Almanac Music: 33 1/3 Reasons Why – Aladdin Sane (or just a bit fed up with it all?)

 

 

 

 

As I scroll through my emails in the morning, I am questioning whether my ‘No Dickheads’ policy is really working as effectively as it should …

 

On the drive to work I hear the unmistakable voice of David Bowie talking about filling a record right to the hole in the middle with new ideas, and not caring one bit about their commercial appeal, even rebelling against past successes. Now that’s the kind of attitude I could get behind. The idea of doing what you want to do, and if people don’t get it, then that’s their problem. None of this working to the demands of others bullshit. Yeah, I could use some of these new ideas about now.

 

This is what music is for. Those times when the old rubber band holding it all together is stretched a little bit tighter than normal.

 

Bowie is not my usual ‘go to’ in times like these, that mantle usually goes to something fierce from Radio Birdman or The Stooges, maybe the Oils. Other times it’s Pink Floyd and the acerbic Roger Waters snapping away at the hands that feed him. If I pull out the Joy Division, it often means that everything and everyone is completely fucked (other times it’s just because I really like the Joy Division).

 

But today, Bowie’s speech gives way to opening riff of ‘The Jean Genie’, and we are away …

 

Ok, if we are being picky, as far as the music goes it may be a stretch to say Aladdin Sane is full of new ideas.  ‘The Jean Genie’ riff itself is lifted from a Yardbirds cover of Bo Diddley, and ‘Panic in Detroit’ is also built around a Bo Diddley beat. Elsewhere inspiration is clearly drawn from the worlds of blues, glam, doo-wop, cabaret, jazz … they even cover a Stones’ tune!

 

To be fair to Bowie, it wasn’t clear whether he was speaking about Aladdin Sane or not. Plus, there would still be time for plenty of new ideas in the 70s. Especially once he discovered that you could survive (for a little while at least) on a diet of milk, red peppers, and cocaine. Or when he decamped to Europe with Iggy and worked with Eno in Berlin.

 

I wouldn’t say Aladdin Sane is my favourite Bowie album. Do I even have a favourite Bowie album? I’m not sure. I just have Bowie albums.

 

There are three things that I enjoy each time I listen to Aladdin Sane.

 

The most obvious is ‘The Jeanie Genie’ riff. The fact that this riff lifted from a black American blue standard drives a song containing lines like “And keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear” whilst being sung by a weird looking dude that dresses like some kind of alien, is almost too much to get your head around. Jeez, what was that I saying about new ideas?

 

The second is the rhythm parts on the title track. While everything else is going insane around them, we still have old mates Trevor and Mick on the bass and drums just plugging away in the background, keeping it together. It’s fair to say they got a shitty deal when Bowie killed off Ziggy that night at the Hammersmith Odeon. Seems you can be a creative genius and a bit of a dick at the same time.

 

The third highlight is the opening line from ‘Panic in Detroit’, being “He looked a lot like Che Guevara, drove a diesel van”. I would love to be described like that! Plus, as a bonus both Bowie and Lennon will write songs about you. Yep, that’d do me!

 

So maybe the new ideas I am looking for are just a beret and a diesel van? At these prices I might just go with the beret for a bit and see if that works.

 

That, and an overhaul of the ‘No Dickheads’ vetting process.

 

Take it easy.

 

 

To read more by Greg A click Here.

 

 

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