Carátula del álbum David Bowie (Space Oddity) de David Bowie

Álbum: David Bowie (Space Oddity)

Artista: David Bowie

1969
★★★★☆
Basado en 13 votos
  • Fecha de lanzamiento: 14 de Noviembre de 1969
  • Sello Discográfico: Philips
  • Compositores: David Bowie
  • Productores: Tony Visconti, Gus Dudgeon

Valora este álbum

Lanzado en 1969, el segundo álbum homónimo de David Bowie (posteriormente reeditado y conocido universalmente como Space Oddity) es el disco que marcó el verdadero nacimiento de Bowie como artista de rock. Tras el fracaso de su debut, Bowie se reinventó por completo, abandonando el pop barroco para abrazar el folk rock y el rock psicodélico. El álbum es una obra de transición, donde conviven baladas acústicas inspiradas en Bob Dylan con épicas de rock progresivo. El disco fue impulsado por su canción titular, "Space Oddity", una obra maestra cinematográfica que, lanzada para coincidir con el alunizaje del Apolo 11, se convirtió en su primer gran éxito. Es el álbum donde Bowie encontró su voz como compositor de rock y comenzó a explorar los temas de alienación y la figura del "outsider" que definirían su carrera.

Contexto y Grabación

Tras ser despedido de Deram, Bowie pasó por un período de experimentación, formando su propia compañía de arte y viviendo en una comuna. Fue en este ambiente bohemio donde compuso la mayor parte del álbum. La grabación se llevó a cabo con el productor Tony Visconti, quien se convertiría en uno de sus colaboradores más importantes. Sin embargo, Visconti consideró que "Space Oddity" era un tema pop demasiado comercial y se negó a producirlo, cediendo la tarea a Gus Dudgeon. Esta dualidad en la producción se refleja en el sonido del álbum, que se debate entre el pop y el rock más experimental.

Análisis Musical y Estilo

El sonido de "Space Oddity" es una mezcla de folk rock acústico y rock psicodélico. La influencia de Bob Dylan es muy fuerte en las canciones más folk, mientras que otras piezas, como la épica "Cygnet Committee", muestran una ambición de rock progresivo. El álbum introduce instrumentos como el mellotron y el estilófono, que le dan una atmósfera espacial y etérea. Líricamente, Bowie comienza a desarrollar sus grandes temas: el espacio, la alienación y la crítica a las figuras mesiánicas.

Análisis de las canciones

La canción de apertura, "Space Oddity", es una de las más famosas de la historia. Narra la historia del astronauta Major Tom, que se pierde en el espacio. Su lanzamiento, cinco días antes del despegue del Apolo 11, fue un golpe de genio. La BBC la utilizó en su cobertura del alunizaje, convirtiéndola en un éxito masivo. "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" es un rock de inspiración dylaniana. La pieza central del álbum es la canción de casi diez minutos "Cygnet Committee", una oscura y compleja alegoría sobre un líder mesiánico traicionado por sus seguidores. La balada "Letter to Hermione" es una conmovedora canción sobre una ruptura amorosa.

Lanzamiento y Rendimiento en Listas

Gracias al éxito del sencillo, el álbum tuvo un buen rendimiento en el Reino Unido, aunque en Estados Unidos pasó más desapercibido hasta su reedición en 1972, tras el éxito de Ziggy Stardust.

Recepción Crítica

La crítica fue positiva, elogiando la madurez de Bowie como compositor. "Space Oddity" es un álbum fundamental que marca el final de su etapa de formación y el comienzo de su viaje hacia el estrellato. Es el primer gran paso en la construcción de la leyenda de David Bowie.

Listado de Canciones

  1. Space Oddity5:16

    Vídeo

    vídeo del tema Space Oddity
  2. Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed6:11
  3. Don't Sit Down
  4. Letter To Hermione2:36

    Letra

    (Bowie) The hand that wrote this letter Sweeps the pillow clean So rest your head and Read a treasured dream I care for no one else but you I tear my soul to cease the pain I think maybe you feel the same What can we do? I'm not quite sure what we're supposed to do So I've been writing just for you They say your life is going very well They say you sparkle like a different girl But something tells me that you hide When all the world is warm and tired You cry a little in the dark Well so do I I'm not quite sure What you're supposed to say But I can see it's not okay He makes you laugh He brings you out in style He treats you well And makes you up real fine And when he's strong He's strong for you And when you kiss It's something new But did you ever call my name Just by mistake? I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do So I'll just write some love to you
  5. Cygnet Committee9:36

