David Bowie's Low (33 1/3) Summary and Reviews

David Bowie's Low (33 1/3)
by Hugo Wilcken

David Bowie's Low (33 1/3)
List Price: $14.95
Our Price: $7.95
You Save: $7.00 (47%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $6.94 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Hugo Wilcken
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-08-19
ISBN: 0826416845
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: Continuum

Book Reviews of David Bowie's Low (33 1/3)

Book Review: 33 1/3 Bowie - Low, one of the best of 33 1/3
Summary: 5 Stars

I've read 7 or 8 of the 33 1/3 book series, which I consider to be a great idea for people to experience their favorite albums with deeper understanding. The 2 best, in my mind, are the Kinks Village Green Preservation Society, and David Bowie's Low.

This book sets the standard & should be the model for how the others in the series are written. It begins with background on where Bowie was in his career, leading up to Low. Then a detailed description of the early creative process, chronicling how they first recorded Iggy Pop's "The Idiot" as a way of fleshing out sonic ideas that would govern Low. Followed by the early sessions in France, as Eno entered the creative mix, soon followed by longtime Bowie producer, Tony Visconti . And then traveling to Berlin to finish mixing at Connie Plank's Hansa by the Wall studio.

Hugo Wilcken doesn't dwell too deeply on a technical description of the songs, and he definitely doesn't resort to one of those dry "at 2:37 into the song there is a bridge that pre-supposes the chorus structure while belying a sub harmonic tonality of the root level rhythm...." type texts that can creep into some other books of the series.

Instead, the author focuses on the life being lived by the artist as the songs were being created, and how it influenced and shaped the process. He describes conceptual ideas that manifest themselves into creative decisions, such as the merging of dense Germanic electronic sound with an American soul-based rhythm section. Plenty of description of the surrounding atmosphere in the whole process. You feel like you are there as it happens.

A thoroughly enjoyable experience for anyone who loves that album.

History & Criticism Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in History & Criticism Books
KISS and Make-up ImageKISS and Make-up
by Gene Simmons
Crown; Published: 2001-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops: $25.95
Elvis Presley: A Life in Music : The Complete Recording Sessions ImageElvis Presley: A Life in Music : The Complete Recording Sessions
by Ernst Jorgensen
St Martins Pr; Published: 1998-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $199.99
The Devil's Horn: The Story of the Saxophone, from Noisy Novelty to King of Cool ImageThe Devil's Horn: The Story of the Saxophone, from Noisy Novelty to King of Cool
by Michael Segell
Picador; Published: 2006-08-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.81
Price in other shops: $16.00
Elvis: My Best Man: Radio Days, Rock 'n' Roll Nights, and My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley ImageElvis: My Best Man: Radio Days, Rock 'n' Roll Nights, and My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley
by George Klein, Chuck Crisafulli
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2011-01-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.49
Price in other shops: $15.00
Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings ImageBill Evans: How My Heart Sings
by Mr. Peter Pettinger
Yale University Press; Published: 1998-08-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $76.30
Microsound ImageMicrosound
by Curtis Roads
The MIT Press; Published: 2004-08-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.00
Price in other shops: $34.00
Hip Hop America ImageHip Hop America
by Nelson George
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-04-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.52
Price in other shops: $15.00
A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album ImageA Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album
by Ashley Kahn
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2003-10-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.74
Price in other shops: $16.00
Jazz Styles: History and Analysis (10th Edition) ImageJazz Styles: History and Analysis (10th Edition)
by Mark C. Gridley
Prentice Hall; Published: 2008-01-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $45.99
Price in other shops: $95.60
Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia ImageDark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia
by Robert Greenfield
It Books; Published: 2009-02-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.47
Price in other shops: $14.99
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (33 1/3) ImageThe Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (33 1/ 3)
by Jim Fusilli
Continuum; Published: 2005-02-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.95
Price in other shops: $14.95
The Beatles' Let It Be (33 1/3 series) ImageThe Beatles' Let It Be (33 1/ 3 series)
by Steve Matteo
Continuum; Published: 2004-08-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.95
Price in other shops: $14.95
The Kinks' The Village Green Preservation Society (Thirty Three and a Third series) ImageThe Kinks' The Village Green Preservation Society (Thirty Three and a Third series)
by Andy Miller
Continuum; Published: 2003-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.25
Price in other shops: $14.95
My Bloody Valentine's Loveless (33 1/3) ImageMy Bloody Valentine's Loveless (33 1/ 3)
by Mike McGonigal
Continuum; Published: 2007-01-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.92
Price in other shops: $14.95
Big Star's Radio City (33 1/3) ImageBig Star's Radio City (33 1/ 3)
by Bruce Eaton
Continuum; Published: 2009-05-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.95
Price in other shops: $14.95
The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. (33 1/3) ImageThe Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. (33 1/ 3)
by Bill Janovitz
Continuum; Published: 2005-02-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.94
Price in other shops: $14.95
Television's Marquee Moon (33 1/3) ImageTelevision's Marquee Moon (33 1/ 3)
by Bryan Waterman
Continuum; Published: 2011-06-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.61
Price in other shops: $12.95
Brian Eno's Another Green World (33 1/3 series) ImageBrian Eno's Another Green World (33 1/ 3 series)
by Geeta Dayal
Continuum Pub Group; Published: 2009-10-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.92
Price in other shops: $10.95
The Pixies' Doolittle (33 1/3) ImageThe Pixies' Doolittle (33 1/ 3)
by Ben Sisario
Continuum; Published: 2006-03-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops: $14.95
Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (33 1/3) ImageNeutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (33 1/ 3)
by Kim Cooper, Kim Cooper
Continuum; Published: 2005-11-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.17
Price in other shops: $14.95