David Bowie
The Deram Anthology
[Deram/Polygram]
Rating: 5.4
If you're a die-hard Bowie fan, this collection of early recordings is
not news to you. If you are not a big Bowie fan -- and please, read this
part very carefully -- you should stay away from this album.
The liner notes talk about Bowie's penchant for wanting to create
"theatrical" sounding songs, and if nothing else, he did. There's a
reason he's pictured in a clown's outfit on the disc's tray. A lot of
the songs have this spritely, circus- like feel and/or sound like
candidates for heavy rotation on "Dr. Demento." Take, for example, "The
Laughing Gnome", three minutes of Chipmunk giggling and fey vocals. Or,
if you will, take "Please Mr. Gravedigger", an acapella croak-a-long
with clock chimes, digging noises, and a sneeze. The disc ends,
curiously enough, with an early version of "Space Oddity" that has more
in common with "White Rabbit" than the classic we all know and love.
I look at the disc like a wound. David had to squeeze out some pus
before he could tackle the classics. If
you're a completist, head down to the music store and say, "I'd like
some pus, please," and The Deram Anthology is yours.
-Jason Josephes