Davis Bowie – Space Oddity

Well, not really his debut, as he had released a pretty poor album for Deram, self-titled – as, incidentally, this was originally.  Though nowadays ‘Space Oddity’ is recognised as his real debut.  A strange record in some ways.  Of course it includes the brilliant number one it is named after, but most of the other tracks are quite different from his following albums (which never really followed any pattern anyway).  The songs are really quite hippy, fey and downright strange in some ways – but, they have a way of worming themselves into your brain.  I have always like the album – though I worked my way backwards after Ziggy Stardust.  Best songs are ‘Janine’, ‘Unwashed and Slightly Dazed’ and ‘Memories Of A Free Festival’.  A strange little record, but brilliant in its own quiet way – as, of course, everything he ever recorded became.