The opening two songs seem to provide evidence for both points of view. 'Watch That Man', with its upbeat tempo and rocking style, is quite a typical Bowie number. Unfortunately, it offers nothing really attractive to mitigate its predictability. Those David Bowie critics who listen to this album for the first time will see this as confirmation of their critical outlooks.
The unusually named 'Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)', on the other hand, will be pointed to by fans as proof of their hero's talent. With its deft combination of piano, guitar and bass and with its bittersweet melody, this is a sophisticated and gently seductive track.
The songs that follow are more typical Bowie offerings, with differing degrees of success. 'Drive-in Saturday', in terms of its beat, Bowie's musical accompaniment and his unusual lyrics which veer wildly from the creative ("She's uncertain if she likes him/But she knows she really loves him/It's a crash course for the ravers/It's a Drive-in Saturday") to the commonplace ("Let me put my arms around your head/Gee it's hot, let's go to bed/Don't forget to turn on the light/Don't laugh babe, it'll be alright") is a good example of this and is an attractive song too.
'The Prettiest Star' comes from the same template, but does not have the same appeal. This is the problem artists face when much of their material is similar- if something is to stand out from the rest then it must be striking in some way. There is nothing striking about this song.
The closing track, 'Lady Grinning Soul', is the very definition of striking. This must surely be one of Bowie's best ever songs and is the kind of composition that few others would be capable of writing. In many ways, with its captivating combination of piano, guitar, bass and a bittersweet melody, it is similar to 'Aladdin Sane'. Where it surpasses 'Aladdin Sane' is in the sheer beauty of its melody and in Bowie's vocal delivery. It is because he sings with such passionate inspiration that the climax has such power: "She will be your living end."
So this album has something for the fan and the critic. Bowie sounds like Bowie always sounds. If you've heard a few of his songs before then you would know what those on 'Aladdin Sane' sound like. But even though he can frustrate listeners he is also capable of producing moments of rare beauty. Generally, this is an album where the good outweighs the bad.
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