Low

Muito daora speed of life, be my wife tbm é zica, sound and vision é uma jóia nesse album também, curti sim.

Ehh. I felt the album started out quite strong, but the second half was mostly just instrumentals that all felt a bit plodding and middling, in my opinion. I might need more time to rediscover this one.

This album really didn’t do it for me like I expected from from a Bowie album. It was clearly well produced and thought out just didn’t appeal to me. Even if i had the option to give it 3.5 i’d still give it a 3. The last few songs were almost spooky which may very well be your vibe! i read that bowie wrote this as he walked across war torn berlin and i think that definitely comes through in the album which is a testament to his skills as an artist. so anyways this is a good album just not an album for me. i did save one song: sound and vision. for what it’s worth idk what about this album didn’t speak to me because i like weird music and even spooky music sometimes. idk.

Kinda funky, not bad.

sound track: Warszawa, Subterraneans, be my wife I dont feel it's an active listening, is more an ambient experience combining electronic and experimental ambient, great background, wouldn't intentionally go back to it again. personally I dont see it as its most remarkable work, probably the hype of the album lies more on the artist rather than the actual content of it

Never knew much about Mr. Bowie outside of his eccentricity. Surprisingly heavy instrumentation. Appreciate the instrumentals more than the vocals. Later half of the project was more enjoyable.

Heavy electronics, a lot of dance and techno tracks. No one outstanding track, but solid overall. Bowie always seemed to me to be a chameleon, changing his sound and appearance every few years. Reinventing. This album was recorded after being addicted to cocaine in the 70s, and used these sessions as the means to work and stay sober. Recorded in France and finished in Berlin, and really kicked off second major phase of his career. 3 stars. Listenable but not great.

Really love the musicality of David Bowie. It's both something refreshing and familiar at the same time.

hermosos instrumentales, pero sin letras no conecto y derrepente hay sonidos muy randoms, demasiado artistico para mi. para poner de fondo :)

I like the album, but don't love it. From his later work and while good music a bit abstract for my taste. Much more enjoy his earlier stuff.

- Many instrumentals - Very 80s - not my usual but still pretty good

Average Bowie album. Not the best, not the worst

its okay

Interesting progression from start to finish

Trying not to rate albums just based on the artist and the fame / expectation around their name so here goes - I didn’t love this ambient instrumental album. I think I’ll listen to it again but it’s just not what I love about his work.

Jeg må si at Low har ikke vært noen højdare for meg. Jeg har vært mest opptatt av Ziggy, Young Americans osv., men Berlin-trilogien har vært litt for lavmælt. Dessuten har Kraftwerk vært det mest fremtredende krautrock-bandet for meg, og der syns jeg alltid Bowie har bleknet i sine bidrag til krautrocken. Mens Gary Numan og Tubeway Army har tatt det et steg videre. I dag viber jeg bedre med Low. Det er en ligge med henda bak hodet på divanen-vibe. Husket bare "Speed of Life" og "Sound and Vision" fra plata. Sistnevnte fordi Beck gjorde en storslått og formidabel cover. Til tider tenker jeg viben har vært viktigere enn å skrive låter. For eksempel slutter "Sound and Vision" så brått at det virker som Bowie tenkte han hadde en kjempeidé, men ikke visste hvordan han avsluttet den. Beck skrev en coda til den da han covret den, og løftet låta. Egentlig er det flere låter som lider av å virke som gode ideer uten avslutning, for eksempel "Be My Wife". "Always Crashing in the Same Car" balanserer vibe og låt godt, men generelt føles det ut som det egentlig finnes en extended cut av plata som plateselskapet kunne casha inn på. Instrumentaldelen av plata er rett og slett kjedelig. Låt sikkert helt utrolig da synthmusikk var nytt, men jeg syns ikke det har holdt seg så bra.

Not my favorite. Lots of trippy instrumentals, maybe good for a mushroom trip.

Maybe I've just never been a Bowie fan. I liked it, not loved it. I do love the song "Sound and Vision" though.

