David Bowie- Station to Station (First Listen)

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Song Link: • Station to Station (20...

[@SpaceCattttt]

One of the greatest achievements of the 70's. That someone as paranoid, screwed up and absolutely insane (as Bowie was at the time) could make something this magnificently thrilling and profoundly deep during a period when his cocaine head was filled with Kabbalistic superstition, a fascination with the third Reich, his blinds were drawn all day, he was starving himself to death and he kept his urine bottled in his fridge........it frankly boggles the mind. I wish he didn't have to go through all that to produce something this wonderful, but still, the result remains for us all to enjoy forever now. What a genius he was!

[@SpaceCattttt]

@A.Q. Lake I can attest to this. Not that I've ever tried cocaine, but during my 20's, I had to deal with a bad case of anorexia, and upon reading about Bowie's "diet", I thought it was an excellent idea! 2 months in the hospital after nearly dying put a stop to that notion...

[@lewismaddox4132]

I was in the Air Force at the time and I went into a little sound room with a turntable for hours. I listened strictly to Station to Station and David Live. We didn't have the internet to look up the lyrics so I didn't know what he was talking about. "Kether to Malkuth"? "The European Canon"? I just loved the music. "Stay", "TVC15", "Word on a Wing". Inexplicably good. You guys are right, that he was brutalizing himself so and coming up with this stuff is otherworldly.

[@sherrydixon4852]

Space Cat = Army Dude?

[@sherrydixon4852]

I knew a guy we called Space Cat in Washington NJ in the late 70s-- 80s... is that you?

[@SpaceCattttt]

@@sherrydixon4852 Afraid not, Sherry. 😊

[@tonyetchells6051]

Every Bowie album is completely different style-wise. The next album "Low" is his most experimental. The track "Subterraneans" is masterful.

[@chrismeadows4216]

Most experimental might be outdated information to some degree, although it's incredibly out of the normal means of songwriting. 1. Outside is very experimental in the same way while taking massive conceptual risks. There's a lot more of a randomness to that album and the band was a definite mishmash of people who had nothing to do with each other stylistically. Borderline industrial, new wave, and r&b artists coming together to create a very odd record.

[@tonyetchells6051]

@@chrismeadows4216 Yes indeed, 1. Outside is an amazingly strange work which includes my all-time favorite Bowie track "I Am With Name".

[@JustJP]

I do enjoy experimental...may be the next stop after this album🤔

[@imano8265]

Yes. I agree "Subtrrraneans" is absolutly beautiful.

[@yvonnecampbell7036]

@@imano8265 To me it always sounded like a "Martian Lullaby" that just puts me to sleep xD

[@aladdinsane848]

Station to station, low, heroes, lodger, scary monsters... My youth, my key to music

[@epbeagle4242]

The Duke was a hollow man who sang songs of romance with an agonised intensity, yet felt nothing-"ice masquerading as fire" First, there's the content, which nobody's actually been terribly clear about. The "Station to Station" track itself is very much concerned with the stations of the cross. All the references within the piece are to do with the Kabbalah. It's the nearest album to a magick treatise that I've written. I've never read a review that really sussed it. It's an extremely dark album. Miserable time to live through, I must say.

[@SnotRockets55]

...Nearest album YOU'VE written? You do know David died in 2016, right?

[@derumetal3286]

After the Beatles, I believe that Bowie was the second most important artist in rock. He was conceptually ahead of other artists by a long time. With every transition he would come out with an album and it would take years for other artists to pick up on what he was trying to do music-wise and then they would get it and emulate. His character in the movie "The Man Who Fell to Earth" (pictured on the album cover) - and other than the sci-fi elements, I believe is a close analogy to his real existence at that stage. It ties into my first assertion. Aside from the drug use and societal overstimulation parallels shown in the movie, his bringing to the populace advanced things that just filter into public consciousness naturally mimics his music contribution. Well that's my take. Really liked your assessment. Like others have said, the rest of this album's songs are worth reacting to and Low.

[@YourMumAndMeAt69]

David Bowie was the greatest artist ever, and the Beatles and pink Floyd were the greatest bands ever

[@dragonan5674]

You mentioned "The Man Who Fell to Earth"....I read the book and there is so much more to the story that couldn't be expressed in the movie. :)

[@derumetal3286]

Never occurred to me to read the book. Thanks!

[@mister3566]

I always knew I'd find someone who got him

[@russellmarriott9396]

In my humble opinion this is Bowie’s masterpiece. God I miss him.

[@mister3566]

I think that then I think Aladdin sane or Diamond dogs or Low or Space oditty

[@derekmeade6350]

A fine album and well worth exploring. But Bowie is a real rabbit hole, particularly his 70s and 80s albums, so be prepared for a long stay on Planet Bowie!

[@JustJP]

Don't think ill be flying off anytime soon!

