Search - David Bowie :: Station to Station (Mlps)

The Return Of The Thin White Duke Indeed!

B. J O'Connor | Holmdel,NJ USA | 08/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Japan mini-LP reissue of David Bowie's landmark 1976 "Station To Station" album contains the original white-bars-with-B&W-photo designed cover,with a black booklet reprinting the liner notes and lyrics in both English and Japanese.The remaster is the same great-sounding one done in 1999 by Peter Mew with Nigel Reeve at Abbey Road Studios(with some EQ adjustments).Oh,the music,you ask? Well this is one of my favorite Bowie albums.Yes there is only six songs(clocking a total 38 minutes),but all of them are stellar,including the hit "Golden Years",the experimental 10-minute title track,the humorous "TVC15",and the overlooked "Word On A Wing".All in all,an attractive,cool repackage of one cool,classic Bowie album,the way you remember it."

Station To Station

Morton | Colorado | 05/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"David Bowie-Station To Station *****







Much like Diamond Dogs served as a slow transition from glam rock to disco for Bowie, Station To Station served as the transition from disco to the yet unknown genra of new wave. Bowies next three albums Low, Heros, and Lodger or the 'Berlin Trio' would epitomize what would become new wave music in the early 1980's. Though I am more of a fan of David Bowies glam style with Mick Ronson on guitar I love all of his music. This album does a good job of piecing together all the styles of Bowies carear so far, New Wave, Disco, Soul/funk, glam-ish rock, and even a little folk, and doing so well in just six songs!



Station To Station opens with the Anthemetic and highly original title track, 'Station To Station.' The song is somewhat of an epic clocking in at over ten minutes, Bowies longest song to this point and I think of his carear. As the song begins it is slow and reachs a highly dramatic peak creating one of the all time best songs David Bowie ever created. The semi-disco dance track 'Golden Years' became a minor hit for Bowie and becoming held as one of his all time best. A true classic in the Bowie cannon. Through Bowies carear he flirted with religion, even being quoted as saying Ziggy was the only Christian name he could find that began with the letter Z. 'Word On The Wing' is no exception. The song features some of Bowies all time best lyrics as well as his most sencer. The man pores his heart out about how though he belieaves he also has a mind of his own. 'TVC15' is my favorite song on the album as I'm ssure it is for most who own the album. 'TVC15' has since its release become a Bowie classic and at the time became a hit for Bowie, the biggest one off the album actually. It's a hard rocker, the hardest on the album. Heavy distorted guitars fuel the song as well as Bowies catchy hook. 'Stay' isnt a bad song at all it's just not one of my favorites. The lyrics suggest his relationship with someone (male or female?) is falling apart and though he wants that person to stay he realizes that, that could cause even more problems. Bowie's cover of 'Wild Is The Wind' is the best cover song he ever did. It's a nice mellow ballad and a nice calm ending to Station To Station.



As any real David Bowie fan well tell you Station To Station is one of David Bowies all time best albums. While other albums had more hits like Young Americans, this is a better album. Do yourself a favor if you are a Bowie fan and pick this up. If your just getting into Bowie however I would recomend starting where I did, with the glam-rock. Albums like Ziggy Stardust and Alddin Sane are great places to start."

Masterpiece surpassing Ziggy Stardust

Pieter | Johannesburg | 08/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although Station to Station contains only six songs, they are the most memorable that Bowie ever recorded. The fast-paced title track Station to Station falls in a genre of journey songs - emphatically not the familiar rock road song - like Kraftwerk's 1977 track Europa Endloss from the album Trans Europa Express of which the theme is travel, giving the impression of a train ride with constantly changing scenery.



In the disco era, the French singer Patrick Juvet recorded a 14-minute long suite I Love America that was a musical tour through the United States. And there was I Travel by Simple Minds.



The tempo slows down somewhat for the melodic Golden Years with its catchy hooks, poetic lyrics, appealing rhythm and soulful tonality. What a gem of a song! Next comes another masterpiece, this time a devotional one. Word on a Wing is a sublime ballad with an enchanting tune and lyrics expressing spiritual yearning that match any poem in the English literature on this theme. The vocal arrangement is spectacular on many levels, including subtle segments and soaring sections.



There is some similarity in literary technique here with the Ben Jonson poem To Celia that was set to music as Drink to me Only with Thine Eyes and recorded by artists as diverse as Kathleen Ferrier and World of Skin. The similarity lies in the ambiguity; parts of both compositions contain phrasing that seems to deal with romantic love but the overall tone is clearly spiritual.



TVC15 is a powerful uptempo number in a sort of proto-disco style whilst Stay's nervous guitar-driven rhythmic texture and tempo shifts place it firmly in the rock tradition. Then follows the theme song of the 1957 movie Wild Is the Wind, written by Dimitri Tiomkin & Ned Washington, originally recorded by Johnny Mathis and later covered by Nina Simone on her album Wild Is the Wind. As a melodious ballad with a wistful air, it perfectly complements Word on a Wing.



In my opinion Station is Bowie's best album, surpassing even the influential The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust in song quality and emotional depth.

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