Aladdin Sane

Solid Bowie album, probably not my favorite or best

Fine.

some great, mostly ok. listened to young americans instead. 3

Overrated

Did not relisten - Very good, consistent album.

Fun Bowie. Made me want to move around a bit, kind of put me in a better mood. Only complaint was the piano throughout seemed a little like a crazy person playing... Which I guess is fitting

A dazzling glimpse into a mind unafraid of theatrical excess and razor-sharp songwriting. The mix of glam swagger, surreal lyricism, and Mike Garson’s wild piano runs - it all feels like a fever dream.

I like Bowie but, other than Jean Genie, I just couldn't make a connection with the content. Should probably slap the headphones on and give it a proper listen.

I've already listened to his album (2). Better than I remembered. Probably one of Bowie's bests, but not *the* best. Cracked Actor is phenomenal.

Bowies GOAT era

Bobbins

I expected to enjoy this more than I did, but the only real banger is Jean Genie

Are there too many Bowie albums on this list, yes. Do I think this one should be on here, also yes

I've never listened to this album, because Bowie really isn't my thing. But I made it through, and it wasn't bad! But I still don't think I'd go out and buy it.

Overall, it was good. There were a couple songs that weren't too pleasing to the ear, but the rest of the songs made up for them. Bowie tends to not miss.

There's too much going on in every song or something. Nothing sounded bad but everything was just weird enough to be not great. I feel very neutral toward this one

i could see it being really important at the time in terms of queer representation in pop culture. a few neat little songs, didn’t do much for me

My first David Bowie album. I had a lot of fun listening to this and liked it a lot more than the last one. Some tracks were slow and not very interesting but others were bursting with energy and rhythm! Definitely something I would listen to again and something that makes me want to listen to more of his work.

Geen Bowie fan, maar aangename plaat. 3 sterren

девід боуві топчик!!!!

4 08.11.2025

Watch That Man - 8/10 Aladdin Sane - 9.5/10 Drive-In-Saturday - 8/10 Panic In Detroit - 8.5/10 Cracked Actor - 9/10 Time - 8.75/10 The prettiest star - 8/10 Lets spend the night together - 8/10 The jean genie - 9/10 Lady grinning soul - 8/10

Definitely requires another listen but has nice vibes that I'd listen to on a walk

Det var ikke noe for meg. Men grei introduksjon til Bowie.

It was alright. I’m not a huge fan of the way it is mixed though, feel like the vocals were a little subdued. Haven’t really gotten much into Bowie before and this was the first one I’ve come across so far on this challenge.

4.5, maybe 5 with additional listens.

A little chaotic, especially the piano - but overall enjoyable rock

One of Bowie's best

Another great early Bowie album. Some of it sounds like poetry , others straight and of course there is The Jean Genie.

4.5

I was really excited for this album for various reasons. First and most importantly, I've never heard a Bowie record all the way through, I was not disappointed. Secondly, I'd heard that 70s Bowie was particularly instrumental because of some conflicts in his contract and a creative way to stick it to the man, but that's a memory and I'm not sure it's 100% spot on. There were undoubtedly some quite beautiful musical arrangements that, for the sake of my personal taste, I would've rearranged in the album to grab me quickly and make me yearn to replay. The record starts off with Watch That Man, pretty catchy, well produced, and it expresses immediately that there's an American music culture influence. While letting us know its north is appreciated, it's also the part of the album that makes me not need to revisit it. I listened to it twice just to make sure I'm not jumping the gun. If the album started backwards, starting off with Lady Grinning Soul and ending with Watch That Man, just in thought, feels like a better way to appease to my personal tastes and the way I appreciate rock. Alternatively, starting out with Time on the B side, one of my personal favorites from the project, and ending with the A-side to lull you into the core of its influence, might be a cool way to appreciate the project. If I think about it that way, I'd definitely snag this on vinyl if I see it around at a decent price. Not looking to pay collectors' prices for this one though. 3/5

I always found it to be the least interesting of the modern/middle-era Bowie albums. Still better than his first 2-3 though before he shook off the folksy thing. (Laughing Gnome, anyone?) Truth is I might have only listened to the whole thing 2 times then forgot about it. Listening to it twice in the previous 24 hours has made me rethink that! It's got a lot of fairly intricate musicianship going on, especially the pianos and synths. The regular band (Spiders!) are here and they added a jazzy/groovy keyboardist that really changed things up here. None of it really jumps out and hooks me in, but listening intently to almost all it, there are great bits to be heard. There really was no need to cover Let's spend the night together. I will definitely come back to listen to this again. I think it's a grower.

Not bad.

other albums are better

Great Album!

Bowie is always tapped as being the most out of his mind during his heyday but I feel like the bad were as equally out there. Aladdin Sane is an odd odd song. Drive In Saturday is what I’m talking about in regards to what I want to hear. This is another classic Bowie album and I can’t put my finger on why that is. It’s just that this album doesn’t exceed my expectations of what I wanted it to be and it doesn’t disappoint. Drive In Saturday Cracked Actor Time The Prettiest Star Jean Genie All good songs that propel This album. Choice cut: The Prettiest Star

I have an ambivalent relation with Bowie. On one hand, a huge part of his work has a pop vibe I don’t really care for ; on the other hand, he was clearly a risk-taker, constantly experimenting with new sounds, and managed to produce some amazing pieces of music. This is reflected in most of his albums, where I can usually find 3-4 great songs I love, while the rest I forget as soon as I’ve finished listening. I had never listened to Aladdin Sane, but I found the same ratio here. The title song Aladdin Sane is a phenomenal track, with the sax and piano almost going into free jazz territory ; Cracked Actor is a great rock song ; Time is a burlesque gem I could listen three times in a row ; and Lady Grinning Soul is a very surprising song I truly enjoyed. But other songs like Drive In Saturday, Panic in Detroit, Prettiest Star or Let’s Spend The Night Together just left me indifferent. A nice album overall – Bowie never really made *bad* music – but also not an album that will radically change my opinion of him.

