David Bowie Albums for Different First Impressions

For piano and a good lyric The piano gives “Life on Mars?” room to rise from a quiet verse to a huge chorus. Go on to “Quicksand” and the stranger, quieter “The Bewlay Brothers” to hear what Bowie does when the tune leads you toward words you can’t pin down on one listen.

For a rock show in your headphones “Five Years” gives the record a sense of impending disaster. Mick Ronson’s guitar and the Spiders make the middle feel like a band you’ve come to see, and “Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide” sends you out with an appeal straight to the listener. It’s a good first choice if you want the theatrical side of Bowie in a compact set.

For rock with a pianist who won’t sit still The title song is the quickest way in. Mike Garson’s piano solo scrambles the footing of a rock band that’s already in full stride. Hear him again in the cabaret of “Time” and the closing “Lady Grinning Soul,” where he gives Bowie very different kinds of drama to sing against.

For a city you can hear The spoken opener, “Future Legend,” drops you into the ruined world of Hunger City. Then “Sweet Thing,” “Candidate,” and “Sweet Thing (Reprise)” make a continuous stretch of music that grows rougher as it goes. Bowie drew on his abandoned plans for an Orwell adaptation, so there’s a good deal to hear around the familiar riff of “Rebel Rebel.”

For soul singing and a supple band Listen to how the backing singers answer Bowie and how Carlos Alomar’s guitar leaves space for them. “Fascination,” adapted from a song Luther Vandross wrote, gives the singers a groove to push against. “Win” shows how gently the same album can move.

For a slow build with a payoff A train-like sound starts the title track, which takes its time before turning into a much faster groove. That change makes a good introduction to an album that can hold the tension of “Stay” and the long, exposed vocal of “Wild Is the Wind” together.

For a record with two very different sides “Sound and Vision” makes you wait for Bowie’s lead vocal while the rhythm section and backing singers establish the song. On the second side, “Warszawa,” co-written with Brian Eno, gives slow-moving chords and Bowie singing in an invented language room to set the pace. Start here if you like hearing a studio used as part of the composition.

For guitars that can fill a room Robert Fripp’s guitar stretches out around Bowie’s rising vocal on the title song. The second half gives you another use of that space, as the offbeat saxophone of “V-2 Schneider” makes way for the heavy piano figure in “Sense of Doubt.” This is a way into Bowie’s quieter work through an album that can also get very loud.

For pop songs with sharp edges The first “It’s No Game” throws Michi Hirota’s spoken Japanese and Robert Fripp’s guitar against Bowie’s strained vocal. The second version closes the record at a slower pace. Between them, “Ashes to Ashes” shows how much strangeness can fit inside a hook you remember.

For dance-floor polish and blues guitar Nile Rodgers co-produced the record, and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s lead guitar cuts through the title track’s groove. Stay for the uneven, percussive feel of “Ricochet” and the rerecorded “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” to hear where the album takes that bright sound after the opening hits.

For a mystery told in fragments Choose the full album sequence, which puts spoken character sketches between songs. The Nathan Adler material supplies part of a fictional investigation, while the long build of “The Motel” and the rush of “I’m Deranged” supply its atmosphere. Bowie’s reunion with Brian Eno is a good starting point if you enjoy a record that leaves you to connect the scenes.

For drum and bass with a loud guitar band “Little Wonder” lets a tumbling beat carry a compact pop melody, while “Seven Years in Tibet” makes a much bigger change in volume between its sections. Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati co-produced with Bowie. The quick rhythms make this an especially direct entry if you already like club music or industrial rock.

For a lower voice and songs that leave space The opening “Sunday” takes its time gathering force. Bowie’s cover of the Pixies’ “Cactus” follows with a blunt, clipped delivery, and Pete Townshend’s guitar gives “Slow Burn” another kind of bite. The contrasts make it a good choice if you want the later Bowie voice alongside a wide range of arrangements.

For a late-career rock record with a reflective side Try “Where Are We Now?” for a quiet walk through remembered places and “Love Is Lost” for a much tighter, more insistent pulse. The original 14-song sequence ends with “Heat,” a spare track that lets Bowie’s voice hang in the air. It’s an entry point for anyone drawn to the shifts in his singing.

For the sound of a jazz band taking chances Donny McCaslin’s saxophone and Mark Guiliana’s drums keep shifting under Bowie’s voice. The title song has time to find another shape partway through, and “Lazarus” brings that energy down to a slower, uneasy pace. Start here if you want an album whose players can change the direction of a song as you listen.