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Product Description
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The last of David Bowie's long run of classic albums is best remembered for its superb electropop-ish hit singles "Ashes To Ashes" and "Fashion". But while these may be representative of the record's quality, they're very different in sound to the rest of the album. Scary Monsters is fiercely and unforgivingly a rock album, reflecting strongly the influences of both British and American post-punk artists, particularly Television's Tom Verlaine, one of whose songs, "Kingdom Come", appears here. The uncompromising Robert Fripp plays a significant role, which he accurately described as "spraying burning guitar all over" the songs. Scary Monsters is Bowie's most abrasive and ferocious piece of work, and its power to needle and astonish has remained undimmed over the years. --David Bennun
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Cd > Popular Music > RockCD > POPULAR MUSIC > ROCK
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By M. Evans
Format:Audio CD
Don't like to say best, as that's a matter of opinion, but this is the Bowie album I find I return to the most and rewards repeated listens. I think it captures a certain period in music history when punk/new wave was giving way to New Romantic/electronic better than any other album I can think of. Ashes To Ashes is my favourite ever Bowie song, a true gem, and Teengae Wildlife is another fave, one of his most underrated tracks. I think it's true that this was the last truly great Bowie album (he did some great stuff later but this is where he peaked), but I just find that this album encapsulates everything about Bowie's style and sound better than any other album. Wonderful.
32 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It must be very hard being David Bowie and all the time being compared to your brilliant past. In the period 1971-1980 no other artist could even come close to his inventiveness and importance. His output during these years is arguably more diverse and influential than even that of the Beatles. I "discovered" Bowie through Scary Monsters when I was 16 and I can say that no other piece of art (whether it is Bachs "Goldberg Variations", Dostoevsky's great novels, David Lynch's movies, or anything else) has made such a profound impression on me.
The album is a perfect blend of the avant-garde of "Low" and "'Heroes'", the funk of "StationToStation", and the rock of "Diamond Dogs". The opening "It's No Game" is a shock; the Japanese lyrics spit out "samurai-style" by a Japanese woman, Bowie's shrieking over-the-top vocals (listen to the way he sings "There's no free steps to heeeeaaaaveeeen" after approximately one minute, it is the most desperate cry I have ever heard), Robert Fripps extreme guitar, and Dennis Davis violent drumming makes for an unforgettable experience. A well-known Norwegian author likened the impression one gets from the one of seeing Edvard Munch's "The Scream", which is a very good analogy; bold, seemingly simple strokes conveying desperation and anxiety. There are several other songs of the same quality: the sublime (and well-known) "Ashes to Ashes" (a continuation of "Space Oddity"), the extremely funky "Fashion", the uncompromising rock'n roll of the song "Scary Monsters", and the anthemic "Teenage Wildlife" (reminiscent of "'Heroes'", but in my view even better). Even the weaker tracks would be outstanding on 99% of other rock albums. Finally, the lyrics are great and for once feel very personal. To make a long story short, this album has no weak spots whatsoever.
Unfortunately, after hitting this peak, the rest of the 80's went artistically (if not commercially) downhill for Bowie. During the whole of the last 15 years he has been struggling to regain is integrity and has produced a lot of high quality material (check out "Black Tie White Noise" (1993), "Outside" (1995), "Earthling" (1997), or "Heathen" (2002)). Unfortunately, a lot of people won't give these albums a listen because they either (old fans) thinks he is "passed it" or (younger people) assumes he is another boring old fart like for example Elton John or Rolling Stones.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
1980. I left school, the future ahead of me. A beautiful future, the thin white duke had returned to soundtrack my life with his hugely anticipated opus 'Scary Monsters'. Heralded in the summer by the No.1 single 'Ashes to Ashes', Bowie was back. The moment felt magical.
The rise of the Futurist/New Romantic scene adding to sense that something special was happening. It was a time to celebrate-and Bowie boys & girls sure knew how to party! The club scene was never so glamourous. The Blitz [London],The Rum Rummer [B'ham]...so many stars born in the night-Boy George, Steve Strange, Marilyn, Spandau, Duran, to name but a few.
For about a year, I don't think there was a day this album wasn't on my turn table. The quintessential 'getting ready to go out record', every word of every lyric, emblazomed on my mind. A battle cry for the brave new world...'We are the goon squad & we're coming to town!'
The rise of the Futurist/New Romantic scene adding to sense that something special was happening. It was a time to celebrate-and Bowie boys & girls sure knew how to party! The club scene was never so glamourous. The Blitz [London],The Rum Rummer [B'ham]...so many stars born in the night-Boy George, Steve Strange, Marilyn, Spandau, Duran, to name but a few.
For about a year, I don't think there was a day this album wasn't on my turn table. The quintessential 'getting ready to go out record', every word of every lyric, emblazomed on my mind. A battle cry for the brave new world...'We are the goon squad & we're coming to town!'
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
great
well if someone listens to this and says they do not like it, they must have some very severe mental issues, bowie at his best
Published 17 days ago by kevwall
5.0 out of 5 stars
best ever
I had this in the80s and lost it ,what a great album,the tracks are origina and as they were always my favorite im afraid Nostalgia does come in to it for me
Published 3 months ago by Helena Bishop
5.0 out of 5 stars
ROCK, POP and FEEDBACK. A NOISY STUNNER.
His last LP with RCA and the last work for many years with Tony Visconti. 1980 and this is where I came in as a Bowie fan. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr Paul Savory
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Album
Love the fact that there are so many tracks that you recognise on this Album. Some Albums have 2 or 3 signature tracks and the rest is padding but everything on this is great.
Published 4 months ago by Dai Jimpkins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great!
As "Ashes To Ashes" was one of the first singles I ever brought I have always had a soft spot for this album. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Barclays
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scream ike a baby
I'll let other 60's children eulogise ad nauseum about how important this album is as a whole in the history of rock. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mike from Gorgeous
5.0 out of 5 stars
hilighted monsters
fabulous hilighting of this haunting album . teenage wildlife jumps out , (how come u only want tomorrow)? Read more
Published 18 months ago by chevie
3.0 out of 5 stars
Grows on subsequent plays.
Never having been a massive fan of Bowie - despite having been around and record buying since his early career - the first Album I had ever bought by him was 'Let's Dance' - and... Read more
Published 19 months ago by FAMOUS NAME
5.0 out of 5 stars
remastered brilliance
ok we all know how good this album so lets cut to the chase.is this worth re-purchasing over the 1991 release?an absolute yes!! couldn't believe how good this sounds. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Pablo Leone
4.0 out of 5 stars
Howling At The Moon (or the 80s)
I was lucky enough to be the younger brother. So in 1980 I had a teenage older sister who had Fashion and Scary Monsters on 7", and she had a friend with a Bowie fixation. Read more
Published on 30 April 2011 by Nick
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