[@benoitrenaud519]

Perfectly executed by musicians at the top of their game.

[@Alix777.]

Pourquoi tu dis ça

[@BigC.]

Can’t beat old Bowie.

[@jameszwahlen4299]

I saw Bowie’s Station to Station tour in 1976 at Robert’s Municipal Stadium (now gone) in Evansville, IN. Between 1975 and 1980 Bowie was drugged out living on cocaine and milk. Emaciated and paranoid, he really was the Thin White Duke. It’s a wonder he survived this period. The staging for this concert was devoid of color…he wore a white shirt with black slacks and vest. All lighting on stage was stark white. He broke free of this addition in 1980 and is landmarked by the Ashes to Ashes album.

[@robertjewell9727]

Terrific overview. I once told a girlfriend she was like a poem I loved to read because it had such nuances, but that I could not fully understand; she took it as a compliment and the song is is like that for me. Bowie's compositional skills are so original and he breaks away from conventional verse chorus structure in a way that really makes one feel we are on a train going from one station to the next. The thin white duke is a sort of ghostly presence in white whose purpose is inconclusive and both weirdly angelic and yet demonic at the same time. So I can never come to a conclusion about it, but somehow when I hear it I am THERE. If I turned this comment in as a class report I'd probably get a C, but the song is an A for sure. I think a companion piece to this song is RICOCHET off his LET'S DANCE album, my personal favorite song of his if anyone asks. Cool footnote: a good friend of mine was in a film with David and she has nothing but good things to say about his focus, dedication and quiet thoughtfulness.

[@chrismeadows4216]

Ricochet is such a brave choice. Even for Let's Dance deep cuts, Without You and Shake It usually get the glory. It's refreshing to see a new perspective.

[@JustJP]

You have a way with words Rob😁

[@wpollock1]

Very well put. I think you captured it at its essence. I caught this show in 1976 at The Olympia in Detroit. I was in 8th grade and already a hard core Bowie fan after getting Hunky Dory and Ziggy.....what a show!

[@godbluffvdgg]

Bowie is a great artist to add to anyone's collection...Pull him out when you just want to hear something unique and cool...He's hilarious with Ricky Gervais too...God rest his soul...

[@wpollock1]

The sleeper on this album is “Stay”:::::love this whole album. I saw him on this tour in Detroit, and it was AWESOME. Stay on this album, please!

[@JustJP]

Will do!

[@GhostSound2]

Well, his previous record was Young Americans,where he tried to pay tribute to soul and RnB artists that he admired by making an album in that style. Station To Station as an album still has a lot of soul and RnB influence,but it mixes it with influence from krautrock scene. After that,he would collaborate with Brian Eno and make Low and Heroes,albums that both have experimental but radio-friendly songs with long ambient compositions. I would encourage you to listen to more songs from Station To Station,they are more in line with the second part of the song and are all extremely enjoyable in my opinion

[@JustJP]

Ty! I'll be doing the album🙃

[@lemming9984]

Young Americans my WORST Bowie album. I heard it when it first came out and hated ever since!

[@mereniecrosby7120]

@@lemming9984 l love Fascination. One hell of a song.

[@randywhite3947]

@@lemming9984 try it now to see how you like it

[@mister3566]

​@Lemming 998 Give it a chance man

[@cadanrichards2615]

One of His best songs Defintely and its one of my favorite albums by him. This is the point when he changed and introduced one of his famous characters The Thin White Duke

[@georgelynch6139]

Carry on, enjoy

[@dana_brooke_27]

Excellent album from start to finish. It was recorded in David's heaviest drug days...you'd never know it. He was very pale and thin. He is the Thin White Duke. He had said he doesn't remember recording much of this album. He sounds so great though...His voice is beautiful on Word on a Wing and Wild is the Wind saw him when he was touring for this. It was My first time going to a concert. And a great one to start with.

[@victoria2050nin]

milk and cocaine...

[@dana_brooke_27]

@@victoria2050nin Very obvious but the album was great. Can't deny that.

[@tonyfleck3029]

Well Yeah!!.. 'Station to Station '!!!... 45 + years on!!. Still sounding Very Dangerous, Edgy and Wonderful!!.. Bought it when I was 20ish!!.. Possibly still my favourite Bowie?!!.. with as always a Great Band behind him!!. Great memories and if you're Tripping the Colour is Purple!!..

[@jasonfrodoman1316]

I was 16 years old when I bought this album. At the time, this was really outside the box. Most kids just thought this was weird and wondered what the hell are you listening to. It was great to be a devoted DB fan back then because each album release was a new surprise.

[@wpollock1]

Jason Frodoman Ha, yes! Same age...my brother and I ran to the record store and bought this. We caught the show in Detroit in ‘76 and it blew me away.