Experimental, I'll give it that. I personally feel like it came at the cost of some enjoyment. There's such a thing as too avant-garde and I feel like this embodies it. Too many random noises for me that don't really feel included in the music.

2/3. A lot of cool instrumentals, once again feels like an album that really benefits from being listened to all the way through. I’ll be coming back to this.

Good

Nothing really stands out to me. The electronic stuff I’m sure was new for the time but the songs are ok.

sound and vision is one of my favourite bowie songs but i found this difficult to stay with otherwise

Didn't expect this album to turn into a beautiful, spacey, ambient, and somewhat jazzy fusion by the second half of it.

Bon, il n'a pas enregistré mon commentaire, heureusement, je peux le rajouter à posteriori, mais ça casse un peu les noix. Donc, je disais, c'est un peu bizarre, comme album, parce que franchement, la première face, ça m'a semblé assez osef et je commence vraiment à me demander ce que les gens trouvent de si extraordinaire à David Bowie. Puis la face B arrive et là, c'est tout de suite plus intéressant. Cette fois, on passe à de la musique plus ambient, réalisée en collaboration avec Brian Eno, ceci expliquant cela. Donc finalement, c'est plutôt sympathique.

First half pop. Second half ambient. All shot through his electronic influences. Best of the 3 Bowie I've had so far.

Be My Wife

top 3: - sound and vision - subterraneans - breaking glass I enjoyed this album and think the instrumental tracks were beautiful but maybe slightly too many in a row for me personally. I don’t know if it’s an album I’d come back to often except for specific tracks but it was definitely worth listening to.

songs with words not bad, didn't grab me with the first listen.

Ja, det er jo et album... med bakgrunnsmusikk?

Mycket instrumentalt, inte riktigt min grej.

Endo yay, that's about it

Maybe need to come back didn’t love it in this time frame

There are lots of strong moments in this Bowie record but as a collective it left me feeling a bit confused and lost, especially over the last 3-4 conceptual, atmospheric instrumental tracks. First 4 tracks - great examples of Bowie's songwriting, topped off with my favourite track of the album ‘Sound and Vision’. The remainder of the record - confusing and inconsistent. Bowie was clearly being experimental with this album, but for me this is a strong 5, soft 6.

the purely musical tracks are SO GOOD but I fear the actual songs kinda lacked for me

Gillar sound and vision mycket. Resten behöver jag nog sitta mer med

I didn't expect this album to be so ambient. It's like a mixture of feelings in instrumentals with very few lyrics. Good album overall.

very……. fine 3.4/5

last couple of songs were pretty cool, made me think of brian eno. turns out he also helped on this album.

Starts strong but the instrumental tracks are so so.

Low was overly ambitious. While it had really high highs , it also had really low lows, balancing each other out, but overall making a mediocre listen.

3.5 This was pretty good. I never listened to Bowie before, this was my first. For an experimental album, it’s a pretty easy and enjoyable listen. I’m also partial to electronic and ambient music, but there’s still hardcore guitars like in Be My Wife, as well as pianos, harmonicas and other live instruments so it’s a good mix. Very interesting melodies and sounds that makes for an overall very theatrical sound.

I like the first half

I appreciate what Bowie was charting out to do here, and I appreciate the instrumentals on the back half, but I don't think this album lands as more than a curiosity through his discography. I mean truly, aside from the die hards, what Bowie fan is gonna dig this out of their stack of vinyl over something else? It's good, but doubt I'll ever find my way back to it.

No private session used for Spotify. I am into a lot of Bowie albums, but never got into this one. It's more experimental and less poppy, without that mainstream anchor song a lot of his albums have.

Different Bowie - reminded me of an trippy Radiohead like sound

Strong start. Weird end. Would listen again.

3.27/5 Stars Top Songs: Be My Wife, Sound and Vision, and What in the World

The first of the Berlin trilogy of albums. Good not sure they break any new ground but well produced good songs.

Ok

Fucking weird man.

Alright. As a Bowie album I find it more listenable overall, but it lacks in my mind a killer single to elevate it. Feels like background music overall so it all balances out I guess.

