Stan Deely on 12 Bowie albums in 12 months – 1.OUTSIDE
On initial approach I was somewhat daunted by this album ‘1.Outside the Dairy of Nathan Adler or The Art-Ritual Murder of Baby Grace Blue. A non-linear Gothic Drama Hyper-cycle’ with its long playing time, 19 tracks including spoken word ‘Glass Spider’ like interludes and pretentious song titles.
Originating from experimental sessions with Brian Eno, Reeves Gabrel, Mike Garson, Erdil Kizilcay and Sterling Campell jamming in the studio in 1994 which generated 70 minutes of bonkers but surprisingly good music, lots of electro-jazz noodling and spoken word monologues which was presented to record companies as a possible double album. (Bowie was between labels at this juncture).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV_RpeCQ6M8
Finding this concept rejected Bowie then recorded some more accessible songs in New York in early 1995 featuring different band members and a mix of the two was then released as ‘1. Outside.’
David Bowie 1994 The Leon Suites 1 Outside Outtakes
David Bowie – The Leon Suites (1. Outside Outtakes) (BOWSTAT018) Suite 1: I Am With Name (22:09) Suite 2: Leon Takes Us Outside (21:29) Suite 3: Enemy Is Fragile (27:37) Total time: 71:14 These demos were recorded and rejected by the record company in 1994. The Leon Suites eventually turned into the 1. Outside album released in 1995. Parts of …
www.youtube.com
I was pleased on initial listens that, despite its arty and some would say pretentious, leanings it’s an accessible and at times exciting album with a crack band really rocking out. It continues the experimental mood of Buddha of Suburbia but with added muscle and confidence. It could be seen as updating the Diamond Dogs future dystopia concept incorporating funk, the Berlin period, the jazz influence of Garson, Reeve’s avant garde rock guitar and nods to electro, industrial and even drum and bass. And there’s some catchy melodies. Quite a busy 70 odd minutes.
SONG BY SONG
OUTSIDE – Preceded by the one and half minute scene setting atmospheric piece Leon Takes Us Outside, the most successful of the short atmospheric segues, mainly because it doesn’t feature any spoken word characterisation ‘Outside’ which dates from Tin Machine times starts as a moody intro recalling the Diamond Dogs period moving into a doomy kick ass riff. Bowie does his Zavid vocals. It’s almost like a parody or pastiche of Suede but as a song it rocks. In my opinion one of his best songs from the 80’s/90’s.
HEARTS FILTHY LESSON
Starts with the Bo Diddley beat recalling Up the Hill Backwards but with jagged guitar interludes and then into a nagging inistent tune with Garson on great piano and Gabrels on exciting guitar. It grooves with a sense of danger and excitement. The lyrics seems to be referring to the fact that one day our heart will stop beating ie. we are all going to die. Apparently he revisited the Burroughs lyrical cut up technique for this album using a computer generated cut ups. A brave choice for lead off single which didn’t do that well.
A SMALL PLOT OF LAND
Garson’s piano is all over the intro. His playing really lifts the album. There’s somewhat atonal Eastern sounding melody and Bowie gives it his best Scott Walker. A mood piece, a bit repetitive and doomy but it builds in intensity. It’s probably overlong but stays fresh and exciting. It keeps up the challenging, arty but also quite accessible theme. Ends on cluttering drums and insect chorus.
So far, 4 songs and 18 minutes in it’s been quite a journey and I’m glad to have the short SEGUE BABY GRACE to break things up. I could do without the comedy voice, if it had been an instrumental it would have worked better.
HELLO SPACEBOY – Continuing the Zavid sings Nine Inch Nails vibe we have another exciting insistent pop tune with Gabrel’s jagged and nagging industrial guitar. Doesn’t make much sense but sounds great. The third and most successful of the singles off the album, it put him back in the public eye. At this stage I’m thinking “Best album since Scary Monsters. Experimental but accessible. Edgy but catchy.”
THE MOTEL
Starting quite minimalist this builds to a torch song style ballad. The dystopian theme and piano tinkles again recall Diamond Dogs. Also features fretless bass which puts me in mind of Joni Mitchell’s work with Jaco Pastorius. A less affected more low key vocal than some songs makes this strangely affecting. Builds nicely, finishing on a Man Who Sold the World big rock outro and not overlong at nearly 7 minutes. So far Bowie is winning.