[@Annah-mm4nz]

Oh cool! I love this comment! I was born in ‘81 but didn’t properly find or hear Bowie until after his death. THIS is one of my top favourites and he is one of my very top artists 😎❤️⚡️ Leonard Cohen is another top favourite of mine and your comment reminds me of how I feel with Cohen. He’s a poet and can be very deep and what people perceive as dark (but it’s just serious honest music) and they wonder wtf is this? And I just LOVE his work and think what an absolute Master! I feel that way about Bowie aswell. I think they are both well received and admired these days but not properly understood by mainstream.

[@source5729]

Wow ~ SAME! Couldn’t get my friends to understand how wonderful this is! 😊

[@mister3566]

I remember taking it in work for a workmate and ended up 11 people borrowing it

[@jameshanson3759]

I love telling this story. A friend of mine back in the day invited me to go with him to the midnight Special at NBC studios in the San Fernando Valley in the Los Angeles. As we came into the studio a Sound System that could level a small village was playing this Song. I had never heard this song and stood transfixed at what I was hearing. This turned out to be the highlight of the evening for me. The Show consisted of Helen Reddy (ick) and Gordon Lightfoot (not Ick) .

[@JustJP]

Thats awesome! Love how you were drawn in so much to it!

[@talktokatja]

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite Bowie albums. God the man was so brilliant. I miss him terribly

[@1nelsondj]

I could not click on this video fast enough, my favorite Bowie album and the best song on it (lot of competition though). Yes it's his Thin White Duke period when he was living on cocaine, milk and red peppers. He's said he doesn't remember making this album but he also toured for it and the concerts were excellent to judge by the Nassau Coliseum concert from '76 included with the 2010 reissue, 4 "Station to Station" songs are included and they're even better than the studio versions. Yes I'd call this a transitional album, the next one "Low" is very divisive as he entered his Berlin period when made 3 albums with Brian Eno. I like transitional albums, they're the redheaded step-child of artists and tend to be interesting for me.

[@JustJP]

Ty Yog, glad you enjoyed this one. Appreciate the info as well!

[@IDerpinstein]

Station to Station followed by Golden Years are my two favourite back-to-back tracks in his catalogue. If you liked the funk of this, I can't wait until you hear the next track!

[@markgatica12]

Bowie puts me in a perfect mood every day. This is one of my favorite songs from one of my all time favorite albums. By all means, continue with this album--there are only six tracks in total. I love this song, but I like the live versions more. The extended version of this album contains a version recorded on Bowie's 1976 Isolar tour, which features Earl Slick on guitar. The version on the album "Stage" was recorded on his 1978 Isolar II tour. That one features Adrian Belew on guitar. In both live versions, the guitars have more sizzle, the tempo is a little faster, and Bowie's vocals sound stronger and more confident. The title refers to the stations of the cross, although the song is not an interpretation of them. The swirling sounds in the intro emulate the sounds of a locomotive departing a station. This album is transitional, but that can be said for nearly all of his albums. Here, preceding album (Young Americans) was Bowie's exploration of American soul music. The next album was Low, which initiated his Berlin trilogy of collaborations with Brian Eno. Totally different sound. Anyway, great song, great album, great video. Thanks for the Bowie reaction, JP.

[@eximusic]

1976, while prog rock was letting out its last dying gasp of breath, and just prior to the landslide of punk and new wave, Bowie and Eno were putting out insanely creative and groundbreaking music. Both were huge influences on almost every new wave band to follow. Eno producing many of the landmark bands like Ultravox, Devo, Talking Heads, and U2, and Bowie about to record his Berlin trilogy of albums. Station to Station is absolutely one of my favorite Bowie albums, and the other tracks off it are equally amazing. The combination of Earle Slick's feedback driven guitar with Carlos Alomar's funk guitar is unbeatable.

[@pelegbennon5271]

My favorite bowie song, from my favorite bowie album.

[@Wilss]

Me too

[@silgen]

Me three, although it's equal favourite with Cygnet Committee.

[@bobcarn]

David Bowie was freaking brilliant. Many of his songs were very far ahead of their time. He was a musical genius. This song, like so many of his songs, hold up to the test of time.

[@mereniecrosby7120]

I was privileged to have seen Bowie perform rhis in 1978 in Detroit. I was 19. It was amazing. He was amazing. This is one of my favorite albums and l love how funky this gets. Another terrific funky song on here is Stay. Its unbelievable what Bowies did and how his voice could move from station to station...the sheer range he had was a total gift. He had a penchant for the character..one was ziggy of vourse and the Thin White Duke was another as well as Rhe man who fell to Earth. He pushed boundaries but did it with such panache. A true musical pioneer from the debonair to the space traveler. Always keeping us guessing what would come next. My dad actually played me Space Oddity when l was 7 and l was hooked from then on. Another Station to station gem is TVC15 and David uses an old Yardbirds intro (from their version of Good Morning Little Schoolgirl) to start the song which also changes. Rick Wakeman was always very taken with Bowies ability to make musical changes seem so natural and just stream in so easily you hardly know it was done. He switches, drops melodies in and out with multiple instruments on many of his songs. Some of my favorites are Fascination on Young Americans, for the sheer funk, as well as Sweet Things on Diamond dogs, for the drama, and give a listen to all of Aladin Sane. That is Bowie at his best artistically. Cracked actor and Queen Bitch are unsurpassed classics that inspired so many musicians. The man was just a huge talent and l miss him because he was the essence of 😎 cool.