Обычный рок

Day577 - such an iconic album cover and bowie’s a genius for sending the ziggy persona out with a bang

Second Bowie album on my journey, and my opinions are more or less the same as they were for Low. That is, it’s alright. Lyrically, he’s a genius, and the titular song “Aladdin Sane” going crazy with the piano was downright funny. I love Bowie and his voice, but nothing really blows me away here, with one exception. I know he’s made an unbelievable amount of music, but I’ve never actively seeked any out, and I’d never heard any of these songs before, just like with Low. It needs to be said though, of all the songs on this album, “Lady Grinning Soul” is perhaps one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, and it came out of nowhere as the final track. That riff at the end is beautiful and I think I listened to it on repeat 30+ times before looping the album again. That song really did blow me away. This album rocks a hell of a lot more than Low did as a whole. If I gave that album a 3.4, this is at least a 3.8. Also worth mentioning, the album art is one of the most iconic pictures of Bowie that exists, and man is it cool. I’d get that on a poster or wear it as a shirt for sure. Maybe I should do a separate ranking of album arts as a side project. That could be a lot of fun actually. This one is S tier for sure.

Bangers all the way down.

Hmmm. Ikke for mig

Nice

Not a David Bowie lover :(

Iconic album cover of Bowie. While the sound of the record itself definitely felt like the Bowie I'm used to hearing and expect, it wasn't that interesting. Didn't find any particular song that I really liked here. If you like Bowie a lot you'll enjoy this album, but none of his more memorable songs are here in my opinion. Weak 3.

I know this is an iconic album, but I barely knew any tracks from it. I was curious to see if it lived up to the hype, but honestly, I didn’t think it did. After the first listen I thought, “Was that it?” So I gave it another spin, but even after the second listen I still wasn’t too impressed. Sure, “Cracked Actor” was an okay track, and “The Jean Genie” is decent. But the rest? To my ears, it’s mostly uninspired glam rock. I’m surprised this came only a year after the brilliant The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. Weak 3/5.

I think the face paint is more memorable than the album. Sure it’s no hunky dory or ziggy or lodger for that matter but it’s definitely got some hot licks. I used to listen to this in the 90’s on my old mono stereo with 70s headphones and at that time I felt like David Bowie was listening to a lot of T. Rex because I was listening to a lot of T-Rex. My aunt really loved Bowie and I’m so glad she got me into it.

Bowie is good, but not my favorite. This album is very mid Bowie.

3.5

Not a great offering from Bowie. A little scrambled.

Not the best of Bowie but really nice!

I don't really vibe with Bowie. This was fine, nothing more or less. I like the energy, but find his voice irritating

David Bowie is pretty cool

3.75

Good album. Rock forward with the usual David Bowie flare making it an album only he could make. Not my personal favourite Bowie album but a few standout tracks and interesting arrangements create intrigue to revisit for future listens.

Loved it! Listened to it twice in a row :-).

3/5. This was a bold move by Bowie, but it's hard to imagine Bowie not being bold in his musical choices. The theme of excess stardom through the American lens leading to insanity is an experience many artists have experienced and he does a good job at making sure to capture the quiet parts of paranoia along with the bombastic sounds. As far as actually listening to the album, I would definitely say it is a weaker Bowie album, despite the iconic cover. Not very memorable songs, not in the way that there aren't hits, just that I wouldn't find myself listening to it all the way through without skipping one here and there. Instrumentation is peak, avant-garde, heading towards his Berlin trio, but not yet fully committed. It's a good balance sonically but I don't think it's a great album. Best Song: Aladdin Sane, The Jean Genie, Cracked Actor

Love Bowie but def a notch below the albums he did before.

People rave about this album but it's one of Bowie's weaker offerings in my opinion. A lot of choices musically that may have been more 'of the time's than clever choices. 5/10

This is up Amy Tabler's alley.

Lady grinning soul is so peak

time is one of bowie's best tracks

just alright. nothing bad about it.

Every time I get a Bowie album, Will and I laugh just because neither of us have liked any so far, but I finally got one I liked. Easily the best Bowie album yet. It's more creative, without going too off the rails (minus Aladdin Sane, which was a disappointment because it would've been my favorite without that runaway piano), has a lot less repetition, and doesn't outstay its welcome. Favorite songs: Time Lady Grinning Soul

No ha estado mal pero se me hace un album un poco aleatorio. De la mitad en adelante diria que mejora. No he escuchado por el momento ningun otro disco de David Bowie completo, solo los temas mas reconocibles. En el futuro vere si todos sus albumes siguen este patrón.

Not his finest.

Kind of a mess. Positive and negative. Just a lot of different ideas together, a lot of rock n roll, most of it works but it lacks a special something that the other Bowie classics have.

Not the best work by Bowie imo. It just is.

A good album from Bowie albeit not one of his particularly strong pieces.

Nada mal, la verdad, para ser la primera escucha nada mal.

Kind of a let down after Ziggy Stardust, but certainly a good album with some great material.

Ok

Very hit and miss, even the singles. Couple of classics but a lack of cohesion and the feeling that every single idea made it into every single song.

Not my favorite Bowie album

Listen, I love Bowie, but this album is not it. There are zero songs that sounded special, and the only distinctive part of this album is the album cover

A bit too all over the place. Somewhat messy and odd audio mixing. Not too bad, but not his best.

David Bowie had sex with a 14 year old

Such a weird album. Songs start solid, then transition to utter nonsense. Would not listen to again.

David Bowie is one of those names that keep popping up in music that are considered legendary, but after listening to this album, I'm afraid I don't get it. It's not hitting in any way.

This was my most enjoyable experience with Bowie thus far, having only heard Station to station, Diamond dogs and Blackstar before. The sound has that wild rock and roll feeling nicely fitting with Bowie's vocal sound. A vocal sound that really needs that driven and frantic music behind it. Themes are good. Only the occasional weirdness sprinkles in. All in all a solid Bowie album.

