Search - David Bowie :: Low/Heroes

Always Crashing In The Same Car

Mr. Richard D. Coreno | Berea, Ohio USA | 10/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The double CD set is the Berlin period of David Bowie's ever-changing career. With Brian Eno as the producer, Bowie was soaking in the sounds of the avant-garde/electronic movement of such groups like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream.



It was rumored that Bowie wanted Kraftwerk to be part of the project. The closest that collaboration came to being a reality was Kraftwerk permitting Bowie to use selected tracks before his shows.



Low works within more of a pop music format, with the majority of the cuts short & snappy as Eno provides just enough treatments to the sound. Speed Of Life sets the tempo and Breaking Glass sets the standard, as the sharp lyrics merging and haunting synth sounds dominate. Sound And Vision was an FM radio favorite.



Heroes - with the classic guitar solo by Robert Fripp - is one of Bowie's greatest songs, and perhaps the track most remembered from this period. Bowie's storytelling has never been better - Beauty And The Beast, Joe The Lion, Sons Of The Silent Age - and the experimental sounds in V-2 Schneider have a certain metallic ambience that could have been stretched out over a complete album side.



Though the albums were received with mixed reviews from critics and fans, Low & Heroes have stood the test of time because Bowie was not afraid to try different venues for his art. A pair of masterpieces, indeed.



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