I HAVE NOT BEEN TO OXFORD TOWN
One of the songs recorded in the second lot of recording sessions. This song is fairly straightforward telling some of the plot of the story/concept. In terms of what has come it’s a bit ordinary and plain. Non-descript, slightly funky lacks the magical spice of Gabrels and Garson. The guitar sounds like Carlos Alomar. As a song it’s okay but lacking that something extra.
NO CONTROL
Back to industrial. Could be Depeche Mode. A bit one paced and once again we move into Eastern modal sounding soundscapes. This one’s a bit unnescessary. Once again we have a competent but unexciting tune. Looks like it probably advances the story. One of the tracks excised from the 40 minutes ‘Excerpts from 1.Outside’ vinyl edition that was released.
SEGUE – ALGERIA TOUCH SHRIEK
This one’s a bit like Adam and Joe parody Glass Spider. I can’t quite begin to say how silly this sounds. If you want to hear David Bowie channelling the Goons or Monty Python this is the one. The original Leon Suites recordings which I’ve had a couple of listens to, feature loads of these spoken word characters which work quite well over it’s sprawling crazy improvised 70 minute length but taken out of context on 1. Outside they can just be annoying. I’ll probably be reviewing the Leon Suites in 10 years time when I’m doing David Bowie 12 albums in 12 months 2017 – 2032 considering since his death we’ve had The Gouster, Toy, Lodger remixed, Never Let Me Down 2018 or whatever. No doubt we’ll all be spending our pension money (If pensions still exist) on the latest deluxe box set whilst freezing in our homes due to astronomical energy prices.
INTERLUDE
At this stage we’re 40 minutes in and there is another 35 to go, 10 tracks down and 9 to go and frankly after the last three tunes I need a bit of a breather – a half time pause. 40 minutes seems to be, for me, a natural listening time for an album or am I just Pavlovianly programmed by my early listening habits. At this point I am starting to think it should have been packaged as a double album or maybe the Guns n Roses/Tom Waits/ Bruce Springsteen thing of releasing two albums on the same day. Also at this point my mind is starting to do the “Exile on Main Street/Sandinista – What would make a cracking single album/one side of C90 cassette selection?’ game. At the time of release a 50 minute ‘Excerpts from 1.Outside’ vinyl copy was released and this works well.
Anyway carrying on.
THE VOYEUR OF UTTER DESTRUCTION (AS BEAUTY)
Another repetitive insistent electro tune with Bowie doing his Scott Walker baritone. Steps up a gear and Garson tinkles – a bit less inspired than most of his contributioins but pleasant enough. I think lyrically it fits in with the art crime concept of the story. It’s good but once again a bit lacking. It ends on a kind of Lodger/Look Back in Anger refrain and ups the tempo. Once again a sense that it’s nearly there but a bit formulaic.
SEGUE RAMONA A STONE/I AM WITH NAME
A segue that isn’t stand alone but leads into another tune so unfortunately one has to listen to it if one wants to hear the next tune. Straight into ‘I am with Name’ Another one introducing a character. I think this one is like Nine Inch Nails style however I have never heard them – spoken word narrative, more Garson, perhaps like a spice he could actually be used a bit more sparingly.. This one’s pretty Buddha of Surburbia-like – experimental, spoken word, atonal piano, cut ups and confusion. A one paced mood piece. On initial listen it appears not to have a lot going on but in fact is peppered with little nuances etc.
WISHFUL BEGINNINGS
Spoken word, minimalist, understated. Reminds me a bit of ‘Please Mr Gravedigger’ from his first album. At this stage we’ve hit a bit of a slump as it’s a while since we’ve had a tune. I could say this piece is too long but the truth is it is probably unnecessary. One that was excised from the vinyl copy.
WE PRICK YOU
More conventional than the last few. It’s a relief to have a beat and a bit of a tune back. Understated electro, quite poppy. The riff reminds me of Joy Divsion, not sure why however the shouty chorus is a bit Sham 69ish. Another solid 7/10 song. At this stage I am thinking this is Lloyd Webber territory, songs written to serve a narrative rather than of intrinsic value in themselves. Features a lot of familiar Bowie tropes, a spoken word bit, is that a female Japanese voice? and a Zavid style mockney monologue to end. Pleasant in a throwaway style.