Bowie, to his super fans, is the most important British artist. To many people he’s a rock star and legend. To me, he’s an enigma. Is he brilliant or bullshit? Stardust or bull dust? Genius artist or con artist? He leaves a large legacy and his best work is among the very best of the rock era. Not everything landed, which his later self happily admitted (and to me leans me towards thinking he’s at the brilliant end of the spectrum). This isn’t quite as good as the sublime Ziggy. Although it must be said the Bowie boosters don’t rate Ziggy that highly. I get it. But that band. Those songs. Here it’s the band but the songs are not quite as strong. Gene genie is great but doesn’t have the audacity of the later diamond dogs or earlier suffragette city. Bowie should be on the list a couple of times. But I don’t know this is one of the albums. It’s worth hearing though. 4 stars.

"It was almost like a treading-water album ... but funnily enough, in retrospect, for me it's the more successful album, because it's more informed about rock'n'roll than Ziggy was." —David Bowie discussing Aladdin Sane in the 1990s Aladdin Sane isn't in my personal top five Bowie albums, and so doesn't get pulled off the shelf particularly often. That doesn't mean it is a bad album, though. The singles, especially The Jean Genie, are really strong and well known, but the album tracks are also pretty strong. I don't like it as much as Ziggy Stardust, but it has the Spiders from mars band lineup, which is a really cracking rock and roll band, here at the height of their powers. The Bowie-phile critics will rabbit on about how this is the best thing since sliced bread, better than Ziggy Stardust, the ultimate meditation on touring in America. All that over-egged hype aside, it's a pretty damn good Bowie album, especially if you like his rockier 70s output, but let's not go overboard here. It is a bit unfocussed and not as cohesive as his best work. And it has that frankly terrible piano solo on the title track. But it's a good Bowie album and it is worth a good listen just for Mick Ronson and the Spiders band, who are just fabulous. And the cover art is absolutely iconic.

Hard to say what my fave Bowie is... theres a diverse catalogue obviously - and likely why he influenced so many great bands of the 80-90's and beyond. Anyway. Never heard anything but the Jean Genie before. Enjoyed this one. He was an innovative dude for sure. Gem was Aladdin Sane. Haunting little ditty

The album artwork is iconic but that’s probably my favourite thing about this album. The main single “Jean Genie” isn’t doing much for me, it’s more of an earworm than a standout single. The rest of the album seems to continue some of the themes from Ziggy Stardust but just doesn’t quite hit the same highs. My favourite song was “Time” and I enjoyed the use of saxophone on some songs. I can accept its inclusion on the list but it struggles in comparison to other Bowie albums.

Not my cuppa tea

Brilliant Album. Forgot how good it is.

Had high expectations, but somewhat underwhelmed initially. However playing it on repeat a few times & i started to really warm up to it. There's something in the way his voice interplays with the other instruments that compels you to listen to the lyrics, and the timing is immaculate.

Is David! Is Goid!

The titular track is not my favourite Bowie song, but the rest of the album is pretty solid

My favourite Bowie album and a LOVE a lot of his stuff. Because he'd had huge success with Ziggy he was able to test the boundaries and came up with a masterpiece.

I love David Bowie def gonna listen to more

1. Watch That Man - 8 Intro is solid, drums sound great, guitar sounds good, piano at the end is a brilliant addition. All around a great 70s sort of pop-rock like song and an absolutely brilliant way to open the album. 2. Aladdin Sane - 6 Very hard to stay with this song as instrumentally it's absolutely all over the place. Piano playing in the opening is amazing but then it takes this sort of eerie turn half way through. Sax makes an appearance before quickly ducking away and coming back later. The piano playing is great, but it's just all over the shop. 3. Drive-In Saturday - 8 Just a classic sounding Bowie track. Lyrically it's very very strong. The sax doesn't come in and out like the last track and helps undertones very well on the louder parts of the track. Overall, an enjoyable track. 4. Panic In Detroit - 6 It's okay. Drums are good and instrumentally it's enjoyable. Lyrically it's a little too repetitive and you kinda grow tired of the track 3 minutes into it. There's definitely much much better in Bowie's collection of tunes. 5. Cracked Actor - 9 Really good track. Guitars on it sound very very good and lyrics flow so well and are so catchy that you can't help but find yourself signing to them at some point. Absolutely awesome track. 6. Time - 9 Amazing track. Guitar solo on it is immense and sounds incredible. Lyrically it's brilliant too. It just goes on a little too long and repetitively in the final minute and a half. Aside from that, it's the best track on the album so far. 7. The Prettiest Star - 9 Really enjoyable track. Lyrically it's incredibly well structured with another awesome sounding guitar solo/bridge. Sax adds so much to the flair of the song as well and is the perfect instrument to guide the ending fade out. 8. Let's Spend The Night Together - 9 The bridge on the track is awful but the rest of the track is so incredible. Piano is the real highlight of the track here. The first two verses are also absolutely masterful. It's just a phenomenal track. 9. The Jean Genie - 10 Great track. Lyrically the choruses are brilliant while the verses build so well. It has a phenomenal ending to it as well. Guitar sounds so tame but brilliant in helping the pace of the song move along. Drums cannot be forgotten either. 10. Lady Grinning Soul - 10 Superb song to end the album on. The piano here is unbelievably good and the introduction of the guitar at the end of the song just ahead of the outro is absolutely perfect. Bowie's vocals do so well here in how they go from quick to slow, drag out notes for emphasis, and go all over a range of octaves. Absolutely an incredible ending. Best track on the album by far. Average Rating: 8.4 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 4.2 Rounded Down: 4 Stars

Warmed up to it

Sigh. This album is so very meh.

Bowie is another one where I know all the hit singles, but haven't listened to many of the full albums - except those that came out while I was at the record store in the 90s. Nice to hear this one after only knowing a couple of the tracks on it. Could maybe have done without the Rolling Stones cover. It wasn't bad, just kind of took me out of the "Bowie" mood. "The Prettiest Star" didn't do much for me either. Other than those, though, great throughout.

Another classic Bowie album, this one in the prime of the Glam Rock Era. The second half of this album is my favorite with, Cracked Actor, Time, and The Jean Genie!

Jean Genie was my favorite

This also wasn't for me

One of the better Bowie rock/pop albums. Not as “cool” as the Berlin trilogy stuff, but solid songs and a cool vibe throughout

A few thoughts flash across my mind as we listen to this record. My 18-month old son’s immediate bopping along points to something; my immediate recognising of “Time” though I can’t place why is another something; the significance of the clear artistic confidence on display throughout is a couple of somethings. I can’t quite develop the thoughts though, not when there’s always a bigger moon to eclipse them. Fleur loves the piano on “Lady Grinning Soul”.

Good solid Bowie stuff. Lacking a few more hits but some sleepers on there.

Short, good. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this one, aside from Jean Genie

# Album Name: Aladdin Sane # Artist: David Bowie # Rating: 3/5 A few good tunes on this album. Lacks the biggest bowie hits - minus Jean genie of course. Not a bad album but didnt hit me as well as some of his others. # Comments: # Top Tunes: Drive in sat / Panic in Detroit / Jean Genie # Would I listen to it again? Maybe

Really like David Bowie. I can see why this stands out as a classic. Great 70s vibes all around.

“Watch that man” - Who was he talking to? A 14 year old girl?

I've always held the controversial opinion that Bowie is heavily overrated. Has some amazing stuff but any dive into his catalog always left me disappointed. Always felt like he made weird music for normal people and normal music for weird people. The title track here is a good example of what I mean, with its totally dissonant piano solo. But this is making me reconsider the depth of that belief. I still think he's not really for me the way he is for others, but it might be easier to give his albums straight through listens again after this.

it's all heavy in a way, a lot of softness is lost from his previous work for a bluesier/rockier sound, doesn't mean i dislike it though, this has some great songs on it.

Hard one to rate - probably actually a 3.5 but that's not an option. The beats were a vibe though.

I like Bowie. He just takes a lot of different ideas so the albums don’t feel stale. I really liked The Prettiest Star.

Not my fav from Bowie but not bad

Not as good as the last Bowie album we got assigned, but I enjoyed it for the most part. Weird fucking guy, Bowie was.

This is my favorite Bowie album....narrowly edges out TRaFoZSatSfM. Side A is perfect. Album cover is iconic. Some of the shit gets a little out there, see breakdowns on "Aladdin Sane" and "Time", but they get reined in.

This is one of those ones where I want to like it more than I actually do. There are good elements but it just doesn’t grab me overall. Some strange production choices with the vocal far back in the mix. Underwhelming

Bowie does it with every album. This one doesn't have any of the "hits" with which I'm familiar, but the title track and Cracked Actor are favorites here. I like the group singing and piano on Time. Seems like a Beatles-esq album, mostly, with a little Elton John/Billy Joel. I hear a definite influence on Daniel Johns from Silverchair. Let's Spend the Night Together was banging! Love it. I'll give this a 4.

My first listen to this well-regarded work by Bowie. "Watch That Man" kicks off Aladdin Sane with an easy piano rocker, a la Elton John. The titular track is beautifully fractured by the piano, playing slightly out of time, sometimes chaotic, sometimes jazzy. It does not prepare you for the safe landing into the doo-wop of Drive-in Saturday. The cock-rock of Cracked Actor and Let's Spend The Night Together isn't typically my cup of tea, but it evolves into an over-the-top Hedwig And The Angry Inch that is all showmanship and fabulous. Time is average until the change in the second half makes it epic; this one will grow on me--ahem--in time, I'm sure. Back to doo-wop for "The Prettiest Star," but it's so invitingly warm, pink, feathered, and fluffy. The Velvet Underground influence rears its head throughout the album, but never as obviously as on the distorted bluesy strut of The Jean Genie. Lady Grinning Soul is elegantly glamourous; I envision tuxedoed, tailed men serving me champagne in leaded crystal while I watch ladies perfoming a synchronized swimming routine to the song. Gatsby-esque. Overall, I think the piano work on the album takes center stage (instrumentally), knowing when to lead, when to support, when to make showy runs, when to play it safe. The brassiness of the cock-rock is over represented on the album, but there are some great compositions here. I appreciate an album that really strecthes it legs and takes us on journey, exploring various styles, production, and instrumentation. Another inspiring and inspired work by David Bowie.

As much as I like David Bowie, this album is pretty forgettable.

Another good album by a great artist. The man is obviously on more drugs that I knew existed for a good chunk of his life and maybe that is the way to success in the music business

Biased, always enjoyed ❤️

I prefer this album over any other ones just because of the vibes it gives, even though I didn't recognise any of the songs

This is an interesting album. I don't like it as much as the other two Bowie albums I know but I did like it. The piano really jumps out, and I read afterward that the pianist was new to the group and really impressed Bowie and he and the producer really wanted to feature his jazz-influenced work. The album is inspired and reviled by America, which is interesting, but Bowie also made a specific effort to make this work sound more like The Rolling Stones, which I feel hurts it. None of the songs really jump out at me, but I did recognize The Jean Genie (never knew it was Bowie). I think this is a solid 3.

One word......masterpiece

2/10

I enjoyed the pace changes, the talking was too low and too frequent.

Decent album. Not his best work but it's still got the Bowie tunes.

What a wonderful album. There is nothing to dislike on this. And with gems like Time, The Pretties Star, and Lady Grinning Soul, how could this be less than a 5?

