David Bowie – Station To Station (1976)

I still remember with fervent sadness the day that David Bowie left this world. The man who always created and looked for constant innovation, an artist in all the meaning and extension of the word, the man who expanded his catalogue and his music like no other one has done before. I find it very difficult to accept that I’ll never be able to attend any of his live performances. Fortunately, Bowie left us a massive and complex musical legacy that never ceases to amaze, his work is a warm hug, a unique treasure for all of us who love music and all types of art.

In 1975, Bowie was living in the city of Los Angeles, surrounded by universal  acclaim and recognition, he was at the height of his career, at the top. Despite of this, an overwhelming darkness began to take over his life.

Bowie was consuming astronomical quantities of cocaine, he stayed awake for days and claimed that he was not interested in sleeping, he was working and innovating tirelessly in his studio. Bowie became an absolute mess, he had an stratospheric egocentricity, and began to say quite questionable and controversial things in public. In interviews, he proclaimed his admiration for Adolf Hitler, saying that he was: “One of the first rock stars … quite as good as Jagger”.

In addition, he claimed to see bodies falling past his window and became obsessed with occultism (knowledge and practices related to magic, alchemy, astrology and similar subjects, which are not based on scientific experimentation). Nobody knew for sure if all this was to draw publicity to his new character “The Thin White Duke”, or if it were the unfortunate side-effects of consuming so much cocaine.

Despite his maniac and disturbing mental state, in 1975 Bowie released “Station to Station”, one of the most spectacular and exciting albums of his career. An album extracted from madness and an excessive love for music.

“Station to Station” is an album based on the fusion of the musical genres plastic soul and funk, the musical introduction of synthesizers and the influence of Krautrock bands like Neu!, CAN and Cluster. Krautrock itself refers to a large number of genres such as psychedelic rock, progressive rock, avant-garde music and jazz , and this German artists used new technologies and new ways of recording, making amplifications and using new musical mixing technologies.

The first song of the album is the self-titled ‘Station to Station’, which is an epic overture. A slow-burn funk track  in which Bowie reflects his desire to be an outsider, but at the same time, he implores to have a company or an emotional connection. This idea is the basis of The Thin White Duke, the character that Bowie created and adapted since the ‘Young Americans’- tour in 1975.

The Thin White Duke is a character who cannot feel human emotions, however, he passionately sings songs about love. The lyrics of the song perfectly reflect the feelings of the character and the general theme of the album:

“Once there were mountains on mountains
And once there were sun birds to soar with
And once I could never be down
Got to keep searching and searching
Oh, what will I be believing and who will connect me with love? “

“Its not the side-effects of the cocaine, I’m thinking that it must be love”…

The second song ‘Golden Years’ is a treasure, an elegant piece of funk that enriches the concept of the album, expressing the duality of Bowie’s life at that moment:

 “Golden Years, Golden years” … “Run for the shadows, run for the shadows in this golden years”…

‘Word on a Wing’ is a fascinating ballad featuring the piano of Roy Bittan. Here Bowie’s lyrics and vocals are delivered with an anxious passion, in a period which Bowie later described as “the darkest days of my life”.

 ‘TVC 15’ is a song inspired by a drug experience, when friend and fellow artist Iggy Pop hallucinated that the television set was swallowing his girlfriend. Musically, this interesting and entertaining track is built of Bittan’s boogie piano, a disco/rock effect during the verses with nice vocal effects which crafts a peculiar atmosphere.

‘Stay’ is a track full of joy and passion, it starts with Carlos Alomar’s funky blues guitar lead in an excellent, methodical rock lead-in. The rest of the track is a shiny gem with funky bass and rock guitars over a steady beat and multiple vocal styles. The lyrics deal with his boredom with routine, he hopes to be able to meet someone to get high together, and to not feel so alone:

“This week dragged past me so slowly
The days fell on their knees
Maybe I’ll take something to help me
Hope someone takes after me
I guess there’s always some change in the weather
This time I know we could get it together
If I did casually mention tonight
That would be crazy tonight
Stay, that’s what I meant to say or do something
But I never say is stay this time
I really meant to so badly this time
Cause you can never really tell when somebody
Wants something you want too…”

The album finaly concludes with an ethereal and pleasant ballad with layered guitars and seventies production, “Wild Is the Wind”. Originally recorded by Johnny Mathis, this track caught Bowie’s attention when recorded by Nina Simone, and his own vocal interpretation has been praised through the years.

In this final song, we have a Bowie between hope (to cling to love that saves him from the darkness) and the absolute temptation to succumb to addiction and disappear as many other artists have done.The song is an unforgettable tribute to Nina Simone, which finally culminates this master work:

“Love me, love me, love me, love me
Say you do
Let me fly away
With you
For my love is like
The wind
And wild is the wind
Wild is the wind …”

David Bowie remembered very little of those distant and apocalyptic days when “Station to Station” saw the light. Despite of this,  the fascinating mix of human emotions are explored and exposed to the maximum, in an album that makes you feel alive.

“Station to Station” marks the triumph of one of the most enigmatic and brilliant artists who had stepped on this world.

by Octavio Carbajal González