Heroes

Better than Lodger, not as good as Low. My short assessment of the Berlin trilogy. My cat named Bowie disagrees with this assessment but who gives a fuck what he thinks, he's a cat.

Eight Bowie records is entirely too many for this list and this is one that could be easily cut. TIile cut is fine of course but the gloomy instrumentals on side 2 are extremely tedious and pointless -- even for Eno fans – and sound dated besides. This is replacement-level at best, with only the rarest bits of intrigue.

Ah, another Bowie joint. Never heard this album. As an unreconstructed proletarian in the 1970s, I never really joined in the Bowie mania. I always thought Bowie was much more popular in the U.K. than in the real world. (I mean, I’m grateful for the Brits putting us up for several months before we kicked Hitler’s ass and all, but . . . ) Ok, enough levity. The title of this group is “serious-listen, so here goes: Everything good about this album (“Heroes”, 1977) is in the synth and the lead guitar (in other words, Brian Eno and Robert Fripp), which are very, very good. I almost wish Bowie hadn’t gotten involved. Seriously. I invite anyone to listen to this album while imagining that Bowie’s voice and lyrics were gone. It would be a much better album. In this album he seems tired. Bowie’s vocals are uninspired (and uninspiring), and his lyrics sound like they were simply thrown together—the kind of mishmash we used vomit into our theme books in mid-afternoon 10th grade Civics class. I don’t often use the word ‘vapid’ and ‘insipid’ in the same sentence, but in this case I’ll make an exception. Bowie put out too many (eleven!) albums in the 1970s. That pace exceeds the creative capacity of any one man. In the ‘70s, even Bob Dylan only put out ten, and David Bowie is no Bob Dylan. I’ve held this opinion for a long, long time. Bowie had a lot of cheerleaders rah-rahing for him to become ‘the next big thing’, but history has demonstrated that the last book on the enduring musical legacy of the 1970s will put Bowie in the endnotes. I will agree that as an entertainer, as a concert performer, Bowie is up there with the best. But this project is about ALBUMS. Albums are for listening. His albums don’t cut it. He’s certainly had hits; and he’s certainly prettier than Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Duane Allman, Keith Emerson, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, David Crosby, Aretha Franklin, Mick Fleetwood, Roger Waters, etc. etc., but as a musician and a recording artist, he’s second-tier. This album makes the point. Lunkheaded lyrics on “Beauty and the Beast” are too binary, lacking any philosophical sophistication or even subtlety in expressing the relationship between good and evil. Has he never read Nietzsche? No, probably not. “Joe the Lion” demonstrates Bowie’s lazy approach to pitch and diction. This track has a nice driving beat and excellent lead guitar work (but the lead is unfortunately pushed to the background in the mix. Too bad). The ‘poetic’ theme of “Heroes” is that of a man pushing a vain hope of ultimate happiness (why “if only just for one day”?) in order to win his lover, “and the guns shot above our heads (Over our heads); And we kissed, as though nothing could fall.” That’s a sad formula, elevating the forlorn to the heroic. And certainly not persuasive as a love ballad. Not for me. The poetic protagonist and his lover kissing by the Berlin Wall should have reflected on the fact that the “Heroes” were not the ones suffering in the Cold War. The heroes were the ones fighting the Cold War, and dammit, we won. The Wall came down. Bowie’s lyric trivializes the monstrous oppression of Soviet communism. This is the only song on the album which has any popularity on the Apple iTunes track listing. I’m not sure if that says more about Bowie’s listening public or iTunes’ algorithms, but it does reveal something about the album as a whole. Bowie’s voice is so nasal it sounds like he’s swallowed his tongue. With a classic lack of self-awareness, he refers to “one-inch thoughts” in “Sons of the Silent Age”, which is itself a lyrically banal collection of half-inch thoughts. David Bowie is not a thinking man’s lyricist. The second side of the original LP showcased Brian Eno. Very nice soundscapes and aural colorings (at least for 1977). “V-2 Schneider” is one of the best tracks on the album, evocative of the horror of Nazi Germany’s weaponry unleashed on British non-combatants (The threat was minimal, but the fear was real.) The next track, “Sense of Doubt” is even better (notice that there’s virtually no singing from Bowie on these two tracks?). And “Neuköln” (misspelled) works well as a sonic landscape of Cold War angst (again no lyrics or singing), as seen from Bowie’s perspective in West Berlin in 1977. This is a much better track that “Heroes”. Brings back memories—not all of them good, but most of them important. “The Secret Life of Arabia”, has a wonderful funkadelic vibe, well-recorded, but sadly spoiled by Bowie’s superlatively bland lyrics and whining tone-deaf vocals. For David Bowie, it’s past time for someone to say that the emperor has no clothes (or rather, in Bowie’s case, the clothes are all he’s got). This is an almost good album. Glad I got to listen to it before I die. 2/5