Very different halves to this album, both with their strengths.

I was going to write something here about the album but when looking at the Wiki track listing to get the track names right, I saw that Brian Eno was on my highlight song - Warszawa. So I'll just say: All tunes, especially on this list, lead to Eno

Nice retro rock/jazz, pretty good

Found this a little weary in places.

This was fine. I'm finding myself increasingly using ZZ Top as the ultimate point of reference for rock that wasn't bad but didn't necessarily hit me in the same way as some of the better music I've listened to. Some good riffs in here but wish the vocals played a more prominent role throughout the album.

Interesting but not my favourite Bowie personally. I think it's hugely admirable that someone who has an image as a huge rock front man did an album with a huge amount of instrumental material. I would absolutely think that I'd be the target market. In this case unfortunately, I don't think I gell with the instrumental style so much. It has a lot less grove than young American era Bowie, less harmonic interest than hunky dory era, and yet it doesn't have a stark aesthetic like ambient artists. Falls between the gaps a little bit for my tastes. Still great music.

It’s kinda weird and feels like it was specifically made for each song to be used in a movie.

Was kind of surprised when the album ended: not much stuck to me, but what was there was pleasant and often a vibe to listen to.

A rather classic bowie first half coupled to a dark and sombre second. Sound and visions was most enjoyable to me, props to the instrumentals. In the second half some building on the ambiance would have been nice.

Low follows a similar structure as its successor, and my unpopular opinion has always been that this is a worse album than Heroes. Both sides are worse on this. The rock side is full of interesting sounds and perfectly produced bass and percussion. Despite how nice it sounds though, the songs feel underdeveloped, with few memorable melodies or choruses. "Sound and Vision" is the exception, it slowly builds into the best song on the album. The second side is ambient-adjacent electronic. Even if I was a fan of ambient I'm not sure I'd want to listen to it after the rock side; "A New Career in a New Town" acts as a decent transition but the two sides feel a bit like two albums smushed together. Maybe Bowie's best sounding album, but not among his best overall.

cool instrumentals mr bowie

I really wanted to like this album. Bowies awesome and ahead of his time and as others have said he is from another planet (in so many wonderful ways). Side B is alien spooky Film Music for alienating filmscapes (from what I can tell) and it creeped me out a little. He always lived his life as a true artist. It doesn't make this album essential or especially enjoyable listening (except for deep Bowie fans or those who want encyclopaedic coverage of emergence of each individual sound and substyle in the western canon, which even the majority of listening here aren't). IMHO doesn't belong here...

It was interesting to listen to a version of Bowie I hadn’t heard before, but this sound just wasn’t for me. It felt a little too silly at times, but overall definitely not bad. Best Track: Sound and Vision

The Low point of Bowie for me. Not bad but not the Bowie I prefer.

One of the Berlin Trilogy. Influences by Tangerine Dream.

First half great, second half fucking stupid. Would’ve given it a 2 if I hadn’t gone back and listened to the first half again.

3.0 - Ok

Enjoyed listening to the whole of this album, I have sound + vision single from this album, funnily enough I’ve just read a Biography of Bowie

Inventive and ambient and weird. Let em never know ur next move.

Ok decent experiment

Couple of gems but jamming, ambient Bowie isn’t my favorite Bowie.

I love Bowie, but didn’t really love this one. It wasn’t bad (still Bowie), but not great, to me.

if I wanted a soundtrack to a bad 80s scifi movie then I'd just watch one

A couple of nice melodies, but it’s so forgettable. Too may instrumental only tracks here. Bowie’s voice was wonderful and this did not showcase that godt enough. It’s the epitome of “fine”.

