Bowie admirably reached ‘Low’ point

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Nov. 26, 2004 | 8:48 a.m.

David Bowie's "Low" contains no sizeable hits, drew harsh criticism from many longtime fans and received mixed reviews from critics upon its 1977 release.

So why, 27 years later, does the disc show up so frequently high atop lists of rock's all-time greatest albums?

Probably because while "Low" is far from Bowie's catchiest or most accessible project, it has proven to be his most enduring.

Not to take anything away from Bowie's other masterpiece, 1972's "The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars," which also deserves a spot among British rock's best ever.

But with "Ziggy," you pretty much know what you've got after just one spin: brilliant hooks, epic lyrics and guitar riffs you'll be humming for years.

The appeal of "Low," meanwhile, is far more subtle. So much so that many of its strongest supporters probably despised it initially.

Coming off Bowie's flirtation with soul ("Young Americans," "Station to Station"), which followed his fertile guitar-driven rock period ("Hunky Dory," "Ziggy," "Aladdin Sane"), "Low" pointed in an entirely new musical direction.

The first of three albums recorded under the direction of producer extraordinaire Brian Eno while Bowie was stationed in Berlin, "Low" was vastly experimental compared to most 1970s rock to that point.

Its electronic approach -- dense at times, sparsely ambient at others -- hinted at sounds that wouldn't be picked up by most mainstream musicians for another two decades or more.

The first half of "Low" puts an ultramodern sheen on classic Bowie, marrying danceable pop and traditional rock on such stellar cuts as "Sound and Vision," "Always Crashing in the Same Car" and "Be My Wife."

From there, "Low" takes a turn for the weird. The final five numbers feature few lyrics, instead taking an avant-garde approach clearly influenced by the arty Eno.

Not sure if you're ready to leave the security of "Ziggy" for the uncertainty offered by "Low"? Give the latter's 6-minute, dark, (mostly) instrumental masterpiece "Warszawa" a listen and then decide if it might be for you.

Just remember to give it a few tries before making your mind up for good.

Artist: David Bowie.

Title: "Low."

Year of release: 1977 (reissued by Virgin Records, 1999).

Tracklisting: "Speed of Life," "Breaking Glass," "What in the World," "Sound and Vision," "Always Crashing in the Same Car," "Be My Wife," "A New Career in a New Town," "Warszawa," "Art Decade," "Weeping Wall," "Subterraneans."