As the advertising/marketing slogan from 1977 for the ‘Heroes’ album states: “There's Old Wave, there's New Wave, and there's David Bowie."

It's Bowie. I'm gonna like it. The man was a legend and consistently ahead of his time. That future-thinking is on heavy display with Heroes. It's from '77 (the same year as Low) but features sounds that wouldn't become ubiquitous until the 80s. Sadly for me, those sounds aren't my favorite which knocks a star off of this review. The songwriting is still brilliant and Bowie is still a beast and the album was still great. I just don't really like bloopy synths. Low was a better album.

I guess I’m a Bowie fan now! Half existential bops to dance to, half eerie and gorgeous soundscape. Robert Fripp and Brian Eno really bring it together to paint a gorgeous masterpiece for David Bowie to launch himself off of. Beautiful!

My favorite Bowie album from the Berlin period. The instrumentals are not as great as on Low (but still good) . The songs with vocals combined with the incredible "windenhurst" guitar play of Robert Fripp make this album stand out. The strange and distorted sounds and melodies of Black Out, Beauty and the Beast and Joe the Lion are thrilling. The song Heroes is pure magic.

Love Heroes, can take or leave the rest.

I listened to this album twice just to make sure I was hearing right and believable. So far no album apart from Bad Company has disappointed me so sharply after Heroes. It's like there's a sharp drop in quality. Someday with more patience I'll understand this album a lot more. The songs that I really love I will rate a solid 4-5. Heroes is an anthem to me. But maybe because of the generation I grew up in, and that these are ALBUMS to listen to, I expect something as an album. It's so disappointing, with this voice and solid songs, the album is a drop in quality. So disappointing. ((I went back and read the history of the album, maybe someday I will look at this album differently, but I personally did not enjoy it. I'm listening to Ziggy Stardust and with every song the groove helps me forget Heroes)) 2/5

The second of the Berlin trilogy, and like Low before it, it has a vocal side and a mostly instrumental side. The instrumentals are Eno collaborations, but they're Bowie through and through. The Kraftwerk influence is overstated, in my opinion. I believe it's more accurate to say that Bowie accomplished what they couldn't, or maybe more politely: they walked so he could run. Best track: Heroes

A wee angry bad tempered man with strange eyes. The bloody best of British. A blowjob from Mr. Blobby.

The apex of the Berlin Trilogy. This album is like an old friend to me. In fact I was just listening to it on vinyl yesterday coincidentally. I feel like this album and those surrounding it from this era are a high water mark in his career and for experimental pop/rock music in general.

I wanted to love this album, but it's like I just glanced off it. It's surface enjoyable for me, but there's nothing grabbing me to listen again, even the title track that seems to be many people's favorite. I know I like Bowie; I adore singles I've heard on the radio, but there is nothing in this album. I can recognize the skill and the talent, but there's no connection, which is a bummer. Conceptually, I do appreciate the instrumental tracks, which I feel are forgotten by a lot of modern musicians and bands.

ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER. ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER. ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER. ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER. ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER. ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER. ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER. ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER. ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER.

Overall my second favorite from the Berlin Trilogy (“Low” remains GOATed), but this is a fantastic record. The title track is a serious contender for greatest single song ever written and recorded.

The song "Heroes" is one of those stop-me-in-my-tracks songs. I stop and I really listen. God I love that fucking song so much. When I heard the German version of the song for the first time I couldn't believe that something so perfectly suited for me existed in the world. So for Heroes alone this album is a must listen.

