Reviews (page 3 of 15)
I listened to this album in two sessions, splitting the project between Blackout and V-2 Schneider. Coming back for the second half, I felt like I was somehow listening to an entirely different album. I felt a little torn during the first half of this album, but man was I absolutely floored by the second half and its near-completely instrumental four-song suite. This album ended up diving into far more experimental territory than I was expecting, or at least experimental in a different direction than I anticipated. Having just heard Roxy Music a few days ago, I have some new context for hearing the influence of Brian Eno in this album, specifically in the wild careening between genres and chaotic landscape of instruments. While the first few songs get strange in the way I expected of David Bowie, the run from V-2 Schneider to Neuköln was a beautiful run of atmospheric ambience, bright synth work, and haunting piano chords, with a handful of highlighted solos for the strings and piano as well as a nasty as hell horn line to close off the section. While it took me a second listen to come around to the first few songs, I was in love with that run immediately. I unfortunately don't think The Secret Life of Arabia quite sticks the landing, disregarding most of the momentum built up over the rest of the album and giving way to a somehwat unremarkable finale. But all-in-all, I think this has been a solid first Bowie album aside from Blackstar; I hear plenty of the artistry and quality which has made David Bowie such a renowned musician, but I feel like there's still room to hear that vision more thoroughly realized. Highlights: Beauty and the Beast, Joe the Lion, "Heroes", Sons of the Silent Age, Blackout, V-2 Schneider, Sense of Doubt, Moss Garden, Neuköln
Hmm don't know what to think on this one. I probably preferred the later half the instrumental ones. Whatever mood I was in just felt Bowie's vocals fairly graiting on this record. Started to pick up with Songs of a Silent age then Sense of Doubt amazing. First 10 minutes or so really didnt vibe then started to sink in. Still an interesting listen, you know its experimental and genre defining probably. 3 out of 5 (reminder when I go to rank)
I don’t think I like David Bowie. I don’t like his voice and he’s a little too weird for me. However, I enjoyed the instrumental sections of this album
Yay. More Bowie... Said nobody ever. Not his worst work and has one of his best songs, "Heroes" on it, obviously.
Not bad. Heroes is a great track. I appreciate a good instrumental track, but the ones on this album just don't seem to fit the rest of the album.
It's Bowie in Berlin, it's great, but maybe a little redundant in the list when Low is already there. If the book's editors had a little more imagination they would include an album by Cluster or Harmonia (both Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius) who Brian Eno copped most of his initial ideas from for his solo career second act as an ambient artist/in demand producer. Cluster's Sowiesoso or Harmonia Deluxe would be my choices if you're looking for recommendations. Always nice to look at the cover for this alongside Iggy's The Idiot.
Kinda liked the weird instrumental back half of this, it was unexpected on a day when I had added this last to a roadtrip playlist and I was sick of *lyrics*. Heroes is good but I swear every time I hear that song I think that I'm listening to an alternate version of the real song.
I always forget that the back half of this album brings us into the instrumental Sound and Vision type stuff. Still really uplifted overall by the title track, but, it does start to drag.
Simplemente la cabra.
Heroes is such a classic and bowie was definitely doing weird stuff back then and i really do get down w it!
Three bangers in a row - this is like my perfect meal! Great album - plenty to chew on (with your ears). Favourite track: Beauty and the Beast
Not a fan if the last songs from the album. But good in general.
✸ So many albums I've never listened to before! ✸ The horror of realizing that I never knew "Heros" was originally a David Bowie song. I've been thinking that the Peter Gabriel cover was the original all this time.
Was definitely a different album. "Heroes" was great, the other stuff was fine? No problem with it being on in the background, but definitely not something I'd choose to listen to actively? Fun, but I can't give it a higher rating just because 1 song was great.
This is not helping this site beat the stalking allegations. What are the chances I get “Heroes” by David Bowie when I’m in the middle of reading “The Perks of Being a Wallflower?” This is also basically saying that I’ve only listened to “Heroes” on this album. Simply put, this album should probably not be on this list. I know there are quite a few of David’s albums on this list, and though I haven’t listened to all of them yet, this one is definitely not on the same level as “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.” Echoing others’ views on this album, many of these songs would do well without David’s vocals. Most of the time, I love his vocals, like in “Sons of the Silent Age,” but I just feel like he “invades” the space of the instrumentals sometimes and could use a bit of blending work. Fittingly, the synth is my favorite part of this album. Brian Eno really knows what he is doing, especially in “Sense of Doubt,” which, relating to the David Bowie theme, makes me feel like I’m floating in space. This synth, found in most songs, drums, electric guitar, and occasional saxophone is what holds this album together and is what made me want to finish it. I must admit, though, toward the end of the album, I was kind of feeling it with “The Secret Life of Arabia,” but I was insanely confused about what “Neuköln” was doing (the ending was honestly giving that one Nick Jonas guitar solo). Overall, this album felt a little abstract, like David took a bunch of songs out of a top hat and glued them together with Elmer’s glue. I wish there were more “Heroes”-esque songs in the world; a girl can dream. 2/5
Amazing album! It really took me on a journey.
Heroes is one of the best songs ever and then the second half is just a bad trip simulator
I quite like the way it is split into 2 sides. I don’t listen to a lot of instrumental music but I thought the instrumental side was really atmospheric. “Heroes” is a classic and I enjoyed the other songs on side one but there’s a reason “Heroes” is the one I already knew. Not sure it’s one I’ll come back to, but it was interesting to listen to. Fav song: “Heroes” Least fav: The Secret Life of Arabia
Makes me seriously realise why people created mixtapes because what do you mean back in the day you’d have to listen to moss garden after heroes. Really did not like the ambient turn the album took. Specific rating - 2.7 Fav song - heroes Least fav- Neukölln
Cannot explain the dread I felt listening to the A side (and not loving it) having read that the B side was "bleepy-bloopy" and Kraftwerk inspired. But it was so so different from what I expected and much better, I thought Sense of Doubt was especially gorgeous. I'm glad to have heard the album, and blown away by how much wasn't prewritten before recording, but I don't think I'll ever come back to any of the non "Heroes" songs. Favourite song: "Heroes" Least: Neuköln
Second half of album becomes a rocket fuelled cosmic flight from classical rock to the liminal space of experimentation and eclecticism
Wow. David Bowie is a mastermind at music. He makes these combinations of music that you think wow, that works in the coolest way. obviously I know heroes but I really liked "Beauty and the Beast" and "Joe the Lion". What surprised me is the no lyric songs at the end, like "Sense of Doubt", "Moss Garden" and "Neukölln". I had no clue David Bowie made songs like this.
