The mid-Seventies were not a happy time for David Bowie. Overwork and an excessive chemical intake during his "Ziggy Stardust", "Aladdin Sane" and "Thin White Duke" periods left him burned-out, numb and depressed. So he retreated to Berlin to calm down and try to remember how to be human - and produced some strange, innovative and breathtakingly powerful music.
With help from Brian Eno, Bowie translated his dark state of mind into synthesiser-based soundscapes that often did without words, and shocked his admirers with the release of 'Low' in early 1977. Bowie, best known as a singer and writer of story-songs, was now making what seemed like soundtrack music for particularly bleak arthouse movies. By the time of 'Heroes', later the same year, he'd cheered up enough to sing a little more, but the album still contained some of Bowie and Eno's stark, wordless sonic experiments.
That period provides most of the material for this fascinating compilation, although there are also some latter-day returns to the same territory: two pieces from Bowie's 1993 Buddha Of Suburbia TV soundtrack, and the subtly sinister 'Brilliant Adventure', from his 1999 album '...hours'. Finally, there's an effective excursion into modern-day classical music, with 'Some Are' from Philip Glass's 1992 Bowie adaptation, 'Low Symphony'.
It all adds up to some of the least chilled-out ambient music ever. 'Sense Of Doubt' really must be one of the most ominous pieces of music anywhere, all crashing piano chords and swirling synthesised wind effects. Several of the tracks here are oddly moving because they feature tentative, fragile melodies set against grim electronic washes of sound - bits of broken beauty seemingly struggling to survive in a hostile environment.
Marvellous mood music for moods you might hope never to experience.
by Dave Jennings