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This album is hillarious!...and yet

roadhunter | Calgary, Alberta Canada | 03/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This much underrated early debut is a must for any Bowie fan. Though the music at this point lacks the sophistication of his later work, the lyrics are brilliant and the production is excellent. His early work shows him to be one of the wittiest lyricists of his time. This album is a thoughtful jab at all the pretensions of the 60's. It makes a connection with far stranger artists such as the Bonzo Dogs and Frank Zappa, but is more clever and dignified than either.Somehow, this album makes the whole rest of Bowie's career fall into place, and made me even more mindful of the underlying wit present in all his other albums. This album may seem strange at first, but it grows on you. I find myself loving it more with each listening, which is odd for an album full of "novelty songs". It proves to be so much more.I would also recommend The Deram Anthology 1966-1968 as a more complete collection of early Bowie recordings, but some of the added songs were unwelcome intrusions next to the coherence of this album as it was originally released. I myself own both and wouldn't part with either of them."

A look at where David Bowie's lyrical brilliance came from

pageypercybonzoj@hotmail.com | Tacoma, WA | 06/29/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"David Bowie was 19 when this album was released, and it is proof of the origination of his unearthly writing genius. Released in 1967, it's sound has it's own light oddness, but it's distinctly mid-1960's London. However, the album's sounds are extremely contradictory to the subject matter; The incongruities of suburban London. The track "Please Mr. Gravedigger", is the story of a gravedigger with an unhealthy fetish. It's subjects that lie within remain to be explored by the listener. From polotics to things that seem to be plainly silly, but deserve the most inquiry."

Some true Bowie brilliance from the late 60s

robert | australia | 01/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I don't have this exact album but have another with about 3/4 of these tunes plus 4 others from this period.



Bowie's material from this period could perhaps only be appreciated by people who enjoy trippy psychedelic pop in the vain of Syd-Barett-period-Pink-Floyd ("Piper at the Gates of Dawn") or The Beatles (ala "Sgt Pepper's" etc.)



It is fun, it has humour, it has fantasy, it has some great story-based trippy lyrics... a little bit like mid-late 60s John Lennon and Syd Barret.



This is music to make you smile and recall childhood days of fantasy and wonder. In essence, this music is right on the mark for the time it was created.



Sadly, this particular album does not have "The Laughing Gnome", which never fails to bring a big grin to people's faces.



I love and appreciate Bowie's work from all of his phases - except for the "Space Oddity" album which, apart from that great title track, is truly bland.



However, if you're limited in interest to his moody late 70s stuff, or his heavier stuff from the late 90s, or his 80s pop, or his glam stuff from the early 70s, then this possibly isn't for you.



But if you like trippy 60s pop that will make you smile and daydream - then a lot of Bowie's work from this period is excellent!



My wife and I view this album as therapy - if we're feeling down or moody these charming happy go lucky tunes snap us out of it and put a smile on our faces ;-)



How could you not feel better after hearing a song like "Rubber Band"?



So, if not this album, then maybe go for the Deram collection that other reviewers mention.



PS - what also amazed me when I heard Bowie's late 60s works, is that the clarity of the music and his vocal performance far outshines his later, famous early 70s works. They sound muddy and cluttered in comparison."