Don't you wonder sometimes?

David Bowie - Low - 1977

I was going to start this by saying that there must have been something in the water in 1977 that caused such changes in music.
I think it was probably more likely the drugs.
Although, ironically enough, in Bowie's case, it would be the lack of drugs. After his cocaine frenzy during his stay in Los Angeles, he decided to get clean and moved to Berlin. There, he became interested in German bands, such as Kraftwerk, and together with Brian Eno, he started working on what would be known as "The Berlin Trilogy": three very experimental albums that would be the most modern and influential he would ever release.
And this is Bowie I'm talking about, so pretty much everything he did was influential.
But you can hear so much of the mid 1980s and beyond in this album, that it's sometimes very hard to believe that it was recorded in 1977.
There's a very clear difference in style between the two sides of the album, with the first being mostly "avant-pop" songs and the second being fully experimental, almost totally instrumental, and with a lot of influence of Eno in the music.
I used to like the first side more, mostly because of songs like "Sound & Vision", "Be my Wife" and "Speed of Light", but listening to it again, the other songs from this side sound a bit like filler. Side B, though, is absolutely brilliant. Definitely not for every day listening, but an incredible set of very chilled out electronic/experimental music.

• At the time of its release, a critic described it as "the sound of Sinatra reproduced by Martian computers". Seems quite a good description to me.
• I always loved "Speed of Light". It "backward reminds" me of some lesser known Duran Duran tracks. What I mean is, I first heard the DD songs, then heard this song. 
• I have spent the whole day today trying to figure out what "Weeping Wall" reminded me of. Wikipedia came to the rescue: the melody is loosely based on "Scarborough Fair". Paraphrasing the 70s critic above, I'll go and say: "The sound of Simon & Garfunkel reproduced by Martian computers". 
• I'm putting "Sound & Vision" here, not only because it's one of my favourite Bowie tracks but also because he, like very few others gave us the gift of sound and vision again and again. 

Und treffen Iggy Pop und David Bowie

Kraftwerk - Trans Europa Express - 1977

Let me tell you one thing: I love and have enjoyed a lot revisiting some of the big sounding 1970s "symphonic" rock music, and I am also very glad to have been introduced to that music since I was very young. In the same way as classical music did, I think it made me a better listener.
But I only need to hear the beginning of "Schaufensterpuppen" (it means "showroom dummies" but it always makes me think of puppies), and I want to dance and jump.
Now, for some reason I had completely forgotten the fact that this album was so old! It makes so much sense now that Bowie, who always had an uncanny instinct to know where music was going, was so fascinated by them.
I have just mentioned that a lot of Bowie's Low sounds like mid 1980s. Partially, this is also the case here. But I think this album sounds like 80s because everybody started using and abusing synthesisers then, but the style of the music, that dry and relentless style of electronic music is really not too different from the electronic music movement from the mid to late 90s.
This is brilliant. Even if you're not into electronic music, it's an album that you should give at least one listen, because it has been too hugely influential to dismiss.
And if you like the genre, even a little bit, this is a must.

• The title of this section is from the title track. When Bowie and Iggy were in Berlin, they met with the band, and they both were clearly very impressed. 
• Siouxsie & the Banshees made a very good cover of "Spiegelsaal" ("Hall of Mirrors") for their Through the Looking Glass album. I am so used to their version that it took me a bit to realise it was this song.
• I'm going to post two videos, "Schaufensterpuppen" and the title track. Not only because I love both tracks, but because the videos are really weird. The title track is their original video, and it's so German expressionism, in a way, that I love it. I don't think the other one is original, but it's also weird. Oh, both are in German, of course, I think they sound much better.