Spleen Wishing Doo

Overall Album Score: 8.1 out of 10

David Bowie's second album with his Tin Machine outfit (which ... a lot of people weren't too crazy over ... but they rocked just the same). It's quite similar to the debut ... for better or worse.

Of course, apart from the live album the band would release (Oy Vey, Baby), this is the final album Bowie would release with them. Why? Because releasing this album already interfered with the one principle that's always been one of Bowie's primary rules: Never repeat yourself. ... This album is even more similar to Tin Machine than Tonight was similar to Let's Dance. ... Indeed, Bowie left the band (thus it folded) citing lack of total creative control. And he would take the guitarist with him.

My favorite song on here is decisively "You Belong in Rock and Roll." ... I made a Bowie CD compilation to take on trips (so I don't have to lug around all those CDs from 1983-1995 that I never listen to in its entirity), and that's the only song from here that I have on it! ... A very, very nice song. It's a bit of a routine rock anthem, but it hardly sounds generic. ... A surefire Bowie quality!

Another one of my favorites from here is a Roxy Music cover ... "If There Was Something." I also really enjoy "One Shot" just for the rhythm section (which is utterly superb most of the time in this album). ... There is some weaker material in the album's second half, though, perhaps reaching its low with "Shopping for Girls." ... That song isn't very enjoyable. "Stateside" has crappy singing in it ... even crappier than Bowie's singing! And "Sorry" is the band's only foray into adult contemporary ... granted that it's more interesting than ordinary adult contemporary ... but it's not exactly better, either.

Overall, this is another worthwhile purchase if you enjoyed the debut. They're so similar! It probably doesn't matter which one you buy first! (If you really want to buy any of them ... I'm not exactly recommending Tin Machine for you to buy unless you're a Bowie fan who's been avoiding 'em.)

Overall Album Score: 8.0 out of 10 (The sequel is just as good as the first! It suffers a bit from fatigue, I guess (i.e. it's not as exciting as the debut seemed), but songwriting is about as good.)

Average Song Score: 8.1 (Good songs ... um ... some are better than others. They get worse toward the album's end.)

Album Tilt: 8.0 (Compared to the previous Tin Machine album, I don't enjoy this one quite as much ... even though it is a decent album to listen to LOUDLY.)

Artist Rating: 8.0 (Not really an artistic album. Though it's not as banal as it should have been, I guess.)

Track Reviews

Baby Universal 8.5/10

Well, this song rocks properly! Just like all those songs on the first Tin Machine album, this song works best if you crank it up loudly on your speakers. ... I mean, the song isn't essential to anything, but this is fairly good. Nice tune.

One Shot 9/10

...I always adored the rhythm guitar of the Tin Machine. Is that because that's what instrument Bowie took up? ... YEAH!!! ... BECAUSE BOWIE ROOLZZZ!!!! ...But seriously, I love the bass. I wish that more bands would have such great, bouncy bass lines in their songs ... because sometimes that's all you need. I actually like the melody of this song, too. It's good for a hard rock song ... and stuff. Another nice 'un.

You Belong in Rock and Roll 10/10

...Really an excellent song, and a pretty good rock song for the era. Of course, this song isn't famous at all! BECAUSE David Bowie was old, right? Eh, I don't care! This song is for everybody who actually dares buy this Tin Machine album (I found it in a used CD store for six bucks! I got lucky!) I like this song because of the beat ... the production of the song is just like classic old David Bowie, often effortlessly incorporating many themes into the song, fading them in and out. A fine song.

If There is Something 9.5/10

Is it the first David Bowie cover that was any good? ... Oh, no, wait ... there was that one song on Station to Station. Bowie does what's perhaps the unthinkable and does a hard rock rendition of a Roxy Music song! ... Instead of that electro-happy instrumental interlude that appeared in the original, Reeves Gabrels does a very nice, murky electric guitar solo. ... Very entertaining, indeed! ... And it was a great song to begin with. Bowie does pick nice songs to cover ... especially in his later career.

Amlapura 7/10

Man ... not that good this time ... I've been rocking quite happily with the album so far and then I get this song that sounds like it was written for The Man Who Sold the World. It's not a horrible song (...I sort of get caught up in Bowie's vocals at times...), but it never really catches fire.

Betty Wrong 8/10

...MAN!!!! I LOVE THAT RHYTHM SECTION!!!! ... Every rock band who starts up these days really should pay attention to The Tin Machine ... they are tops when it comes to rhythm sections. Now the song itself isn't too great ... but I'm paying too close attention to the rhythm section to care. NICE.

You Can't Talk 8/10

...I'm not looking at who's writing these songs (...I probably should, but I'm fat and lazy...). But this is assuredly a Bowie song ... It's full of his own signature touches. Silly voiceovers ... a crazy beat ... It's not particularly great, but ... signature Bowie = signature awesome! And if he sounds like he's having fun in a song, then chances are the song is pretty fun to listen to.

Stateside 7/10

Hey!! That's not David Bowie singing!! ... And, if you can even believe it, whoever the crap this person is, is a 10-times worse singer than Bowie is! And, um, apart from the instrumental playing and wickedly sweet rhythm section (AGAIN) that makes listening to this song extremely loud relatively enjoyable ... THIS SONG IS BORING! It's five minutes long ... and we have to endure this singer who's worse than Bowie! What gives???

Shopping For Girls 7/10

Eh ... this really isn't a great song, either, even though Bowie sings it again. I do enjoy the rhythm section, though! ... This is just so grimey and ugly ... and a bit too dreary for taste. Of course, if you listen to the lyrics, then ... I guess it was all intentional. I dislike this song, anyway. Let me listen to "You Belong in Rock and Roll" again!!

A Big Hurt 8/10

Well, this is much better than the last two songs. I'm afraid this one plays it loudness more than it has substance, but whatever. There are some hooks in the melody ... and it's presented fairly interestingly (with some quiet synth blips and beeps ... not too distant from Aladdin Sane material). ... I'm not a great fan of this, but ... it's cool anyway.

Sorry 7/10

Heyyyyyyyyy!!! This isn't Bowie singing!!! ... The vocal isn't quite as horrible-sounding as it was on "Stateside." ... The song is sort of dumb (this guy says "I'm Sorry" a LOT ... maybe that's where that fat American Idol winner who was named after a sandwich got his idea ... and it's pretty annoying here, too). There are some nice ideas involving the atmosphere and instrumentation, but ... THERE'S NO RHYTHM SECTION!!! ... This is a weird old freaky adult contemporary song ... it's too weird and freaky to ever have had a chance to appear on the radio, even though its annoyingness-level was spot-on.

Goodbye Mr. Ed 8/10

THE RHYTHM SECTION IS BACK!!!! ... The melody isn't the best, but ... who cares with the rhythm section? Put this song up on loud and enjoyyyyyyyyyy ... or find out that you have to turn up the volume louder in hopes that you'll enjoy it more and then go deaf. ... Whichever.

Hammerhead

A HARD ROCKING 60-SECOND INSTRUMENTAL!!! ... Um ... thanks.

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