Station to Station
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| Station to Station | ||
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| Studio album by David Bowie | ||
| Released | January 23, 1976 Rykodisc Reissue May 14, 1991 |
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| Recorded | Los Angeles, September-December 1975 | |
| Genre | Rock, Disco, Funk | |
| Length | 38:08 | |
| Label | RCA Records | |
| Producer(s) | David Bowie, Harry Maslin | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| David Bowie chronology | ||
| Young Americans (1975) |
Station to Station (1976) |
ChangesOneBowie (1976) |
| Reissue Cover | ||
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Station to Station is an album by David Bowie originally released by RCA in 1976. The album featured a bleaker version of Bowie's soul persona, called The Thin White Duke. By the time of its recording, Bowie was heavily dependent on drugs, especially cocaine. It has been alleged that Bowie was suffering from cocaine psychosis during this period and does not remember the production of this album; often, Bowie has blamed his addiction on a lack of judgment while being introduced to the substance in America. However, Station to Station presented a new direction in Bowie's music, with a use of synthesizers and electronic rhythms that leaned toward German pop music. This was most evident on the title track, which partially employs a motorik rhythm; its lyrics invoke Aleister Crowley and occult minutae that fascinated Bowie at the time. This direction would culminate in some of Bowie's most acclaimed work, the Berlin Trilogy, recorded and co-written with Brian Eno and producer Tony Visconti.
The album cover is a promotional still from the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth, starring Bowie.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 323 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by David Bowie except where noted.
- "Station to Station" – 10:14
- "Golden Years" – 4:00
- "Word on a Wing" – 6:03
- "TVC 15" – 5:33
- "Stay" – 6:15
- "Wild Is the Wind" (Ned Washington, Dimitri Tiompkin) – 6:02
[edit] Reissues
The album has been rereleased three times to date on CD, the first being in 1985 by RCA with black-and-white cover art, the second in 1991 by Rykodisc (containing two bonus tracks), and the third in 1999 by EMI (featuring 24-bit digitally remastered sound and no bonus tracks).
[edit] 1991 reissue bonus tracks
- "Word on a Wing" (Live) – 7:24
- "Stay" (Live) – 6:10
[edit] Personnel
- David Bowie – vocals, guitar, tenor and alto saxophone, Moog, Mellotron
- Carlos Alomar – guitar
- Roy Bittan – piano
- Dennis Davis – drums
- George Murray – bass
- Warren Peace – backing vocals
- Earl Slick – guitar
[edit] Miscellanea
- The Red Hot Chili Peppers' song "Californication" contains a reference to the album ("Cobain can you hear the spheres/Singing songs off Station to Station").
- Seal's song "Lost My Faith" from the album "Human Being" contains a reference to the album ("Station to Station/And we couldn't even say their names/I realise it/It's just a game").
- Kraftwerk also reference the album, and Bowie himself, in the title track of their 1977 album Trans-Europe Express. ("Station to station/Back to Düsseldorf City/meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie").
- The title track to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's sophomore album Some Loud Thunder also references the Bowie album: "Did you wander / as my voice went from station to station to state?". The band also referenced Bowie on their debut album with the track "Over and Over Again (Lost & Found)," singing "You look like David Bowie, but you have nothing new to show me."
- David Bowie was inspired to do a cover of "Wild is the Wind" after he met singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone, who sang it on the album Wild Is The Wind (1966).
- Every song on the album, with the exception of the title track, was eventually released as a single. "Golden Years" is still played on classic rock stations in the US today.
- Bowie has stated that the title of the album (and title track) refer not to train stations but the Stations of the Cross.
- The Fall Out Boy song "It's Not A Side Effect of the Cocaine, I'm Thinking It Must Be Love" off the album "The Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue" is a reference to the title track.
- The last chapter of the novel Trainspotting is named after "Station to Station". Irvine Welsh, the author of the novel, is an admitted David Bowie fan.
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | UK Albums Chart | 5 |
| 1976 | Billboard Pop Albums | 3 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Golden Years" | UK Singles Chart | 8 |
| 1975 | "Golden Years" | Billboard Pop Singles | 10 |
| 1976 | "Stay/Golden Years" | Billboard Club Play Singles | 9 |
| 1976 | "TVC 15" | UK Singles Chart | 33 |
| 1976 | "TVC 15" | Billboard Pop Singles | 64 |
| 1981 | "Wild is the Wind" | UK Singles Chart | 24 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
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| RIAA – USA | Gold | February 26, 1976 |
| David Bowie |
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| Discography |
| Studio albums |
| David Bowie | Space Oddity | The Man Who Sold the World | Hunky Dory | The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars | Aladdin Sane | Pin Ups | Diamond Dogs | Young Americans | Station to Station | Low | "Heroes" | Lodger | Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) | Let's Dance | Tonight | Never Let Me Down | Black Tie White Noise | Outside | Earthling | 'hours...' | Heathen | Reality |
| With Tin Machine |
| Tin Machine | Tin Machine II |
| Live albums |
| David Live | Stage | Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture | Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby | Santa Monica '72 | Bowie at the Beeb | LiveAndWell.com |
| Soundtracks |
| Christiane F. | Labyrinth | The Buddha of Suburbia | Lost Highway |
| Related articles |
| Tony Visconti | Brian Eno | Mick Ronson | Iggy Pop | Mike Garson | Reeves Gabrels |
