I bought this on release, and loved it. I still do.

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As stand alone interpretations of songs it is hit and miss, as an insight into  what influenced Bowie it is essential and invaluable.

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Contemporaneously two factors were at play.  Firstly, He was in an absurdly creative personal  phase with new product being produced with mesmerising speed and regularity. Secondly, Bryan Ferry released his own covers album, “These Foolish Things” which was artistically more daring.

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Ferry’s choice spanned several decades from 1930s standards such as the title track through 1950s Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. They were not crowd pleasers, they were simply his choice, playful,  thoughtful and daringly pitting  Lesley Gore against Bob Dylan, seeing  pop as a  continuum. Ferry succeeded in becoming an auteur in  way that Bowie does not attempt.

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Frankly, David’s selection has  less depth ,but his picks of songs that he listened to, and influenced him are no less relevant or significant. Ken Scott has been quoted as suggesting that originally Bowie’s London Boys was going to be rerecorded and the verses split between each cover song.

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The result is a Mod styled farewell to the 60’s ( there are two Who compositions).The Kinks “Where have all the Good Times Gone?” has genuine poignancy, “Anyway, Anyhow Anywhere “ reprises Mod defiance perfectly showcasing Woodmansey replacement Dunbar’s skills impressively.

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My personal favourite is Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play” a plaintiff ,fey, rearrangement which captures Syd’s wackiness perfectly.

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Bowie had an ear for a hit single, and “Sorrow” fits the bill perfectly, ironically a song that Bryan Ferry could easily have chosen for himself. He subsequently covered Ferry/ Roxy’s sublime “If there Is Something” with Tin machine.

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Intriguingly Bowie also recorded Springsteen’s “It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City”. A nod  to the extended narrative style which he had previously explored in  “Width..”, Cygnet Committee” and Bewlay Bros” and was to do again with “Sweet Thing” but omitted it from the final album. His Rolling Stones cover “Let’s spend the Night Together, oddly appears on the next album “Aladdin Sane”.

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If all this gives the impression of  a significant, but rag bag, collection that is probably because it is. The amphetamine speed “Rosalyn” gives the origin for “ Hang onto Yourself”. The arrangement of “Sorrow” begats “Absolute beginners”

If you want to know what was on David’s turntable at Haddon hall, Pin Up’s is essential listening, but it looks back, and gives no indication of what is to come.