STATION TO STATION

Description

These are the first words David Bowie sings on his tenth studio album. Partly influenced by his role in “The Man Who Fell To Earth” (“L'Homme Qui Venait D'Ailleurs”), and always eager to innovate, Bowie transformed himself into the Thin White Duke, a composite character derived from his role in the film (the alien Thomas Jerome Newton), but also inspired by Buster Keaton and European cabaret artists. The opening track, running for more than ten minutes, sets the tone unmistakably: the listener knows that David Bowie is once again undergoing a major transformation. It is followed by the Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic, “Golden Years,” a very distinctive track that evokes the funk and soul of his previous album, whose lyrics, an expression of a certain form of remorse, invite the listener to “run for the shadows” (“Run for the shadows”). “Word On A Wing” is the first of the album’s two ballads, and addresses the theme of religion. “TVC15” and “Stay” follow one another and further highlight the album’s funky color. A great admirer of Nina Simone’s version of this ballad, David Bowie covered “Wild Is The Wind” by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington to close the album. By general consensus, this is one of the most incredible vocal performances in his discography. The album “Station To Station” reached the Top 5 on both sides of the Atlantic. Many consider this David Bowie record to have split his 1970s into two distinct halves.