Gotta be honest, I'm not a massive fan of the experimental stuff. I don't listen to music to be challenged, which is of course not the musicians fault. I'm not denying that this is technically a good album, but it isn't the album for me I don't think. Sense of doubt - at the risk of sounding uneducated, the man is just pressing buttons and? I'm not super interested in listening to it. Ditto moss garden like are we serious? For the love of god this is just noise, this is just noise! Seriously I wanna go to bed but no I have to listen to Bowie make noise for another ten odd minutes I was gonna be generous and give this two starts but it's getting one I think because I am NOT having a good time.
I had high hopes when I saw this come up. And while Heroes song is a classic it could not alone earn a higher rating for this album. Last day of Volleyball tourney in Orlando. 3/5
Álbum bom, mais um cara que tem um som único, característico, ouve e já sabe que é o estilo dele. Apesar de não ter muita música lendária, e umas paradas meio meditação, foi muito bom de ouvir.
There is definitely an art to his music and the sound is something I'm not used to. Neukoln helped bump up my rating.
Didn't like this at all really.
It didn't have any day dreaming effects on me. Except maybe like Heroes the part where it goes "I can be King and you can be Queen" where the day dreaming kicked in but even then it was too short. And sometimes it just sounds like David Bowie throwing stuff at the wall. Heroes and Secret life of Arabia which the latter song reminded me of Stardust Crusaders in JJBA. Most of the songs where David Bowie isn't mixing things and gluing ideas together it sounds like a song for a JJBA leitmotif (particularly beauty and the beast & Joe the Lion)
это классика
this is one of the only bowie albums i haven't listened to all the way through. some WEIRD eerie chord progressions going down. the two instrumental songs also got super weird. I can tell how the same person that made blackstar made this w the weird saxes too.
An ultimate master of his craft, still highly relevant and dearly missed ❣️
I’ve always struggled a bit to warm up to the Berlin trilogy after loving most everything prior to that. The title track is astounding and perhaps overshadows the rest of this album.
Pretty weird 2nd half, definitely not my favorite Bowie
Bowie just doesn’t do it for me
Sound of this album was not what I expected from Bowie.
++*: 'Heroes' ++: Beauty and the Beast, Joe the Lion, Blackout, V-2 Schneider, Sense of Doubt, Moss Garden, Neuköln, The Secret Life of Arabia +: Sons of the Silent Age 9,9/10
It’s Bowie so it’s good. But it’s not as good as Low and I wonder if Eno was given too much freedom.
Not my vibe
Don’t get the hype, a problem probably
🥋 ah album cover Some pleasantly surprising wacky ah Progeyness
Omg, I listened to heroes in loop
She Robert on my Fripp till I….Bowie??
I am sorry, I’m sure these albums were revolutionary at the time. But every Bowie project I’ve listened to on this list has been extremely mid.
I rarely listen to full Bowie albums, and I don't think I'll return to this one any time soon
goat
Good songs but they felt same-y
First Listen: NA OVERALL: I worked my silly museum job in my hometown, reading HP Lovecraft, as the second half of this album hit. Incredible stuff. Half point docked because why is Arabia the closer. 9.5/10 T3: Heroes, Sons Of The Silent Age, Sense Of Doubt
This album is a great follow up after listening to Hunky Dory which was the first Bowie album that finally clicked with me. I love the contrasting elements between the first and second half. From the existential, upbeat, and atmospheric tracks (Heroes, Joe the Lion, Sons of the Silent Age) to the traversing, dark, and melancholic tracks (V-2 Schneider, Sense of Doubt, Neukoln) that feel almost inappropriate to be in the same album. What definitely feels inappropriate is the last track, The Secret Life of Arabia, as it kind of jump-scares you with how much it jumps off the rails compared to the last few tracks. Neukoln to Arabia was such a slap in the face (good or bad? I don't know). Like Hunky Dory this album is jam-packed, to almost an overwhelming degree, of things to examine and talk about. I do not have the sauce or *credentials for that. This album had me coming back to certain tracks (e.g. Heroes and Sense of Doubt) which is more than I can say for most albums I listen to. This is an easy favourite and 5/5 for me. T3: Heroes, Neukoln, Beauty and the Beast
I still don't get the fuss about Bowie. Beyond the title track this is all pretty nondescript and not very interesting.
Bowie's catalog at keast as represented on this list is just tremendous. Even the instrumental and/or Brian Eno parts are very well done. This list has made me appreciate Bowie much more than I did before beggining.
Loved it. I'm afraid this project will turn me into a Bowie fan after a lifetime of enjoying some of his hits and ignoring his albums - and it's probably third or fourth album of his I'm getting here and they're all great. I'm not complaining - at all!
🤗❤️🌞❤️🙋♂️❤️
A fun product of the 1970s Berlin and Japan fever. Loved--conceptually--the V2-Schneider diss track. The whole album feels less revolutionary these days, though, and I had to remind myself the whole time how novel this was because I wasn't super stoked by the music itself. Favorites: Sons of the Silent Age, "Heroes," Moss Garden, Neuköln
This was actually really good, and I don't think i've listened as an album before - will definitely revisit
Will always be a favorite
It's okay. The first song and Heroes are incredibly good, but the other non-ambient tracks are a bit throwaway. The ambient tracks are okay, but I have to be in the right mood for them, otherwise I find them tedious.
So great
Yaay
Another really strong Bowie album, tapers off towards the end though 4/5
Love. Had not properly listened to Moss Garden and Neuköln back to back, two intriguing tracks, and the industrial noir of Neuköln is a striking contrast to the serenity of Moss Garden
Not quite on par with Low from the same year, but still excellent.
It would be obvious to say this is the middle child of the Berlin trilogy seeing as it came after Low and before Lodger. However, I would argue Heroes is actually the middle child of Station to Station and Scary Monsters. It's just the perfect bridge point between the 70s and 80s especially considering the other albums felt very confined to the sound they were exploring. There's a sense of freedom and desire for eclecticism that the rest of the trilogy doesn't have. That doesn't mean the album doesn't fall into the half-rock half-ambient trap of the other Eno-produced albums. In this instance the A-side carries the album to its current reputation. Bowie has plenty of representation on this list, though I wonder, with so many albums included, whether this one was added simply for its iconic cover art and the monster track that is "Heroes." Now that's a song to put on a Voyager record if they ever made another one! Famously recorded with Robert Fripp on guitar, Bowie sang each verse standing a little further away from the mic, which is what captured that incredibly impassioned performance from him - far and away the best of his career. The ambient sections are a little rockier than the dirge-like fare of Low but they really are missing the extra special something (essentially there's a Bowie-shaped hole that stops them from being elevated to the A-side's level.) I think this was a fine album to include as an essential listen as it's a great way to figure out where Bowie had come from in the 70s and where he would be going as the new decade came around the corner. It also has his best song on it. Key Tracks: Beauty and the Beast, Heroes, V-2 Schneider
Anyone who’s into rock music is bound to come across this David Bowie album at some point. 'Heroes' has become such a rock legend that there isn't much left to say about it. Here are a few of my personal thoughts: it’s not my favourite Bowie album (not even my second favourite), and in my opinion it’s not his best. In fact, I don't even think it's the best of the Berlin Trilogy. Without Fripp’s brilliant guitar work, it would be only half as good. Nevertheless, it remains a milestone and a masterpiece.