This has been on my drive for years, never listened to closely until today, everything other than the title song an intriguing mash filed under should-give-a-proper-go. Thank you, list: “Heroes” is outstanding, its instrumental pieces I’d vaguely assumed to be mere mood as rich and thought-out as the song-songs, its futurism tantalising - alien, hopeful, and exploratory, marks from an era when technology pointed at the sky rather than our eyeballs.

Slightly holds the edge over Low for me, better songs and more integrated instrumentals. Fripp's guitar is dazzling, and the production sets the scene for '80s new wave. Another one you forget how good it is, especially the title track. Wow

This one of my favorite Bowie albums. David Bowie's voice with Robert Fripp's lead guitar and Brian Eno on synthesizer. Tony Visconti as production engineer ties it all together. It may not be solid for everyone but I connected with this album when I was young and it stuck. This album has a personality as it shifts from Fripp to Eno while still remaining all Bowie.

Beauty and the beast: Always been a fan of the weirdness of David bowie songs, this is a great example good choice for first song to introduce what were about to expirience Joe the lion: This would be so sick live. Lots of energy, something different and new all of the time Heroes: It wierd how much simpler this song sounds, but how busy it still feels. So many layers. Him repeating we can be heroes hits deap for some reason, really reaches into the soul a bit Sons of silent age: I love how bowie stumbles with his words but the baround singers really solidify thats its intentful, bringing from sounding like drunk ramblings to poetic reaching. So far all of these songs need another 5 minutes because I just want more Blackout: Head bopping Grove at the beginning while brain scrambling at the same time. Again so many layers. Like all the band members know what the idea is but each have their own spin on its definition and direction. V-2 Schneider: Snare drum and raspy guitar are giving war, the bass is giving sunglasses and destination, the repetition is like were driving medium but going no where fast. So much imagination and scene build into the song Sense of doubt: And we've arrived to our destination from the previous song. And its scary but maybe a little curious, maybe we don't know its scary yet. A very opposite sided call and repeat. Lots of tension. Moss garden: We've arrived to the other side of the tunnel and the is glowing life. Maybe pink leaves falling from the stringed instrument. Very grandiose and beautiful. This is one of those song where you remember to breath to your own rythm at the end because you didn't realize how captivated you were. Neukoln: Suddenly the tension is back. Gotta love a raspy sax, what a bend! The slightly techno sounds is giving robot and alien, and maybe the sax is saying "where am i" while taking in the scene. The end is a little desperate. The bend range of the note is so impressive The secret of arabia: Imagine if they ended on that last song😂😭, it'd take me a couple of minutes to realize I was supposed to leave haha. What a groovy way to bring us back to reality. An Arabic disco. The clapping! Again, imagine everyone live doing the clapping. It would be so much tirany and followers vibes, but it would be irresistible not to follow. Very "they will not control us" from the Uprising - Muse song. I wish the fade wasn't there, wouldve liked the song to actually end. Overall, for me the album is an easy 5, but my only beef is that this is not the kind of album you introduce to strangers to be like "I like this kind of music", kind of an acquired taste even though it would be so cool to enjoy this with like minded people. This would be fantastic to hear live. Thanks for the journey

Favourite Bowie album for me. His voice never sounded better than on here. Eno, Fripp and Alomar all amazing of course, but mustn’t forget George Murray and Dennis David because the rhythm section is UNBELIEVABLE. Especially on Blackout. Stunning album. 1 star.

I had such a good time with this album. I like how it goes from Bowie glam soul to Brian Eno soundscapes. I’m not surprised this album was recorded after Bowie’s work on Lust For Life, as it has a very similar sound (though much more Bowie). This album starts and ends with a bang and even when it “slows down” it never diminishes in intrigue and excitement. Never expected Heroes to be a 5/5 Bowie album for me, but I really enjoyed this listen!