[@wpollock1]

I caught the Detroit show (Isolar) in 1976 at Olympia.....where did you see this in Detroit in 1978?

[@hannsrhinesdale9769]

Awesome. You have a whole musical world to discover there. This album is fascinating and was a transition from his short soul phase (Young Americans) to a more grounded funk rock which actually was the groundwork for his "Berlin trilogy". He was hard into drugs and the occult in 1975/76.

[@JustJP]

Looking forward to the album and more!😊

[@lisacostello5214]

"...such is the stuff from where dreams are woven..." Gods I miss David Bowie Great reaction. Shine on sir.

[@realbser1956]

JP, it’s a brilliant album and this is from someone who at the time was not a huge Bowie fan. It’s only since he’s gone that I’ve come to appreciate his greatness. 🔥

[@MissAstorDancer]

Agree with you, Barry! I was a "fan" of Bowie from "Space Oddity", but I was only about "the hits". Due to being poor most of my life, my money was spent on my absolute must-haves, and Bowie kinda got left out, in terms of buying his albums. So, it was not until after his death that I dove deep into his catalog, and came to love him even more. Strange thing is, even though I was not a "die-hard" fan, his death still hit me really hard!!!

[@nigelkendall3094]

One of the things about Bowie in this period is that it's often the longer songs that grow on you. You do well to hear it for the first time and pick out so much of what's going on in the music. When I used to buy Bowie albums on the day of release, I'd save the longest track as a treat, because I knew it was going to take me somewhere interesting, and that it would take me multiple listens to "get". Bowie was also very generous in crediting the people whose shoulders he was standing on, and it's thanks to his liner notes that I discovered Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and many others when I did. Do yourself a favour - miss out the 1980s and go straight for 1. Outside, the motherlode.

[@chrismeadows4216]

This album's transitional movement is between pure soul and funk and German krautrock. On one side of the album is Young Americans, and on the other is Low, Heroes, and Lodger; The Berlin Trilogy. To explore this album further, one song I definitely recommend is Word on a Wing, the most emotionally vulnerable and vocally expressive of the 6 songs. To explore slightly earlier Bowie from Young Americans, I recommend the song Win. To explore the Berlin era of Bowie, I recommend Sons of the Silent Age from the most critically-acclaimed album Heroes. There's also songs on very far reaches of his career, my 2 all-time favorites being Letter to Hermione from 1969's David Bowie and As the World Falls Down from 1986's Labyrinth soundtrack. He had music even earlier and definitely much later, but the 60s and 80s are definitely great eras to explore, with the 70s being considered a creative peak. The 90s and 00s are also exceptional, but probably in the distant future for the channel. As for this song, it's a blend of a philosophy called Thelema where the stations are spiritual bridges of the body connecting the mind, soul, and spirit, similar to chakras in Eastern religions. White Stains is a novel written by Aleister Crowley, an occult leader who followed the philosophy. Station to Station also doubles as a song about getting from day to day. Bowie was nearly killing himself from cocaine addiction during the 1975-1976 period. Staying awake for whole weeks, only eating red peppers and drinking fortified milk, and keeping his pee in a jar in the fridge so Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin wouldn't put a curse on it. He blacked out the entire year and didn't remember making any of the recordings. Great reaction, fam! I'm glad you took the time to check this song out!

[@JustJP]

Appreciate the info Chris! I'll be finishing the whole album 🙃

[@chrismeadows4216]

@@JustJP You chose a great point to come into a full album, because it's the shortest and most consistent. This is gonna be awesome!

[@michaelmiller6709]

I also keep my pee in a jar for fear of Jimmy Page. Don't trust that guy.

[@mikeloomis687]

Chris, you nailed it. I can't add anything on to what you said. LOVE Word on a Wing. I will say when I am in a Bowie mood I put all 3 Berlin Trilogy albums on my iPhone.

[@mikeloomis687]

Chris, one thought.....thoughts on Dark Star?

[@luiszeppeli5316]

I really love this song, i think it's one of the best of Bowie. By the way, the part that you say is the guitar doing mute notes is actually a violin doing a technique called Pizzicato, it consists on playing the violin with the fingers instead of the bow.

