Track Listing

1. Width Of A Circle
2. All The Madmen
3. Black Country Rock
4. After All
5. Running Gun Blues
6. Saviour Machine
7. She Shook Me Cold
8. Man Who Sold The World
9. Supermen

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5676 in Music
• Released on: 1999-09-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Original recording reissued
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
With 1970's The Man Who Sold the World, David Bowie set aside his pop and singer-songwriter aspirations and headed in a harder-rocking direction. Producer Tony Visconti provided a thick, dense setting with guitarist Mick Ronson playing the role of guitar hero to Bowie's megalomaniac frontman; think Keith Richards and Mick Jagger sprinkled with fairy dust. The new approach flowered on Hunky Dory, but the outline for the master plan is here. The title track, "The Width of a Circle," and "All the Madmen" are essential Bowie, as he slips from cryptic to straightforward, celebratory wordplay. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews

Stripped to the bare bones classic rock.
I have to admit that, musically this is probably one of my fave albums of all time. The stark, ambiguity of "Width of a circle" sets the tone for the whole album. The set itself has a dark, brooding, menacing feel which challenges the listener to explore new musical directions and rewards in abundance. This is rock as it was intended. No nonsense, no posturing, and pure. I defy anyone to listen to "All the madmen" in the dark without the hairs on the back of the neck standing to attention! Indeed there are homages to Hendrix but Mick Ronson manages to pull it off and still sound the way that only Ronno can. Truly an album that still stands the test of time and still sounds more honest than virtually anything else that has come along since. Maybe "Ziggy Stardust" is more important but this is a reminder of how rock should be played. No BS, no frills, just undiluted rock performed by a band that is obviously still trying to find it's way and the nerves and agression shine throughout. I'd have given it 10 stars but I'm limited to just the 5. Buy it!

Sonic Sorcery
This has got tinges of the occult all over it... there is a sound in here of pure witchcraft and that is what makes it so great... from the title track with its beautiful haunting sound and themes of searching our identity to the wonderful homo-erotic epic of width of a circle proving that Mick Ronson is a very underated guitar talent up there with the likes of Hendrix! the oooh oh oh melodies on that track set my hairs on end and my teeth on edge with spiritual energy... this is a man playing with magik and Aleister Crowley's brand of sorcery and it is superb... all the madmen in a full on rock n roll classic of coming to terms with insanity or simply alienation- the key theme in Bowie's work... this record is better than Ziggy Stardust and that is GOOD..

I ran across a monster!
So goes the lyric in the Width of a Circle, and this is a monster album. Not easy listening, but a deep, dark monster of a recording to really get you into another world. The intro to Width of a Circle is superb, but the highlight of the song is the thudding 'heavy metal' section towards the end where Bowie screams, 'His nebulous body swayed above - his tongue swollen with devil's love.' The best track on the album is 'All the Mad Men', Bowie's reaction to his half brother Terry's mental illness and admittance to Cane Hill mental hospital in Croydon. 'I'd rather stay here with all the madmen - for I'm quite content they're all as sane as me.' What sort of a line is that? I love the play out of 'Zane zane zane - ouvre le chien.' It stays with you and was clearly important to BOwie as he recycled it on The Buddha of Suburbia 23 years later. The rest of this set is great, though the Supermen has always been one of my least favourites. 'After all' is beautiful, and the title track, well, what can you say about it? Lulu and Nirvana knew enough. All this, and a beutiful cover of Bowie in a dress, playing cards strewn on the floor of Haddon Hall. The album artwork is beautiful, too. If you are a BOwie fan, this is absolutely essential, and a classic beyond doubt. Get it.