The principle of In the Can is straight forward. Two tracks have been selected from the same album to go head-to-head, and it’s up to you to decide which is the best. Certain L.P.s have been disqualified due to lack of quality (see Unfit for Human Consumption).

Pre Space Oddity

Space Oddity

The Man Who Sold The World

Hunky Dory

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Aladdin Sane

Diamond Dogs

Young Americans

Station to Station

“Heroes”

Low

Lodger

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

Earthling

Hours

Heathen

Reality

Tags: Be my Wife, Big Brother, Black Country Rock, Blackout, Breaking Glass, D.J., Diamond Dogs, Drive in Saturday, Earthling, Fame, Fashion, Hang onto Yourself, Head-to-Head, hours, janine, Let me Sleep Beside You, Life on Mars, Panic in Detroit, Reality, Red Sails, Scary Monsters, station to station, Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed, V-2 Schneider, We are the Dead, Win

Unwashed and Somewhat, Slightly Dazed – Bowie at the Beeb version

The familiar ‘Unwashed’ is the second track of the Space Oddity album (originally the L.P. was simply named David Bowie). The poetry is so pitiful that a sixth-form Morrisey would be proud. The Beeb sessions produced this slightly shorter version, but she’s perhaps as addictive, and rewarding as her more celebrated sister.

Conversation Piece

I was introduced to the compositions of the ‘Duke’, as a callow youth in 1991. This coincided with a glut of Bowie compact discs being issued on the Ryko label. These technological innovations hosted bonus ditties, that to my mind will always be part of the records. Conversation Piece is one such example.

In keeping with the spirit of Space Oddity, Conversation Piece is a masterfully self-indulgent.

Memory of a Free Festival - parts one and two

In the author’s opinion this is a marginally better listen than the original singular effort; both are good, if verging on the ludicrous.

Lightening Frightening

Voted David Bowie’s greatest EVER song (amongst editors of Bowie’s Tin of Stewing Steak). Made an appearance on the early Nineties reissue of The Man who Sold the World. My personal copy of that album, spells the song ‘Lightening’, rather than ‘Lightning’, I don’t know which is correct.

Sweethead

“Move along now”…

Candidate

Not to be mistaken with Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing, though they are both from the Diamond Dogs phase.

Dodo

In my humble opinion the best two songs on the 90’s Diamond Dogs re-release were the last two bonuses. Dodo is another belter. Especially recommend is the even rarer and even rougher demo with, of all people, Glaswegian singer Lulu. Perhaps it’s more a guide vocal from Bowie than proper singing, still fantastic though. Here’s youtube link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CB061UppXc

Heldon/Heros

I’m in no position to judge his German accent, but to my untrained ears his yodelling sounds convincing.

I pray Olé

Features as a bonus track on some re-releases of Lodger. Like most of the songs on that album, it might take a few listens.

Tags: "Heroes", Beeb, Bowie, Candidate, Conversation Piece, david bowie, Diamond Dogs, Eyes in my backside, Heldon, I pray Olé, Lightening Frightening, Lightning Frightening, Lodger, Memory of a Free Festival, move along now, Rare Cuts, Ryko, Space Oddity, Sweethead, Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed