On the Let’s Dance album, released in 1983, David Bowie stepped into pop superstardom with an album to match. Working with Chic’s Nile Rodgers, Bowie specifically wanted hits for the new MTV world. And hits he got on his best-selling album. The singles are all collected at the beginning, starting with “Modern Love” that has a bit of a 50s feel with a horn section and a call and response chorus.
Reigniting a track Bowie originally wrote with Iggy Pop for Pop’s 1977 album, The Idiot, “China Girl” became the second smash hit from the record. The Asian influenced guitar brings a new hook to the song and the “oh-oh-oh-oh” outro is just as catchy. Released as the first single, the title track is a towering dance hit. Another song that brings in a 50s flavour that melts in perfectly with the disco funk. The album version clocks in at nearly eight minutes and feels like a remix, bringing in different sounds. The track is tailor made for clubs with coloured lights, tiled floors and glass tables but still feels vital 40 years later.
Like some other big 80s pop albums, the rest of the album is over shadowed by the massive singles but still turns in a few really good tracks. Bernard Edwards lays down a slinky bass groove on “Without You” while guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan turns in a standout guitar solo on the bouncy “Criminal World”. Many fans would miss the experimental 70s Bowie who pushed boundaries versus this mainstream version who seems to be following trends, rather than creating them. But, the album did what Bowie wanted, brought him all the hits and introduced him to a new generation of music fans.
9/10
The Light Appears 