When i was a kid... i heard some cool songs on the radio... like Space Oddity, and Changes... and the DJ would say that was David Bowie... and he wold pronounce it like "BOO ey"... like the knife... lol... anyway... we would all later know it was pronounced "BO EE"... imagine an 11 year old boy loveing those songs, then seeing him on "The Midnight Special" and watching him perform in complete drag, including a corset... i had no idea what i was watching... but, it sure sounded great... anyway... the album opens up with a rave rockin' GEM, "Watch That Man"... the rest of the album is a rock n roll experience... "Drive In Saturday"... "Cracked Actor"... "Time"... "The Prettiest Star"... a raucous cover of The Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together"... and the now standard "The Jean Genie"... Five Stars.

You can tell that this was written at a tumultuous time in Bowie's life, this definitely isn't his best work. Pro-Bowie bias showing: I'd still rather listen to this album than ANYTHING by The Beatles, and they're just... kinda meh, not even bad.

Mid

Stressige Solos

Rating: 7.5/10

A classic but not his best album by any stretch.

A very strange album... I can't say I fully enjoyed it. Maybe I'm not cultured enough to get how artistic it is? There were a few okay songs. But also a few songs that had me wondering what the fuck I was listening to.

Four

Soft rock? Aladdin Sane (track 2) could put me to sleep. Sax and piano, zzz. Yup, Track 3 also pretty lulling What's with all the grating piano slamming? I've heard "Let's Spend the Night Together" before but works prefer a cover

This is "the" David Bowie that I know the most, and more or less like the most. His catalog is deep so it is hard to say which era or album I like the most, but I groove to this as like "classic" David Bowie in a way. I very much have favorite songs that are not on this album, but it would be nearly impossible to make a greatest hits album with him because too many obscure and less known songs are favorites of mine, and everyone else who has heard a bit more of his catalog. So... This album is one that I would not be afraid to point to and say "This" is David Bowie, and if you find it even mildly interesting, you will likely find the rest of him good too!

I haven't really listened to Bowie before but this album is good.

Pains my heart that the first Bowie album I'm getting is Aladdin Sane, because, as much musically it sounds fine, it never landed, even after years. Feels like Bowie is singing about some plane of existence I never cared about - is it US life of celebrities? Maybe. The cover obviously is a fan favourite, but I don't think it's a good introduction to Bowie. And the title has been so much discussed too! My favourites: Cracked Actor/Time/The Prettiest Star. It's a 4, a strong one, but I never liked this album too much.

Bowie is a tough one, I respect him but I’m not sure I like him, despite all the 4/5 I’ve given him. Aladdin Sane is decent, rock with a lot of jazz piano. I think I like the softer songs most, like Time. I don’t feel the album flows all that well, it’s not as cohesive as his others 6.2/10

The foundational text

I like his albums before and after this one a lot more but its Bowie

Great album

Fun.

Move David Bowie. This one I liked more than the other two I've had of his so far (Heroes and Ziggy Stardust). Most of the songs were solid. A few duds. Watch That Man had good energy. Drive-In Saturday was nice. The Prettiest Star was really good. Lady Grinning Soul had wonderful music. Best song: The Prettiest Star

TS SUCKS!!!!!!

Not for me. 1/5

Agradecido de escuchar una versión que no conocía de Bowie.

Enjoyed it thoroughly. Loved the jazz piano that infiltrates several of the songs.

Not up to the best standards that Bowie himself set - but still pretty great.

Ziggy goes to America.

It exists in the shadow of Ziggy Stardust, which is fair when it's the follow-up to one of the best rock albums ever. The fucked up jazz piano really elevates this one beyond mere immitation.

One of my favorite albums by my favorite artist

My second Bowie album in a few days. I think this is a stronger album than Young Americans, but it's an interesting counterpart as it's the first Bowie album that's heavily influenced by and references American culture. This is very nearly a 5 for me and had I got this with a bit more distance from another record of his, it might have scored differently but I'm going with a high 4.

one of my more preferred Bowie albums

It was good, but it didnt make me wanna listen to it again. Sorry.

Such a great character and album overall. Perfect

Great album was never a big fan of Bowie until I heard hunky dory then was hooked on him.

Drive in Saturday Cracked actor Time The prettiest star

3/5

not a huge fan of the piano solo in the title track lol; not really my thing

Wowzer gee, I just love Bowie.

I don't know this bowie album too well. It's not hitting the highs of hunky dory for me. Don't even really like the let's spend the night together cover.

engaging instrumentals, brilliant soundscape and always something new. Favorite track: the jean genie other picks: panic in detroit, time, lady grinning soul

Not what I was expecting from a Bowie album. Not a fan of this one, but still giving it 3 because….its David Bowie.

You know, for this being the cover...I would have expected more. But alas, here we are.

Great concept and introspection. Brilliant musicianship and lyrical contents. Happy to have enjoyed this one late in life yet again. Not my favorite Bowie but a great example of his contributions and career trajectory.

8/10. Bowie at his peak…or is it a long plateau. Hard to go wrong.

Big chain of 3s. I like Bowie, but this wasn’t all that great. Still a 3 because Bowie is still really good.

What a disappointment

The title song is not my favorite and goes a bit too contemporary jazz for my taste. But the rest of the album is just magic. That heavy rift of cracked actor switch into the rest of the song is magnificent and so different to the rest of the album it really stands out.

It was okay

It was alright, some songs were really good and other I did not like at all. But i would listen to it again :)

Amazing guitar solos and some really lovely songs but still some lyrics that just seem a bit rambling

A great Bowie album, with some classic anthems, glam stomping etc. I found the occasional bits of skronky piano quite interesting, although the chorus to the title track is still a bit weird. It's a minimum of 4 - bowie's way with words and melody will always stand out - but I could have done with another 5* song to up the average.

David Bowie teve uma carreira extensa, com várias fases, e gosto de quase tudo que ouvi do que ele fez. Essa época glam rock talvez seja a minha preferida e o "Aladdin Sane" é tão bom quanto o "Ziggy Stardust", só não tem o mesmo hype. Arranjos muito bons, piano, sopros, percussão, com aquela pegada roqueira que combina bem com a voz dele. Destaque para "Time" e sua interpretação inspirada.

