And so yet another edition, look you see. There seems to be waning or if you like falling interest from you, the readers, though. No matter, I shall press on and see if I cannot jolly well cover all the major releases, along with a few that are not considered to be.
For this episode, or if you will edition, a dip back into the 70s, then. And, arguably, his "lightest" ever record, as Pin Ups is just pure solid entertainment with no baggage or deeper meaning. Please do not mistake that statement there as a criticism. Far from it, as point of fact, for this is one of the most enjoyable Bowie records you can spin on your system.
Random, fantastic facts to commence? Sure. This was album number seven by David Bowie, according to the common agreed method of counting them. Yes, indeed, quite strange that an album of covers is considered an official Bowie solo release, whereas the entirely original Buddha Of Suburbia is not, but that's the record industry for you. Recorded and released in 1973, it came out on top of the seemingly ever growing success of Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane. If not the, then Bowie was one of the biggest stars at the time, and a constant stream of product to sell (and buy) was the best way to sustain that, or if you like capitalise or indeed cash in.
But, dear reader, don't see the above as being a sign that Pin Ups should have been called Hastily Cobbled Together For A Fast Buck. Although I suppose I can't stop you. There's a good deal more to the record than that, if you ask me (and presumably you are if you are reading), and to sort of start with a usual conclusion, yes this record is absolutely worth owning.
Why do cover versions? In general terms, lots of reasons. Most musicians will always prefer to do only their own stuff, understandably so. But, early on in a musicians career, the best advice is normally to stick to covers and absolutely hammer them to death. Taking an established, successful song and playing it day in, day out, lets you learn the what and how of what makes a great song, and nurtures your own talent.
Sure, by this stage Bowie was an established songwriter of note. But, you never stop learning, I suppose. Other than that, covers provide "instant product". This was a popular approach in the early 70s. A glance at the actual albums from some of the biggest stars of the era, in particular the Glam Rock acts, shows that they were, for the most part, one or two big, original singles padded out with covers.
Anyway, to the music. This album is a sensational 30 minute ride. Yes, a fairly short long player, which makes it all the more remarkable how much is going on in it. Twelve songs on the album proper as it was released, all coming from the "London 64 - 67" scene, as per the handwritten notes from Bowie on the back of the cover.
It all just flows like the most beautiful river that you've ever seen. The songs have been wisely selected, and the running order is just perfection. You get this right from the start, with the first three songs, Rosalyn, Here Comes The Night and I Wish You Would all sounding like one long song, or a jam by musicians in their absolute prime.
What are the triumphs, what are the shortfalls? Impossible for me to say in general, really. Any sort of cover version of a song immediately prompts a comparison to the original, there is no avoiding this. But, whether or not the cover is better or worse than the original is all for the ears of the listener, really. I can only give you my own views, and they would be that I like Bowie's cover of Pink Floyd's See Emily Play much more than the original, butt find his sultry, semi slowed down take on The Who's I Can't Explain average to poor. Still, a decent go, and the only person on earth who has ever done a good cover of anything by The Who is Eddie Vedder, although Bowie comes close on another cover of them here on Pin Ups with Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere.
The best known song from Pin Ups is the single, Sorrow. A ballad (of sorts) stuck in with all the more rock focused classics was always to stand out, I guess. This is indeed a gem, and he does that trick like what Nilsson did with Everybody's Talkin' and Without You where he makes you think that his cover is the definitive version, that the song is now his.
Over on my early 90s CD issue of Pin Ups we get two bonus tracks. Both covers, of course. One of them, the dirty, grimy Port Of Amsterdam makes sense, for it was the b-side of Sorrow when that was issued as a single. The other, less so. Make no mistake, Bowie's cover of Growin' Up is brilliant, featuring a certain Ron "Ronnie" Wood on guitar, but does not belong here. Although in terms of time it could have been recorded during the sessions as the notes indicate, it is unlikely that it was. Rather more likely it was recorded around the time of Young Americans, when he did another Springsteen cover, It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City. Hmn, two Springsteen covers that never got an official release kind of suggests that it was indeed Bruce who apparently made Bowie cry with his dismissal of Young Americans.......
Speaking of covers, the cover. To call a Bowie album cover "iconic" is rather superfluous, for really more of them are than are not. Quite a few things of interest about the front image. Yes, indeed, that is supermodel Twiggy with him. No, the image was not taken specifically for the album cover. Its intention was for a magazine, but Bowie asked if he couldn't rather just take it and use on a record instead. Quite the frugal approach, and one he used again. As and when I get to them, the covers for Station To Station and Low featured promotional images from The Man Who Fell To Earth, which made things easier/cheaper down in the art department.
Another point of interest, I think (no, I don't really research these, just throw my "knowledge" or lack at it all), is the way Bowie's name is on the record. This is, I believe, the first time on a record that he appeared just as "Bowie", somewhat cementing exactly how iconic / famous he had made his adopted surname by this point.
To the back of the record, and a reminder of when our idols were distant (not necessarily aloof) and mysterious. In those pre-social media days you had little or no idea about anything much to do with any musician or star when they weren't out in public, doing their thing. So, a hand written note to the fans explaining the record was quite a lovely touch. You just didn't hear anything from them other than the records and well crafted interviews. This is a lovely, rare, personal insight, then. It would seem that Bowie also penned the tracklisting for us too, correcting the order on side two rather than starting over.
Does Pin Ups have a legacy? Very much so. The album kept returning to the charts over the years in an unprompted way, which is to say it was down to fans buying it in the late 70s and early 80s rather than via any sort of reissue push. Also, Bowie himself must have been rather fond of it, for a pet project over the years was always to do a follow up. The closest we ever got was Toy, intended for a late 90s, early 00s release. It was recorded and everything, but alas Virgin, his label at the time, refused to release it, as the rights and licensing on the songs meant that the record label would not make a penny from it.
For those wishing to hear Toy, you can do so. No links here, I am afraid, but it is widely available over the internet, gratis, so to speak. Good record, too. If you are really stuck for finding it, consult that Twitter thing, and seek out Brian Eno. When not using Twitter to tell Moby to f*** off, he does have a tendency to share links ("tweet"?) to downloads of Toy, so that we, the people, may hear it.
I've already said this, but what the heck, let me say it again - Pin Ups is very, very much worth your time picking up. Should you be the more casual sort of Bowie fan who doesn't have all the records, it might well be that you skimmed or skipped over this on the basis that it was "just cover versions". Cover versions yes; just no. Without in any way saying they are "better" or "worse" than his original compositions, this album is one of the most instantly accessible and hugely enjoyable in his impressive catalogue.
Well, then, that's about that. This feels like one of the shorter editions (episodes) of Random Bowie, but that may well be apt since it's one of, if not the, shortest albums that he recorded. In truth, this post could have been even shorter. The basics are just go and give it a listen, or twelve or so listens. Ever since we have lived in a world without Bowie there has been a huge focus on the incredible songs he created. Perhaps this gem of intelligently selected, wonderfully performed covers has been overlooked during this celebration.
Next up? I am not so sure at this moment. There's only 7 or 8 albums left, alas. Perhaps from now it shall all be less random, and more me having a think about the order to do them in.
Until the next edition, then, I would encourage you to go off and enjoy the sounds of Pin Ups, or any Bowie album really.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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