I first heard some of these songs on the 1978 live album, Stage. When I bought this LP a few years later I remember thinking the production was a bit weird and sludgy. After watching a documentary on Brian Eno this week, I now realize it was Eno’s touch (not to mention his hijacking of side 2). I didn’t realize Bowie played sax on this but he seems to channeling Ornette Coleman with his squawking at the end of Neukoln. Tony Visconti said that once the instrumental tracks got recorded Bowie sent everyone home and would improvise the lyrics over top of the tracks without notes until he got them right. That’s pretty cool and also explains the cryptic nature of his lyrics. Anyway, the songs I thought were "meh" in the 70, I think are great now, even before I heard Odessa.

2nd of the Berlin Triology and hot off recording Lust for Life by Iggy Pop. Opening track is synth to the face, but that inescapable rock groove makes for a weird space age dance club. Heroes the single nails this sounds, creating a sonic horizon forever wide. The back half is a wild, Eno filled miasma. Secret Life of Arabia is a final french kiss dance hall ender for the album.

Bowie takes you on a journey from upbeat and relatively radio friendly electro-rock tunes, right through to quite experimental instrumentals in the latter portion of the album. I quite enjoyed the ambient relaxing sounds of Moss Garden which transported me to another place. Amazingly, most of the tracks on the album were created in one take both instrumentals and lyrics. Best: Beauty and the Beast; Heroes; Moss Garden Worst: V-2 Schneider

You want the biggest hit of the past century? Sure, I'll put it in the middle of this weird fuckin' album.

Bowie. The artist has a reputation that precedes him that may only be matched by his output. He has nine albums on this list and this the first one I'm encountering. Nine albums gifted to the race of Men, doomed to die. This is also my first album exposure to Bowie. Thus far in life my Bowie experience has been limited to The Little Drummer Boy video he did with Bing Crosby, Under Pressure with Queen, and that time Flight of the Conchords did a song about him. So let's see how my introduction went. I was told by friends in my group this isn't the best Bowie album or era to get acquainted with him. I trust their judgement and they told the truth. Some solid tracks on here, but it is all over the place. I can see myself really liking "Heroes" and "Sons of the Silent Age" the longer I sit with those songs. The back half of this album is a mismash of strange soundscapes. I loved "Moss Garden" though and "Neuköln" was interesting. I look forward (or I'm told backwards in time) to other Bowie on this list. 3/5

Have never listened to this all the way through. The title song is an absolute banger, of course, but I see this as one of the weirder of Bowie's creations... Very "Berlin" (it was part of his Berlin trilogy) and pretty experimental sounding. Not wild about it but can appreciate it is 'clever'. This hasn't usurped 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' and 'Hunky Dory' which are masterful.

Haven't listened to this for years. For the type of music I've been into lately, Side 2 is outstanding. Really dig V-2 Schneider and the cosmic rock sounds. An obvious nod to Neu! and Kraftwerk. Now I'm listening to Kosmischer Läufer, high quality motorik space jams from East Berlin when the Wall was still up. One of the great things about this project, rediscoveries. Highly enjoyable album for Daylight Savings Time ending.

Stark, mechanical at times, ambient at others. Hearing the track Heroes in the context of the album is fascinating also. It’s clearly genius at work (not just Bowie’s). It’s a fascinating listen and you can hear the genesis of a lot of artists that come later. Can’t say I enjoy this album as much as I admire it. Still 5 though!