[@recyclerhopkins]

Justin, not a huge Bowie fan but I like his early stuff from The Man Who Sold The World(1970) thru Diamond Dogs(1974) including Ziggy Stardust(1972). He made a sort of a comeback in 1983 with the Let's Dance album with 3 hit singles Let's Dance, Modern Love and China Girl that were part of the MTV video sensation. These songs were a mix of disco, soul, funk and even a hint of jazz. BUT this album introduced a lot of people to Stevie Ray Vaughn, the Texas blues phenom. The song CAT PEOPLE (PUTTING OUT FIRE) was used in the 1982 Paul Schrader directed erotic horror film. Bowie wrote the song with Giorgio Moroder, an Italian composer, songwriter and producer who is referred to as The Father of Disco, he was also big in dance music craze in this era. Bowie re-recorded the song with Vaughn's blazing guitar solo that launched SRV's career. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that CAT PEOPLE is a landmark David Bowie song and eventually you should check it out.

[@Warloo100]

Granddad speaks: When I was young we were dancing our asses off to this song. Perfect drive. Even today when on a run and I have this song on my ears my pace increases. Play it loud! Greetings from Germany

[@Wayner71]

A nice review of a song from one of Bowie's best albums. If you would like to review a couple of songs from it I would recommend all of them but especially 'Word on a Wing' or 'Wild is the Wind". The great thing about Bowie in this period is how every album is like a universe in itself. The albums before and after Station to Station are very different in tone and style to this one.

[@daveford12]

I’m so glad Bowie was part of my teenage years his last two albums returned the listener back to the early years when teenagers wanted to be Ziggy and every time he sang it was just to you. His Berlin albums captured another moment in time and station to station really needs to be listened to in one hit 😃

[@belgand5555]

It’s fantastic that you are delving into all things Bowie.. his music always has layers that as you peel them back you are hooked...

[@maryprice1314]

Subscribed! Wow! I listen to a lot of reactors and I must say that you gave a very detailed and just plain awesome detailing of this song. I have listened to this song since it was released and it never gets old. Please continue on with this album and with Bowie in general. His music has spanned over 50 years and you won't hear the same thing twice.I really enjoyed your reaction. Thank you! Rock on!

[@davidmaholchic6146]

You are always spot on spot on!

[@bridgethockney2303]

I'm so happy to hear this and see you picked it yourself! Made me subscribe. Got to! Good job!

[@anabellelei8540]

I wish I could hear it for the first time again,just brilliance.

[@thecrye6798]

"Dreary and effortless" sums up his character "The Thin White Duke" perfectly.

[@pilesovinyl]

Was really lucky to have seen him on this tour in Chicago, what a show, we had like 5th row seats and he sang some of the material standing looking right us. Wow.

[@ljsites]

What a great song! There’s something about the rhythm of steam locomotives that lends itself to some really wonderful songs! Thanks for doing songs less worn out.

[@damonramirez]

Yeah!! Keep going!! I haven't really known this album.

[@davidbarker77]

Must admit that I haven't listened much to later Bowie, though a big fan of his earlier releases. This is a nicely complex song with a catchy rhythm and, as usual, strong lyrics. Thanks for educating me!

[@hotblackdesiato3022]

Great reaction. Excellent analysis.

[@pietrocais5982]

From The Complete Bowie... "Bowie has confirmed the title actually alludes to the Stations of the Cross, the sequence of fourteen landmarks on Christ's path to the crucifixion... Bowie conflates the Stations of the Cross with the Sephiroth, the ten spheres of creation which form the basis of the 13th century Jewish mystical system known as the Kabbalah ". The opening of the track was influenced by Kraftwerk's Autobahn so probably points the way he would go next with his Berlin trilogy and the increasing influence of Krautrock. Great track! Would love you to check out t he Diamond Dogs album too.

[@therealtwiggyleaf]

Thanks! Great to hear that one again. I love Bowie. Any of those seventies albums will be good by me. I also like your little cow on the back shelf.

[@barriewilkinson1910]

Please please do more Bowie. Station To Station is an incredible album and doesn't have a bad track on it. His album previous to this was Young Americans which was a soul funk record - his album after Station To Station was Low which is considered my many to be his masterpiece so - if you never touch another Bowie record - try these two for an adventure and a lecture into contemporary music that shaped the future. Love your channel - you always analyse everything so perfectly - keep up the great work. Regards Barrie from the UK

[@JustJP]

Thanks Barrie! I may just do that

[@BilboFromTG]

Thanks JP! Station to Station is one of my all time favourite songs by Bowie, the transitions are magic.😎👍

[@JustJP]

Ty Bilbo! Totally agreed!

[@Annah-mm4nz]

Love your genuine reaction and actual breakdown of the song! A real reactor 👏 I’ve subscribed 😌 looking forward to more. Thank you!

