Monday, January 31, 2011

Current Obsession: Bowie's Station To Station




Just got the Deluxe 3CD Edition of Station To Station by David Bowie. To say I am binging on this currently is an understatement. Bowie claims to have no memory of writing or recording the album, as he was in the midst of a massive drug addiction and spiritual breakdown at the time. This is incredible considering the album that was created during this haze of disillusionment. And make no mistake, Station To Station is nothing short of a masterpiece - taking on themes of drug addiction, Kabbalah, Christianity, Nietzschean philosophy, Grail mythology, occultism, and the Stations of the Cross. The lyrics were told from the point of view of The Thin White Duke, the last character Bowie would take on in order to write from a unique perspective.

Musically, the album is the bridge between the blue-eyed funk of his previous Young Americans period, but wrapped in an odd electronic, European plasticity which would come to fruition during the Berlin Trilogy period that was to follow.

It's breathtaking stuff, and the remastered sound is peerless. The album already sounded superb, and now it sounds even better. Pick it up, it's essential.