм, но первая часть понравилась больше. Все равно поставлю 5, так как я добряк.

После Ханки Дори боялся, что этот альбом тоже разонравится, но нет, все еще база. После прослушивания осознал, что ловлю одинаковый вайб от Low и Another Green World Иныча, так как это, наверное, лучшие примеры микса арт-рока и ранней электроники.

Лучшая песня: Always crashing in the same car Худшая: - Отличный альбом, в сотни раз лучше Ханки дори

It switches between this and Ziggy Stardust as my favorite Bowie album. Even the more ambient tracks sound perfect and everything goes together

Utterly phenomenal

Lots going on here! My third Bowie album on this list so far and the third Brian Eno produced album! And wow this is probably my favorite Bowie album of the three so far, which is saying something cause I liked the other ones. Cool instrumentals and sounds throughout. Felt very experimental. "Speed of Life" "Breaking Glass" "Sound and Vision" "Warszawa" and "Weeping Wall" were all great but "Subterraneans" was a standout to me with the creepy vibes

Ich halte Low für eines der besten Bowie-Alben, wenn nicht sogar das beste. Dazu trägt besonders auch die zweite Hälfte bei. Ich finde es beachtenswert, dass das tatsächlich ein 70er Album ist. Sehr große Experimentierfreude, die hier perfekt aufgeht.

This is Bowie (drawing from Krautrock and experimenting with Eno) giving us a blueprint for the future. The "gated" (but not really) drums and atmospheric synths set the tone for years. Fragmented, alienated pop that's still catchy as hell. Masterpiece.

So gut, so wichtig!

wonderful! i listened twice. interesting story, instrumentals, i like bowie

Loved it, very relaxing - esp the instrumental stuff, will be back

Endlessly influential and still unveiling new mysteries after each listen all these years later. So much incredible music stemmed from Bowie’s Berlin years. Low was Bowie’s biggest risk, and now his greatest triumph. Top 10 album of the 70s with ease.

Immediate 5. The fact is that without Low there'd be no Post-Punk - no Joy Division, no Smiths, no Cure - and no electropop - no Human League, no Gary Numan, no Ultravox, no OMD. This album of brief songs and instrumentals was greeted by the Record Company, who were looking for another Young Americans - with dismay. The story goes that they thought it was unfinished. Where were the vocal? Where was the second verse? The critics were divided, calling it either "pretentious shit" or "the ONLY contemporary record". In the years since its reputation has grown to have it regarded as one of Bowie's very best. "Ziggy.Stardust", "Low" and "Blackstar" are the three where he amazed the world. Iconic, influential, ahead of its time, and still as fresh as it was when it was released.

masterful production on this, really great

A pleasing musical and lyrical soundscape with dark undertones. Collaboration with Brian Eno with Iggy Pop lyrical influences and the 1st album in the Berlin Trilogy. Very listenable and great piece of art deco style of the 70s.

I will always hold that this album is the best of the Berlin trilogy.

What can you say? Its Bowie. Flawless as usual and its not even his best.

Bowie is great, and he's got something for everyone. THIS is the one for me. I really loved this. I bet listening to this in 1977 sounded like you were listening to something from 50 years in the future. And with 50 years almost gone, it's still an amazing piece of work. Warszawa actually scared me a bit. It's like the aliens have landed. I mean that in a good way though; I haven't been scared of music since I was a young child. I can sort of picture the last part paired with some creepy 80s claymation for a lifetime of trauma. It's so funky and cool sounding. Really impressed with it. This is the best discovery of this project so far.

Bowie is hit and miss for me, but this was all hits

Beautifully iconic, as per usual with Bowie. Glad to have listen to something of his that was less mainstream.

Exceptional album. Two sides, almost two kinds of stories, two different yet complementary landscapes.

I'm familiar with this one. Great album, one of his best.

I never really sat down and listened to a full Bowie album but this was fantastic. Loved the blend of experimental rock, pop, electronic, and ambient styles.

Elevator music Bowie-style. Some bits stand out, otherwise fades nicely into the background. Good doing chores album.

Low on yksi kiinnostavimpia, kokeellisimpia ja myös parhaimpia albumeita Bowien mittavalla uralla. Bowie oli muuttanut Eurooppaan pakoon Los Angelesin dekadenttia ilmapiiriä ja otti mukaansa myös tuuliajolla olleen ystävänsä Iggy Popin (jonka ääntä kuullaan tällä levyllä yhdessä biisissä). Ranskassa ja Länsi-Saksassa äänitetty Low on ensimmäinen osa niin kutsuttua "Berliini-trilogiaa". Noita levyjä yhdistää vaikutteet eurooppalaisesta kokeellisesta musiikista, runsas improvisaatio ja elektroniset äänimaisemat. Tällä aikakaudella Bowien merkittävänä yhteistyökumppanina toimi Brian Eno, jonka työn jälki kuuluu vahvasti tälläkin levyllä. Low'n ensimmäinen puolisko koostuu lyhyistä ja omalaatuisista popbiiseistä kun taas toinen puoli koostuu ambientia mukailevista instrumentaalikappaleista. Kaksijakoinen kokonaisuus kuulostaa kuitenkin eheältä ja tämän omaperäiseen äänimaailmaan on aina ilo palata. Mainittakoon vielä että Mies toisesta maailmasta-elokuvasta lainattu kansitaide lukeutuu omiin suosikkeihini.

What? Bowie album number six out of my first 211, this is not fair! Actually I really like this album. Maybe all it takes for me to like David Bowie is for Brian Eno to come in and work his magic. I might have to go back and rethink that 2 I gave Heroes. Sound and Vision might be my favourite Bowie song of all!

So good! So dark and moody and fun! 5!

What an album! Two halves that are so different, but somehow work together perfectly.

Warszawa.

Love the instrumental tracks. Got some iconic Riffs, but didn't do much for me tbh. Still very solid.

Instrumentals are very good

beautiful in every single aspect

#17/1001 🇬🇧👨‍🎤 I bought a vinyl copy of this the day i got the 1001 book. A brave and bold move for Bowie after the more commercial outings, filling the second side with instrumental tracks which is what i love most about it. Bowies Saxophone and Brian Eno's synths build an amazingly atmospheric suite of songs. This is right up in my top 5 Bowie albums. I dont have a favoirite. Its impossibke to pick. Best tracks: Warszawa, Subterraneans, Be My Wife.

This was fantastic…

it has never been my favorite bowie album but now it just. makes sense. i always loved the first side prior but i think being so into brian eno’s solo work and having an appreciation for his creatures ambiance and intricate textures, i can find myself falling in love with this from front to back.

"BLUE BLUE ELECTRIC BLUE 🔥🔥🔥🔥" This was the original review of this album that I did not write nor did I rate it (the original rater gave it a 3). How did you get into my account .......... Whatt ....... Anyway I love this album, it's beautiful, great textural exploration, thank you for your time.

UAU. OK. neverovatni instrumentali, sa prvom notom prve pesme ja sam vec transportovana u neku drugu dimenziju. ovako nekako dozivljavam pricu ovog albuma, mada znam da nije tako namenjeno - umetnost je subjektivna- album pocinje sa optimisticnim istrazivanjem svemira, trazimo nesto novo, nesto uzbudljivo, nesto vanzemaljski (ogledano u upbeat ritmovima, skoro sljokicavim instrumentima i "normalnim" vokalima); ali ups, umesto na idilican svet koji smo zamislili nailazimo na nevidjen teror, represiju i tugu (warszawa i sve njene sumorne melodije i neobicne horske linije). sva nada je izgubljena. ali da li je? u svemu tome tako vanzemaljskom, nalazimo ipak nesto ljudsko, neku fundamentalnu humanu crtu koju prepoznajemo tako daleko od kuce (poznati, umirujuci instrumenti (saksofon, klavir, gitara) pomesani sa neobicnim, skoro nesvakidasnjim zvucima sintisajzera) i to nam uliva nadu i uverenje cije smo se potvrde plasili ali koja nam sad toliko ocajnicki treba: dom je mesto koje ce te pronaci u svakom cosku sveta. super sam se iskenjala ali zaista me je dirnuo ovaj album, produkcija je na nevidjenom nivou. nije los ovaj dejvid boui. warszawa, subterraneans, speed of life, dobre pesme.