We could be heroes, but just for one day. Like this album. Onto the next.
Another 3 star Bowie album. The title track is one of the best pop songs ever written, but the remainder is a mixed bag.
Not his best but still it’s Bowie
My favourite non-Ziggy era Bowie album so far. Maybe this damned London heatwave is affecting my judgement. But it's tempting to argue that it's Eno's arrangements, rather than Bowie's songwriting, that give this album it's edge. A sweaty 4*
The ambient tracks were unexpected but very pleasant to listen to
overrrated
Por ser Bowie y que el mejor tema es literalmente HEROES se lleva las 4 estrellas, nada más que decir sobre el resto del álbum
Pretty good. I've listened to some Bowie before but it was neat to listen to a full album of his. Kinda funny that it turns into ambient music in the last third of the album but loved it.
Honestly phenomenal album. The entire first side rocks so hard, the songs are beautifully written. The second side is slower and more ambient but it manages to not be boring. Great album love Bowie.
schwerfällig aber klanglich so un-langweilig
Bosh
Really not my thing 💔 sorry David Bowie.
There's Old Wave. There's New Wave. And there's David Bowie.
saved: “Heroes” Moss Garden The Secret Life of Arabia
Started off strong, but I didn't like the more instrumental songs toward the end. As a Bowie fan, however, it still gets high marks from me.
ЛЮБИМЫЙ
Pretty good - not in the same class a Hunky Dory for me though - was torn between 3 and 4
Love Bowie, I don't know that all of his albums need to be on this list. This feels like an easy cut
One great song on a mediocre album.
Déjà écouté avant. Encore un album majeur de David Bowie, à qui je ne mets 4 étoiles qu'en comparaison des deux chefs-d'œuvre qui ont précédé. Très proche de Low dans l'approche, avec une grande place accordée aux ambiances de Brian Eno, en un peu moins froid et expérimental et avec, en plus, un invité de prestige, l'immense Robert Fripp à la gratte. Pourtant, l'album fonctionne un peu moins bien en tant qu'album, du fait notamment des pistes instrumentales, nettement moins marquantes que celles de Low, et à un processus créatif plus spontané, moins réfléchi, et finalement moins abouti, malgré "Heroes", le titre éponyme, l'un de ses chefs-d'œuvre. Beaucoup de groupes et d'artistes aimeraient avoir des albums "moins réussis" de ce niveau... Top : "Heroes" Flop : Sense of Doubt
Not my favorite Bowie album. Got kind of boring
A: Började intressant och var rädd för att jag skulle bli besviken (se Bulgurs kommentar) men WTAFFFFF?!?!?!?!?! De blev ba bättre o bättre. Började "normalt" (aka tråkigt för varför har IKONEN David Bowie tråkig musik????) men sen hittade "heroin" delen! WOOOW. JEEE! 4/5 D: I början typ nån high-tech Elvis som äntligen har hittat andra instrument än sina fingrar. Mot slutet började det hända allt möjligt. Mina över blev dock inte stimulerade tillräckligt. Rock and spin. 3/5.
Uma decepção, considerando o quanto eu gosto das músicas mais famosas do Bowie. Um álbum bom, mas que não faz jus ao ápice do artista.
I can't rate any Bowie album less than 5 stars. Even if the album as a whole does not have a whole set of hits. This was an Eno produced record and recorded in Berlin. The song "Heros" alone makes this a 5 star record. The story behind the production plus the end result, makes this song a top 10 of all time for me.
Amazing backstory. Very futuristic for the era
If only the whole album matched the quality of Heroes. I was kinda disappointed by the first half (except for the title track), but I ended up enjoying the ambient soundscapes on Side 2... some of them almost sound like they belong in a video game. Pretty cool, but not what I was expecting from this album. Favorites: Heroes, V-2 Schneider, Moss Garden
Heroes is one of the greatest songs ever made. The rest is alright. That guitar solo in Blackout is pretty sweet. In fact, all of Fripp's guitar work in this is very good. But side two doesn't do much for me, even though I'm an Eno fan. There are nice sounds (especially in Moss Garden), but it's just not what I want from a Bowie record.
Love this album sm like oh good also love bowie hes a star i know like the most viral song from that album is heroes but thats my favorite song from all these. Yeahh bowie for life tho
Favorite Song: Blackout
Heroes is an all time incredible song, and one of my personal favorite songs ever. Each time he sings the chorus, the passion and near-desperation in his voice grows. Is it his best recorded vocal performance? I like the rest of the album too, but honestly mostly the instrumental half. I love me some Eno.
One of my all time favourite songs by my all time favourite and this only gets a three. It would be an easy 4 but it is really only half an album. I appreciate where it stands in the discography and why, but I would never just listen to side b
1. Beauty and the Beast (★★★★⯨) 2. Joe the Lion (★★★★★) 3. Heroes (★★★★★) -Favorita del álbum y más... 4. Sons of the Silent Age (★★★★★) 5. Blackout (★★★★☆) 6. V-2 Schneider (★★★★★) 7. Sense of Doubt (★★★★★) -Fav -Frisson -Perfecta para musicalizar alguna sombría escena... -Un mal viaje hecho canción... 8. Moss Garden (★★★★⯨) -Música de spa japonés. 9. Neuköln (★★★★⯨) 10. The Secret Life of Arabia (★★★★⯨) -TOTAL = ★★★★⯨ (4,7) -Debería ser un 5 estrellas, aunque tengo mis dudas al respecto... no es algo que escucharía completamente de manera frecuente, salvo "heroes", la canción más emblemática...