2.7

David Bowie is a genius, not doubt. But this album is not my cup of tea.

This is Ziggy redux but with a new, darker persona as he heads to America where he is subsumed by sleaze in the underbelly of the city. Weirder and therefore a million times better than Ziggy Stardust this is Bowie deep diving into his ambiguous relationship with fame and with the idea of America.

I love Bowie's greatest hits but haven't heard many of his album cuts. Watch That Man was a standout. The rest was pretty good, aside from Let's Spend the Night Together, which I found far inferior to the original. The cover of this album seems more iconic to me than the tunes, but I'll have to give it a couple more spins. 3.5

Much groovier, jazzier, bluesier than I expected, but some tracks fell flat

Cool listen, piano riffing was a bit much in some places

Enjoyed it.

Wow, I haven't listened to this one in a long time! It's got this iconic album art that's inspired so many hacky re-productions of this image by amateur artists at sidewalk craft fairs that I often forget that this record exists, even though I've got this in my collection. This is some more music from Ziggy and the Spiders, that early 70's glam rock sound. "Panic In Detroit", and "Jean Genie" are highlights. I'm not a fan of Bowie's cover of "Let's Spend the Night Together". I love early Rolling Stones and he can't touch the original. This album is solid. I even find the stupid "A Lad Insane" pun charming. However, if you consider this as a follow-up to Ziggy Stardust, it's a bit of a letdown. There's nothing that comes close to the high points on that record. I think there's a reason I haven't revisited this in such a long time. But the more important question- Is Bowie the only person who could make a mullet sexy and cool? Discuss.

Can’t say I enjoyed much of this. I’m more of a last three Bowie albums man so the earlier stuff doesn’t do much for me.

My least favourite 70s Bowie album. (Not counting Pin Ups.) it stands up ok, but (as has been pointed out umpteen times) it suffers in relation to what preceded it…

The piano in Aladdin sane is awful Not really ever been a fan of bowie

Pretty good album. Was on the way to Hawaii when listening. I think I listened to it like 5 times.

Gefällt mir sehr ein bisschen überspielt vielleicht sehr solides album, keine skips

I think this was the first David Bowie album I ever listened to. Listen back to it it is really quite evident how strong of a oubting it is. Quality rockers throughout. Great guitar by Ronson. Bowie had a bit of a lull in the next couple of releases with pin-ups and diamond dogs but this is a classic.

Liked it more as it went on. I can definitely see some influence on Rocky Horror

Not my favorite Bowie album but it's not bad. I would listen to this before a lot of other music but compared to his other work I think it falls a bit short. Having said that I would listen to it again so obviously I don't think it's that bad, just not as catchy or groundbreaking as his other work.

He's out here putting both the glam and the rock in Glam Rock, somebody stop him from carrying so much... It's no Rise and Fall but it's a good 40 minutes of inspired music

More 70s Glam. Brilliant

A great album cover does not a great album cover make It’s not bad of course - it’s Bowie! But it just lacks a lightning in a bottle of Ziggy Stardust and his other best albums

Not my favourite Bowie Album. Jean genie is a classic, the rest of the albums rock and roll athletics are great but don’t stick with me like other Bowie albums.

Bowie är unik, vet hur man bygger en story, en karaktär och det är lätt att spåra hans inflytande, men det var inte riktigt min grej

Appreciate the artist, mediocre album

Great album, and a natural follow-up to Ziggy Stardust. A mixture of glam rock and jazz-tinged piano. Bowie could do no wrong for much of the seventies.

Not a big fan now as i was like 3 years ago

I enjoyed this; but writing a review a few hours later and there is just nothing memorable about it

No Ziggy Stardust. It’s alright

I think this project is showing me that I don’t like David Bowie.

I continue to kind of not really get Bowie. It was all fine, but something just doesn’t sound right to me

A beautiful album from start to finish. This is a perfect weird boi album. I enjoyed this journey

This is the best if the Bowie albums

I have never liked David Bowie. I did not listen to this album.

Had high hopes but didn't enjoy this as much as I expected. Favourite tracks: Panic in Detroit & The Jean Genie Probably won't revisit. 3/5

Ughhhh I don’t know. I don’t know about this one. Most of it I really didn’t care for UNTIL the last song, Lady Grinning Soul which just completely slaps so I don’t know what to think now. I think it’s still mostly a 2 for me but LGS bumps it up to a 2.5. Something about this album just really didn’t hit for me :(

Another Bowie album. This one's actually alright. It's fine but must hear before you die? Definitely not, especially when Bowie has 9. This could have been cut

Refreshing 8/10

Хороший альбом, но другие лучше

Bowie er en sånn artist jeg vil like, men ikke liker. Jeg hører jo at det er bra musikk, men det treffer meg liksom ikke.

love bowie, love his artistry, a great album and it was such an easy listen, didn't feel like 45 mins at all, passed by really quickly. also lady grinning soul<33333

It's a dissonant piano freak out on the title track from being perfect; but is it as good as Ziggy or Hunky Dory? I'm not sure.

Irritating vocal delivery mixed with poor attempts at telling stories. 2.5

Haven't listened to this one on years so I forgot how much crazy stuff is on it, like the piano part on the title track (reminds me of King Crimson in a way), congas on Panic in Detroit. I think that's because of it opening with Watch That Man, which is pretty familiar Bowie glam rock. Not a bad song but maybe slightly misleading Cracked Actor has a cool, simple sleazy riff that serves as the basis for the whole song si that's probably my favourite Now that I think about it, his might be my favourite of Bowie's glam era (although i quite like Diamond Dogs too) Highlights: Cracked Actor, Aladdin Sane, Panic in Detroit

So many creative and chaotic sounds! Great album.

Lyssnade inte på hela, kände inte någon känsla när jag lyssnade. Gillade inte pianot i låten Aladdin Sane. Drive-in Saturday var dock bra.