This is my favourite Bowie album. And one of my favourite of all time. I cant really put my finger on why, I’m sure Heroes or Aladdin Sane will be thought of more highly, but there’s just something about this that always sounds fresh for me every time. And of all the songs that could stand out for me, it’s Warszawa that is always the first song I think of from this. Apparently he recorded it in an old bombed out church with a load of Polish monks. If that doesn’t scream pushing the boundaries, I don’t know what does! Amazing record, start to finish

Wow, side one and side two are completely different albums.

Amazing, Berlin trilogy are my favourite Bowie records

9.5 / 10

La importancia de este disco de Bowie, y la de toda la trilogía de Berlín, reside en la capacidad que tuvo por aquel entonces de experimentar con sonidos e instrumentos (gracias, Brian Eno) para reinventarse (una de muchas otras veces) y mostrar al mundo su inconformismo y su insaciable deseo de ser único. El ambient y la electrónica jugaron aquí el papel necesario para que Bowie fuera en los 80 otro Bowie (más). “Low” no es lo mejor de su carrera pero es imprescindible para ella. Un disco creativo y nada condescendiente, coyuntural pero memorable.

The best of the Berlin trilogy.

9.5/10

YES LOVE IT

i love this sm, i love david bowie, good album to read

Очень захватывающий альбом

Incredible Album. Have listened many times in the past.

better than ziggy stardust

I really like it! 70s synths are so fun as an instrument because it really feels like an experimentation with sounds. I thought the pop snippets were unique but catchy, and the instrumentals were super moody and atmospheric. Definitely recommend

This is more my kind of music. It’s nice and short, and the sings change enough that it doesn’t get boring. Another great part about it is that none of the songs are over 10 minutes, there doesn’t seem to be some deeper meaning to the album as a whole, I can enjoy it for what it is.

more like david lowie am i right Here we see a tastefully confusing piece of art that's surprisingly grounded for someone recovering from a crippling drug addiction. The synths and especially the drums are most notable, instrumentally, on this album. The drumming has a very loud, distorted sound that probably isn't to everyone's taste, but I think it sounds pretty neat. And it's front and centre in every track on side 1. The tracks themselves on the record's first side are short, catchy, thoughtful, and... I can't really explain how, but they're so darn artistic. Speed of Life, the opening track, is the opening to a new electronic era of rock music. Immediately following that, we get an electric, bass-driven interludey number with Breaking Glass. What In the World is a wobbly, synth-filled, two chord ball of energy. Sound and Vision, with its simple chord progression, manages to be one of the most satisfying standalone tracks in Bowie's discography. Always Crashing In the Same Car and Be My Wife are a one two punch of moody tracks driven primarily by synths (and both are great). Finally, we close side a with a return to simplicity in the fresh, upbeat instrumental track A New Career In a New Town. Then we get to side 2, arguably what the album is most known for. It's pretty good, again incorporating several layers of synths that flow rhythmically in and out of the mix. The four tracks on this side are all quite distinct from one another, and yet share that indescribable Bowie sound. Warszawa in particular creates a cool, yet very grim, atmosphere. Overall, it’s probably a 4.5, but I’ll round up :)

Ashamed to not have listened to this before, what a wonderful vibey album with some beautiful instrumentals towards the end. Really enjoyed it.

Álbum incrível, criativo e com uma sonoridade fora do normal. Nenhuma parte desse disco soa incapaz ou fora do lugar, tudo tem razão de existir e dá sentido à obra. Destaque para as faixas instrumentais que têm sons que mesmo hoje são difíceis de encontrar, de uma maneira completamente interessante e rica.

Classic

Great mix of memorable tracks and more abstract instrumentals

I LOVE BOWIE

YESSIR

David Bowie: Low David Bowie’s Low is a staggering exercise in sonic reinvention, a record that feels less like it was recorded in 1977 and more like it was transmitted from a decade yet to come. It is a hauntingly beautiful document of a man rebuilding himself from the inside out. The production—anchored by the now-legendary gated drum sounds and Brian Eno’s synthesizers—predates the aesthetic of the 1980s by years, proving just how visionary Bowie’s Berlin period truly was. The album’s brilliance lies in its duality. On the first half, tracks like "Sound and Vision" and the jagged, synth-heavy "What in the World" offer a masterclass in fragmented pop. However, it is the instrumental second half where the emotional weight truly settles. The mournful, atmospheric vocals on "Warszawa" and the deep, resonant melancholy of "Subterraneans" transcend traditional songwriting, reaching a level of soul-stirring depth that feels both alien and deeply human. It is a flawless discovery and a towering achievement in the avant-garde.

Oooooo

David Bowie is so goated

A great album, an amazing background album.

I woke up feeling like listening to Bowie's Low. Turned on the generator - bam. Bowie is fucking with me. So so good. Highlights: Speed of Life, Sound and Vision, Always Crashing in the Same Car

It made me feel ethereal

i love this album I love david bowie

Best of the Berlin trilogy

It took me a while to really "get" Low, after overlooking it for a while because of the lack of big hits, and the number of instrumental tracks. It was only while reading a Bowie biography that I came to appreciate it. One of the interesting takeaways from that biography was that I had always thought of Bowie as a multi-skilled can do anything sort of musician, but one of his most important skills was actually knowing his limitations, selecting brilliant musicians and producers to work with, and then trusting them completely to do their thing. Bowie was responsible for the lyrics and vocals, of course, plus the very deliberate vibe/theme of each album (and selecting the right people for that vibe), but within those parameters he trusted those musicians deeply. The lack of ego is admirable. In this respect he could be studied not just by other music artists, but from a business management perspective too! Low is a great example of this. Together with Dennis Davis, Tony Visconti developed a really unique drum sound. Meanwhile Eno, although not formally the producer, used extremely experimental techniques that many musicians would really struggle with. In addition to utilizing synths, loops and soundbeds, Eno treated the studio as an instrument, encouraged improvisation and adopting "mistakes", and did things like giving each musician a cryptic prompt card they would keep to themselves. Bowie and co all trusted these techniques would not only produce something good, but also music that wouldn't sound like anything else. Low is one of Bowie's benchmark albums, the start of his infamous Berlin trilogy, and inspired a whole host of ambient, post punk, and post rock musicians. How there isn't a biopic of Bowie and Iggy Pop in that period is beyond me. To say it's a remarkable album would be an understatement, and 5 stars doesn't feel enough.

The second half of this album is tough, because it's great, but it's not... Another Green World, or something. But it was more influential than that, because Bowie did it. On the other hand, Another Green World didn't have a side of incredible Bowie ass Bowie songs. F me, Sound and Vision. The drums on this album. Love it.

Perfect.

Spiky and spooky and perfect

Fun listen. I love David Bowie vibes. I didn’t want to skip a song.

This album is fantastic! And it just gets better. I really liked the first songs but not at the extent to love it but... Wow! It evolved into something really interesting and grandiose. I love how everything is so coherent here and so different too, how there's time for (long) instrumental parts, which add a lot to the atmosphere of the album. This is truly a gem, I've liked it a lot.

Bowie and Eno. Say it back. Low is like a perfect encapsulation of what both artists can do at the peak of their powers. Eno's production is so inventive, and Bowie has the gravitas to not get lost in it. The result isn't just mind-bending, it's genuinely fun. And unlike your average Animal Collective album (which owes a lot to this one), each ambient space-out on the back end is a no-skip.

very good!!!

