#324 - David Bowie - Station to Station (1976)
MUSIC HISTORY COMPILED BY ADAM BERNARD:
DAVID BOWIE BIO
David Robert Jones, aka David Bowie was born in London in 1947. One of the most important artists of our time became interested in music as a child (including being in the school choir), and took his first steps as a professional musician in 1963. His passion for music got a real kick after his father brought home a bunch of American 45s by artists like Fats Domino, Elvis Presley (they share a birthday) and Little Richard. After going through a few bands early, he secured a solo record deal in the mid 1960s, and took the stage name of David Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees. He picked the name Bowie after American pioneer James Bowie (of the famed Bowie Knife).
His self-titled debut came out in 1967, but it was studying dramatic arts under Lindsay Kemp that stoked Bowie's interest in presenting different personas. His first big success came with the release of the single "Space Oddity", just days before the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. His 2nd album followed with that track and was eventually reissued with that title. His 3rd album came out in 1970 The Man Who Sold The World. After 1971's Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust made his introduction to the world with "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars." Aladdin Sane, Pin Ups, Diamond Dogs alll peaked at #1 in the UK and were all Top 10 in the US. Young Americans followed and peaked at 2 in the UK while also giving Bowie his first #1 hit in the US, "Fame", leading us to today's album.
Bowie's career continued to surge in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, releasing the Berlin Trilogy of albums, followed by the single "Under Pressure" with Queen, and then the "Let's Dance" album. Bowie became less of a solo act in the 1990s, and continued to release albums well into the new millennium. His final album, Blackstar, was intended to be his swan song, and was released on his 69th birthday in 2016. The musical visionary, genius, and legend passed away 2 days later. The album debuted at #1 in the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand, which is probably the most appropriate send-off for him.
BACKGROUND – STATION TO STATION
This is the 10th studio album from Bowie, and it was released on January 23, 1976. It was recorded at the Cherokee Studios in LA, and featured a line-up of guitarist Carlos Alomar, bassist George Murray, drummer Dennis Davis, as well as contributions from guitarist Earl Slick and pianist Roy Bittan (E Street Band). Musically, Station to Station was a transitional album for Bowie, developing the funk and soul of Young Americans while presenting a new direction influenced by electronic music and the German music genre of krautrock, particularly bands like Kraftwerk.
Album co-producer Harry Maslin told Circus magazine: "There was no specific sound in mind. I don't think [Bowie] had any specific direction as far as whether it should be R&B, or more English-sounding, or more commercial or less commercial. I think he went out more to make a record this time than to worry about what it was going to turn out to be."
Musical styles explored on this album paved the way for the following three albums, his "Berlin Trilogy" - Low & Heroes (both released in 1977), and Lodger (1979).
During the sessions for Station To Station, Bowie was heavily dependent on drugs, especially cocaine, and recalls almost nothing of the production. He once joked, "I know it was recorded in LA because I read it was." He added "I have serious problems about that year or two. I can't remember how I felt; I have no emotional geography." His addiction severed friendships with fellow musicians Keith Moon, John Lennon and Harry Nilsson; he later said: "If you really want to lose all your friends and all of the relationships that you ever held dear, [cocaine is] the drug to do it with."