Davis Bowie

Scary Monsters - RCA 1980

Tracks: 1. It's No Game No.1 / 2. Up the Hills Backwars / 3. Scary Monsters / 4. Ashes to Ashes / 5. Fashion / 6. Teenage Wildlife / 7. Scream like a Baby / 8. Kingdom Come / 9. Because You're Young / 10. It's No Game No. 2

Comments:

"Scary Monsters" from 1980 was Bowie's first following the Berlin Trilogy of ”Low”, "Heroes" and ”Lodger” (1977–1979). It was also the last he released on The RCA label. Personally I applauded that his Berlin period ended; because even though there were good individual tracks on all these three albums, I always had a hard time getting really excited about them. There is, og course, a musical relationship between "Scary Monsters" and "The Berlin Trilogy", but there is also a return towards his more classic songwriting from the time around "Diamond Dogs". There is still experimentation, but to a lesser extent than on the three predecessors. The numbers are generally good and more easily accessible.

The opening track "No No Game No.1" is a kind of noise rocker, drawn by rather desperate Bowie vocals, but also interesting by the Japanese voice provided by Michi Hirota. The idea of using a Japanese voice was also used in 1974 by Badfinger on their fine album "Wish You Were Here" and the song "Know One Knows". Four tracks from the album were released on singles, and these all follow immediately after the opening track. "Ashes to Ashes" was the first and also clearly the biggest hit, with a first position in the UK. A catchy song, almost in "Diamond Dogs" style, with a fun revisit for the Major Tom character "Space Oddity". The other three singles are for me less memorable to me. "Up the Hills Backwards" being the most exciting. "Scary Monsters" and "Fashion" are more simple rock songs. Another favorite is "Teenage Wildlife", which is musically almost a "Heroes" revisited, but more complex with fine guitar playing by Robert Fripp. The album's last two tracks are also really strong. "Because You Want Young" is both noisy and catchy; a song I probably would have chosen as a single. "No No Game No.2" is less noisy than version No. 1 and a really nice and almost pleasant rock number.

"Scary Monsters" is often referred to as Bowie's last really big album.

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