Really like this album, it's just pleasant to listen to start to back. The ambient songs in the second half are relaxing and nice. Sound and Vision best song off it

"Low" is the 11th studio album by English musician David Bowie. Art pop, avant pop, electronic, ambient and experimental rock are the Wiki-listed genres. Yes, all of that. The album was the first of three collaborations with producer Tony Visconti and musician Brian Eno that became known as the Berlin Trilogy; the project originated following Bowie's move to France in 1976 with friend Iggy Pop to rid themselves of drug addiction. Recording sessions began at Hérouville's Château d'Hérouville in France and was finished in West Berlin. Bowie sang lead vocals and played the saxophone, guitars, bass, harmonica, vibraphone, xylophone, percussion, keyboards and synthesizer). Additional musicians included Brian Eno (synthesizers, piano, guitar), Carlos Alomar (guitars), Dennis Davis (percussion), George Murray (bass), Ricky Gardiner (guitar), Roy Young (piano, organ), Iggy Pop (backing vocals) and Mary Hopkin/Visconti (backing vocals). Commercially, the album reached #2 in the UK and #11 on the US Billboard 200. Initially, the album had mixed reviews but retrospective reviews considered it one Bowie's best works. The album opens with the instrumental "Speed of Life." A guitar melody. A pronounced bass giving a groove. Those whopping drum sounds. Overlayed synths. This song sets the tone. A hoppy bass and beat pervade the first single "Sound and Vision." A guitar melody and riff. An underlying synth. Bowie on sax. Vocals come in midway though. A song reflecting on Bowie's state after a long period of drug addiction. "Always Crashing Into the Same Car" has an eerie synth definitely influenced by krautrock. Subdued vocals and long, stretched guitar notes. A song about an incident where Bowie keeps crashing his car into his drug dealer's car who did him wrong. The second side is all instrumentals with Bowie and Eno on synths and keyboards. The highlight is "Warszawa," a song named after Warsaw. Ambient, melancholic, droning and dramatic. Very movie-like. A beautiful song. This album is a very artistic experience with two distinctive sides. Side one contains more structured songs with a groove, guitar melody and elements of krautrock with the synth. The second side is ambient and movie-like with layered synths. The songs are not so experimental as the melodies still drive the song. The one thing both sides do is create a textured mood. I agree with some of the comments that the album is almost timeless in its unique sound. You do hear the influence of bands like Kraftwerk on album and its own influence on albums like "Kid A." I always appreciate an artist who aims to reach high despite public and critical opinions. This album does and succeeds to a very high degree. One of Bowie's best and a must hear.

Masterpiece

Great great album

Favorite track(s): Breaking Glass, Sound and Vision, Warszawa Heard before Previous rating: 9/10

9.5/10

141/1001 :: David Bowie - Low Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 9 Listen before you die: Yes David Bowie, widely considered one of the greatest artists of all time and this is why. You compare this album to Ziggy Stardust or The Man Who Sold the World and this album feels so out of left field. But leave it up to disco era Bowie to create something so engaging and frankly so damn cool. The fact that Sound & Vision was “the big single” says it all. This album is special.

One of Bowie’s most artistic statements. An album of two halves. One side light and poppy and one side instrumental and hugely downbeat. For me, it wasn’t just an album I had to hear multiple times to appreciate, but had to live with for many years. Totally worth your attention though and I think it has the best sound of the Berlin trilogy.

Sound and Vision is one of the most beautiful songs ever. Bowie is beyond brilliant. This album is the reason this project exists.

All-timer of a record 🖤

I’m always so impressed at how much I love every iteration and evolution of Bowie. Another incredible album - less poppy than others I’ve gotten but still fantastic and interesting song writing that never feels experimental for the sake of it.

I’ve listened to this album multiple times in the past. I wavered on whether I should label this a masterpiece but I think i have to. A complete departure of Bowie’s normal sound. But one that I’m totally invested and love. It took me a while to uncover its brilliance but now I fully embrace it. 5/5

A lot more atmospheric than expected

What else there to say. Listens like an album of samples with elongated intros. It’s great

Meni njegov najdraži album i možda platonski ideal albuma

Every album by Bowie is legendary. This one is unique, and didn't spawn as many singles... but still legendary. Every album by Bowie is a must-listen.

I go back and forth between this and Station To Station as my favorite Bowie album. You can really hear how much he was influenced by krautrock, but took those sounds in a poppier direction. Great stuff

Come on, this is Low by David Bowie.

Heard it before. Probably my favourite from the Berlin trilogy. Most importantly the album contains Warszawa, inspired by Poland and Polish folk music <3 5/5

I remember the first time I heard Low, I was so amazed that music could be as weird and wonderful as this. Easily my favourite of Bowie's Berlin Trilogy, I just adore how this divides its runtime between the avant-pop of Side A and the more instrumental, experimental work of Side B. Those two halves also feel like they went on to be hugely influential - I don't see how you get Talking Heads, LCD Soundsystem, or a whole bunch of alt-pop / avant-pop acts without this album.

one of the best albums of all time

Brian Eno’s contribution is very noticeable. I love the weird synth. Weeping Wall Sound and vision - LCD Soundsystem Overall, loved it. Even the weird songs

So cool how Bowie kept tabs on what was new in music and found a way to incorporate it into his work without pandering or sacrificing a shred of his unique style. The first side is Bowie’s take on krautrock, blending in the funk i fluences inherent to the genre and which he dabbled in on previous releases (Young Americans, Station to Station). The second is Bowie-fied Brian Eno ambience. While my personal favorite of the Berlin trilogy is probably Lodger, and my favorite overall is Ziggy Stardust, it is undeniable how influential, cutting edge, and all around “great” this album is.

9/10 Favs: Warszawa; Always Crashing in the Same Car; A new Career in a New Town; Sound and Vision; Subterraneans

Wow, really love A New Career in a New Town. Feels so fresh. Warszawa is so pretty. Weeping Wall, so trippy Subterraneans almost reminds me of Moby and Massive Attack. Then moving into Beauty and the Beast after that melodic journey? So cool!

Just perfection. I love it so so much. A new career in a new town is maybe my favourite song of all time, the album art is immaculate. 5 stars

My favorite Bowie, captures everything I like about him - cold and alien (what the fuck is that noise on Breaking Glass?) while also strangely relaxing (Sound and Vision gets replayed like 6 times on each listen).

Low is easily my favorite of the Berlin Trilogy. Side A is back to back to back bangers, and the B side is moody and introspective. A++ , highly recommended.

Side one is crazy amazing

Please sir, may I have some more? Celestial ethereal theramin vibes on a melancholy soundtrack

2nd Best Bowie Album. Best Songs: All of em Worst Songs: It’s Low… 10/10.

This is my kinda album. I do wish Scary Monsters was on this list though

I love how it sounds almost funky, but melancolic and rock'n'roll altogether... maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but seriously, Bowie always delivers

Great album!

A bold brave brilliant statement from one of the greats. It doesn’t quite rise to the occasion but it is interesting to see him truly experiment and fold that into his sound.

2 parts, both of them masterpieces.

what a beautiful trip

Such a cool album, so funky and trippy and weird. This is the peak of his cocaine powers, when he was eating 1 red pepper and drinking 1 glass of milk a day and grams of cocaine. Bands still want to sound like this so bad. Best song: Sound and Vision, my favourite Bowie song.

Love Bowie

🗯 In a world without Hunky Dory, this might be my favourite Bowie. Side A rocks, Side B floats. After the excess and near-collapse of mid-’70s LA, Bowie fled to Europe to clean up, recalibrate, and reinvent himself. Low was the first chapter of the Berlin Trilogy — recorded partly in France, partly in West Berlin — and it sounds like someone rebuilding from the ground up. The hedonism of Ziggy and Diamond Dogs is gone; in its place, fractured pop songs on one side and expansive ambient instrumentals on the other. Side A is jagged, twitchy brilliance (Sound and Vision, Breaking Glass, Be My Wife), miniature bursts that distil Bowie’s art-rock instincts into sharp shocks. Side B dissolves into widescreen soundscapes (Warszawa, Subterraneans) — abstract, melancholy, cinematic. It’s not just Bowie experimenting, it’s Bowie rediscovering possibility, with Brian Eno at his side. You can hear its influence everywhere: post-punk, synth-pop, industrial, Radiohead’s Kid A. Low isn’t just an album — it’s Bowie detonating the past and sketching out whole new futures. Verdict: Essential (the reinvention that kept Bowie immortal) For fans of: Brian Eno, Joy Division, Radiohead, drifting through alien cities at 3 a.m.

