Bowie's first "great" song?

[Minnie the Minx]

I was taking a trip through some of the Pushing Ahead of the Dames yesterday and was reading this entry about "Silly Boy Blue":

https://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/2009/0 ... -boy-blue/

in which he wonders if this is Bowie's first great song. I headed back and looked at what he wrote up to then, and found myself agreeing that yes, this was indeed Bowie's first great song.

what do you think?

[GoogaMooga]

"Changes" 1972 single, Hunky Dory album

But "Space Oddity" from 1969 showed the first signs of greatness.

[Minnie the Minx]

Have you listened to the song I posted?

[GoogaMooga]

Have you listened to the song I posted?

Err... no. Don't care for the Deram album. I suppose I should give it a go.

[Charlie O.]

I listened to it, and I really enjoyed it, but I'd stop short of calling it a great song. A step forward, maybe.

[Minnie the Minx]

Have you listened to the song I posted?

Err... no. Don't care for the Deram album. I suppose I should give it a go.

How do you know you don't care for it, if you haven't listened to it?

[Minnie the Minx]

I listened to it, and I really enjoyed it, but I'd stop short of calling it a great song. A step forward, maybe.

Hmm. A step forward maybe, I know what you mean - but from what?

[GoogaMooga]

Have you listened to the song I posted?

Err... no. Don't care for the Deram album. I suppose I should give it a go.

How do you know you don't care for it, if you haven't listened to it?

Never read a good review of the Deram album, but you got me curious now, so I'll hook up to the TV and play it.

[GoogaMooga]

I am through it now and I can safely say I can live without it. It's ambitious and lofty, but if that is the best from the Deram album, I did right to skip it. Might appeal to prog fans.

[Minnie the Minx]

[Minnie the Minx]

I'm getting a DRINK.

[Six String]

At least no one has come along and posted Heroes.

[Tactful Cactus]

Space Oddity. It was the first Bowie song that entered the cultural co-op. People refer to it today without even knowing it was Bowie.

[trans-chigley express]

My initial instinct after the reading the thread title and not having heard the posted song is Space Oddity which truly is a great song. I will listen to Silly Boy Blue but, like Googa, I don't recall being too impressed with that album so will need to pay more attention.

[trans-chigley express]

After a few listens I'd say it's a song that shows the seeds of his ambition but I don't find it a particularly strong song in its own right. It lacks a certain x factor to make it great. I'll stick by Space Oddity for his his real moment of greatness.

[Tactful Cactus]

By the way I watched the new Bowie film Stardust over Christmas, with Johnny Flynn as DB. Its quite low budget, they cleverly matched the budget with the plot, its set during his first threadbare U.S. tour when he could only perform in tiny bars and private parties. Its about facing his demons and finding his career breakthrough.

Anyway, what surprised me in the movie is that his manager made a reference to "Prettiest Star", even though the film was set in 1970. I googled it and sure enough he released PS as a single in 1970. The single isn't as good as the later album version, but still, PS sits very comfortably on Aladdin Sane so that was a sign of the greatness to come.

[The Modernist]

It's "I Can't Help Thinking About Me" which is earlier.

[Minnie the Minx]

I've done a LOT of Bowie listening over the past week including every song everyone mentioned, and I still think I am onto something.

[Deebank]

GNOME!

[The Slider]

When I Live My Dream and Silly Boy Blue are his first great songs.
Without looking it up I don't know which one he wrote first but they are both from the same period.

Nothing else from that era - or before - has the gravitas or the ambition of those two.