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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
George Orwell's classic tale of totalitarianism, 1984, was the inspiration for a project that David Bowie hoped would further solidify his standing as a rock visionary. Bowie was a natural artist to helm a musical companion to Orwell's allegory, since his own music exhibits an innate alienation. The concept ultimately broke down, but the music didn't. "Rebel Rebel" has become a rock staple, while "Sweet Thing," "Candidate," and the forthright yet experimental title track (Bowie as puppet master) offer additional highlights. Still, despite such benchmarks and its conceptual flaws, Diamond Dogs is best listened to as a thematic collection. --Rob O'Connor
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great to hear again,
By
This review is from: Diamond Dogs: Remastered (Audio CD)
I confess I'm not the world's greatest Bowie fan. (Perhaps mine was a reaction against being surrounded by Bowie fanatics at school.) But I recognise that 70s albums such as ZIGGY STARTDUST and ALADDIN SANE are five-star masterpieces which I'm proud to own and play.Ignoring PIN-UPS, which we always regarded as a bit of a detour in the Bowie story, DIAMOND DOGS was Bowie's first post-Ronson LP. For those of us who saw Bowie perform 'Starman' etc on 'Top of the Pops' and the 'Whistle Test', Mick Ronson appeared to be an integral part of Bowie's life -- not quite Lennon and McCartney, but something close. Without Ronson to duet with on many a chorus, Bowie's stage act (if nothing else) seemed vulnerable. There were Ronson fans at school who almost willed Bowie to fail without Ronson. So on DIAMOND DOGS, it is left to Bowie to play nearly all the guitar parts. And he does a great job. The only problem with this album -- and the reason I regard it as a slight decline from the magnificent ALADDIN SANE -- is that it is too varied. 'Rebel Rebel' is a great single, but its Stones-like theme jars with the rest of the album. '1984' takes its orchestral cue from The Temptations' 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' -- a theme not reprised again until 1977's I ROBOT by the Alan Parsons Project. 'Rock N Roll With Me' is Bowie trying to sound like Dylan and the Band. Bowie has always been a genius of style, with a keen eye to fashions not yet on the horizon. Back in 1973, the 1984 of George Orwell seemed an aeon away, particularly for his many teenage fans. To us, '1984' was just an English set text and therefore automatically very, very dull. Bowie's added slant of an urban future plagued by marauding mutant dogs was ... well, interesting ... but it didn't seem to spawn many imitators, in terms of clothes, make-up etc in the same way as ALADDIN SANE had. I suspect the drug abuse that led to the Thin White Duke appearance in DAVID LIVE gave many fans cause for second thoughts about unthinking imitation of their hero. That this particular vision was a vaguely depressing one didn't help its uptake. My personal feeling is that Bowie barely put a foot wrong in the 1970s. Following albums such as STATION TO STATION, LOW and HEROES are also classics, and well worth buying. What amazes me is that Bowie is still a cult figure in 2005, despite the fact that in the quarter-century since 1980, his CDs have been a very mixed bag. Most have been, at best, mediocre. Get this one, and enjoy it for its variety.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How can you pick one favourite Bowie album!,
By derek@jmacd.freeserve.co.uk (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Diamond Dogs: Remastered (Audio CD)
Yes, it was originally supposed to be for a musical based on 1984. At the end of the day though it stands alone on the strength of the songs. This is, on occasion, my favourite Bowie album - although a great many of his albums have also held that spot. It starts with the spoken Future Legend which Bowie later made the mistake of trying to emulate on the Glass Spider. It sets the tone for one or two fairly dark moments - notably the Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise) section. This for me is the highlight of the whole album - strong both lyrically and musically. While some of the songs link obviously to the 1984 theme, these fit in feel unlike the rather more obvious 1984 and Big Brother. All in all a strong album which benefits from being listened to as a whole. If you want to hear some interesting cover versions of some of the tracks - try to find the Wedding Present doing Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family or Rickie Lee Jones doing Rebel Rebel.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply superb!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Diamond Dogs: Remastered (Audio CD)
A dark and moody album where distorted guitar and sax are magically interwoven to produce an all time classic from Bowie. Not at all like Aladdin Sane which has an almost pop feel, nor like Ziggy which is acoustic-based, this album is far more complex and mature.One of the interesting things about this music is the band - or lack of it! This album was recorded in 1974 just after the spiders had disbanded. Bowie therefore had a far greater input into this album than any previous, one would imagine. Evidence of this is the number of instruments he plays - accompanied by a drummer and occasional pianist and guitarist. Get this it will grow on you with time and stay with you for ever.
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