Tirando a capa, é um álbum bem longe do que Bowie foi!

not his best tbh

I enjoyed this, listened on a Monday morning on the way to work. Most songs I didn’t know, but would definitely listen again. I like Bowie.

the blues-inspired rock opera vibe just really not in line with what i tend to enjoy also the discordant interludes of (seemingly) random notes / chords are not enjoyable Lady Grinning Soul was probably the strongest track on the album for me, but there wasn't a single track i'd go back to listen to

Not good. Meandering and devoid of melody. "Jean Genie" is ok.

Great album, very David Bowie, to say no more. Not usually in my lineup but ok if it is on.

Honestly not my cup of Bowie

Annoying homo noises

Good album, I think a decent amount of the mixing's not the best but that's my only gripe really •Watch That Man is a very typical Bowie pop/rock song, cool but not as great as something like Rebel Rebel or Suffragette City •The title track has that Bowie art shit I love, definitely a bit reminiscent of Hunky Dory at times •Drive-In Saturday has a clear 1950s doo-wop influence, then the chorus goes to something I'd expect from any Bowie song, all very catchy •I fw Panic in Detroit heavy, I can't really put my finger on exactly why •Time fits right in with the title track, plenty of discordant harmony •The Prettiest Star sounds like a continuation of Drive-In Saturday, while straying just a little bit more from the doo-wop sound and having it's own personality •Let's Spend the Night Together is another pretty decent pop rock song, not particularly spectacular •The Jean Genie is ok, I didn't really care for it. I'm inclined to say it's the weakest song on the album, but it's still alright enough •Lady Grinning Soul has a very spooky sound to it, and somehow sounds very overall outro-sounding

2nd album in a row to catch me in the wrong mood. I'd enjoy this more if I was energetic but glam really isn't my thing. a few of the tracks were actually really good tho. I will have to give this a listen again sometime in the future

Likte nok forrige Bowie-album bedre ja. Kunne særlig spart seg for å rulle trynet på tangentene...

Joku varmaan heittäis mut bussin alle, kun Lorde ja kumppanit tuossa alla saa 4 tähteä, mutta Bowie ei saa. Mää en tiiä, tässä vaan ei joku iske. Onhan tää aika teatraalista, mutta hyvin sekavaa myös monesta kohtaa ja ei niin miellyttävää. Mutta oli muutama ihan hyväkin kappale. Parhaat: Lady Grinning Soul, Time, Let's Spens the Night Together

Cool take on glam rock. Not Ziggy but very good. 4.1/5 Favorites: Watch that Man, Cracked Actor

It was fine but not my cup of tea.

Classic Bowie.

I'm a fair weathered Bowie fan for never listening to this album front to back. Musically, this is a 4 Star album. Solid songs, but no career defining hits. Culturally, however, this is a very very important album, if not just for the iconic album cover/lightning bolt. Plus I'm a Bowie simp. 5 stars.

Bowie is one I thought about when I started this. I knew a list like this was likely going to have Bowie and probably every single era of his would be represented. I didn’t grow up with Bowie fans, I have managed to survive 35 winters without hearing much of his. I was excited to have an opportunity to force myself to sit and listen. All that to say, this was fine. It was fun! It doesn’t scream musical genius but I guess it doesn’t have to. I had heard Lady Grinning Soul before and loved it, but there were plenty of other good discoveries here. I don’t think this will end up being my fav Bowie era but I enjoyed myself. This is also a rare case of me agreeing with an artist having multiple entries here because his sound has varied so much over his career (unlike Mr Bobby Dylan)

This is only the second time I've listened to this one and liked it much more than the first time around. Still like what he does before and after this a bit more but all Bowie is pretty good. Only one Bowie album left on the list, and of course it's Ziggy Stardust. Rating: 4.3

The jean genie and let’s spend the night together are the clear killer tracks. Aladdin sane has an excellent piano rift.

I love when someone smashed on a keyboard ~tastefully~

Snore

Unbelievably good piano by Mike Garson on a great great album.

I listen to this, I think, “OK, Lloyd, you can now go out and accomplish pretty much anything you want to.” Decades and hundreds of listens later, I’m no closer to understanding it. But I still LOVE it!

A better David Bowie album but still not for me.

lost interest

Of its time

Like Bowie, but he’s got better

This may be the last David Bowie album that I get on this project. I am too lazy to look it up. If so, my takeaway is that I like David Bowie's music and I haven't been turned on to it until now. The piano on Aladdin Sane (the song) is insanely good. I'm wondering if cocaine has anything to do with the effort being put into it. In fact, the piano on this entire album, especially on Lady Grinning Soul, is really great to listen to. I haven't heard Bowie do a song like Lady Grinning Soul before, as it has a flamenco feel to it. I am not, and never have been, a fan of his version of Let's Spend the Night Together. I prefer his attempts to mimic the Stones, like on Watch that Man. Really liked this one.

Some good tracks and some I didn't like very bob Dylan style shiz the last track had good bear

Enjoyable listen

82/100. Another solid and stylish art rock release. It maintains a consistent quality throughout, with a constantly engaging and experimental sound that keeps things fresh. Bowie blends glam, rock, and avant-garde influences effortlessly, resulting in an album that feels both theatrical and musically sharp.

I think I'm just at the point now where I accept that I'm not clever enough to understand most of what Bowie did. The rockier numbers on this had me thinking it might be an improvement. It's not, despite Gene Genie obviously being rather good. I'm sure it's fabulous, but Bowie leaves me cold.

Good album

Throughout this project I'm realizing that maybe I'm not as big of a Bowie fan as I think I am. I love the hits and some of his songs as one-offs but I really don't jive with his full albums. There will be some strokes of brilliance and then just loud noise. This one wasn't bad, I just didn't really love it

Upbeat electronic songs are good. The slow stuff is less fun.

A lot like Ziggy Stardust. Solid throughout, but particularly liked the first and last tracks. Really nice cabaret sort of piano.

Weirdly did not recognize the songs on this despite being very familiar with the album cover! Is that common? Anyway, great era of Bowie here - funky, rocking, screechy. I dug it.

