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Review of PinUps (1973)

Review of the Ryko/EMI 1990 CD Reissue

by Philip Thomas - Q Magazine (1990)

PIN UPS (EMI). Sandwiched between Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs, these two albums [Aladdin Sane & PinUps] were recorded back to back, in 1972/73. Pinups, David Bowie's album of cover versions, was already nostalgic when he made it, a glam rocker's dewy-eyed tribute to the good old days of mid and late '60s London. As well as classics from The Yardbirds, The Who, Them, Pink Floyd and The Kinks, the re-release has two extra tracks-Bruce Springsteen's never-released and excellent "Growing Up" and Jacques Brel's "Amsterdam", the B-side of the hit single "Sorrow" - which, though contemporary, throws the fine balance of Pin-Ups into some confusion. However, by opting for delicate tweaks here and there rather than slavish cloning, David Bowie emerged with a collection of covers that not only avoids sending lovers of the originals into apoplexy, but will positively delight all but the most stubborn among them.
Q Rating: ****

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