Also very good, also doesn't fully hold my attention

Okay so this was something I was pretty excited to listen to. In middle school I listened the shit out of Space Odity and Starman. Past that tho I didn’t know anything about David Bowie’s music. I’m happy that I took the time to listen to this pretty thoroughly, I’ve heard every song at least 3 times and side one I’ve heard many more times. I definitely liked it more than I thought I would on first listen. Favourite tracks in order best to worst: Sound and Vision, Breaking Glass, Always Crashing the Same Car, Speed of Life

I swear I like David Bowie's voice, I really do. However, the vocal tracks on this album don't catch me, but the instrumental, experimental tracks? Incredible. Warszawa, Art Decade, Weeping Wall, and Subterraneans are amazing. The soundscapes are dreamy, invocative, otherworldly. If this album were only songs like this it'd be a 5/5 for me. Overall, it's closer to a 3.5 than a 3.

Another Bowie album that I understand why it's on that list. Quirky at times, well paced at first and then a change into instrumental ambient music. Well done. I just don't enjoy Bowie very much. 3 stars

Its definitely good music but i'm not crazy about it...

Very experimental album. Not a big fan of half the songs being instrumentals. Sound and vision is a great song, I really like the repetitive, stuck instrumentals a lot of the songs have. Bowie never fails to be cool, love the otherworldy sounds and themes of Low.

Really great

I like this more than other Bowie albums because there's less of his vocals.

Was pretty excited about his one. A Bowie album I'm not familiar with and with a description that sounded pretty cool. That being said, it's FAR from my favorite of his material. Experimentation is cool and all, but a lot of this just didn't do it for me.

Nice album

Fav: sound and vision Second part good for reading

Not bad, 3/5 mostly instrumentals? which i dont really associate with bowie idk

It's alright, pretty different but still Bowie. Not an album I was familiar with, knew a couple of the songs without realising they were him. Big fan of the moody tone overall, just not that many big hitters here.

It's pretty good, yes, but frankly I like Bowie's words. He doesn't use them here. It sounds more Brian Eno than Bowie, which I don't mind, but I wanted Bowie from this. If I wanted Eno I would've listened to Eno or Passengers.

I'm starting to notice a pattern with Bowie's music. I get an album, get super excited, then when I listen to it, realize I'm not vibing with it as much as I thought I would. Don't know what it really is, but a lot of his music sounds pretty dated to my ears. Which is interesting, because he basically either pioneered these sounds, or perfected them. Just happens to have picked genres that have aged IMO, rather than feel timeless. It's a solid album. Tracks like Speed of Life and Always Crashing in the Same Car are great. But most of the vibes of these songs just aren't hitting my ears. Felt the same way with Heroes. Ziggy Stardust is about the only album of his so far where I've been able to enjoy the majority of the album. Will say the second half of the album is more interesting. In kind of a reverse of Heroes, where the instrumentals were the weak part, this one has the instrumentals be the better side. Somewhat Kraftwerk-y sci-fi vibes while also being jangly. Can definitely see Sufjan Stevens being influenced by this album. So yeah. Good stuff, just not really interesting me much.

weird. 6/10

Helt ok.

If you hadn't listened to Bowie before this wouldn't be the best first album to listen to. But having known the history of the album and listened to other Bowie I enjoyed it and heard some songs I'd never heard before so a nice way to listen to even more Bowie.

Wasn't in the mood for this one. I'll enjoy it more in the future.

It was alright. But not the worst thing I've heard this week. Lots going on. Give it a 3 for being unusual

Great

Viel elektronische Experimente, einige Instrumental-Stücke. 3/5

Not overly familiar with this one, not fantastic. Lost me with the last 3 tracks

A relaxing album, maybe not what I seek from Bowie but a interesting change of pace.

it's named after the rating I'm giving it.

Not my fav Bowie, another fine album.

Uma experiência interessante

This album is pretty good, but there's no need to have this many Bowie albums on the list

Given how much I like Hunky Dory, it's weird to me how little interest I've had in Bowie's other work. Glad I'm finally being pushed to give it a try. Listening notes: -There's so much going on here. Jazzy influences, Kosmische influences. Not sure it comes together seamlessly, but its cool. -Yeah kinda a hodgepodge, with a few very boring tracks mixed in -Lyrically not that compelling Review: The first and second halves of this album feel broadly unrelated to each other. Some really interesting pop-rocky songs in the first half, and some nice weird ambient in the back half. Altogether, less than the sum of its parts.