This is far better than the last Bowie album on this list. It rocks in parts, is odd and a bit dark.

I’m not necessarily a huge Bowie fan. But I did think this album was really good. Interesting music—nice vocals.

Bowie sucks

Honestly, not my fav Bowie album; but, still pretty good. I love Bowie, so I might be biased, but it was a good album. Not great, not going in my top 10, but good. There weren’t any bad songs, nor absolute bangers. Jean Genie was prolly my fav tho. This is a 3.5 for me, so I round up cause Bowie is an icon

Lowkey mid ass album. First half was weird as hell and dogshit but the second half was decent. Only song that stood out to me was lady grinning soul.

A little goofy but it’s alright

It’s a pretty alright album, but the funny thing to me is even though the album itself is unmemorable. The album cover is probably what you think of when you think of David Bowie. Just goes to show the impact a cover can really have.

Unmemorable

Well hot dog i dug this

you know, I came into this project knowing I was gonna hear a lot of David Bowie, and I was really excited because I wanted to like it. But I really don't get it. I know it's popular and its niche and I don't want to be contrarian for no reason but, the music just seemed to not resonate with me. It just seems like drunk singing with some good instrumentals but not for me.

Quite hard listening for some tracks. Quite jazzy. Like Jean Genie!

Another great Bowie album though I find that the album has less consistency than other releases.

Surprised by the number of genres covered, interesting album! The piano sounded like Elton John in one song; then the blues came on strong in another. Grace would listen again and want to explore more, Tim probably not. Listened 3 May 2025 evening.

Buena

Never got around to give Bowie a proper listen before. Sadly to say, it's just not my cup of tea. While some parts are definitely beautiful this is just not the kind of music that makes me feel much. I just don't get what the fuss is about. Hope I'll get an epiphany later in life but today was not the day.

Honestly one of his best and Bowie is one of my favorite artists

Great album, not as quite as grandiose as its successor. I love "Panic In Detroit," "Drive In Saturday," and "The Prettiest Star."

Felt like Bowie was trying a bunch of new things, some of which worked, some not so much.

No nie porwała mnie wcale.

I really wish they would of mixed his vocals a bit louder. Some of the songs he sounds more like a back up singer for the band. It works on a few though as he comes across more haunting while the band experiments with sound. It's a good album, I prefer the Ziggy Stardust album but this one is the start of him experimenting more. Each song feel different from the next and he's channeling a do wop band in one. Good album. It's one that I want to spend more time with, I swear there are other bands that influenced each track. Besides the Rolling Stones cover that is.

- Drive In Saturday is great

It's David Bowie

Awesome

Great!

Bowie goes jamband

Awesome cover but not my favorite Bowie.

This hits are great, the rest of the album is kind of a paler version of Ziggy Stardust.

Piano is exceptional. Some great songs and not many I recognised before.

Complete

Classic Bowie. A great combination of rock and pop, and a total joy to listen to. I've heard that there are a lot of Bowie albums that will come up on this list, and I look forward to each and every one of them.

Aladdin Sane is Bowie at his most confident. After the success of Ziggy, Aladdin was one of his “rockiest” albums, more guitar/bass driven, less experimental. It’s also his most memorable cover. I don’t think there is a bad song on here. Key tracks for me is the Elton John-esque Let’s Spend the Night Together, and Prettiest Star, though Jean Genie was a favorite too. I was kind of bummer I couldn’t go home and listen to this on vinyl. Damn work!

Random thoughts: * I'm pretty sure the album artwork is way more famous than the music. * Somehow, I've never listened to this album before now. I owe an apology to someone. * "Panic in Detroit" really grabbed me on the first listen. * "Spend the Night Together" is an awesome cover. Has anyone compiled all of Bowie's covers? He should have done a whole album of covers because that would have been fun. * Glam Bowie era was some good fun and a great listen.

-this is one of my favorite of the uhhh six David Bowie albums this website has had be listen too so far.. I am not very knowledgeable about him or his eras but it was a pretty interesting one. consistent, but also didn’t really get boring. I think I like his early glam rock stuff best tbh, I’d like to listen again -Favorites are Watch That Man, Drive-In Sunday, and Lady Grinning Soul

I won't hide it, I'm a rabid Bowie fan, but it's taken me a long time to get this one to leap off the shelf and onto my turntable. In younger days, I didn't like the piano; later, I reconciled with it (after more exposure to free jazz). Still, this album just doesn't have the juice to outrank Ziggy Stardust or Hunky Dory. Alas, it foretells the dizzy misdirections in Diamond Dogs. Bowie's arc is going in the wrong direction here, and maybe that is what doesn't sit completely right with me about this album. On the other hand, this has "Cracked Actor" and "The Prettiest Star" and those are among my favorite Bowie songs. Extra props for the iconic cover and makeup.

okay ig 3/5

Fine, Jean Genie is a tune

One of my first albums and what an album...this was my growing up. An album that I feel i know note for note! The man was a genius

I was a bit scared of the 'Glam rock' tag because I'm not a fan of 'Glam metal' and I though that they might very similar. But what a pleasant surprise this was. This album sounds incredible and it is full of layers and creativity in every single track. I don't think it is perfect, but don't think I have anything bad to say. And this was only my first impression. Fantastic.

i feel like at the time it would have been shocking but now so many years later it comes off as unnecessarily horny and edgy but it’s not really cool or aspirational in any way today. i don’t regret listening to it though

I don’t know if I like it but it’s undeniably interesting and creative

Average

Excited going into this, since the album cover is used as the cover art to one of the versions of the 1001 albums book... I love myself a Rolling Stones cover!!! The rest could be better

Love it.

Ever since The Next Day album I have started to really dislike Bowie's music. This is not an exception. Kind of annoying

Not my favorite Bowie experience

Bowie is so hard for me to like. I really don't know what it is but his music doesn't speak to me at all. I am not in my Bowie era, maybe one day I will be.