I’M DERANGED
The most upfront of the (admittedly light and overstated) drum and bass influence on this album. It comes over as a sort of standard David Bowie tune as if I have heard it before but I can’t quite put my finger on what era or album it recalls. Maybe just an amalgam of Bowieisms. One of the better tunes in the disappointing second half of the album. Garson’s piano runs lift it at the end.
THRU THESE ARCHITECT’S EYES
Once again an insistent funky drum’n’bass rhythm and patented Zavid vocals. Very similar to the Buddha of Surburbia territory. Nice guitar, not too rocky but complementary. Moves along nicely. Whilst lacking the excitement of the first few tracks it grooves along nicely and doesn’t stay too long.
STRANGERS WHEN WE MEET
Revisiting the tune from Buddha of Surburbia. Arguably out of place here. In Buddha of Surburbia it acted as a sweet dessert, a return to pop after some the more experimental stuff. Here I’m not sure if it works. Nice tune though, enhanced by Garson’s piano. More downbeat than the Buddha of Surburbia version and a bit more atmospheric. Released as a single. Maybe it holds some greater hidden meaning for Bowie
SUMMATION
I’ve made my reservations clear as I’ve written but definitely of all the albums I have reviewed, for me, it is ‘cliche alert’ “his best work since Scary Monsters” and the things that I don’t like too much, too long, too many songs, some songs a bit more mood pieces/soundtracks with experimental nuances, I suspect may make this album more satisfying in the long run. The more I play it, the more I like the bits that previously I thought a bit meh. Garson although brilliant I think he could have used less and Gabrels whose work really lifts the first few tracks and gives them excitement and edge seems to disappear in the second half.
Leaves me looking forward to Earthling which is know is shorter with less songs and I am hoping will be in a similar vein but more focused.
It appears judging from your comments and observations on the previous albums that the more ropey and controversial the album the more discussion, so I am curious to know what you make/made of this one. Anyone see the tour at the time? I’ve had a little side listen to a bootleg of band rehearsals for it and they are sounding good.
Also the Leon Suites which I have listened to a couple of times sounds good to me. It’s funny that ‘Outside’ feels too long at 70 minutes but the Leon Suites which is the same length doesn’t however I listened to it more as background music rather than attempting to review it. Anyone got any comments on this?
Over to you, listeners.
You are so right about the segues. The standard rule (see hip hop also) seems to be “delete after listening” which has never let me down (see what I did etc) yet.
I think Architects’ Eyes and Oxford Town are two of his best 90’s, nay career, songs.
I haven’t played it for years but really liked it at the time (I liked the first couple of Nine Inch Nails albums, too, and saw them at the Town & Country Club).
I was really looking forward to seeing some of this live at the 1996 Phoenix festival but traffic was awful and, by the time I arrived at the campsite, he was already onstage. So I heard it but didn’t see it.
I missed his 2000 Glastonbury set for a different reason…
Were you ‘avin it large to Mickey Finn & Aphrodite in the dance tent?
I went that year with 4 or 5 pals and that’s where they were.
Re. the OP, I have no awareness of this album at all. I’ll give it a listen.
Much more dull, I’m afraid. I went down to Glasto with Mrs F, and my chums were going to give her a lift back on Sunday evening (as she had to be back at work on Monday morning).
Sadly, said chums were 6 months pregnant and wiped out by Saturday. They bailed Sunday lunchtime, we stayed until Sunday evening, so I had to drive Mrs F back. We listened to Bowie’s set in the car up the A303, just about audible over the sound of me grinding my teeth.
Not that I’m bitter about it, or anything.
Same here re Phoenix festival.
Stuck in traffic for hours and finally got the tent up as he was performing.
Heard him and saw his light show illuminate the sky.
Only time I was in the same vicinity as the Dame.
I think it’s a remarkable album…pretentious of course (but he’d be proud of that!) but fizzing with ideas and containing some of his best songs certainly of that decade, which stand alone as well as working within the concept. I agree with MC above on Architect’s Eyes and Oxford Town being career highlights.