Amazing

Low will be my ninth (ninth! There are *nine* David Bowie albums on this list! If I could insert a gif of Jeffery Jones as Principal Rooney saying 'nine times' into my review, I would) and final David Bowie album to review. Look, I like David Bowie, but nine albums is a ton. A couple of them have been great (Station to Station and Ziggy Stardust), one has been a dud (Heroes, don't come at me), and the rest have been fine. The man was one of the best musicians to ever live, and he was an icon, but Jesus, he's over represented on this list. I have no idea if I'll love or hate this album, but based on the fact that I didn't like the only other album from the Berlin Trilogy that I've heard, I'm approaching this with... *low* expectations. Another Bowie album, another middle-of-the-road result. Low wasn’t really my cup of tea. I appreciate what it meant for David Bowie’s career, and it was cool to hear more of his work with Brian Eno, but in a general sense, I thought that Low was just fine. I felt like Low was an uneven experience, mostly due to the more traditional songs that were peppered in with the avant-garde and experimental songs. I didn’t mind the avant-garde songs, but they’re not the type of things that I would want to listen to again, especially when I can fire up other works of Bowie’s. My enjoyment of the guitar playing and synthesizers ebbed and flowed quite a bit over the course of this album, and it was pretty rare that everything clicked for me. I think I enjoyed the second side of Low more than the first side, mostly because it was a more even experience. It was weird, but most of it was beautiful in its own strange way. “Sound and Vision” and “Be My Wife” were my favorite songs on the album. On “Sound and Vision,” I really loved that steam hiss percussion sound, and the guitars were excellent. The vocals were great, and there was a great groove to the song as well. I really liked the bluesy sound of “Be My Wife,” and the bass groove was really excellent too. Low was an interesting experience, but I think it’s a one-and-done for me.

Ik vind dit album altijd wel tekenend voor een unieke fase in een carrière gekenmerkt door opvallende wendingen. De eerste helft pakt het concept krautrock, en infused dat met early new wave en indie rock. Het is echt een geluid dat we bijvoorbeeld veel terug horen bij LCD Soundsystem. Echt veel 'hits' staan er niet op deze plaat, maar het werkt wel goed. De tweede helft van de plaat is natuurlijk de geest van Eno die de vingers aan de knoppen heeft, waar hij volledig ambient is. Dit luistert uiteraard heel anders dan kantje één, maar je wist waar je aan toe was als je deze plaat op voorhand al kende. 'Warszawa' is wel een verdomd kille song, en onvergetelijk. Het eindvonnis is dat het een beetje een vreemde plaat is, heel eigenzinnig, zonder de échte hits (Sound and Vision komt in de buurt) die - al was Bowie vaak cutting edge - altijd wel aanwezig zijn op zijn albums. Kantje één een 7, kantje twee een 6. 6,5/10 Highlights: Sound and Vision Always Crashing in the Same Car Warszawa

En weer is daar Eno in deze lijst. Zijn invloed is echt niet weg te denken. Low is dan ook de aftrap van hun samenwerking en tevens meest artistieke periode van Bowie. En ook al zijn sommige tracks iets te eigenzinnig en ambient for my taste heb ik wel genoten van het bijzondere 'geluid' van Low. Het zet voor de tijd waarin het is gemaakt een nieuwe sound neer, wat hij deels heeft kunnen experimenteren bij Iggy. Ik heb nog een paar luisterbeurten nodig om Low echt goed te doorgronden maar ben aardig positief. 7/10 Highlights Sound and Vision

This is David Bowie. One minute I am grooving out to Sound and Vision, then things get weird. The second half just seems like the Jazz Odyssey scene from Spinal Tap. Thus is the price for experimentation.

I kind of like the slinky oddball electronic songs on the back half and thought the first half was solid.

Good vibes

A lot of instrumentals

Uh oh. David Bowie isn’t doing it for me. Plus, way too many instrumentals.

I really liked "Warsaw" and songs after Warsaw, calmer and darker ones

Another solid entry from David Bowie. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as others but it’s still really good. I think this would be a good headphones album.

