Pin Ups [Bonus Tracks]

Pin Ups [Bonus Tracks]

David Bowie

Perhaps the covers album Pin Ups was conceived as a breather, a way for David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars to regroup amid the hysteria of the Ziggy Stardust mania, or perhaps it was meant as a genuine tribute to Bowie 's influences. Either way, Pin Ups was the first sign that the Ziggy persona was running out of energy. The album isn't bad -- in fact, it's an energetic, infectious collection of relatively obscure British rock & roll , R&B , and mod anthems -- but the timing of a covers album was odd, suggesting that Bowie was running out of ideas. On its own, Pin Ups is quite enjoyable, especially since the selections are fairly arcane. Bowie relies primarily on songs that never were hits outside America -- even the Kinks , Who , Yardbirds , and Pink Floyd songs were relatively obscure -- which makes the record fascinating. Bowie and the Spiders make songs by the Pretty Things ( "Rosalyn," "Don't Bring Me Down" ), the Merseys ( "Sorrow" ), and the Easybeats ( "Friday on My Mind" ) tough and nervy, occasionally surpassing the original versions in terms of attitude. So, if Pin Ups isn't a major entry in Bowie 's catalog, it is fun, even though it's a rather undistinguished final effort from the Spiders From Mars .