First half fantastic, Side B just ain’t doing it
Feel like this deserves at least a 4 just off the title track, but some of the lyric less songs really do try to drag that down 4
If I am to be believed, this is my group's final Bowie album, and if that's the case, then what a record to end it on. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m somewhere above a 5. It might someday even be a 10, honestly. Honestly, I thought this was even better than Ziggy Stardust. I can’t even totally explain why; a lot of this album’s lyrics flew over my head on a first pass, but the sound design & production work here might be the best stuff I’ve heard come out of the David Bowie / Brian Eno partnership, & maybe some of David’s most immediately impactful stuff ever. I only knew the title track going into this, so my expectations were a little tempered, even knowing how good that title track was. I didn’t expect the new wave-y lean to a lot of these tracks, nor did I know about the trilogy of instrumental tracks that flow into each other that all contrast each other brilliantly. That first half is full of great stuff; “Heroes” is the highlight, obviously, but the overall weirder vibe to the first half felt like watching the world through the eyes of a man that nobody has bothered to identify as “crazy”. Even from the first weird twangs of “Beauty and the Beast” as it builds up with the percussion, there’s a tension that’s constantly present despite all of the funk of the track revealing itself afterward. David’s vocals coming in deeper than usual, filtered to hell, & slightly harmonized adds to that tension. That weird vibe, perhaps best described by Patti Smith as “a cryptic product of a high order of intelligence”, underlines the entire first half in a way that’s too captivating to ignore. It certainly left me weirdly mesmerized, & in combination with Brian’s production work, I found zero misses in the first half & practically zero complaints, even despite the unusual lyrics. The back half of this album isn’t as realized conceptually as “Ziggy Stardust”, nor is it quite as electric as some of Bowie’s best stuff given that 4/5ths of it is mostly instrumental (V-2 Schneider is a good Kraftwerk-inspired track), but it all just clicked for me. Part of that might be the imagination lingering from yesterday, when we got the Virgin Suicides soundtrack, but I just found myself captivated by the push & pull & tension in the main instrumental suite. “Sense of Doubt” is 5 minutes of a piano & synthy keyboard strings pacing back & forth around each other, each tiptoeing as the lead melody at points, yet unable to take any kind of grasp on the track, perhaps inspired by Bowie’s hesitancy to fly to Berlin to begin with. One could boil down “Moss Garden” to 5 minutes of Japanese-inspired ambience that goes nowhere, but I think the pacing of it as a mirror to the unnerving vibe of “Sense of Doubt” works really well for the album. “Neuköln” struck me as an urgent dissonance, with him recognizing the inevitable doom he’s soon to encounter (probably from continuing his drug use), fully desperate to stop himself from being involved with it, almost like an out of body experience. “The Secret Life of Arabia” isn’t the most definitive closing track to follow up, but it’s just bouncy as hell in a fun way that feels like David’s relief from being able to kick his drug habits. Sure, it could’ve fit on the front half better, but I think ending on a nicer note makes for a good way to end it. There’s just something appealing to this that, even after trying to lay it out, I can’t really describe what it is. I just know it’s left a mark of sorts on me. It’s not as concentrated as Ziggy Stardust, but it’s clearly got some kind of focused tone throughout that I picked up on, subconsciously or not. Is part of that subconscious thinking the knowledge that this would be our final David Bowie album on the list? Perhaps, but I don’t think it would change my opinion of this album on any future relistens. I think it’s a great, great album, I think it’s above a 5, and much like Ziggy Stardust inevitably will become, I think this will also reach a 10 for me someday. It’s that good. David Bowie ends his run of 9 albums on this list with an average of roughly a 4.6 from me, and that feels just about right. I might need to give “Young Americans” another a try now that I’m far more familiar with his work, because that’s the only Bowie album here that got lower than a 4. Like I said when we got “★” a while ago, David Bowie’s legacy is one defined by discovery. He was always there, making art. You just had to find him first. Those who found him at his earliest got the honor of experiencing it in real time, and those who found him at his latest would have struck the gold that everyone else had known about. I’m still very glad to have struck upon that gold. 9 albums here may feel like overkill to some, but I wouldn’t drop a single one of them. Rest in peace, David.
Perfect.
I do not think it’s not good but I don’t dig it as much as I’d like to
Finally, some Bowie. I liked it! I didn't know Bowie did instrumentals as well, which was a suprise but overall good.
Thank you for blessing me with a Bowie album today 🙏 Not one of my favorite Bowie album but it’s still great. I do think Heroes carries the rating (I’d probably give it a 3 otherwise).
I have always found that the title song is one of the saddest songs recorded. Only kind of related, but when I was a teenager I was obsessed with 'Regular Show' on Cartoon Network. The final episode aired my junior year of college and it features "Heroes" in its conclusion. Watching that episode while those first notes hit was like someone took a wrecking ball to my teen years and the weight of adulthood felt really unbearable. I have a hard time listening to it most days. Great album. I get a little lost towards the end.
Almost 200 albums in and we have our first appearance from the most-represented solo artist on the list. I rank this as the 5th best Bowie album and the second best of the Berlin era -- Berlin era Bowie, as I alluded when discussing Iggy Pop's Lust For Life, is one of the more formidable artists to exist. The 70s, quite simply, belong to Bowie. This one is less experimental than Low, less pop than Lodger. Best known for its title track, which is probably the best song Bowie ever recorded. But the contributions of Brian Eno throughout are amazing. “Moss Garden” has always been a go-to relaxation piece for me. Probably a 4 but like come on, it’s got “Heroes” on it.
I was enjoying the first bit of this, some solid songs. I put it on the Bluetooth speaker as I worked on installing fountains into planters as a mini backyard pond project. Heroes came on, love that one, lightening up the toil of cleaning out sulfury pond muck from plants. Gradually, without me noticing, the music got eerie. Dark clouds rolled in and the wind roared through the trees around me. I looked down and noticed that the 3 minnows I’d put in one of the planters were floating at the top of the water, graveyard dead. By this time, I was in the middle of the haunting song “Neukoln” and scrambling to finish up my work because I was tired, frustrated, and kinda spooked. I think David Bowie would be pleased that this one freaked me out a bit.
OMG - I love this album. I know that the 'Second side' instrumentals cop a bit of wank flack which may or may not be warranted. I don't hold 'The Berlin trilogy' in the same esteem as most hardcore Bowie fans, but of the three this is probably my fav. How good is 'Beauty and the Beast!'
I found this one much harder to get into than the other Bowie albums we've had. My favourites were the instrumentals towards the end of the album. A 3 from me, but an extra star because I know how much you love him Ian!
I can absolutely hear Fripp's exploratory chops. He brings a heavy, rock and roll feel to Bowie I hadn't paid attention to before. Track four, Sons of the Silent Age, brings the more traditional Bowie sound I expect when a Bowie track is put on. Great use of intergalactic, stellar saxophone. The heavy synths are interesting, and weave with the heavily effected guitar. V-2 Schneider is not the song I expected it to be. It's a weird one, but catchy. Definitely ominous. Second half of the album and holy mother of God, Byrne's influence is worn on the sleeve. Green Moss' orientalism aside, it's more listenable for me than the rest of the album. Sense of Doubt is the song to trigger the most emotional response on the album. It is overwhelming, consuming, and radiantly depressing. Nailed it. The closer of the album, secret life of Arabia or whatever is a swingy, Bowie filled tune. Fun, but just another Bowie song. Heroes the song is catchy, and I have a new appreciation for it contextually. Heroes the album is fun but definitely not groundbreaking. I'm glad I listened.