my review for Low (the 7th album I was assigned for this challenge) outlines a lot of the reasons why that album is my favorite of Bowie's 20th-century output, and many of those same positives also apply to "Heroes", the follow-up. it's no shock that the two have so many similarities. both were released in the same year; both feature many of the same performers and songwriters, particularly the synth treatments of Brian Eno; and both were produced by Tony Visconti, continuing Bowie and Visconti's long streak of collaborations (although it wouldn't get much longer after this). I don't want my adoration of Low to bias my adoration of "Heroes" but, of course, comparisons between the two are inevitable. they form the first two-thirds of what's now called the "Berlin" trilogy of albums along with Lodger, an era which many people would argue represents Bowie's artistic peak. much like Low, "Heroes" is divided into a more rockin' A-side and a more bleepy-bloopy B-side, although the divide isn't as strong here as it was on Low. if you were frustrated by how short the rock songs on Low were, you'll feel much more at home with this one, where there's not a single track under three minutes long. plus, in comparison with how emotionally detached Low can sometimes feel given the brevity of its material, "Heroes" brings back a lot of the funk and soul grooviness of the previous year's Station to Station, but with a newfound precision, thanks to Bowie's recent sobriety. opener "Beauty and the Beast" sets things off with a ton of energy that doesn't relent for the entire A-side, which also includes album highlights "Sons of the Silent Age" and "Blackout." I would argue that the title track is one of the best things ever created by humans, let along just songs. it's one of the most satisfying slow builds you'll ever hear, with a vocal performance from Bowie that may be the best he ever recorded. it never fails to make me stop dead in my tracks and well up with emotion. the electronic tracks are, just as with Low, drop-dead gorgeous. whereas Low used ambient music to create an often oppressive atmosphere, the vibe on "Heroes" is much lighter and more ethereal. just existing inside of tracks like "Moss Garden" and "Neuköln" is one of the simple joys in life. plus, the first four tracks of the B-side all crossfade into each other for a seamless 16-minute ride. Bowie's saxophone trailing off at the end of "Neuköln" feels like a really satisfying conclusion, with "The Secret Life of Arabia" acting as a nice bonus. presumably it's at the end so as not to hang the rock 'n' roll people completely out to dry, but I always thought it would fit better somewhere else in the tracklist. it's the one major gripe I have with "Heroes" despite the fact that, at the end of the day, it's still one of my top five Bowie albums. strong 9/10.

Heroes is spacey, unapologetically weird, with chords of vague menace and sly humor-and a treat all the way through. The title track remains one of Bowie and Eno’s towering accomplishments, building to a throbbing emotional climax.

this bowie character is kind of a freaky weirdo you guys heroes/the berlin trilogy is in kind of a weird spot in the bowie cannon. it's post-ziggy, pre-let's dance, in an era where bowie was working to shake off that los angeles influence and do something less for listeners and more for him. it is decidedly devoid of songs like young americans and diamond dogs. this album is a reflection of that. it's weird and chaotic while you listen but has a sort of peace in its lack of commercialism. the song heroes has become commercially anthemic thanks to that movie with the flowers on the wall, but this album in general has a sort of intentional inaccessibility that i really dig. the song heroes also makes me cry pretty instantly upon listening. i have always always wanted to perform that song for an audience, but hold an internal fear that i would totally butcher it. it's so moving and emotionally raw, it's no wonder that everyone who hears it in adolescence has it stick with them for life. "yes, we're lovers, and that is a fact. yes, we're lovers, and that is that." come on man. so simplistically beautiful. shoutout the guys from king crimson, fripp and belew, for playing guitar on this album too. they really make heroes a complete and perfect track. brian eno's influence is also undoubtedly felt on this album, as well as its berlin trilogy partners. it's really interesting that bowie decided to pull from an area as desolate and difficult as west berlin in the 70s. that's wild and very thoughtful in a very bowie way. this is art rock perfection, and i love it, and the rest of the berlin trilogy. bowie will always and forever be a favorite of mine, because he is a cool genius and writes raw shit like this

FINALLY I get a Bowie album I can get down to. I love both the funky, proto-New Wave stuff on side 1 and the Blade Runner soundtrack on side 2.

One of the best listening experiences is starting with Bowie's Station to Station and ending with Heroes. Yes, I know the Berlin trilogy includes Lodger, but I find the others far superior. Bowie is one of my musical heroes, and I have Nine Inch Nails/Trent Teznor to thank for that. Heroes is one of those albums many acclaimed artists drew inspiration from - no wonder. It's fucking fantastic with a dash of experimental weirdness. Heroes is one of those songs that if I let it, will drift me to another emotional space. I've also heard it covered live covered by my favorite bands, and it's always a visceral experience. This is one of the greatest albums every recorded. Everyone should listen to this era of Bowie.

I do love hearing these albums where you can feel the clear difference between the two sides of the vinyl. I've said this before about Bowie, that in my youth I just didn't "get" him, but I'm glad I'm making up for lost time now. The first half of this is all out classic stomping Bowie. Then you get a taste of weird soundscape Bowie, before wrapping it up with a cracking track that brings them both together. That's great.

