During his scuffling days, Bowie punted himself as a songwriter, his first big hit coming when Peter Noone scored with Oh! You Pretty Things, which kicks off this collection of cuttingedge artists covering Bowie songs. Brooklyn trio Au Revoir Simone sculpt a gentle female-sung acoustic ballad version of …Pretty Things, which stays true to its melodic essence. Drew Brown does similar to Sweet Thing, highlighting one of Bowie’s more underrated gems.
Elsewhere, it’s a mixed bag from names including Mathew Dear (Sound & Vision), Richard Walters & David “Faultine” Kosten (Be My Wife), Tokyo’s Susumu Yokata (Golden Years) and the mighty Carl Craig teaming up with Zoos Of Berlin, making the unexpected welcome move of turning Looking For Water from 2003’s Reality album into a deep electro-funk workout. This would probably appeal to Bowie, who has always stated his desire for his current work to be taken seriously, though what he’ll make of Milwaukee laptop lunatic Leo Minor’s manic take on Ashes To Ashes is anyone’s guess. Possibly closest to Bowie’s constant desire for the new and unknown is The Thing’s free jazz assault themed around Life On Mars, which features snatches of the melody on double bass amid a sea of dissonance and effects.