Strangers When We Meet does have significance for Bowie, my understanding is that it concerns his estrangement from Angie.
I saw the Outside tour in 1995, and it was exceptional, with a surprising setlist and Bowie on top pretentious form 😏
And the Pet Shop Boys dance-rock remix of Hallo (pedant alert 😊) Spaceboy is genius with its cut-up spoken word section out-Bowieing Bowie, and pisses on the rock version DB insisted on.
Pretentious.
It’s a shame we’re still using the late 70s/early ‘80s NME journalists lazy put-down of choice, all these years later. It’s been argued that pretty much all pop/rock music is “pretentious” if that’s how one chooses to see it and arguably, the street cred “three chords and the truth” authenticity merchants are the most pretentious of all.
I was going to say, surely the only measure worth considering is “is it any good”? But I’m wrong: the only measure is “do you like it”?
Just my opinion, of course – and set up to be shot down.
(Back in your box, fitter…)
In this case Bowie always gloried in being (thought of as) pretentious.
Absolutely, BT!
And apologies, Stan – I enjoyed that review very much.
You wrote “It could be seen as updating the Diamond Dogs future dystopia concept incorporating funk, the Berlin period, the jazz influence of Garson, Reeve’s avant garde rock guitar and nods to electro, industrial and even drum and bass. And there’s some catchy melodies.” Spot on – all the reasons I rate this album, in two sentences…
That bladdy Johann Sebastian, pretentious little twat.
Not a big fan of the Baroque period, Foxy?
Hi, well I am a child of punk rock, grew up with the late 70’s NME as my bible and actually lament the passing of the opinionated hatchet job in today’s ‘music journalism’ so forgive me for indulging my fantasies and in my late 50’s trying on the persona of the hip young gunslinger that I shoulda/woulda/coulda been back in the day.
Well said, more smart arse scything of tall poppies always welcome here! (Which isn’t, btw, what you do)
I don’t remember the NME scything Strummer for being “pretentious”, considering he was an ageing pub rocker trying on a set of new stinky punk clothes…
Also, with hindsight, it’s ironic that Morley was one of the most “pretentious” poppies around at the time
Calm down, calm down – you’ve ignored the fact that I enjoyed your review…
I’m not offended or anything. Just thought I’d explain myself and where I’m coming from. I never really got on with Penman or Morley after about mid 1979 or thereabouts. I used to enjoy the gonzo-ism of Steven Wells and Nick Kent and also felt Charles Shaar Murray combined objective music journalism with humour and giving a sense of what he was about. Glad you enjoyed the review
Lack of tunes is a problem for me. I like the PSB remix of Hello Spaceboy (they joined him on TOTP). Finally saw him live for the first time on this tour, it was fairly baffling but interesting in a “Sainted Dave plays hardly any hits” kind of way
* Under Pressure and The Man Who Sold
the World
(And very nice write up)
And it is a double effectively, 74 mins long. The original vinyl was however an edited version:
https://www.discogs.com/release/3493813-David-Bowie-Excerpts-From-Outside-
A better listen?
Isn’t everything (technically) post-1990-ish/CD age, a double album?
No
Bowie only:
Black Tie White Noise 54
Buddha 54 mins
Earthling 49
Hours 47
Heathen 52
Reality 49
The Next Day 53
Blackstar 41
So 1.Outside is his longest (non compilation) studio album
Probably later than 1990… try it with R.E.M. or Van Morrison albums from the mid-1990s onwards.
Some are for sure, Van’s Hymns for the Silence is actually a double CD
Sorry to labour the point, but what does it say about the Sainted Dave’s view on the vinlys when his hard-earned 70+ minutes are whittled down, almost certainly with his knowledge and approval, to half that length for the vinly version?
If he reckoned vinly, wouldn’t it have been a double?
Vinyl meant very little in the 90s, he may even have been unaware of what they were doing It was probably 1% of sales a lot more now and the current vinyl version is indeed a double containing all content
Definitely a better listen but still a bit patchy and not quite my choice. Lots of love for Oxford Town and Architect’s Eyes which I can’t quite hear which probably reinforces my hunch that the album will be even more rewarding with more listens.
Nathan Adler’s Dairy? Yes Bowie was really milking his rather cringe-making concept. The fastest spaceboy in the west.
