Earl Slick - Zig Zag (2003)

An excellent solo record of tight, punchy art rock by Earl Slick. Features a bunch of different vocalists -- most notably, Robert Smith and David Bowie, for whom Slick played guitar on and off dating back to the Diamond Dogs tour. "Isn't It Evening (The Revolutionary)" is pretty much a lost Bowie song. Sorry once again for hardly being on here anymore, but believe it or not, the dude running an mp3 blog in 2019 doesn't exactly have his shit together.

Track listing:
1. Dancing with Eleanor
2. Believe
3. Isn't It Evening (The Revolutionary)
4. 1735
5. Zig Zag
6. Pike St.
7. Crunched
8. St. Mark's Place
9. Psycho Twang
10. The Cat

I forget if it's always this way
I was told it was gold to this day

You'd also enjoy:

Daryl Hall -
Sacred Songs (1980)

Adrian Belew -
Lone Rhino (1982)

Ava Cherry & The Astronettes - People from Bad Homes (1995)

Related:
David Bowie - Liveandwell.com (2000)

Raw, unfinished, early 70s studio sessions for a David Bowie-produced project, featuring then-girlfriend and backing singer Ava Cherry, that never got off the ground. In retrospect, it comes off as a dry run of Young Americans. And though there are some scratch vocal tracks strewn about, there's really a lot to love here, including a majestic version of "God Only Knows" that absolutely buries Bowie's version, as well as songs that he ended up rewriting and putting on his own albums, including "I Am a Laser" (which became "Scream Like a Baby") and "I Am Divine" ("Somebody Up There Likes Me".)

Note: "I Am Divine" was actually one of those super-secret songs that you had to rewind from the beginning of the first track to hear.

Track listing:
1. I Am Divine
2. I Am a Laser
3. Seven Days
4. God Only Knows
5. Having a Good Time
6. People from Bad Homes
7. Highway Blues
8. Only Me
9. Things to Do
10. How Could I Be Such a Fool
11. I'm in the Mood for Love
12. Spirit in the Night

And she looks like a magnet
And she comes like a warm rain

You should also hear:

The Diddys Featuring Paige Douglas -
Agony and Extasy (1975)

Daryl Hall -
Sacred Songs (1980)

David Bowie - Liveandwell.com (2000)

So David Bowie is my all-time favorite artist, bar-none. He to me represents all that is good about music. If I were to list my top 20 albums, it'd be pretty boring cause there'd be at least five Bowie records in there (Aladdin Sane, Station to Station, Low, "Heroes", and Blackstar.) He is the only celebrity whose death actually sent me into mourning. Like, I cried, listened to nothing but his music, and was bummed about it for literally months afterwards. During this time, I also became utterly obsessed with Blackstar, and annoyed everyone around me by listening to it and watching its associated music videos at every opportunity.

This is all to say that I am almost too familiar with his discography, so coming across a great Bowie record that I haven't already heard is pretty goddamn rare. But that's exactly what recently happened with Liveandwell.com, a live (duh) album, recorded in 1997, that was only ever made available to BowieNet subscribers. (There's a four-track bonus disc, too, but the live part's the focus for sure.)

Half of the tracks are from Earthling, the album for which he was touring at the time Liveandwell.com was recorded. And though Earthling's dated electro production make it one of my least favorite Bowie records (meaning that I just really like it, as opposed to loving it), the problem was never with the songs, and the full-band approach and live setting really help them out -- they're fleshier, jazzier, and just more fun.

The other five tracks are from 1. Outside, a labyrinthine concept album written and recorded with the aid of Brian Eno and released 22 years ago yesterday [EDIT: I meant to post this yesterday and that originally read "today" but I am dumb]. Misunderstood at the time of its release, the years have been quite kind to 1. Outside, as now most Bowie fans recognize it for the knotty masterpiece that it is, especially in light of its dark, jazz- and electro-heavy sound representing the only clear antecedent to Blackstar in Bowie's discography. Just don't ask me what the story's about. Something about a murder, a minotaur, "interest drugs," and someone named Judy? It's like Lost Highway -- the soundtrack to which, incidentally, included "I'm Deranged" -- the closer you get to understanding, the surer you become that you will never understand.

Welp, that's what happens when I start in on Bowie, I guess. I end up with the longest writeup I've ever done on here, for a 10-track live album. Hope it was worth it!

Track listing:
1. I'm Afraid of Americans
2. The Heart's Filthy Lesson
3. I'm Deranged
4. Hallo Spaceboy
5. Telling Lies
6. The Motel
7. The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)
8. Battle for Britain
9. Seven Years in Tibet
10. Little Wonder
-Bonus Disc-
1. Fun (Dillinja Mix)
2. Little Wonder (Sanny Saber Dance Mix)
3. Dead Man Walking (Moby Mix 1)
4. Telling Lies (Paradox Mix)

Now, not tomorrow

Also of interest:

Gary Numan -
Living Ornaments '79 and '80 (1981)

Visage -
Visage (1980)