Quite enjoyed this one. Nice to be reminded of Heroes, which is just such a beautiful song. Bit of a challenging listen sometimes - more something to sit down with and listen intently than to have on in the background. Loved Neukoln - the ambient/instrumental one. Overall, just so many beautiful instrumentals on here. Might go back for an immediate second listen. Did go back for an immediate second listen and loved it too. I'll give it four stars to leave some room up top.
The title track is great, the rest I wasn't such a fan of.
I guess he's ahead of the times with this album but I still don't enjoy it.
Some albums are all over the place stylistically but this one takes a HARD turn before coming back. This sounds super influential to modern music.
Not my favorite Bowie album.
I get where indie sleaze came from.
yes
Songs with such cringe lyrics, time locked music. Then shifts direction with Sense of Doubt and then Moss Garden sounding like Brian Eno took over. I liked the second half so I guess 50-50
This is just not the best Bowie album, the title track is good but some of the soundscapes going on elsewhere are borderline annoying. I like the direction it goes but it never arrives, in my opinion.
Such an enjoyable experience, start to finish
I enjoyed it. Maybe not as good as he others.
Ummm, what was the last half of this album? Moss Garden? I really liked the other David Bowie stuff. But I'm not jammin' to this one. But I'll give it a 5/10
Have I said I usually dislike the late 70s and 80s sound scapes? This is a huge exception!!! Bowie for president. 4.4
Still not a huge fan of Bowie, but I (mostly) found this enjoyable. The “mostly” is due to a couple of the instrumental tracks on the second side that really dragged. 7/10 Quite Likeable
I LOVE THIS ALBUM!
El album estuvo bueno en general. Para mi las mejores fueron Heroes, Sons of the Silent Age y The secret life of Arabia.
I love Bowie. I named my orange cat after him. But I’ve never tried his full albums. This was excellent but I think they may need some getting used to. I added the awesome title track to my playlist.
Good, just not as good as I was expecting.
Outside of the title song and the closer, mother too great by Bowie standards.
Bowie has never been a favorite of mine but the songs I like are some of the greatest there are. Heroes might be one of those. This album as a whole is very meh to me. Most songs are okay and that's about it. But that single song brings this album up a whole lot to me. It might not get the highest score over all from me but I could listen to that one song over and over and give it 5 stars instead.
good
I really enjoy the ambient music that's feature in the album. Heroes is a pretty solid song too. David Bowie is one of those artists that I know I'm supposed to love. And I do enjoy his stuff on this album, but not to the extent I would've been expected to.
A couple decent singles, but for the most part I could take it or leave it.
Credit to Bowie for challenging conventional music, while still sounding interesting. I’ll choose several other albums over this one, but it’s worth listening to.
Really enjoyed the mostly instrumental second half but not really sure how it all fits together. ‘Heroes’ the title track is incredible, it’s well-known. ‘Moss Garden’ was my highlight.
Sok
Yeah it was alright
I think Low is my favorite album from the Berlin trilogy, but they are all fantastic and Heroes has some great songs and some realy interesting experimental pieces as well. This is my favorite era of Bowie’s music for sure.
good
Weird pretty groovy and what a voice! Love the ambient interlude and like this album more than Low which was my fave I had heard until now
I like the first half a lot better than the second, but I still enjoy it all and I love David Bowie.
Oh Bowie. Not my favorite. Not at all. But this album… let’s see how I feel today… Oh no. Listened to this with my husband. He wanted to give it a 1. This only concretized what was honestly his hate going in. The first half, minus the very recognizable Heroes, is almost unlistenable. I have to admit. I tried twice. But… yeah it’s torture. And then the second half… well it’s relief? Love music where Bowie isn’t singing. But together the two halves are… what? Brilliant? No. I’m sorry all the brouhaha about Bowie, at least here, is… Sound and fury my friends. 2 Because the second half has some decent tracks. Boolean: FALSE- I in no way, on no day, needed to hear this before I die.
мне кажется мне можно даже не писать комментарий почему 5 звезд
+ tsja Bowie, een hele plaat
+1 for Heroes song. I cannot get this album out of my head.
Yep. That's an 8/10.
3.5 rounded up
Wanted to like this more.
It was alright
Interesante
really it was only a matter of time before i would listen to another album by bowie. this album has a lot of the same people who worked on "low" (which i reviewed at the VERY start of this journey), and many of the songs are impromptu recording sessions. this is probably one of the rockiest i've ever heard when it comes to bowie. and honestly i think what i expected of "low", i'm getting it in this album. it's bigger, louder, wider, crazier... not just the varied instrumentals but the weird and fantastical lyrics too. bowie is just pulling out shit from a hat again and again and again. seems like every song is an auditorial tug of war, one point of view pulling at another. it's such a bonkers display of musical and lyrical genius, and it's crazy to me that a lot of it was made just... on a whim. just like that. props to bowie and eno too, it's a match made in heaven. it's just experimental enough where anyone, let alone me would fuck with.
On paper I should love David Bowie and he seems like a great guy with about 5 good songs, the rest I reeeeeally don't like.
Very good, has such a good nostalgic feeling, I feel like this has been the soundtrack to every movie to ever exist. I feel like there may be other Bowie stuff that I may love more!
I did not enjoy it.
There are some really good, classic songs on this album, but Bowie feels like a really iconic and important artist that I don't necessarily connect with on all levels. Some songs, yes, I love, but not all of them. I really need to be in the mood. Good album, but not my favorite.
Mi recuerdo era que no me había gustado cuando lo escuché hace un par de años. Efectivamente tenía razón, no me gustó. Le pongo dos estrellas sólo por Heroes que es un temón.
The more ambient tracks make the album feel overly eclectic, but the quality of the contents more than make up for it. The single "Heroes" remains one of the greatest songs ever made. This is the strongest of the "Berlin Trilogy" albums, in my opinion.
Phenomenal album. Great to listen to it in its entirety for once. I always remember the visual of Heroes blasting through the hallways of a Berlin studio
I am only familiar with Bowie's singles and have never listened to an entire album until today. I think this is good, but pretty underwhelming for my first Bowie experience. Of course I'm basing that opinion off of the fact I've heard nothing less than how brilliant Bowie is for the past 48 years of my life. I know there are more of his albums on this list, so I haven't lost hope yet. I know there's a 5 star out there. The song "Heroes" is phenomenal, though, and gets all the stars.
Classic album. Low is the one for me in this Berlin trilogy.
Love Bowie. Not my favorite, but a good album
Very good I really liked the ambient songs
Beauty and the beast - 3 Joe the lion - 3 "Heroes" - 5 Sons of the silent age - 3 Blackout - 2 V-2 schneider - 3 Sense of doubt - 4 Moss garden - 2 Neukoln - 2 The secret life of arabia - 3
Meh, it's interesting, but I wouldn't remember it or listen to it willingly.