I give this a five star rating. Mainly out of fear that if I give it any less a time traveling version of myself will punch me in the gut.

When you google this album the first suggested question is “Why is Heroes so good?” which just about sums it up

Stellar. Improves if such a thing were possible by listening to the second side first, which contains more of the ambient tracks. The more uptempo krautrock tracks are just unbelievably good.

I miss when superstars were just weird and bold and put whole ambient halves of records out

Listened to this high and transported to a different dimension

So nice to have this album come up the day after Iggy Pop's The Idiot. Because where that was the prologue to the "Berlin Trilogy", this is the middle act. So I had already listened to it in the morning before it came up on here. It is one of the many highlights of Bowie's career and agreeably his greatest album. This is another one of those template albums that broke/enhanced new ground which led later musicians to follow. You will find me giving most Bowie albums 5 stars, this I want to give at least 6 to

What more could you ask for from an album, a hit song about the essence of love and a song that brings deep seated dread.

Only the second-best of the Berlin trilogy... but that's sort of academic when it's only the second best of one of the greatest trilogies of albums ever recorded... I want to stand in a lonely desert with Sense of Doubt playing on the soundtrack...

An outstanding album from an amazing artist. Moves like a living, breathing creature and leaves you astounded.

Dreams

Simply beautiful. Sense of Doubt, Moss Garden and Neuköln are incredible.

"Heroes" has always been a very interesting addition to David Bowie's discography. Capitalizing off the sound so well-executed in Low, the album clearly has one focal point, that being the self-titled track Heroes. Regardless of how good the rest of the album is, Heroes will always stand out as one of the most interesting songs of all time. It is the merging of three great forces, Bowie, Fripp, and Eno, into a singular, concentrated 6 minutes of greatness. It's a track that momentarily makes me forget my love for album-oriented music, as it's hard to focus on the rest of the album afterwards. In forcing myself however, the rest of the album is quite pleasant, though not particularly memorable, which is just a testament to ambient music I suppose. The A-side is more traditional vocal tracks, all of which are decent but a little too artsy and lacking in catchability (aside from Heroes, of course). Eno's influence certainly makes this side a unique listen, with some tracks not being too far off from stuff found on Another Green World. The ambient B-side is nice in the moment, but far less interesting or memorable than Low's instrumental section. Moss Garden is the only track that really sticks out to me as being worth a specific mention, with some incredible synth work making it the most immersive of the ambient tracks. Overall, the album has it's weak points, and if it wasn't for Heroes, I think it would've easily fallen in line with a lot of Bowie's more forgotten albums from this period. Because of the legacy of that one track though, it marks an arguable turning point in Bowie's career, extending the influence of Low and cementing its place in rock history.

The Brian Eno influences, especially on the back half of the album are very evident and is a very interesting glimpse of what he was going to create in the following years. Aside from that there's a few classic Bowie hits to be enjoyed on here Standouts Beauty and the Beast Heroes Sense of Doubt 4/5

Interesting that there were some songs with no singing. One song I knew already. Enjoyed

This album took a mad turn that I did not expect and I absolutely loved it. I really thought I had my head around what was going on. David flicks a switch and I’m floundering and all the happier for it. After the few songs instrumental interlude, The Secret Life of Arabia (what the hell is that??) sounds so punchy. The bass is luscious. So much prowess and confidence. And THEN, the song just fades out. All too quickly. As if it’s the most normal thing in the world. As if he hasn’t just blown my world apart. Why does it fade out like that??! I didn’t enjoy the first half of the album enough to give it a 5 but it’s great. I’ll state for the record that that Rise and Fall of Ziggy and Young Americans are stone cold 5ers for my money.

Another good Bowie album. A few songs are underwhelming to me like "Beauty and the Beast", but "Heroes" is one of Bowie's best songs. There is still some funky stuff going on/strange ambient tracks that are staples of the "Berlin Trilogy". Robert Fripp's guitar playing is also a good addition, although from reading apparently Michael Rother of Neu! was originally considered.