[@JustJP]

Thank you so much Anna! I appreciate that :)

[@stevemale9936]

Man but this has just put me back into such a good mood. As a lifelong Bowie fan, I have no favourites but this ranks very high. I've always looked at it as a song of three parts, all building up to that crescendo-ing finale. I used to have it playing LOUD in my car back as a kid and still love it today. I guess it would be Station To Station and the live version of Heroes from the Stage album that would be consistent favourites. Thanks for your deconstruction comments, which have given me further perspective on a song I've loved playing these last 35 years.

[@davidmaholchic6146]

Love watching you take this journey any album before let’s dance will do 70s Bowie rules

[@ap8eioul1]

Wow JP soo cool! Thanks for the great reaction one of my favorites by DB.. The whole album is wonderful

[@JustJP]

Anytime!😁

[@a.k.1740]

The album Station to Station (recorded at the end of 1975 and released in January 1976) is the precise moment when Bowie plans to leave the United States (where he had settled since 1974) to return to Europe (which he will do mid-76). The musical influence of this record is in a way, a synthesis of the funk-soul of the previous album Young Americans and the cold art-rock of the upcoming album Low. his character the Thin White Duke is also a kind of alter-ego of Thomas Jerome Newton (the humanoid alien from the movie The Man Who Fell to Earth played by Bowie in 1975). All of this makes Station To Station a special and very interesting album. both icy and detached but also accessible and catchy ! My favorite track on this very short album (only six tracks but all excellent), is "Stay". Try to do the whole Diamond Dogs album (1974) if you can. it has a very special atmosphere !

[@chrismeadows4216]

Of any 70s album, I feel Diamond Dogs is always the most diverse listen. You can hear the past and future of Bowie spread across it, and all the nuances of 70s Bowie.

[@a.k.1740]

@@chrismeadows4216 Totally agree with you! Diamond Dogs is at a crossroads Bowie took in the 1970s. "Diamond Dogs" and "Rebel Rebel" keep their feet in Glam Rock, while "Rock 'n' Roll with Me" and "1984" predict the soul vibe of the Young Americans' upcoming album. besides that, the other tracks (including the intro "Future Legend") are darker and anticipate the more distant Station To station, Low and "Heroes"

[@chrismeadows4216]

The Sweet Thing Suite is for me the definite highlight of dynamics. A bit of soul, a bit of glam, a bit of jazz, a bit of cabaret, a bit of psychedelic rock, a bit of punk rock, a bit of industrial rock. It has its hand in a little bit of everything. Before drugs took too much of a hold, he was reaching a giant incline of tenacity and ambition. Young Americans is brilliant, but pinned between two outwardly monolithic transition albums. I find it incredible how what I consider a top 10 album is overshadowed so heavily by the juggernauts Diamond Dogs and Station to Station are. Those 3 aren't any inferior to each other, but the presentations are so different.

[@a.k.1740]

@@chrismeadows4216 Yes because undoubtedly Young Americans has a softer and lighter tone compared to the previous album and also to the next one. That said, while Station to Station is generally well rated among the press and fans, Diamond Dogs has often been overlooked and even harshly criticized. yet it is an album that I consider one of the best of Bowie! My favorite tracks on Diamond Dogs are "Sweet Thing" / "Candidate" / "Sweet Thing (Reprise)", "We Are the Dead" and "Big Brother" / "Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family" with maybe "We Are the Dead" as an emotional peak for me

[@chrismeadows4216]

@@a.k.1740 It's a shame that Diamond Dogs is so overlooked. When I interact with Bowie pages and forums, it's not mentioned often, but it's my favorite of the 70s followed closely by Aladdin Sane. I think the difficulty most have is a tendency to be single oriented like the majority of music listeners. Rebel Rebel and 1984 are easy to understand, but Diamond Dogs isn't as much because of the transitions and length. Young Americans takes that further. There's not high energy and the structures aren't straightforward, and that doesn't make sense to even Bowie fans, them mostly being rock, ambient, and pop fans. For the Bowie completionists I've met, Diamond Dogs always makes at least top 10, though I think both realistically shouldn't end up so middle of the pile while Ziggy and Heroes always dominate. DD and YA are masterful when someone takes the time to read along and fully digest them. They build in ways that aren't immediately rewarding for most, but that grow a lot stronger than all.

[@Pcrimson1]

This is my favorite Bowie album! What he did best, transitions, this captures, in my opinion, his most important. From Soul to experimental rock influenced by German and minimalist style music. Please continue with this album. Even the "pop" hits (Golden Years and TVC-15) and different from any going on at the time. It's hard to believe Bowie claims not to remember much about recording it. I LOVE it!

[@pianocovers4227]

Hello Justin ! Great choice to explore the Bowie worlds !

[@a-mellila1520]

David Bowie performs Station to Station in the film called Christiane F. A superb performance! You can find it here on KZbin.

