Pinups

Coming out in between Aladdin Sane and Diamond Dogs, this album of covers was released today in 1973. Notable for his hit rendition of The Mersey's Sorrow, the record features music from Bowie's teenage years, mostly UK bands from the 1964-1967. Spiders From Mars alumni Trevor Bolder and Mick Ronson return on bass and guitar respectively, but drummer Mick Woodmansey is replaced by Aynsley Dunbar. Mike Garson also reappears to whack the keys.

This is not essential Bowie listening, but is interesting to hear what he dug, and what songs he chose to record given the opportunity. It is quite cool that Australia's own Easybeats got a guernsey with him tackling their smash single Friday On My Mind. 

There's some material I was already familiar with when I first heard this album, namely The Who songs (I Can't Explain 

and Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere) Pink Floyd's See Emily Play, Them's Here Comes the Night and The Kinks' Where Have All The Good Times Gone. I'm not very familiar with The Pretty Things though, and he includes two of their songs here, album opener Rosalyn and Don't Bring Me Down. I've yet to seek out the original versions, but I imagine they would be similar to how they are presented here, possibly a little glammed up and Bowie-ised. Not heard of The Mojos at all, and consequentially didn't know their hit Everything's Alright either. There are two Yardbirds covers here too, Shapes of Things (which I knew) and I Wish You Would (which I didn't). 

Not an album I've listened to very often, and the cover featuring model Twiggy feels like an attempt at an iconic image that didn't quite land. Sorrow is easily the best track here, and arguably the most endearing of all the covers. Despite the energy of the tracks (no doubt fuelled by a little post-split tension from the ex-Spiders from Mars), there's nothing remarkable here. The performances are all good, Ronson in particular handling everything that is thrown at him with ease, but it's more of a novelty record than one that adds to the Bowie mystique. It's not a record that I feel I have to play again immediately after hearing it, unlike others in his canon. And that last listen I just finished might do me for a few more years. I give this album 2/5.

NEXT UP: The Man Who Sold The World - Nov 4th