"Beauty..", ".. Arabia", and the eponymous track make the floor of this album a '3' in my eyes. Especially "Heroes" which is a personal Bowie favorite of mine.. maybe my all-time favorite track? But we're not here to weigh in on just the singles. The second half, with the instrumentals, is where I lose my patience. They're OK, and I understand their place in music history but I just can't find a way to make them click with me. I never have. I understand and appreciate Bowie as an artist. Like other art, beauty is in the eyes' of the beholders. Not much beauty here for me... I recognize the craft, see it in its time and context, but -- like another portrait of a noble in an art gallery -- nothing grabs me or commands my attention. (3/5) On the strength of the singles. I am a much bigger fan of 'Glam' Bowie and today's re-listen of a 'trilogy' album (which I haven't in a while) cements that for me. I bet the best music of the Berlin three could have been a combined and worked into an absolute legend of an album, rather than three bloated & mediocre (for Bowie, that is) records. As an 'art rock'/experimental piece it's probably some of the best-in-class & most accessible we'll find on this list.

This one is far from his best, but that doesn't mean it's not good. While I would first diagnose this album's genre bending as Multiple Personality Disorder (mixing some pop rock, some prog rock, and some asian inspired synthesizers), I generally liked most of it and didn't hate any of it. Known for it's title track and its iconic cover, the first half delivers a very recognizable side of Bowie that is pretty familiar. But side two explores a more experimental instrumentalism that harkened at times to Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother, blending into an emotional rollercoaster of a globe-trotting oddity, attributed in large part to Brian Eno's collaboration on several of them. The overall effect is a bit of a mess at times that still earns a 3.5/5, but it's one that I am reluctant to round up.

Didn’t love it on the first listen. The Brian Eno of it all shone through on second listen, particularly in the second half, but still didn’t resonate as a full, coherent record. One to revisit.

ok, not my favourite. some good tracks

Heroes the song is iconic and alone is worthy of several stars. Some of the songs aren't my style, but because it's Bowie, he keeps it interesting.

Very good album nice and catchy in the first half and then went to a really instrumental for the last few songs then ended it off with one more rock song Very good and Very beautiful.

This rating is actually a 3.5. This is the second album by David Bowie I got listen to thanks to 1001 Albums and I am very grateful. He has amazing songs and like in Black Star: Bowie + Saxophone = perfection. There are so many parts in songs that I really liked.

Feelings translated into sound, I'm intrigued. Favourite track: Sons of the Silent Age

Wanted to enjoy this more! The title track is iconic, the rest I can take or leave

Very eclectic and off-kilter, mostly fun. I like the tone shift of the last few songs Highlights: "Heroes", "Moss Garden", "Neuköln"

Seems like an early experimental album. I'm sure it would be enjoyable in a drugged up state, but I don't do drugs, so this is not really my thing.

Intellectually, I want to like Bowie. But every time I listen to an album I’m more like 🤷‍♂️

I really wanted this album to be all killer, no filler. It was in the folks’ record collection, but all I could really remember was heroes and beauty and the beast. This album suffers from the syndrome of having one absolutely blindingly, magical tune, a couple of decent songs and then a whole load of instrumental filler. Heroes holds a lot of good memories for me and it’s frankly iconic in DB’s canon. I think most people, whether they like Bowie or not, have absorbed this tune via osmosis. It’s amazing and will forever remind me of working on a play called Dolphins can swim written by my mate. It also reminds me of my cousin who was such a DB devotee her handle was A Lass Insane and flew from Australia to see him perform at Glastonbury. Great memories but, boy, the rest of the album is duff. I have the vinyl but I doubt I’ll ever listen to side 2 again.