Wasn’t expecting an instrumental Bowie album. Sounds much like spa music that wants to give you just a bit of a creepy vibe.

Not really my favorite Bowie album. Seemed very low energy and slow.

Definitely one to listen to with the wired earbuds. Another atmospheric and ambient sound from the Berlin trilogy. I was into the beeps and boops, not as into the chanting and low humming like I was on trial before the ancient alien council. The songs that do have lyrics are pretty sparse and I like it that way. Sound and Vision is obviously the commercial hit here and is hands down one of my favorites of all time.

The album is fine but doesn't rise to the level that other Bowie albums did for me (e.g. Blackstar). The album is split, with the first half being more standard rock/pop tunes (with vocals) and the back half being instrumentals. This kind of division made more sense back in the day of records, where there was an A side and a B side. My favorite track is from the back side, an instrumental called Art Decade (which, amusingly, is the *least* Spotify-played track on the album). Interesting to read the back-story about how Bowie and Iggy Pop were such besties - they moved to Europe together to try to detox, and Bowie spent some time as Iggy's keyboardist on tour.

Very Eno-esque jaunty instrumentals in some parts, but a lot of the instrumentals just faded into the background when not anchored by Bowie's always excellent vocals. The only song that really stood out (for me and apparently everyone else) was 'Sound & Vision.' But this is definitely a Bowie album only super fans would pay attention to, and it really shouldn't be on this list given the other (better) Bowie albums represented.

Loved the first half. Side 2 was unexpected. Very moody and very few vocals. Love the moodiness, but miss Bowie's vocals. Seems almost like Eno had a huge hand in that side.

It's fine, but Bowie is way over represented on this list.

Somewhat artsy and lazy, but some good moments.

Hate to say it but we’ve had too much Bowie lately. While I’ll always love his voice, I honestly don’t like a lot of his songs overall or find them quite forgettable. (2.5 stars)

Easy to listen to.

It was fine

Maybe a touch overrated? To my continued surprise it’s just never clicked for me. I admire and appreciate its influence and what he (and to a lesser extent, Visconti and Eno) were up to but the songs alone never quite do land the way a lot of his catalog does.

While I like a lot about this, after a while the numerous instrumentals kind of makes it recede into the background. It's an interesting listen, and yeah, the Eno influence is palpable. I appreciate what Bowie was doing, even if it isn't necessarily something I'd seek out. I added several songs from it to my Instrumentals playlist, so that's something.

I have a feeling this album will grow on me with more listens. Always extra stars for sax.

At least I got the total junk Bowie--his 234th and 235th albums--out of the way a couple weeks back. Way back at his 11th album now, at least the stuff sounds a little more inspired. The first two songs are pretty rocking. Third track is pretty whack. A New Career in a New Town is like proto-house in the beat. At some point the album starts sounding like the movie score for an explorative science fiction in the 80s. I guess heroine is a hell of a drug. 3/5, as one of the better Bowie albums I've heard from the 400 on this list.

No moze grac w tle w pracy

Speed of Life - 10/10 Breaking Glass - 7/10 What in the world - 7/10 Sound and vision - 8.5/10 Always crashing - 7.5/10 Be My Wife - 8.5/10 A new career - 8/10 Warszawa - 10/10 Art Decade - 6.5/10 Weeping wall - 7.5/10 Subterraneans - 10/10

3/5. Eerste deel matig tot goed. Tweede deel vooral saai en vervelend

An absolutely fascinating project in that its second half is demonstrably more captivating than its first half. It seems like two of Bowles friends were big inspirations for this one: Iggy Pop & Brian Eno. The front side of Low sounds like the Iggy side; standard proto-punk rock that was a slog to get through. But the back half is soooo worth it; mostly lyricless, electronic, ambient, and experimental. Seriously, as soon as “Warszawa” starts off side B, things get interesting. Dramatic, suspenseful, and eerie. “Art Decade” has the same drum machine sound that much of Eno’s “Another Green World” has. “Weeping Wall” continues to sound like a progenitor for AGW, with some waiting-room-style keys and bells. “Subterraneans” closes the project out on a climactic note, I love the horns coming in at the end of it all. Really hard to be fair about this one, as I enjoyed none of the first half, while I loved the second half. Let’s go 3/5, Bowie seemed to be reaching for things more than executing an exact idea to his usual standard of perfection. But always a good day when it’s a Bowie album regardless

A solid 70's record, it's easy to have this play in the background. But then, I have to compare this to other Bowie records, and then it's just mediocre. Would not be in my Top 5 Bowie picks.

