David Bowie's Low (33 1/3) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Iggy Pop, Speed of Life, Dennis Davis (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'A brilliant series of pocket-sized books focussing on a classic album. Each one a work of real love.' NME"

Product Description

"One day I blew my nose and half my brains came out." Los Angeles, 1976. David Bowie is holed up in his Bel-Air mansion, drifting into drug-induced paranoia and confusion. Obsessed with black magic and the Holy Grail, he’s built an altar in the living room and keeps his fingernail clippings in the fridge. There are occasional trips out to visit his friend Iggy Pop in a mental institution. His latest album is the cocaine-fuelled Station To Station (Bowie: "I know it was recorded in LA because I read it was"), which welds R&B rhythms to lyrics that mix the occult with a yearning for Europe, after three mad years in the New World.

Bowie has long been haunted by the angst-ridden, emotional work of the Die Brucke movement and the Expressionists. Berlin is their spiritual home, and after a chaotic world tour, Bowie adopts this city as his new sanctuary. Immediately he sets to work on Low, his own expressionist mood-piece.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 138 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (August 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826416845
• ISBN-13: 978-0826416841
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,983 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #29 in	Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Popular
  #78 in	Books > Entertainment > Music > History & Criticism

• This item is part of The Thirty Three and a Third Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and fun book, February 26, 2006

By	desmond "barrow. marketplace." (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Seems quite meticulously researched. (The Amazon description should make some mention of that; it seems unnecessarily vague is describing what the book is.)

I did find 1 minor factual error in the first few pages (it was Gus Dudgeon who produced the "Space Oddity" single, not Paul Buckmaster!).

But given the density of detailed information packed into this relatively small book (culled from a variety of books and music articles published over the past few years), that may be a forgivable offense.

Overall, this book is filled with interesting facts, beginning with the recording of Station to Station, then the actual recording of Low and the beginning of Bowie's Berlin period.

Among other things, the book recounts:
- how various influences (Kraftwerk, Neu!, etc.) actually worked their way onto the album
- how Eno recorded the album's signature drum sound
- some of the strange devices used in the studio to "inspire creativity"
- an insight into Bowie's working methodology at the time
- and generally does a great job of analyzing the album in the context of Bowie's career and mindset

I have found this a very enjoyable read, and I recommend it to all Bowie enthusaists and especially fans of one of Bowie's very best albums, Low.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring Back Hugo!, February 8, 2007

By	K. Buckley "Sid The Dog" (Bloomington, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is perhaps the finest, most detailed analysis of Bowie's work I've ever read, and I earnestly entreat the author to consider taking on the remainder of the Berlin trilogy albums. In spite of the minor error or three (that's Walter Tevis who wrote The Man Who Fell To Earth, not Travis), this book answers so many questions I've always wanted to ask about "Low"-- which is saying a lot, as this has remained one of the most important albums of all time to my own musical work. Great stuff!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Book, May 13, 2007

By	M. Doron (Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having first listened to this record years ago, and understanding it is among Bowie's best, I found refreshing history bits about the record I never knew about. REcommended read for Bowie fans.