    Letra

    I bless you madly, Sadly as I tie my shoes I love you badly, Just in time, at times, I guess Because of you I need to rest Because it's you That sets the test So much has gone And little is new And as the sparrow sings Dawn chorus for Someone else to hear The Thinker sits alone growing older And so bitter "I gave Them life I gave Them all They drained my very soul ... Dry I crushed my heart To ease Their pains No thought for me remains there Nothing can They spare What of me? Who praised Their efforts To be free? Words of strength and care And sympathy I opened doors That would have blocked Their way I braved Their cause to guide, For little pay I ravaged at my finance just for Those Those whose claims were steeped in peace, tranquility Those who said a new world, new ways ever free Those whose promises stretched in hope and grace for me" I bless you madly, Sadly as I tie my shoes I love you badly, just in time, At times, I guess Because of you I need to rest, oh yes Because it's you That sets the test So much has gone And little is new And as the sunrise stream Flickers on me, My friends talk Of glory, untold dream, where all is God and God is just a word "We had a friend, a talking man Who spoke of many powers that he had Not of the best of men, but Ours We used him We let him use his powers We let him fill Our needs Now We are strong And the road is coming to it's end Now the damned have no time to make amends No purse of token fortune stands in Our way The silent guns of love Will blast the sky We broke the ruptured structure built of age Our weapons were the tongues of crying rage Where money stood We planted seeds of rebirth And stabbed the backs of fathers Sons of dirt Infiltrated business cesspools Hating through Our sleeves Yea, and We slit the Catholic throat Stoned the poor On slogans such as 'Wish You Could Hear' 'Love Is All We Need' 'Kick Out The Jams' 'Kick Out Your Mother' 'Cut Up Your Friend' 'screw Up Your Brother or He'll Get You In the End' And We Know the Flag of Love is from Above And We Can Force You to Be Free And We Can Force You to Believe" And I close my eyes and tighten up my brain For I once read a book in which the lovers were slain For they knew not the words of the Free States' refrain It said: "I believe in the Power of Good I Believe in the State of Love I Will Fight For the Right to be Right I Will Kill for the Good of the Fight for the Right to be Right" And I open my eyes to look around And I see a child laid slain On the ground As a love machine lumbers through desolation rows Ploughing down man, woman, listening to it's command But not hearing anymore Not hearing anymore Just the shrieks from the old rich And I Want to Believe In the madness that calls 'Now' And I want to Believe That a light's shining through Somehow And I Want to Believe And You Want to Believe And We Want to Believe And We Want to Live Oh, We Want to Live We Want to Live We Want to Live We Want to Live We Want to Live We Want to Live I Want to Live I Want to Live I Want to Live I Want to Live I Want to Live I Want to Live Live Live Live
  6. Janine3:25

    Letra

    Oh my love, Janine I'm helpless for your smile Like a Polish wanderer I travel ever onwards to your land And were it not just for the jewels, I'd close your hand Your strange demand To 'collocate' my mind Scares me into gloom You're too intense I'll have to keep you in your place I've no defence I've got to keep my veil on my face Janine, Janine, you'd like to know me well But I've got things inside my head That even I can't face Janine, Janine, you'd like to crash My walls But if you take an axe to me You'll kill another man Not me at all You're fey, Janine A tripper to the last But if I catch you standing on my toes I'll have a right to shout you down For you're a lazy stream In which my thoughts would drown So stay, Janine And we can glide along I've caught your wings for laughs I'm not obliged to read you statements of the year So take your glasses off And don't act so sincere Janine, Janine, you'd like to know me well But I've got things inside my head That even I can't face Janine, Janine, you'd like to crash My walls But if you take an axe to me You'll kill another man Not me at all
  7. An Occasional Dream3:01

    Letra

    I recall how we lived On the corner of a bed And we'd speak of a Swedish room Of hessian and wood And we'd talk with our eyes Of the sweetness in our lives And tomorrows of rich surprise... Some things we could do In our madness We burnt one hundred days Time takes time to pass And I still hold some ashes to me An Occasional Dream And we'd sleep, oh so close But not really close our eyes 'Tween the sheets of summer Bathed in blue... Gently weeping nights It was long, long ago And I can't touch your name For the days of fate Were strong for you... Danced you far from me In my madness I see your face in mine I keep a photograph It burns my wall with time Time An Occasional Dream Of mine An Occasional Dream Of mine An Occasional Dream Of mine
  8. Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud4:51
  9. God Knows I'm Good3:21
  10. Memory Of A Free Festival7:09

    Letra

    The Children of the summer's end Gathered in the dampened grass We played Our songs and felt the London sky Resting on our hands It was God's land It was ragged and naive It was Heaven Touch, We touched the very soul Of holding each and every life We claimed the very source of joy ran through It didn't, but it seemed that way I kissed a lot of people that day Oh, to capture just one drop of all the ecstasy that swept that afternoon To paint that love Upon a white balloon And fly it from The topest top of all the tops That man has pushed beyond his brain Satori must be something Just the same We scanned the skies with rainbow eyes and saw machines of every shape and size We talked with tall Venusians passing through And Peter tried to climb aboard but the Captain shook his head And away they soared Climbing through The ivory vibrant cloud Someone passed some bliss among the crowd And We walked back to the road, unchained "The Sun Machine is Coming Down, and We're Gonna Have a Party The Sun Machine is Coming Down, and We're Gonna Have a Party The Sun Machine is Coming Down, and We're Gonna Have a Party The Sun Machine is Coming Down, and We're Gonna Have a Party The Sun Machine is Coming Down, and We're Gonna Have a Party."