I was basically bored through this whole album. I didn't hate it, but nothing in it was interesting.
Starts out OK then gets weird. BOOOO!!!
Did this need to be the 2nd David Bowie album from 1977 to make the list? I would sacrifice 4 of these for a Blink 182 or 2 for another Tom Petty. I'm not mad at you, David. I'm mad at the situation.
There's nothing I dislike about this album, but not much really makes me want to listen to it again. "Heroes" is pretty good. Moss Garden and Neukoln are unexpected and also pretty good.
I kind of wish the title track closed the album out. It absolutely devastates me. What an impassioned performance from Bowie on that song. A true all-timer. Eno’s production and Fripp’s guitar work are welcome here, and it’s certainly a worthy entry in the Berlin trilogy. It’s not my favorite from that era (I think that’s still ‘Low’), but the improvisational nature of Bowie’s writing and Eno’s astute studio work make for a solid, singular album.
apart from Heroes, there are some interesting songs here. Like really unexpected for someone that doesn't usually listen to him. And that speaks lots from Bowie and his ability
Beginning was fun and felt nostalgic. Instrumentals at the end of the album kinda lost me, though enjoyed the freaky vibe to them. 2.5/5
Just too experimental for me overall
A great beginning, but the back half is just too weird for my tastes.
Outside of “Heroes”, this was pretty subpar
Top notch. 4.5
Great
노래가 어떻든 보위가 좋으니까 베스트: Beaut and the Beast
I'm going to have to give this one another listen sometime. It was an odd album with some interesting vocals and lyrics. I enjoyed the purely instrumental tracks in the middle section of the album and "Heroes" is great, but some of the other songs put me off. Maybe I'll appreciate it more on the next go round.
Done very well!
Was a vibe ,some classics did not enjoy the instrumentqls
What an album. Bowie really embraces the electro future here, with his old pals Brian and Robert proving to be able foils. He was always more a bellwether than a trailblazer, ably identifying trends and embracing them before they were trendy. The synth and electronic soundscapes had already been approached by others, but never in the way Bowie does here. Even his detractors would admit that the man always followed his muse. “Secret life of Arabia” is a low key highlight, but the title track is one of the greatest songs of the 70s. Spine chilling. I’d rank this album overall very close to its predecessor ‘Low’, and its splitting hairs to compare them. 5/5.
79/100. Some of the tracks are absolutely fantastic. The ambient-heavy last stretch of the album is especially stunning.
I'm not the most ardent David Bowie fan, but I certainly recognize his genius. Every time he comes up on this project, I'm reminded of just how unfamiliar I am with his deep catalog (it's mostly just his "hits" that I know). That said, this is probably the best of his albums that I've listened to on this so far.
This was really dissapointing. Maybe my expectations were too high, Heroes is a great song but the rest of the album felt so so dry.
Not Bowies best work but still a provoking listen
the seeeeeecret life of pets 2
Yup
Well my first Bowie album on this journey. Have listened to other Bowie but not this. Lets het it out of the way Heros the song is one of the greatest rock songs off all time. Does the rest standup well nearly enjoyed the first half. Entered side 2 not expecting the ambient instrumentals. Not my favourite thing however as it went on really enoyed. Think ill give a 4
How could this be less than 5 stars. Up there with the best he did. I came late-ish to Bowie and later still to the Berlin period but it’s so high end. Probably good I wasn’t trying to get a teenage brain around it. Got into this and Eno generally at the same time. So otherworldly and timeless yet still connects
David Bowie? Hero 🦸!
No es mi fav de david, pero esta lleno de bangers
1970s nonce It’s just really fucking boring One star for the title track Favourite track: heroes
Masterpiece
Much more esoteric than I was expecting. This was my first ever Bowie album, so I didn't know what to expect. I thought it was pretty good.
Bowieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! This guy is cool as fuck. Heroes is great, Moss Garden is a random unreal deep cut that really stuck out to me idk why. Rest of the album is good.
Some of these felt like they were more meant to be enjoyed only while under the influence of certain psychedelics. I do like Bowie though and Heroes is one of my favorite tracks.
I enjoyed this one. I somehow was not expecting it to get into the more experimental music at the end, but I blame that on my unfamiliarity with Bowie.
This is great, what can be said? It's David Bowie, he only does good music. Yes I'm biased.
Quite great
I liked it; it was pretty nice
We can be
This album is great. Oh, I didn't think I would enjoy it that much, mainly because the beginning is not that strong for me – of course, I has "Heroes", but the other songs are just some other nice ones, which I don't find much outstanding, so I was wondering if the sole masterpiece of the record would be the title track... but, oh, I was so wrong! It starts to grow and grow, also becoming something very different than the beginning, more experimental and ambient-based, but so beautiful. I've loved listening to this album, and, even if I'm not loving some of the first tracks (mainly because I would expect something else from Bowie), it has been a delight, such a great experience, and truly an album that grows, that is actually fantastic.
only heard the title track before this, excited to listen beauty and the beast: immediately funky start to the album joe the lion: fun guitars if a bit messy sounding, interesting to read about chris burden's works while listening heroes: desperately hopeful/bittersweet esp as he starts yelling as the song progresses sons of the silent age: singapore moment... so bleak black out: this one makes me want to jump around instrumentals v-2 schneider: plane passing by sense of doubt: impending sense of doom, haunted house moss garden: unexpected japan moment??? neukoeln: impending sense of doom pt 2. i feel like im lost with nowhere to go the secret life of arabia: movie end credits super fun listen, nothing felt redundant, would listen again (at least the first half)
Empezó muy bien, los instrumentales si bien no son malos un poco te sacan del mood y el último track es medio una cagada. Tendría que haberlo terminado con Heroes y ahí se consagraba. No es malo porque heroes carrea el álbum.
Fair play actually liked this one, -1 for nonce
it’s aight not my cup of tea
Pretty good, but it feels like 2 half albums jammed together. The first half is solid, and the ambient music in the second half is interesting, but it doesn’t really work together for me as an album experience.
Not my favorite Bowie album, still great.
bowie’s worst
Good but my all time favourite is Hunky Dory, this is a bit harsh
Too much Bowie! Good album but drops off too much in second half to be five stars
Art is subjective
For me Heroes is a 4/5 — a masterclass in mood, atmosphere, and Bowie’s ability to merge personal narrative with sonic innovation. Side 2 is the album’s heart, and its songs are among Bowie’s most enduring. I like the song Neukolln as I was living near there back in 1989 and the song sounds like a Turkish Doener Kebab combined with a few puffs of hash. Good stuff.
If it was all Heroes, it would be five stars, but it’s not.