I've always been a big Bowie fan. But this isn't one of his better albums. Aside from Heroes, the side one songs sound very disjointed and amateurish. The side two experimental ambient songs were more enjoyable. But that's not what I want to hear from Bowie. If I want ambient, there is an unlimited supply of better quality songs on iTunes. Sometimes great artists get a pass for their misses. But not today, David. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

I was familiar with the song "Heroes" before this, but the rest of the album was new to me. The instrumental tracks are what really grabbed my attention. Despite preceding the movie by a good five years, "Sense of Doubt" wouldn't feel out of place on the "Blade Runner" soundtrack, and "Neuköln" is equally moody and dark. Sandwiched between them is "Moss Garden," which has an ambient, meditative vibe to it (reinforced by Bowie's use of the koto). Interestingly, the track begins and ends with what sounds to my ears like rocket engines. Apparently the track "V-2 Schneider" is about Kraftwork's co-founder, but surely it's not a coincidence that the V-2 rocket was the first ballistic missile. It's almost as if the "Moss Garden" is a tranquil getaway from the dystopian locations the surrounding tracks represent. You hop on a rocket, get a little peace in the moss garden, then it's back on the rocket to return to the hellscape from whence you came. As for the rest of the album, there's artistry there (as one would expect from Bowie), but I don't see myself listening to anything other than "Heroes" with any kind of regularity.

I suppose this is where you find out if you're really a Bowie fan or not. Having quite enjoyed Hunky Dory, I really struggled with this one. This may be a case where I should have read about the album and how it was made and presented before I just put it on. For example, I just wondered what the hell happened to the songs halfway through, instead of expecting a transition to 17 minutes of atmospheres. It might have made more sense listening on an LP when flipping to Side 2 made it sound quite different than Side 1. And as I felt that many of the vocal songs sounded like they were made up at the microphone, I didn't know that was as intended. I liked "Beauty and the Beast" right away, and "Heroes" is a deserved classic, but I didn't connect with much else. However, I think it's just an album that one doesn't put on casually and that I might find something more in it at another time.

Whilst I understand Bowie has had a seismic contribution to music…his genius has always alluded my interest. His variety of sounds and personas were groundbreaking (I’m told), but, to me, this album felt very much on par with the Bowie I have heard previously. That is to say, the first half did…the ‘B-Side’ instrumental section was a real downturn in value from the album. So much so, the second time round when Sense of Doubt came on, I turned off the album.

Ahhhh DB. Starts off not bad, got real annoying with that slow saxophone on the second last song. Too much so instrumentals.

Interesting songs, bad vocals. I am not a Bowie fan although he did produce a few iconic songs.

I never liked David Bowie. I still don't, but this wasn't bad. I probably won't listen again, but if (most of the songs) on this album came on, I wouldn't rush to skip them like I have in the past

Heard Heroes before and loved the spacey almost disco space rock sound, but the rest of the album was a massive let down. The only other song that stood out was V-2 Schneider. Most albums need a second listen for me to really groove with it but i cant even find myself *wanting to* give this album a second chance. Perhaps i dont understand the album and I'll have a changed point of view in the future.

Had 2 good songs, I am sure I would have liked it more if I was high.

Meh. David Bowie is one of those artists that doesn't elicit an opinion in me. If he's on the radio I won't switch it over, and I won't wait until a song ends before switching it off at the end of the journey. This album doesn't change that. If this album were an emoji it would be “¯\_(ツ)_/¯“

I know he is a genius. I just can’t stand the music. 2 stars

It was okay.. kinda meh. This was my first time really listening to David Bowie and it felt underwhelming.

Trouble is, I wasn't a young man in 1977. The two last tracks are pretty unlistenable. I would rather listen to Talking Heads. Sorry Dave.

At his best, Bowie's formidable talent for hooks and especially bridges can defibrillate songs back to life following the frequently enjoyable detours his eccentric vocals take them on in the verses. But Heroes ain't his best--that includes the title track, which has an exulted status I've never understood--and I'm not sure even his best hook work could rescues the flat-on-its-ass teutonic ambience attempted in the second half. A lot of time on scenery and not enough on plot.

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.

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.

yes

good

мне кажется мне можно даже не писать комментарий почему 5 звезд

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.

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

Top notch. 4.5

Done very well!

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.

the seeeeeecret life of pets 2

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 🦸!

Masterpiece

This is great, what can be said? It's David Bowie, he only does good music. Yes I'm biased.

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.

So much fun, lostened to this 3 times in a row n I’d do it again. love you Bowie

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.