[@ijustneedmyself]

Your facial expressions get me every time 😆 That's the, "Yup, this is good." look!

[@davidmaholchic6146]

Love how you love the changes maybe some of the back towards the end were too long but love how you dissected it

[@OronOfMontreal]

This entire album is wonderful. Not a weak track nor any filler.

[@ssia6938]

You are by far the most adventurous of first time music reviewers. Bowie is always good to great. One of my fave of his, I suspect he was out of his mind with the lyrics here.

[@JustJP]

Thanks ssia!

[@robbryant3588]

This is a great album IMO. It's an album of slow builds masterfully done. We need to hear more of this one.

[@belgand5555]

So funny I wasn’t here but I was .. Bowie was always here!! Miss him!!

[@kkzooi]

i first heard this song in the movie ''Christiane f. wir kinder vom bahnhof Zoo''. a true story about a young girl from west Germany in the 70's getting addicted to heroin

[@BeeBumper]

Saw Bowie on his Changes tour in the 90's, he had just put out a beautiful box set of all his early stuff, a great purchase, and then played it all in concert. One of my more memorable concerts, laid back but he brought it.

[@christinebainbridge2354]

Great, thoughtful and insightful reaction!

[@JustJP]

Thank you kindly Christine!

[@jakehudson7118]

I love your reaction, no pausing or talking through the song, great video

[@JustJP]

Appreciated Jake!

[@radicaladz]

Definitely eager to hear/see some more Bowie listen-throughs, particularly the Low album, Ziggy/Aladdin Sane era, or his final album Blackstar. :)

[@markvandermyde4361]

My brother won this album by calling into a WGRD show back in '76. We played it until it warped. Six years later Wild is the Wind is the song my new bride and I dance to at our reception. This is such a fun album from the first drop of the diamond needle until the tone arm comes off the last spin.

[@joegideon8461]

"Dark, dreary mystery without being depressing" - good observation

[@craighudson7294]

I love the intro to this track. How it builds up and then Bowie starts to sing. You really get drawn in to it all.

[@JustJP]

Absolutely

[@davidmaholchic6146]

God bless you doing this song God bless

[@davidmaholchic6146]

Epic truly epic goosebumps

[@whiteduke75]

In short: the piece (as I call S2S) is autobiographical. It was bowie plea to move from the west (USA) to the east (Europe), hence hearing the synthesizer train in the beginning of the song, panning from left to right. He wanted to move on and transform. He was heavily into kaballah and Alyster Crowley (Keither to Malkuth is from the cross of stations) . On the record sleeve he is drawing a kabbalah tree (with its stations) on the floor. "White stains" is the title from a publication of Crowley. Bowie was into German music (krautrock) and traces and influences of Kraftwerk, Can & Neu! can be heard throughout the whole piece. "Its not the side effects of the cocaïne, I'm Thinking That It Must Be Love" line -no pun intended-, is The Thin White Duke (Bowie) himself, in the drugged state he was in at the time, at the peak of his cocaïne (self) abuse.

[@alainprostbis]

the sound at the beginning has at least 2 possible meanings. it recreates the statics you can hear when you go from one radio station to another one, the sound changing rythm, getting more rythmic and clear. On another level, it is also the sound of a train, starting slow and then buiding speed, trying to reach the next train station.

[@WillowWytch69]

This is one of my all-time favourite bowie songs.

[@wpollock1]

You are clearly the best reactor in KZbin. Your analysis is spot on and you enjoy music - THAT is not the norm. Many either have no passion for music, or have the passion and really don’t understand what instruments are being utilized. You incorporate both and care about the lyrics - that is VERY rare. Fantastic job! As a music lover, we appreciate it and enjoy others that suffer from this music addiction 😊. It had to be said.....

[@JustJP]

Ty for that wpollock🙂

[@davidcopson5800]

Great comment.

[@mikeklesic7535]

Probably my favorite Bowie tune!!!!!!!

[@cletusbeauregard1972]

The first of the 5 straight albums that marked the strongest stretch of Bowie's studio work. Springsteen's longtime piano player Roy Bittan does all the piano work on this album; the organ and synth work is done by Bowie himself. As far as I'm concerned, the piano work on TVC15 (also on this album) is the high point of Bittan's career. You really gotta do a react to that song, although as others have already suggested, you should do all 6 songs from this album.

[@JustJP]

Ty Cletus, I'll be doing the album 😊

[@nigelkendall3094]

Interesting. Of all the songs in the entire Bowie catalogue, TVC15 is the one I skip most.

[@verrilli]

Keep going. Golden Years. Word on a Wing. TVC15. All great. Also check out Stage live versions

[@crazyoldworld7946]

Went to the Station to Station tour in the '70's, vivid memories of 2 huge banks of speakers that created a pressure wave when the made the steam train shunting sound to start this song. Great night.