I appreciate the experimentation.

Very strange instrumental start that didn't really do it for me. Glad to get onto Sound and Vision for some singing. End tracks were instrumental but interesting.

I'm positive that the song Be My Wife has never helped anybody obtaining a wife. It's odd. I don't know much Bowie but I like this, different sounds but a few songs are just instrumental which is also unique.

This one is an interesting choice for me. I return to "Low" less often than I do to its predecessor "Station to Station" and its successor "Heroes," which is probably my favorite Bowie album. It was quite a daring move for the pop star to begin the album with an instrumental composition and have a second side that seemed like a soundtrack to an unrealized movie project. While the A side tracks have fine moments ("Sound and Vision" is a favorite), I'm distracted by some lyrics that run counter to the futuristic vision Bowie had seemed to be about. Phrases like "little girl" and "be my wife" seem to harken back to older, more conservative values than we'd heard from him before. Maybe he was always this sexist and middle class. I think there may be more of Bowie in another album he produced around the same time: Iggy Pop's "The Idiot" (Iggy contributed vocals to the "Low" track "What in the World").

Half this album was instrumental which I like as long as there’s lyrics anywhere in the song. Some of them took 3 min to start singing or just didn’t sing at all. The songs that did have lyrics were pretty good. Very 70’s vibes

Very vibey album. If I am in the right headspace I would listen again.

Grateful that this stuff exists! It is prog pop like we know from Bowie. After a few songs it more moves to being a Brian Eno album though. I thought it not to be distinctly Bowie and more general ambient-like. Not necessarily bad it was fine but it takes away from the vibe I got at the start of this record.

Good, but not special.

More Bowie that gets me in a good place. Surprised once again with these Berlin albums as to how much instrumental music is on it. Much broader use of instruments on this one compared to Heros. Liked it.

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

Great

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

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

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

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

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

Good listen.

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

Showcases some guitar skills.

Melodic. Needs a relisten

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

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

Preferred the ambient side of the album.

okay. not my fav bowie album

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

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

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

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

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

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

Não atinge o meu gosto musical, desculpa David Bowie

3/5.

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

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

I do like the one

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

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

Comforting. Movie soundtrack.

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

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

Interesting sounds for the time

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

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

3.0 RYM

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

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

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

Fairly easy listening but nothing too exciting

Love second half first half is not my vibe

Prefer Bowie before Low. I liked the album.

It’s ok.

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

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

A side was great. B side not so much

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

pretty good, hella ambient

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

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

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

meh

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

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

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

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

soso

It was alright

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

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

not my jam

Meh?

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

I wonder if bowie ever read mein kampf

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

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

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

far out

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

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

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

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

Didnt know david was so experimental

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

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

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

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

decent album, great synths

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

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

Alright

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

6/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liked, but not likely to back to it

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

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

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

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

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

Not my favorite Bowie but has some interesting tracks.

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

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

This was OK

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

I think this album is overhyped

I love Bowie Cool but not my fav

3.5

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

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

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

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

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

eh

3/5 nice ambiance

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good mid level Bowie

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

Probably my least favorite Bowie album.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not his best, saved by a couple if tunes

very weird compilation of rock and psychedelic music

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

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

Not my cup of tea

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

quite good to be fair

Not as good as his later music.

3.2

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

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

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

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

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

5/10

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

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

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

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

Atmospheric and interesting, but far from my favorite Bowie.

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

Veel instrumentaal

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

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

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

I actually enjoyed the latter half more.