Tin Machine

David Bowie found that being a superstar in the 1980s was “not terribly fulfilling.”
He started the decade with a massively successful album Let’s Dance and world tour.
 It made him very rich. It also brought commercial expectations to write another album of pop hits to make him and his record company even more money. But hard commerce and creativity rarely endure. Bowie soon discovered that he had less creative independence to make the music he wanted.
After the negative reception to his follow-up albums 1984’s Tonight and Never Let Me Down in 1987, he launched his massive Glass Spider tour. It made plenty of money, too, but with a set-list of greatest hits the tour looked like the Thin White Duke was rehearsing for a residency in Las Vegas.
 In 1989, Bowie formed Tin Machine with guitarist Reeves Gabrels and the Sales brothers—drummer Hunt and bassist Tony. The band had grown out of jam sessions. The Sales had played with Bowie when they had backed Iggy Pop together in the 70s. Gabrels met Bowie during his Glass Spider tour and collaborated on a reworking of the Lodger song “Look Back in Anger.”
Tin Machine was structured as a “democratic unit.” Each member had an equal say.
 Bowie described himself as just the singer. Their intention as a band was to play “back to basics” music—hard rock, low production, no over-dubs. They recorded over 30 songs in six weeks.
Bowie enthused in interviews how liberating it was to write songs in collaboration with his bandmates. continue