The Shel Talmy Recordings stands better on its own as a historical record of David Bowie’s formative years — under the name Davie Jones — and artistic development, than as a compilation of music to be appreciated in its own right.
Released more than ten years after Bowie’s death, the compilation album is comprised of twenty-two songs recorded in 1965 under the production of Shel Talmy, a pioneer of 1960s British rock, who previously worked with The Kinks and The Who. Tracks include remasters or alternative versions of songs like ‘I Pity the Fool’ and ‘You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving’, solo demos, and songs backed by The Lower Third and The Manish Boys.
As the clamour dies down on the news of an album littered with fresh and nostalgic releases, a question arises: Is more always better? Does widening the publicly available discography of an artist always impact positively, or does it only leave a stain on an already glittering career like that of Bowie’s?
Many of the tracks on the album feel unpolished, despite the production of Shel Talmy, and often blend into each other with no real distinguishing factors. Both ‘I Want Your Love’ and ‘You Gotta Tell Her’ rely on a basic three-chord structure, and are lyrically similar, owing to the style and creative vision of the producer and songwriters, using the 1960s British mod rock/blues template in the recording sessions.
When Bowie is forced into a corner creatively, he performs at his worst, which is why the demos featured on the album are unquestionably the strongest and most enjoyable tracks. The lyricism and diversity in the tone of his demos are proleptically reminiscent of a later Bowie, if not sharing the same polished sound. The contrast of timbre in ‘That’s Where My Heart Is’ between a darker, full-bodied tune and a more elegantly melodic song shows an early Bowie playing with voice freely, unrestricted by any desire to appease the audience of the time.
If Bowie can be pinned down, then he is not Bowie. The compilation album falls short not simply because it features a callow Bowie, but also because when he is confined to a specific genre, he cannot reasonably fulfil his creative vision nor his status as the chameleon of rock, coincidentally professing “whatever I do I shall be free” in ‘I Live in Dreams – Demo’.
Distributed by RCA Records. Photographer unknown., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