As the first if the "Berlin" trilogy albums this is one of my favorites. I love how it starts with the instrumental "Speed Of Life" this is one of those albums where you just know it's going to be great when you look at the cover. I know that a lot of people don't like 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' but it's a great movie and the cover of this album is a very alien way to represent the music that, I think at that time might have been quiet alien. Bowie always gets max.

I've never listened to this album before and I enjoyed every song.

Fantastic, experimental as hell, this is not your Hunky Dory, Changes Bowie.

One of my favorite albums of all time and my favorite Bowie album. Insanely beautiful yet desolate atmosphere. Even features some of my favorite sax playing by him too.

Really good stuff. Probably better than Ziggy Stardust in my opinion. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

really great instrumentals. i was surprised how spare the vocals are

4.5/5

5 stars. Fantastic. Love the ambient second half

I was not a fan of this album. Upon first (2nd, 3rd...) listen I was so biased because of Ziggy and Diamond Dogs (which I absolutely loved) that I could not give a non-biased ear to this album. Then I moved to Germany and spent so much time in Berlin with my then girlfriend (mid-80s to mid-90s)...and I absorbed so much of the grungy Berlin/German underground music scene. And it dawned on me: I loved this album . If you ever nodded out at the Frankfurt bahnhof, missed your train to Berlin (before the wall came down) and met your junky friends (Germans and GIs) behind the wall, you'll get more of why this album means so much to a gen-X German/American crowd. Warszawa was about the time you'd be nodding out...popping into/out of your nod while the rest of the album played on...and hopefully some of your friends (Germans, Americans, New Zealanders...) could keep you safe enough to see another sun....

This is incredible. A masterpiece. I can't believe I've never listened to Low in it's entirety; the tonal shift after A New Career In A New Town is compelling, almost a song in its own right. I love it, one of those albums that feels personal.