[@ShadyPinesMa79]

Masterpiece.

[@saturninebear]

My favourite Bowie album. Featuring my favourite Bowie track "stay" and favourite vocal performance "Wild is the wind".

[@alva1370]

Excellent, thank you.

[@JustJP]

Anytime 🙃

[@FredGarnett]

My favourite David Bowie album, I first saw him live in 1970, and a transition from from the poppier Ziggy period to the artier Berln trilogy. Tony Visconti, his producer, says that *every* Bowie vocal in the 70s was a first take! He'd spend ages getting the music right and then, hey presto, one take magic. Bowie hated flying and travelled back from the USA to the UK via the Trans-Siberian Express (slow) train at this time... He was filming the movie The Man Who Fell to Earth with Britains best film director Nic Roeg (who filmed the great Performance with Mick Jagger) which gave the album it's cover. Great reaction, thanks

[@masterofparsnips5327]

Intro sounds to me like the a recording of a steam locomotive that's been processed through a flanger /phaser. Station (toot toot) to station ;) For the most part, you can't go wrong with Bowie.

[@erikahlander3489]

I am old enough to have experienced steem trains. It is amazing to hear them create almost exactly the same sound with instruments and without all digital sampling facilities which are available today. Bowie (and some others like Eno, Zappa, Keith Emerson etc.) created sounds nobody have heard before. In the early 1970s it was much like adding sounds just because it was possible. Later, like in this record, in the mid 1970s, it is more elaborate music creation - not only effects. This is not the first song including the sound of trains. There are several examples with symphony orchestras earlier in 20th century, but for me it is the most realistic - and excelent music!

[@masterofparsnips5327]

@@erikahlander3489 Yep !! I'm old enough too ... life comes at you fast !! Love Zappa and ELP ... some Eno too ... also love a lot of the great 20thC classical stuff .. including Zappas classical arrangements :)

[@mister3566]

​@@erikahlander3489 It was borrowed from the BBC libraries

[@steenengel2882]

Many years ago I saw Bowie perform this one on a glorious summer evening with Adrian Belew as gitaurist on a tour where the audience, in advance, had selected the set list - needless to say this song had the whole stadium, (40.000 people) dancing. That performance is one of my highlights as a concertgoer (

[@JustJP]

I can imagine how fun that night was! Ty Steen

[@mikeklesic7535]

This is by far one of my favorite Bowie LP’s

[@dana_brooke_27]

Great album he was known as "The Thin White Duke" My first concert was Bowie promoting this album.

[@deanshemansky2546]

Hi Justin, Just started to listening to some of your Bowie "Station to Station" song reviews. You do a really good job and I enjoy your views. Lots of Bowie fans that are very compassionate and very sensitive to any negative comments on their Hero. He is not perfect and is subject to criticism. With that being said I can't think of more diverse, ground breaking entertainer. I can recommend songs to review because there are so many. I will only mention some of his far out tunes (not commercial successes). Here are a few for now: Law from Earthling; Heathen from Heathen; Fantastic Voyage from Lodger, Keep up the good work!

[@JustJP]

Thabk you so much Dean!

[@angelagraves865]

My favorite album. I hope you listen to more Bowie. ✌💖🖖

[@chrisbarlow2131]

Hi JP. Glad you chose Station To Station my man! Good album to explore. Wild Is The Wind is a very atmospheric ballad which I think you'll love. Enjoy. PS I think you are ready to explore Todd Rundgren. Thank you.

[@JustJP]

Ty Chris, I'll have some Rundgren on the way

[@timpindar]

Fantastic reaction, thanks!

[@JustJP]

Of course, thank YOU!

[@deanmaynard8256]

What an album!

[@dannygriffith6185]

The sounds at the beginning are of a locomotive train traveling.You can even hear the train whistle at one point.....hence station( train) to station.

[@mereniecrosby7120]

I forgot to mention The Secret Life of Arabia..on Heroes. Another amazing Bowie song.

[@crescentfreshbret]

Station to Station is such an interesting album, especially considering what came right before it. Bowie suddenly did away with all the glam rock in the middle of the Diamond Dogs tour, became a full-on blue-eyed soul man, and made an entire album in that vein with Young Americans. But then the cocaine really took over his mind, combined with his interest in Kabbalah, Aleister Crowley’s writings, and other strange things, and influences like Krautrock and Scott Walker started infiltrating his music, giving it a far less pop sound than Young Americans. And, of course, he assembled the amazing band of Carlos Alomar, Dennis Davis, and George Murray, who played a huge part in shaping the sound of station to station and the subsequent Berlin trilogy and Scary Monsters. It’s definitely a transitional album, but it’s a solid one that really knows where it wants to go (despite Bowie alleging that he was so messed up on drugs that he doesn’t remember recording it).