SPACE ODDITY [AKA: DAVID BOWIE, MAN OF WORDS / MAN OF MUSIC]

The novelty of Bowie's second album perhaps lies in its innocence, as the future star presents a compelling album of acoustic-based songs rooted in the folk tradition, with the sprinkling of several psychedelic twists. And despite the presence of one of the most undeniably successful songs of 1969 in the face of 'Space Oddity', it is worth mentioning that this record also displays several other fantastic moments, an eagerly promising aspect of the music that was to be developed in the next couple of releases. On the one hand, Bowie's songwriting skills necessarily come to the fore, through the structure and the musical direction of the album, through great numbers to be found on side one, like the cheeky 'Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed', combining the author's exploration of folk and rock and roll, or the ballad-like 'Letter to Hermione', underrated but brilliant pieces indicating the depth with which Bowie approaches crafting his songs.

The nearly 10-minute long 'Cygnet Committee' is a good piece of psychedelia, much like the closing track 'Memory of a Free Festival,' and while both of these tracks are less consistent than some of the other songs on the album, still relying more on prolonged repetition and less on the richness of varied instrumentation and so on, they are indicative of a sought-after aesthetic to frame the album in. The rest is mostly forgettable and generally less interesting from a musical point of view, especially compared to the depth and variety of later Bowie albums, but his second one is good enough to be rightfully considered by many his first proper release. Notwithstanding, the commercial potential of his music is still not as developed as it would soon become, with the exception of 'Space Oddity,' as it was mentioned.