#DÍA 35: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) Buenos días, hoy es turno de un álbum muy especial para mí y me hace infinita ilusión tener aquí un espacio para hablar del mismo. No voy a hablar de primeras impresiones puesto que es un LP que he escuchado muchísimo. Bowie por otro lado es mi artista favorito, así que coged esta reseña con ese dato subjetivo que me hace conectar de un modo mucho más profundo con su música. Low es un proyecto peculiar dentro de la historia de la música moderna, a veces llamado el “primer álbum de rock moderno” o también llamado “incoherente” y “ruido de fondo”. Sin duda divide mucho en opiniones, aunque a día de hoy está más establecido como uno de sus mejores álbumes. Es fácil de entender por qué puede producir una respuesta negativa al oyente: la radical diferencia entre las dos mitades del LP, lo surrealista y a primera vista ilógico de las letras, el sonido tan distinto a la anterior música de Bowie o la falta de estructura musical en la mayoría de temas. Para encontrar el sentido a todo lo que contiene Low se debe entender como lo que es: una creación artística concebida en un tiempo y un espacio. La estrella no estaba pasando por un buen momento de su vida, la adicción a la cocaína había llegado a un tope intolerable durante la creación de Station to Station, se sentía falto de ideas y de creatividad, su relación con Angela Barnett estaba en decadencia y parecía sentirse fuera de sí mismo tras casi una década de fama, llegando a hacer apología al nazismo durante su era de Thin White Duke. Se mudó a Suiza con Angela pero pasó mucho más tiempo en el Berlín Occidental junto a Iggy Pop para ambos rehabilitarse y también grabando el disco en Francia. Por otro lado, entró en contacto con Brian Eno, que sería la segunda mente creadora en la elaboración de Low aportando toques de ese estilo del que él fue pionero: la música de ambiente. Por supuesto también hay que considerar que se ubicaban en el espacio donde más se estuvo desarrollando la electrónica y el Krautrock, por lo que la influencia de grupos como Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk o Harmonia es evidente en el resultado final. Sin una fecha límite impuesta por RCA y con unos sentimientos muy fuertes, fue un momento de alineación de los planetas para crear una obra de arte única. Lo que es comunica en Low es un dolor y angustia universal, transmitido de un modo algo críptico y mediante recursos formales poco habituales en la música popular de entonces: sonidos electrónicos, técnicas de escritura de vanguardia, modificaciones de timbres y un modo de cantar mucho más sombrío y pálido de lo que solía ser Bowie. Este LP es un testimonio de una estrella tocando fondo. Speed of Life es la instrumental que inicia el disco, que presenta un brillo, un color y una sensación surrealista. En la última pista de su posterior proyecto de estudio, ‘Heroes’, cantaría “I was running at the speed of life”, lo que interpreto como una referencia a su modo de vida descontrolado al caer en la adicción. Aunque solo sea una pieza sin letra ya nos presenta una idea fundamental, anteriormente el cantante corría veloz y sin preocupación, pero tras un momento de realización, se encuentra imbuido en depresión y soledad, tratando de huir de su Yo anterior. Se evidencia en Breaking Glass, un tema que parece incompleto pero que expresa muchísimo con lo poco que contiene. Dirigido por un ritmo pegajoso, similar a los que bailaba en Young Americans o Station to Station, aunque ahora con una atmósfera distinta: la batería parece traída de otro universo y la voz de Bowie parece estar perdiendo la cordura según avanza la canción. Fuera de sí mismo, se refiere a sí mismo constantemente en segunda persona y rompe espejos para escapar de su persona: “Baby, I’ve been breaking glass in your room again”. Aunque también puede referirse a realizar estas acciones en la habitación de Angela y sentirse avergonzado. En What in the World la estrella habla a su Yo infante, refiriéndole como “Little girl with grey eyes”, posiblemente una muestra de problemas de identidad y género. Es un tema que juega una carta común en esta mitad del LP, que es usar elementos que en principio suenan alegres y coloridos pese a estar reflejando sentimientos de ansiedad en la letra. Esto genera, junto a un uso alocado de los sintetizadores, una sensación de locura y paranoia; parece un intento de convencerse a sí de estar bien pero el engaño es tan ruidoso, torpe y caótico que solo suma al delirio. A continuación Sound and Vision nos vuelve a adentrar en un espacio solitario, uno con las paredes pintadas de azul. Es curioso hacer el paralelismo entre cuando en 1969 cantaba “Planet Earth is blue and there’s nothing I can do” en Space Oddity, refiriéndose a la tristeza general de nuestro mundo, y en 1977 expresa “Blue, blue, electric blue, that’s the color of my room”, para ilustrar su propio aislamiento y depresión. Por otra parte Bowie tarda un buen rato en aparecer en la canción, realmente su papel en este LP es bastante reservado y tímido, solo hay que compararlo con su presencia imposible de ignorar en Station to Station. La desesperación y angustia llevan a un doble clímax al final de esta segunda mitad: uno bajo y lento en Alway Crashing in the Same Car, y otro alto y casi vigoroso en Be My Wife. El primero de los dos es un momento de realización y frustración, mediante una sencilla metáfora entiende que siempre comete el mismo error. En ese coche, que representa su modo de vivir, la cocaína y la fama, acaba constantemente chocando y haciéndose daño a sí mismo y a quiénes le rodean. Por lo que es momento de bajarse de ese automóvil y empezar su rehabilitación y cambiar de ambiente. Aunque, en la segunda, el delirio de Bowie parece llegar a un extremo de paranoia tras darse cuenta de todos sus errores y no sabes qué hacer para arreglarlo. Pide con desesperación “Be my wife”, no hay razones, no hay promesas, tan solo un desesperado intento de acabar con la soledad que le ha provocado su modo de vida. De nuevo todo envuelto en unos ritmos y texturas que evocan a la perfección esa imagen de una estrella que se está apagando, que no parece aceptar que su corazón no es capaz de transmitir el brillo de su música anterior porque es momento de cambio. A New Career In a New Town es la aceptación de este cambio, una transición a la parte ambiental del LP que parece un miedoso pero optimista vistazo hacia el porvenir de su vida. El solo de armónica desde luego que transmite la soledad que ocupa el resto del álbum, solo que con un giro esperanzador, en lugar de tener miedo de sí mismo quiere convivir consigo para viajar a nuevos lugares. Una esperanza que parece ser brutalmente destruída con la oscuridad de Warszawa, pero en esta segunda mitad Eno y Bowie parecen atender más al espacio que les rodea, no son temas tan introspectivos. El contenido de Low se hace lógico al atender a estas dos mitades del siguiente modo: la primera es el individuo y la segunda es cómo él mismo percibe su alrededor o su sociedad. Algo que también se podría considerar ilustrado en su portada, en la que el artista se encuentra de perfil, pálido, abrigado y con los ojos cansados, mirando hacia el futuro. Sin embargo, pese a su estado de introspección, no puede evitar que el entorno le afecte, algo que se refleja en cómo su pelo parece mezclarse con el color anaranjado del fondo. Volviendo a Warszawa, la pieza fue inspirada por la visita de Bowie a la capital polaca, vista por él como una ciudad sumida en pesimismo y pena tras los desastres de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La pista es cinematográfica, con un bajo de sintetizador que te penetra el corazón y unos vientos que cantan como homenaje a las tragedias ocurridas en Varsovia. La muestra de empatía ante esta situación se muestra en la decisión del artista de tratar de imitar cantos regionales de Polonia, creando una atmósfera aún más poderosa emocionalmente. Finalmente, los tres últimos temas son paisajes inspirados en distintos aspectos que Bowie observó en Berlín. Por un lado, Art Decade (homófono de “Art Decayed”) representa un mundo en el que la expresión, la cultura y el arte están en un punto bajo. La pieza consta de un juego de sintetizadores que descienden y otros que parecen intentar ascender, pero acaban creando una sensación inquietante. Luego Weeping Wall está basada en los sentimientos que provocaba el Muro de Berlín, un elemento que simbólicamente inspiraba separación y encerramiento. Ambas ilustran dos sentimientos con los que Bowie se identifica en la primera mitad del álbum, la falta de inspiración y la soledad. Como cierre del disco, Subterraneans trata de ser una oda a aquellas personas que se encontrasen en el Berlín Oriental. Al igual que Warszawa, es increíblemente oscura, pero en este caso mucho más triste, parece hablar de montones de personas con sueños y metas que jamás van a poder cumplir por encontrarse en unas condiciones de vida nefastas. Las cuerdas, las melodías en reversa, los desoladores solos de saxofón de Bowie y el pseudo-clímax que canta con palabras sin sentido, componen un final emocionalmente muy duro. De hecho, fue algo también criticado del álbum en su momento, ser demasiado pesimista. Pero tampoco creo que haya que tomarse la música o el arte como un escape de la realidad y punto, es importante que sea genuino, que refleje emociones y que genere pensamientos. Hay que aceptar que lo malo existe y que todos nos sentimos bajos, también que vivimos en un mundo complicado en el que el dolor no se va a extinguir nunca. Pero invisibilizar ésto solo lo empeoraría, y creo que es mucho más enriquecedor y humano crear una pieza mediante la que podamos realizar conexiones emocionales, haciéndonos sentir a todos un poco más unidos en un mundo tan grande en lugar de alienarnos más como los grandes nombres intentan hacer. Mi fascinación por Bowie comenzó cuando escuché este LP y desde entonces no ha dejado de sorprenderme canción tras canción. Era alguien imperfecto, alguien inteligente, infinitamente creativo, con las emociones a flor de piel y que mantuvo el arte siempre vivo. Ojalá haberle podido ver actuar, ojalá haber podido ver noticias sobre él o esperar impaciente por nueva música. Sin embargo, el destino me ha hecho empezar a apreciarle bastante tarde, pero también es signo sobre como fue un artista que realmente hizo de su expresión algo inmortal e inagotable. Descansa En Paz, Black Star. Favoritas: Todas Menos favorita: Ninguna #DAY 35: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Good morning, today it’s the turn of a very special album for me, and I’m infinitely excited to have this space to talk about it. I’m not going to write about first impressions since this is an LP I’ve listened to countless times. Bowie, on the other hand, is my favorite artist, so keep in mind that subjective fact that makes me connect on a much deeper level with his music. Low is a peculiar project in the history of modern music, sometimes called the “first modern rock album,” or alternatively called “incoherent” and “background noise.” Without a doubt, it strongly divides opinions, although today it’s more widely recognized as one of his best albums. It’s easy to understand why it could produce a negative response in listeners: the radical difference between the two halves of the LP, the surreal and at first sight illogical lyrics, the very different sound from Bowie’s earlier music, or the lack of conventional musical structure in most tracks. To find meaning in everything Low contains, one must understand it as what it is: an artistic creation conceived in a specific time and space. The star wasn’t in a good place in his life: cocaine addiction had reached an intolerable peak during the making of Station to Station, he felt drained of ideas and creativity, his relationship with Angela Barnett was falling apart, and he seemed to feel outside of himself after nearly a decade of fame—going so far as to flirt with Nazi imagery during his Thin White Duke era. He moved to Switzerland with Angela but spent much more time in West Berlin with Iggy Pop, where they both sought rehabilitation, while also recording the album in France. At the same time, he came into contact with Brian Eno, who became the second creative mind behind Low, contributing touches of the ambient style he had pioneered. Of course, one must also consider that they were in the epicenter of the development of electronic and Krautrock music, so the influence of groups like Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, or Harmonia is evident in the final result. With no deadline imposed by RCA and with very powerful emotions in play, it was a moment of alignment of the planets to create a unique work of art. What Low communicates is a universal pain and anguish, conveyed in a somewhat cryptic manner and through unusual formal resources for popular music at the time: electronic sounds, avant-garde writing techniques, timbre modifications, and a much gloomier and paler singing style than Bowie usually employed. This LP is a testimony of a star hitting rock bottom. Speed of Life opens the record, an instrumental that presents a brightness, a color, and a surreal feeling. In the last track of his later project “Heroes”, he would sing “I was running at the speed of life,” which I interpret as a reference to his out-of-control lifestyle while falling into addiction. Even though it’s only an instrumental, it already sets forth a fundamental idea: the singer once ran fast and carefree, but after a moment of realization, he finds himself steeped in depression and loneliness, trying to flee from his former self. This is evident in Breaking Glass, a track that feels incomplete but expresses so much with so little. Driven by a catchy rhythm—similar to what he danced to in Young Americans or Station to Station—but now with a different atmosphere: the drums seem imported from another universe, and Bowie’s voice seems to be losing sanity as the song progresses. Out of his own mind, he refers to himself constantly in the second person and smashes mirrors to escape from himself: “Baby, I’ve been breaking glass in your room again.” Though it may also refer to him acting this way in Angela’s room and feeling ashamed. In What in the World, the star addresses his infant self, referring to him as “Little girl with grey eyes,” possibly a sign of identity and gender struggles. This is a track that plays a common card in the first half of the LP: using elements that sound cheerful and colorful while actually reflecting feelings of anxiety in the lyrics. This, combined with a wild use of synthesizers, generates a sense of madness and paranoia; it feels like an attempt to convince himself that everything is fine, but the deception is so noisy, clumsy, and chaotic that it only adds to the delirium. Next, Sound and Vision plunges us back into a solitary space, one with walls painted blue. It’s interesting to make the parallel between when, in 1969, he sang “Planet Earth is blue and there’s nothing I can do” in Space Oddity, referring to the general sadness of our world, and in 1977, he expresses “Blue, blue, electric blue, that’s the color of my room,” illustrating his own isolation and depression. What’s more, Bowie takes quite a while to even appear in the song; his role on this LP is rather restrained and timid, especially compared to his stunning presence in Station to Station. Desperation and anguish lead to a double climax at the end of this first half: the first is low and slow in Always Crashing in the Same Car, and the second is higher and almost vigorous in Be My Wife. The first is a moment of realization and frustration: through a simple metaphor, he understands that he always makes the same mistake. In that car, representing his lifestyle, cocaine, and fame, he ends up constantly crashing and hurting himself and those around him. It’s time to get out of that vehicle, begin rehabilitation and to change his surroundings. But in the second, Bowie’s delirium seems to reach a peak of paranoia after realizing all of his mistakes, he doesn’t know how to fix them. He begs desperately: “Be my wife” with no reasons, no promises, just a frantic attempt to end the loneliness brought about by his way of life. Again, all wrapped in rhythms and textures that perfectly evoke the image of a fading star, one who cannot accept that his heart can no longer shine with the brilliance of his earlier music, because it’s time for change. A New Career in a New Town is the acceptance of this change, a transition into the ambient part of the LP that feels like a fearful but hopeful glance toward his life’s future. The harmonica solo conveys the loneliness permeating the rest of the album, but with a hopeful twist: instead of fearing himself, he wants to live with himself and explore new places. A hope seemingly crushed by the darkness of Warszawa—but in this second half, Eno and Bowie seem more concerned with their surroundings than with themselves. The content of Low makes sense when viewed this way: the first half is the individual, and the second is how he perceives his environment or society. This might also be symbolized in the cover art, where the artist is shown in profile: pale, bundled up, eyes tired, looking toward the future. Yet despite his introspection, he cannot escape being affected by his surroundings—reflected in how his hair seems to blend with the orange background. Returning to Warszawa, the piece was inspired by Bowie’s visit to the Polish capital, which he saw as a city sunk in pessimism and grief after the disasters of World War II. The track is cinematic: a synth bass that pierces the heart, and winds that seem to mourn in homage to Warsaw’s tragedies. Bowie’s empathy is also shown in his attempt to imitate regional polish chants, creating an even more powerful emotional atmosphere. Finally, the last three tracks are landscapes inspired by aspects Bowie observed in Berlin. Art Decade (a homophone of “Art Decayed”) represents a world where expression, culture, and art are at a low point. The piece consists of descending synthesizers against others trying to ascend, ultimately creating an unsettling sensation. Then Weeping Wall is based on the feelings evoked by the Berlin Wall, a symbol of separation and confinement. Both illustrate feelings that Bowie himself identifies with in the first half of the album: lack of inspiration and loneliness. As the album closes, Subterraneans serve as an ode to those living in East Berlin. Like Warszawa, it is incredibly dark, but this time even sadder—it seems to speak of countless people with dreams and goals they will never be able to fulfill under dreadful living conditions. The strings, reversed melodies, Bowie’s desolate saxophone solos, and the pseudo-climax sung with meaningless words all compose an emotionally devastating ending. In fact, this was one of the criticisms of the album at the time: that it was too pessimistic. But I don’t think music or art should be treated merely as an escape from reality, full stop. It’s important that it be genuine, that it reflect emotions and generate thought. We have to accept that bad things exist, that we all feel low, and that we live in a complicated world where pain will never disappear. But invisibilizing this would only make it worse. I think it’s much richer and more human to create a work through which we can make emotional connections—making us feel a little more united in a vast world, instead of further alienating us as the big names often try to do. My fascination with Bowie began when I first listened to this LP, and ever since, he’s never stopped surprising me, song after song. He was someone imperfect, intelligent, infinitely creative, with emotions on edge, who kept art alive at all times. I wish I could have seen him perform, followed news about him, or waited impatiently for new music. However, destiny made me begin appreciating him quite late—but that in itself is a sign of how he was an artist who truly made his expression something immortal and inexhaustible. Rest in peace, Black Star. Favorites: All Least favorite: None

One of the later entries in Bowie's great 1970s albums, this is a great atmospheric album. While leaning on some of the German synthesiser bands of the time (via Eno's influence), it in turn became very influential.

--ATTENTION!!!-- This album needs multiple listens to fully enjoy!!! When I first listened to this album 10ish years ago, I didn't really enjoy it, I thought it was fine, but that was about it. However, this album just gets better and better after every listen. For a long time this used to be my favorite Bowie album until I rediscovered my love for Station to Station. Anyways, I just finished a challenge where I went through Bowie entire discography and had a lot of fun doing it, so this album couldn't have come at a better time. There is so much to love about this album, I love how funky side A is and the productions and synths sound so good. I also love the melody of Sound and Vision, it will just randomly get stuck in my head. I also love how the end of side B gets more ambient, Warszawa is probably a top 5 Bowie song for me. Sometime I realized on this listen that I never noticed before are the guitar solos, there are a couple of guitar solos on this album that are a little buried but sound really great. Also some fun stats: I am currently at album number 596, and have gotten 6/9 David Bowie albums but 0/5 Sonic Youth albums (which is who I am currently doing a discog dive of) High 5!!!

My least favorite Bowie LP. Its just like he was still finding his mojo

Well, I never thought it would happen, but here's a Bowie album that's going into my Tidal library. I really like the mix of instrumental ambience and somewhat more conventional vocal numbers. This is, for me, the best David Bowie album I've heard so far.

me deu vontade de dirigir a parte musical de um filme

Loved this. Great instrumental

High

Repeat listen

Legendary album, insane, vibey, this was my jam at around age uhh 20-24 maybe 25, I would bump this all the time. Easiest 5/5 don't even need to think about it.

que nivel el Bowie de Berlin

Spiky angular cool funky strange unsettling uplifting futuristic (for 76/77) challenging intelligent arty swinging layered pop rock synth complex light dark darker moving fascinating heartbreaking absorbing enveloping cinematic innovative groundbreaking influential. Bowie. Eno. Brilliance.

Wonderful!

Aw, geez. A high-water-mark for Bowie. Great all around. Seeing Hansa Studios in person made it even better!

I found myself torn between rating this album a 4 or 5. While I still consider Station to Station and Heroes superior works, Low stands as a masterpiece in its own right, making it hard to compare it to its predecessors. This album marks a big transformation in Bowie's artistic trajectory, presenting what feels like two distinct albums unified under one vision. Eno's influence can be heard on every track, even on Side A, which features some of Bowie's most compelling material. The sonic palettes and experimental textures clearly draw from Eno's solo work, particularly Another Green World and Before and After Science, yet they're seamlessly integrated with Bowie's trademark (but evolving) aesthetic. What emerges is a collection of songs that maintains the art rock sensibilities you'd expect from Bowie, but executed through an entirely fresh and distinctive lens. Lyrics here don't really tell stories and remain vague and fragmented, but there are still some striking and interesting lines, especially on "Sound and Vision" and "Be My Wife". Side B features mostly ambient work, except for Bowie's vocals in an invented language on "Warszawa". What I find compelling about the lyrical/vocal aspect is how it matches perfectly with the atmosphere that evokes alienation, desolation, and cold beauty. Even though you won't understand a word Bowie sings, the vocals still feel emotionally potent and powerful. It sounds like some forgotten language being sung through ruins in a post apocalyptic world. There's a haunting, ghostly atmosphere throughout the entire second side, which is fitting since at the time Bowie was living in Berlin and drew inspiration for the sound and atmosphere from his bleak experience passing through grey post war Warsaw on a train. You can hear this album's influence even in modern music, a perfect example of an album with similar traits is Radiohead's Kid A. 5/5

The crown jewel of Bowie's masterpieces. Every track is breathtaking, but Subterraneans stands out to me as totally transcendent – I lose myself in it every time I listen.

I enjoy Bowie's ambient experimentation in the Berlin trilogy.

It's Bowie - so automatic 5 stars from me. One of the albums I'm less familiar with, so happy to spend some time with it today.

The first half of this album is an absolute gem.

Top tier genius.

This album slithered into my brain, coiled around my spine and whispered: shhh, just feel it. This isn't just music. It's a full-sensory takeover. Hypnotising, oddly arousing, and somehow both soothing and wild. My ears are still tingling after that 11 track long eargasm.

Aside from Sound & Vision, I haven’t really listened to this album before. Wow. What a listen. The soundscapes are just gorgeous, it really took me away. Subterraneans was an incredible way to end the album, when the horn came in I got goosebumps. Incredible production all around, I’m not surprised to see that Brian Eno was involved. Not your usual, gaudy Bowie fare. But absolutely stunning.