So much fun, lostened to this 3 times in a row n I’d do it again. love you Bowie
Title track here is honestly one of the greatest songs of all time, the other songs are some cool instrumental ambient stuff but nothing all that memorable
Not my favourite Bowie album, but still enough within to keep me engaged. Much preferred side two to one, and obviously the title track is timeless.
Love Bowie, but I know realise I love his hits and not his boring back catalogue. Legend of a man tho
Not a Bowie fan at all. Hoped this would be good but Nah. Very boring. A good few of the tracks have no lyrics, just trippy instrumentals. Bowie is massively overhyped in my opinion. Maybe it’s an age thing. He had 5 no 1’s. Released 26 albums, 12 of which without a top ten hit. This one was 1/5 for me
I don't love this. The first half really works, lots of great songs and obviously the title track is just great. But once we move into the non-vocal tracks I start to question what this album is actually aiming for. Nothing here is particularly bad, I just find at points it's almost unfocused. 'Heroes' does take me back to the GOAT finale episode of TV, real ones know what I'm talking about. Fav Track: Heroes
La chansons éponyme est culte mais le reste de l'album ? Un peu chéper quand même ??
À part heroes… pas plus apprécié que ça cet album
Sympa!
I’ve never thought of myself as a Bowie fan, but I enjoyed this. And I guess I’d better get used to it, as I understand he has nine albums in this project …
Nice work David Bowie, if that even is your real name. Heroes is an absolute classic and if, hypothetically, it was placed on to a 1977 playlist, it would almost certainly be one of the best songs. Much of the rest of the album is pretty new to me though so giving 5 stars might be reserved for further listening.
It’s Bowie so I have to love it, right? I don’t mind it. I’m more of an 80’s Bowie fan. Never got the hype that places him on an u touchable pedestal. It’s aight.
Listening session: may 12th, while going for a walk Listened to before: heard one song before Thoughts: I’m not a Bowie fan, and while this album must’ve been ahead of its time, I did not enioy it. “Heroes” is a great song though Favourite tracks: “Heroes” & Blackout
Me gusta, es como un rockcito distinto. Más alternativo. Creo que nunca había escuchado a David Bowie o al menos un disco suyo. Y me parece un gran artista. Música agradable al oído, nada que me encante, pero me gusta. 7,5/10
I don't know what to say about this one. I have a soft spot for "Heroes" (the song, not the album) but I do find it on the whole to be fairly dull (the album, not the song). Bowie has better work out there. Give me Ziggy Stardust, Diamond Dogs or even Blackstar and I'm a happy man... Heroes feels like some pretty mediocre stuff with a title track that is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Still, I did enjoy it generally, so the rest of the album can have a 3 - lifted to a 4 by the title track. Seems fair.
Back in September 2025 I got my first Bowie album, Hunky Dory. At the time I proclaimed my confusion over why I'm not a fan of his music, as by all accounts I should be. I gave that album a 3, but expressed the hope that I'll find an album or two that I really like given how many there are on the list. So this is Bowie album number 2 (#341). It has my already favorite song of his in Heroes. It's a period of his music that I have never listened to. I like a lot of Brian Eno's other production work, so maybe this time... Not to be a contrarian, but aside from Heroes (still love it) and liking The Secret Life of Arabia, I totally preferred the instrumentals of side two to the rest of side one. As has been the case with his music overall, it just doesn't grab me emotionally and I've found it all very cold and uninteresting. I liked it better than Hunky Dory at least.
what the hell sure
Started out beautiful and weird as usual. Then instrumental in later tracks. Beautiful album and the cover doesn’t do it justice for what it is.
While listening to the album I realized, while I am well aware of the persona that David Bowie is, I have not really listened to his discography.. And well, this was pretty mediocre? Maybe other albums are more impressive.
I liked the title song. But just based off of this, I guess I'm not a big Bowie fan.
I do not like David Bowie.
It’s alright. One of those albums that makes a good listening experience, but individual tracks don’t have much replay value. Not Bowie’s best for sure.
Even when the results are patchy, the genius still comes through
Another Bowie album. Another chance for me to say that, although I appreciate the man, I do not love the music.
mouais deso bowie mais t'es pas ma DA
I'm listening to this for the second time and I don't know how to do album reviews because I just listen without thinking but I can be King and you can be my Queen, still. The first half got me dancing around my room and bopping my head, I don't know if it was a performative urge or something but I did feel it. I also had a synchronicity moment when Kings came on when I finally found a TMNT(2003) episode that has been imprinted into my memory where Donatello (purple eyeband with wooden stick) fights a guy who can make his drawings come to life with a brush of his pen, and I found that pretty cool. Anyways, I really do like listening to Yoshikage Kira's voice and I bet you do too, and the end of the album just being pure instrumentality was also a nice surprise so like get a 8.5/10 Edit: other reviews don't say that many good things about it, but that's probably because I haven't really listened to any other albums of his but I'm not taking this back lol
As a Bowie hater....I had a lot of fun and maybe shouldn't have pissed on this dead man's grave as much as I have....save a lil piss for the freaks in berlin, Bowie's tellin me
This feels like it was designed in a lab to annoy me. I never want to hear it again.
The only good side of this album is the song "Heroes" on it
Another great Bowie album, huge massive hit songs on it, no surprise there. The highlights are “beauty and the beast”, “heroes”, and “the secret life of Arabia”. The only disconnect for me with this album is the atmospheric explorational songs that make up most of the album. It’s fun, I like the idea of just making something atmospheric and “vibey”, it just didn’t click with me, like it was pleasant I just didn’t adore it. Still a solid album.
Listened in the car. Liked the songs in the first half, but was blown away by the ethereal soundscapes in the second half! I absolutely did not expect that and was blown away. Favourite Bowie album so far.
Combatting the urge to 5 star for Heroes alone.
Great to get to another Bowie album. This one has a lot of great experimentation on it and definitely sounds distinct compared to other albums I’ve heard so far. It’s certainly in a pop rock format but it does sound unique with a mostly cinematic second side. I’m looking forward to one day figuring out how tjis album fits in the “Berlin trilogy”.
À part Heroes qui est bien sûr incroyable je reste sur ma faim !!
Mouais. Pas bien marquant, même si loin d'être scandaleux. Heroes est pile dans la DA de l'album, rien de spécial (ni en bien ni en mal).
Good but nowhere near his best.
Might be peak bowie soundwise. I'm sure the bowies will yell at me. I'm a casual and I love how the album comfortably cresends to a calm and abstract outro.
Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Pretty familiar, I know maybe half the songs and I know the background of his Berlin recordings. The cover is iconic. How do I feel about this artist? Hello Bowie, I’m more familiar with his glam stuff than the Berlin trilogy but I don’t think there’s any Bowie that I dislike. First impressions before listening: This is so funny, I bought a Bowie T-shirt yesterday and this was one of the pictures on it. I actually said out loud “ it would be cool if I got Bowie tomorrow because then I could wear my new shirt while I listen” and of all the albums I got the one that matches the shirt! I think it’s gonna be a good day. Favorite track(s): Heroes Overall Thoughts: The first part of this album is great. I’m not a huge fan of the instrumentals, they kind of killed the vibe but that doesn’t mean it was bad music I just feel like I enjoy Bowie’s glam era a lot more.
I knew Heroes only going in. The rest was ok. The instrumental ones were unexpected but nice.
Listened to this as a teen, didn't like it so much. Definitely enjoy it now, especially the last few ambient tracks. What the hell was going on there? I demand more of it. 3.5 rounded down to 3.
LOVE "KEROES"! The album in its entirety... meh. But, I have never been a huge Bowie fan. Just not my taste, but I certainly appreciate his style and musical artistry.
I was surprisingly underwhelmed by this. I love Bowie, but a lot of the abstract, sound-scape-y stuff in the back half just sort of washed over me. I didn't dislike it by any means, and I'm not opposed to ambient music as a genre. In fact I find it can be soothing and nice to have on in the background if, say, I'm writing. It's just very hard for me to blown away by it. Given the immense reputation of this record, I sort of expected more. I felt this way listening to Low as well, so maybe I'm just not a Berlin Period guy?
Loved this album. Great tunes. Iconic!
Good album. I see the hype
This kind of Bowie is right up my alley, but what isn't?
Love the first half of this album. Incredible composition, especially Beauty and the Beast. Didn’t love the second half of the album so much though.
Bowie is very hit or miss for me - mostly miss. This album stays true to that trend. Still, his misses aren't terrible. Side note: Why am I just noticing that "Heros" is in quotations? This feels like it might be a Mandela effect thing.
I'd never heard this before and ended up liking it quite a bit. I fell asleep on the plane listening to the album amd woke up mid-extended instrumental sax song. That it didn't sound at all a) like Bowie or b) like 70s/80s pop saxophone made me wonder if I'd slept through the album. But no. It was just a great song. So yeah, this was good.
I like Low a lot, so I was surprised that this didn’t do more for me. I would rank at least 4 or 5 Bowie albums above this.
The title track -- an all-time great, of course -- and V-2 Schneider do all the work here.
3/5 - I'm not deep into Bowie's catalog, and this didn't change that. I listened twice, and aside from Heroes, which I've heard a thousand times, only the V-2 song really caught my ear.
Don't really like it that much
I find I am not much of a Bowie fan. I think I like his persona(s) more than I like the majority of his music. He is iconic.
It surprised me that this is a big Bowie album! I liked the title track and the long ambient part of the album but haven't yet clicked with the rest
Maybe 2.5. Heroes is great, otherwise liked the B side better than the A
Yup great, I’ll come back to it muchly. Weird but not off putting. Clever, interesting.
Thought I would love this album but it was a bit disappointing. The best tracks have strong tunes but other tracks meander and become unmemorable. There are far stronger Bowie albums.
One of Bowie's innumerable talents is his inventiveness - doing something new and exciting with each album. But doing something new with each release does, in turn, mean that some releases are better than others, though. I like this album a lot, and while I think Bowie can do no wrong, it is weaker than his other, more notable works.
Love Berlin
Not a Bowie fan unfortunately
The first half is filled with infectious grooves, almost rock opera harmonies, and feels about a decade ahead of its time both sonically and technically. By contrast, the last half of the album morphs into a swirling, ambient soundscape - if the rock starlings in the first half felt like they hailed from 1987, then this second half feels like it was unearthed from a capsule sent from 3000AD. Bowie's voice is like 5000 gigawatts jammed right through the speakers: this is a bible for the rock religion, the new testament of the electronic age.
Not his best not his worst
Rv
Sophisticated
Unbelievable piece of work. In the rotation.
David Bowie's paedophilia and fascist sympathies don't get spoken about nearly enough
Pretty good album with some moody instrumental stuff at the end.
classique, pas mon pref de bowie mais bon c’est ok
It's hard to believe this album came out in 1977. So far ahead of its time. Bowie dons one of his alter egos and, along with Brian Eno, comes up with a killer album.
I liked the shift in tone
Pretty good
love!
Heroes is the third in the Berlin trilogy and I have to say that I really enjoy this album thoroughly. Heroes is an amazing song but where you have the biggest strength is Robert Fripp being allowed to be Robert Fripp. Heroes is so good on the album. Another aspect that I like is the instrumentals. I find the way they resemble free jazz it kind of breaks up the album a bit. David Bowie always was trying to be innovative and I thought he at his best on this album.
I love the instrumentals and Heroes, the song, is obviously absolutely essential.
Not my favorite Bowie album. But Heroes is an all-timer song.
Feels weird re-starting this journey with a very mixed album. Everyone knows Bowie and I was excited to see a familiar album title too. There is some interesting stuff here. The title track, Joe the Lion, and the instrumentals on Side 2 took me by surprise as I previously found them boring. Moss Garden in particular was dreamy. Weirdly, a lot of Side 1 was tough to listen. Really great guitar parts that I should like, but the production was shite. I get that maybe it's what the intention was meant to be, but it made a rough listen. Overall I can see why others may like this album, but I bet this is not the best of 8 albums of Bowie's on here.
Shermz - Yay this is more pop-y. I didn’t know that this guy sang Starman! 3/5
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: "Heroes", Sense of Doubt, Moss Garden, Neuköln I can definitely hear the Brian Eno influence on this album. It's all moody and atmospheric and ambient, and there's, I think, two or three fully instrumental tracks, which I would not have expected (in my limited experience) on a Bowie album. I liked this album.
Disappointing. We love Bowie, apart from "Heroes" which is one of my favourite Bowie songs, gave the album a 2 for heroes .
Great album, still sounds fresh.
Typical Bowie ahead of his time and misunderstood. This is a good Bowie album though not great.
Lots of interesting noises here
Not sure if this is even in my top 5 Bowie albums but I’m completely biased. When it’s good it’s transcendent, but it’s always interesting and engaging. Sons of the Silent Age is mental.
For me Bowie's music is still overshadowed by the pop culture icon that Bowie himself was. I guess you just had to be there to get it.
I found the first half almost impenetrable on first listen, with the exception of "Heroes" which is great. The ambient second half was cool and spooky.
Ok and interesting album. Quite enjoyed the three ambient tracks but as a whole the album was ok at best. 2,5/5
I'm finding it difficult to rate this one. It's interesting, but almost a bit too diverse a selection of tracks. Some are fantastic, some I could really give a fuck about. I enjoy this album for the most part, but I feel like I don't quite get why it's so appreciated. After 2 listens, I'm going with a 3.5/5.