I know there are a lot of Outside lovers on this board. I've been trying to sum up the Outside period in five songs and I've come up with the following...
1. "Nothing To Be Desired" - The only real, commercially released snippet from the "Leon" tapes to surface. Gives us an idea of the genesis of the album.
2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson" - The Outside track that has traveled the farthest, it's biggest success and what people think of when they think this era of Bowie.
3. "The Motel" - Arguably the track that holds the album together and represents it's experimental edge best.
4. "Hallo Spaceboy" (Pet Shop Boys Remix) - The huge European single and an example of his collaborations in the period.
5. "Moonage Daydream" (Live) - A stellar official live cut from the Outside tour, plus it hints at the sounds heard on Earthling with shades of "Telling Lies" in the final minute or so.
I thought about trying to include the 1995 version of "The Man Who Sold The World," since it comes from the 1995 New York sessions with Eno, but I'm not sure it's stronger than "The Motel" and I'm under the impression that people here hate it!
Just for the record, 'Nothing To Be Desired' is not the only commercially released track from the 'Leon Tapes' / 'Inside' sessions; 'Hearts Filthy Lesson', 'A Small Plot Of Land', 'The Motel', 'I Am With Name' and the segues also made it onto the album.
Summing up 'Outside', I would go for these five -
Hearts Filthy Lesson
A Small Plot Of Land
Hallo Spaceboy
The Motel
I'm Deranged
Just for the record, 'Nothing To Be Desired' is not the only commercially released track from the 'Leon Tapes' / 'Inside' sessions...
I should correct myself as to what I mean by "real snippet"... Yes, I know several tracks from the early sessions made it onto the final album, but "Desired," I feel, is an important track as, aside from maybe "I Am With Name," it gives you an idea of what the "improvised" nature of those freewheeling jam sessions might have produced had more "rock-oriented" tracks been developed for the album. "Hearts," as weird as it is, does feel more like a composed track to me, developed and enhanced with overdubs, some editing and arrangement, not put out wild and wooly like "Nothing To Be Desired." "Land" and "Name" are not as strong, in my opinion. Sorry for not being clear...
By the way, do we have proof that "The Motel" was written and recorded at the early sessions and not in New York? Or maybe somewhere inbetween? Unlike the rest of the "Leon" session tracks, "The Motel" was composed by Bowie alone, the rest are credited to Bowie, Eno, Campbell, Kizilcay, Garson and Gabrels.
As for...
Thru' These Architects Eyes...
Oh, I do love that track and it is often overlooked. It was hard for me to leave it out. What do you think of the revamped "Man Who Sold The World?"
This message has been edited by JoesBigHead on Jun 1, 2009 1:18 AM