Escuchar “Low” de David Bowie te hace sentir en un viaje hacia un lugar nuevo. Un cambio de rumbo, de vida, un renacer. Desde la ruidosa intro de la experimental “Speed of Life” sabes que lo que estás por escuchar no es un álbum convencional ni mainstream. Los sonidos experimentales y vanguardistas de las guitarras y los sintetizadores te introducen de lleno en un recorrido sonoro repleto de sentimientos. A lo largo del álbum Bowie expresa rebeldía y destrucción en “Breaking Glass”, la falta de inspiración y la tristeza (blue, blue) en “Sound and Vision” o el amor en “Be My Wife”. Las piezas instrumentales están cargadas del poder de la imaginación, por ejemplo en “A New Career in a New Town” es la representación de un nuevo comienzo en una nueva ciudad, Berlín. Desde el bombo del principio del tema, suena a Berlín, a optimismo y felicidad. En contraste con el tema anterior, “Warszawa” suena fría, triste y desoladora. Los sonidos de una ciudad de postguerra. Las tres últimas canciones se sienten como el final de una aventura sonora, que en realidad no había hecho más que empezar. “Low” es una de las obras maestras del genio Bowie. Es un proyecto ambicioso, experimental e influyente. Cuenta más con sus sonidos que con sus palabras. Elevó el rock y el art pop de los 70 a otro nivel. No cabe duda de que este álbum es una joya imprescindible de su carrera.

This is the first album from the list that I also own on vinyl and I could'nt have dreamt of a better one. David Bowie is peak Rock 'n Roll and 'Low' is peak David Bowie. Side one is an amazing rock record, very instrumental oriented with 'Sound And Vision' as the cherry on top. Side two is an evenly amazing avant-garde soundscaping project that never fails to entertain.

What an incredible album

Prob third favourite Bowie after station to station and Blackstar. No main standout tracks (e.g. heroes, life on mars, station to station) but the flow and sounds and shit is awesome. Brian Eno is brilliant

a much more jazzy Bowie album

Love David Bowie. Love this record. While I was too young to know this record when it came out, I have grown to appreciate it in my years. Sound and Vision is a favorite of mine and if one song can encapsulate the mood, feeling, sound of the record, it is this one song. The production is fantastic and this record is a favorite of many and I can see why. Certainly a top three record from David Bowie for me.

Really incredible album. The ending was phenomenal. I wanted to listen to this album again right after finishing it the first time. 5/5

Great album

I want a lot of these songs to go on longer.

Great Bowie Album. Strange, experimental, but also a bit divided. The first half of the album is chock full of great hooky jams. The Eno collab with his dirty synth drums and chunky noise FX are a great complement to Bowe's guitar hooks. Sound and Vision is also one of my favorite Bowie songs ever. The 2nd half starts to take a turn into instrumental jams, and eventually trails off into drawn out soundscapes. While they are interesting, they also seem to go on a little too long, and I'm left wondering where Bowie's vocals went.

Low profile! Not my favorite Bowie, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a 5. I prefer the coked-out ‘I don’t even remember making that one’ album before this. But Sound and Vision is one of his best songs all-time.

Solid. Eclectic. Loved the range of style! The ambient part was perfect for what I was working on last night 😌

This one really surprised me. I was only familiar with the hits and Hunky Dory coming into this.

This is my favorite Bowie album. The album starts off with a bang, the instrumentals are amazing, and it foretells the kind of experimentation Bowie would continue doing until the end of his career. From the get go, Speed of Life sets the tone for the record, with some typically Bowie hits like Breaking Glass and Sound and Vision. MY favorite bowie song of all time, A New Career in a New Town sets the tone for the B side. Although the back half starts with the oppressive Warszawa, it is followed by some hauntingly beautiful melodies showcasing a beautiful collaboration between Bowie and Brian Eno.

Great. Those Eventide drums. Atmosphere.

What a pleasure to spend my Sunday morning with Uncle David. Obviously not my first spin of this album and my listening to it is filtered through memories of people and places. Art Decade is incredibly moving. Always Crashing In The Same Car gives me shivers.

One of the best pieces of anything ever recorded. Fireside chats, who?

Maybe my favourite album. Certainly my favourite Bowie album. Well, the first side anyway. I’m not crazy about the second, ambient side - but the first side is so good. The sound of it changed music. It was the start of the eighties even though the album came out in the 70s. That first side gave birth to synth pop even though it didn’t use synthesizers. The songs are very short and have strong melodies or lyrical ideas. The rhythm section is awesome. If you haven’t heard this. Do yourself a favour.

Bowie + Eno = fiyah

A new goodyear in a new town

🖤

My favourite Bowie album.

No notes. (more Eno?)

It's Low by David Bowie

One of his best, i like how experimental he was getting

Perfect

INCREDIBLE ALBUM. Both the song-oriented A-side, full of bangers and slappers, and the ambient-oriented B-side, with its gorgeous lush soundscapes, are utterly perfect, and together they make one hell of an album experience. A must-listen.

I love an album that doesn't overstay its welcome. You have tight, interesting songwriting on the first side that is just weird enough to keep your interest. Then the GORGEOUS second side which is like Bowie showing up to take you on some kind of adventure. This is easily my favorite album of his. It could have turned into a plodding 80 minute mess, but it works.

Bowie's brilliance is (as always) on full display. Reinventing himself with electronic sounds. How many Masterpiece records can one artist have? If that artist is David Bowie, a lot.

I really liked this one, very strong album

Some very juicy dark kinda grooves. Very enjoyable

Meget bra. Mitt favorittalbum fra Berlintrilogien

You are not Goth until you’ve sat in the dark listening to the B-side of Low, wondering if your radiator is broken or if that’s just Warszawa humming through your bones. This album isn’t just ahead of its time—it sounds like it’s been beamed in from a cooler, lonelier dimension. The A-side gives you jagged, fractured art-pop: clipped drums, synth stabs, and vocal lines that feel like half-remembered thoughts (Sound and Vision is both catchy and existential). But then the B-side descends into ambient introspection, and suddenly you're floating through a grey Berlin morning with nothing but fog and feeling. The production from Brian Eno and Tony Visconti is genius-level. The drums have that signature Eventide-reverb punch, the synths ooze atmosphere, and Bowie’s voice becomes just another layer in the haze. It's a cold album, but in a strangely comforting way—like an emotionally intelligent robot patting your shoulder. Experimental but never pretentious, Low is Bowie at his most forward-thinking and quietly devastating

5/5 Fragmented Frequencies Because Bowie reinvented sadness with a synthesizer and a shrug. This is not an album. It’s a bleeding machine sighing in a Berlin basement.

For some reason time just flies by when I listen to this. It helps that it's a perfect 38 minutes long, as with a lot of Bowie's albums. The first half sounds great, no track outstays its welcome. The second half (which I always thought begins with 'A New Life ..') introduced me to Brian Eno, so thank Low for that.

I come back to this one from time to time. On some days, I love everything about it, on others I much prefer the second half. Warszawa is a masterpiece. Berlin Trilogy is a thing that needs to be explored and re-visited.

Favorites: Speed of Life, Sound and Vision, Be My Wife, Warszawa, Art Decade Wow… What more could I say about this album! Absolutely timeless, and it’s insane that he made this during one of the greatest trilogy of albums of all time alongside Heroes and Station to Station. Just brilliant stuff.

4.5

First thought: Weird. But it's Bowie, so that's not surprising. I've heard Bowie's hits, but nothing from this album. It started as a 3 for me, then moved to a 4. I needed a second listen, and now it's a 5.

Pas le meilleu de Bowie, le deuxième coté a des moments vbraiment étrange mais pas dans le bon sens du terme. Un chef d'oeuvre. 8 out of 5

Basically the best Bowie album ever made alongside Scary Monsters

9.5/10

Brilliant album. Had this on repeat for most of the day and clearly defines what a complete album should sound like. Perfect combination of light and shade: side one's edginess countered by side two's ambience. Exquisite.

Two EPs really. The first one rocks - great band in a groove that wins the fight with over production. The second is Eno ambient-adjacent knob-twiddling. Not for everyone but I am into it.