It was jaw-dropping at the time. It was a deliberate attempt at commercial avant garde at a time when Britpop was flourishing. Its sonic mix of Eno’s Squelchy Life, Gabrels old-fashioned Rock, Nine Inch Nails’ brutality and Drum n Bass was a real shock to those who last heard Never Let Me Down. Add Bowie’s gift for a melody and love of weirdness and you have all the ingredients for some dark, thrilling, compelling music. Yes, it could do with some editing (the vinyl version is pretty lean) but Bowie had tapped into the zeitgeist, albeit a cinematic one. I can’t recall a Bowie album with so many tracks being used so prominently in so many different movies, most obsessed with gory murders [eg. The Heat’s Filthy Lesson – Se7en (Finchler), I’m Deranged – Lost Highway (Lynch), The Motel – Intimacy (Kureshi), I Have Not Been To Oxford Town – Starship Troopers (Verhoeven)].
Great review again. However, I don’t think it’s possible to have too much Garson. My main objection to the single vinyl version is the omission of Architect’s Eyes.
It is impossible to have too much Garson…
…and it is impossible to achieve the aim without suffering…
There are three excellent podcasts on the album with Nick Pegg, hosted brilliantly by our very own slotbadger. Here is episode one:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nicholas-pegg-on-1-outside/id1355073030?i=1000458374296
“Jaw-dropping” is spot on for me. This is where my student self sat up and took notice of Bowie, having grown up with him being increasingly ridiculous post Let’s Dance.
I can pinpoint the exact moment of revelation to the moment I was sitting stunned in the Odeon in Edinburgh after that finale of Se7en and the guitar riff of Hearts Filthy Lesson suddenly tore out of the speakers at high volume. The whole experience bulldozered me.
Anyone know/listened to the Leon Suites. Any opinion on this. Pretentious indulgence or breath taking genius? Does it merit a commercial release?
I’m in the pretentious indulgence camp. It’s essentially a sound experiment, meandering along with no tunes and lots of silly voices. I enjoy it once a decade, maybe. It is conceptually consistent but the record companies were right to reject it. Leon does demonstrate, however, what happens when Bowie puts his commercial head on. Suddenly, on Outside, there are tunes galore.
It could have been in the Brilliant Adventures box but they focussed on Toy instead. A 30th anniversary of Outside might include it but physical product is dying. They will have to get on with the final box to complete the career set (apart from Tin Machine) or they may have few purchasers left.
I hadn’t bothered to seek out the Leon Suites. However, prompted by this thread, I found them on YouTube and had a listen or two…
Not as good as the released album, are they? Still very much a “work in progress”.
HEARTS FILTHY LESSON is a great song on an album I have zero use for. I discovered that song because it was used briliantly as the final track on the end credits of Seven (1995). Interestingly Nine Inch Nails was used for the opening credits. I wonder if David Fincher saw the concerts they did together and was inspired to use their music.
Snap! I’m the same. I tried the album after seeing Seven and enjoying the music in it, but I couldn’t get into it.
On the nature of “pretentious”… Sometimes I think we need some more sub-categories for “pretentiousness” as the term seems misused.
“Pretentiousness” can sometimes be taken to mean campness, theatricality, putting on an act. I don’t mind this if it is done well. An artist can pretend, can make believe, and it can be great. Bowie is the obvious example.
“Pretentiousness” can also mean an artist is taking themselves too seriously, adopting a stance or a style that doesn’t suit them, or coming across as ridiculously affected or kitsch. For some reason the example which comes to mind is Spinal Tap wanting a stonehenge sculpture on stage (which, yes, I know is a parody).
But it’s a fine line. Jon Anderson’s 1976 sci-fi concept album Olias of Sunhillow is pretentious in the latter sense, but you can tell it comes from the heart and it wins you over in its dedication to its kitschness.
It’s pathetic and silly of me – but it became a trigger (as the youth say) for me, decades ago. I got fed up with my favourite bands being described as “pretentious” by some of the most genuinely pretentious writers to ever put smudgy ink to newsprint…and I was young and stupid…
…but I’m still over-defensive, as you can see further above…
Yeah, I definitely agree. It really triggers me as well!