Deram Anthology Deram 1997 .
OVERALL: This is a likeable but not essential set of nearly all of DB's work for Deram, including singles,his complete first album, and stuff from the Love You Till tuesday movie soundtrack. For the most part,the lyrics and melodies here are very weak and extremely dated, but it has it's moments,and I've always loved it all a lot. Grade:B
The best songs are: London Boys A dark song with a great organ and melody We Are Hungry Men A very well crafted song with cool lyrics When I Live My Dream A very good 60's style love song Silly Boy Blue The lyrics are good only in spots but this is another great tune She's Got Medals The best of the silly songs on the album Please Mr. Gravedigger One of Bowies best,this is one of his most gothic and disturbing songs Karma Man His best song in the 60's. This is better then Space Oddity!!!!! How it got rejected as a single is beyond me.Great lyrics,melody,and instrumentation. Let Me Sleep Beside You A spectacular funky little rocker with lyrics that just could be a precoursor to 'She Shook Me Cold' from the album "The Man Who Sold The World" In The Heat Of The Morning A nice organ riff on a very poppy song with very poppy lyrics, but somehow it all works. Plus it is very good compared to,say, The Laughing Gnome.
TRACKLIST:
1.Rubber Band (single version) Grade:C
2.London Boys (B-side) Grade:A+
3.The Laughing Gnome The stupid,infamous single that is a lot of fun.Grade:C
4.The Gospel Accoreing to Tony Day This is another fun song that you either love or hate.Grade:C
5.Uncle Aurther This song starts off the album. Grade:C
6.Sell Me A Coat Grade:B
7.Rubber Band The lp version is scarcely different from the single. Grade:C
8.Love You Till Tuesday Grade:C+
9.There Is A Happy Land Very Silly. Grade:C
10.We Are Hungry Men Grade:A-
11.When I Live My Deram Grade:B+
12.Little Bombadier Grade:C-
13.Silly Boy Blue Grade:A
14.Come And Buy My Toys Grade:B+
15.Join The Gang Grade:B+
16.She's Got Medals Grade:B+
7.Maid Of Bond Street Grade:B
18.Please Mr. Gravedigger Grade:A+
19.Love You Till Tuesday A very mushy,uncommercial version. Grade:C-
20.Did You Ever Have A Dream Another very silly song. Grade:C-
21.Karma Man Grade:A+
22.Let Me Sleep Beside You Grade:A+
23.In The Heat Of The Morning Grade:A
24.Ching A Ling A disasterously overproduced song that features John Huchinson and Hermoine Farthengale (one of Bowies many late 60's side projects, a group called Feathers) on lead vocals. DB does lead the backround vocals, which were recycled in to the great song 'Saviour Machine' from "The Man Who Sold The World". Grade:D+
25.Sell Me A Coat The same version tht is on the album, only with crappy,synthetic backing vocals tacked on from Feathers. A true piece of garbage. Grade:D-
26.When I Live My Dream It amazes me that Bowie wanted release this as a single when the album version is much more commercial. No wonder Deram rejected it. This is another overproduced sham.Grade:C- 27.Space Oddity A very different version from the original, this is the embrionic first version from '68. It is rather good too, especially since the regular version is so overplayed. Grade:A+