This one and Station to Station (which I think came up last month) were part of the second tier of Bowie for me - not the superheavy rotation of Ziggy, Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Hunky Dory, Heroes, but just below that. Trying to listen with fresh ears, what I mostly hear is the machine-like insistence of Bowie's band, repeating almost loops, and here Eno's pop weirdness (some of which I also really loved during the same era - there's a lot of stuff that sounds like "Before and After Science" in the background here). It's great.

LOVE IT

Beautiful album. Starts out very pop rock and divulges into an ambient space. Quite the journey

One of many faces of Bowie. Love it.

Not super familiar with this Bowie album but loved it so much. There are weird and interesting instrumentals, things I didn't know Bowie dipped in to much. Exceeded my expectations and listened to this a few times.

Bowie being Bowie, not his best but that is a very high bar

Really love the many moods and textures of this transitional album. Low, Heroes and The Man Who Fell to Earth all seem to be pieces of the same puzzle. Atmospheric and introspective.

every album should just be a collection of little tunes & nothing understands that better than this

Love the Kraftwerk-esque instrumental electronic tracks; before I heard this album I hadn't realized Bowie had anything like them in his catalog. I've warmed up to some of the tracks with vocals too but it's definitely the instrumentals that make Low a 5-star album for me. Shoutout to the little "vrrrt-vvrrttt" noises in "Breaking Glass."

Fina flor do Bowie, fina flor do Eno

This is the second David Bowie album I have listened to in full and I LOVED it! I was surprised by how much I liked the second half. I had no idea that Sound & Vision was on this album. I really liked What in the World, the synthy and electronic elements throughout tickled my ear perfectly.

Don't Look At The Carpet, I Drew Something Awful On It 1001 Albums Generator 12 (04/18/2025) Low is the 11th album by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Bowie, released in early 1977. 1976 was a tough year for Bowie. It may have seen the release of his critically acclaimed Station To Station, but it also saw him at the height of his cocaine addiction, seemingly consistently in controversy that often involved views on a certain German leader and his ideology that lay far to the right of the Overton Window. In Bowie's defense, he did partially blame these comments on living in Los Angeles, which is the most hilarious defense of Nazi apologia that I could imagine. Anyway, all of this controversy led to him and Iggy Pop moving to Berlin (of all places) to get off the powder, which led to what has in retrospect been referred to as "The Berlin Trilogy", of which Low is the first album. It's time for me to admit my biases right out of the gate. Low is my favorite David Bowie album (of the four that I have heard as of writing this), and it's kind of not even close. The sound of this album is very intentionally split in two along the rim of the vinyl. The A side features krautrock-inspired electronic rock and is certainly the more accessible half. The two international singles from this album, Sound And Vision and Be My Wife, are both on this side. The B side features ambient and largely instrumental pieces. It is not at all surprising the Brian Eno was so intimately involved with this album; it has his fingerprints all over it. Side A is one of the best sides of an album I have ever heard. Every single song is fantastic and sounds contemporary today. The weird, abrupt fade in to Speed Of Life, which opens the album, catches the listener off guard, and that almost saw-like synth that plays throughout is so catchy. It feels like a precursor to the New Wave movement. Sound And Vision is perhaps my favorite Bowie tune period. George Murray should be a household name for his work on this album alone; his bass on this song (and really the entire A side) is extremely catchy and funky. Side B is what had this album at a 4.5 instead of a 5 for me for the longest time. As I mentioned before, there isn't really any rock here. All we are left with are electronic textures, ambient soundscapes, and a dark atmosphere. When I first heard this album, I didn't appreciate this, but I have come to love it just as much as the A side. The opener Warszawa is a beautiful introduction to this new sound for Bowie. More that the first half of the song is instrumental, led by Brian Eno's multi-synth arrangement, and the moment where Bowie's voice comes in is powerful. Weeping Wall, which was my least favorite track on earlier listens, has grown on me a lot. It really reminds me of some of the minimalist music that I've heard, such as Music For 18 Musicians or Terry Riley's In C. Subterraneans is a beautiful, dark finale to the album. The saxophone is haunting, and I'll be brave and admit I had no idea Bowie could play the saxophone like that. One last thing: this album is famous for having one of the most imitated drum sounds in all of rock history, and that is not without reason. Whatever black magic and crack Tony Visconti put into this drum sound, especially on the rock side, would probably be illegal if it was sold on the streets. Low marked a new era in one of the most decorated music careers in history, and it more than earns a spot on not only this list, but in the canon of Western music generally. David Bowie revolutionized popular music multiple times throughout his career, and I think this one may be my favorite. 5/5 Favs: Speed Of Life Sound And Vision Subterraneans Least Fav: Art Decade

Incredible

I prefer Heroes but this is still a great record, favorite for decades

Loved it, what a ride!

turns into a john carpenter soundtrack for the second half

Amazing - one of my favourites not just of Bowie, but in general

I love David Bowie's Berlin period, including the Iggy Pop albums he helped write/produce. There is something so exciting hearing an artist exploring new sounds, and this album is essentially the initial experimentations that he would expand on "Heroes". While this album lacks more of Brian Eno's presence, and is missing the amazing work by Robert Fripp, it's still phenomenal and kind of amazing that it got released. Considering how big of a start David Bowie was, releasing an experimental electro influenced album with half of the tracklist as instrumentals, in addition to the fact that he didn't tour this album, is kind of crazy looking back. I go back and forth between my favorite albums from this era, but it's all fascinating material. "Sound and Vision" is an obvious highlight, but I still love "Always Crashing in the Same Car" and "Be My Wife".

What a cool & experimental record

This is the first time I've listened to this album and I love it. I think this is the perfect point in my life to listen to and appreciate Low. Had I given this a spin when I was much younger, I would have most likely dismissed it as "too weird" since I would have been looking for something more like any of his previous albums. I love how this sounds both futuristic and ancient. Some of my favorites are Speed of Life, Always Crashing in the Same Car and Warszawa.

This has always been up there for my favorite Bowie album. Even before I did a postpunk deep dive and saw how often this album is referenced as an inspiration. Sound and Vision is right up there as maybe my favorite Bowie song. On the back side, it's such a unique feeling that the ambience carries me too. I feel nostalgia for it yet never heard it when I was younger. The album art as well is beautiful and my favorite of his. I got to throw Bowie a perfect rating somewhere so might as well do it here. 12th perfect rating, 645 albums in Rating: 5.0

I mean it’s Bowie. How could it not be perfect?

This is #day239 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... I'm starting to wonder what's going on with this list because here we are with my sixth consecutive 5 out of 5. Not complaining, though! It’s been a while since a Bowie record popped up. Low is from my favorite Bowie era: the Berlin years. Actually, if you look at his '70s discography, it’s wild how many incredible albums he released in just a decade. But then, at what a personal cost... I love Low. Listening to it makes me feel right at home. The experimental instrumental pieces stand out, making up almost half the album. But the avant-pop and art-rock fragments deserve equal attention, too. This album has a very distinct sound: the drums and synths show how much of a playground music was at that time. A few of my favorites include Speed of Life, Sound and Vision, A New Career in a New Town, and, of course, Warszawa. Looking forward to #day240.

The closest Bowie got to Laing a goth record. I love it.

Visionary stuff. Strange angular plastic post-glam on one side and gleaming, synth-slathered electronic futurism on the other. Bowie spending time in Berlin in the 70s is one of those perfect instances of right person, right time, right place and Low is a tremendous document of the moment that his credentials at the forefront of modern British pop music met the 'new' European sound (Neu!, Tangerine Dream, Faust et al). As perfect as albums come. Certainly Bowie's finest hour. And look at that sleeve art. A resounding five.

Bowie will always be 5/5

my name is john pork and im gay and i love david bowie

Our first of I assume 57 Bowie albums finally hit. As a lifelong Bowie indifferent person, this is was a great experience. God this album is so strong. The first two tracks are great, and then the Iggy Pop collab just runs away with it. I don't love Sound and Vision, Always crashing is a little sleepy but really solid, and Be my wife rules. Such a beautiful shift on A new Career where the rest of the album went almost fully ambient. It's so good. I love you, Brian Eno. Those ambient tracks are so good oh my god. I think sort of disliking one song makes this a 5, right?