Diamond Dogs

David Bowie's Diamond Dogs, released April 24, 1974 on RCA Records, is a dystopian glam-rock concept album rooted in a post-apocalyptic future city Bowie envisioned as an adaptation of George Orwell's 1984, a project he ultimately could not license. Bowie produced the album himself, the first record he helmed entirely without a collaborator-producer, and wrote all eleven tracks. The album's centrepiece is the glam stomp of 'Rebel Rebel,' which reached number five in the UK and became one of Bowie's signature singles, while 'Diamond Dogs,' '1984,' and 'Big Brother' develop the dystopian narrative across two sides. The extended 'Sweet Thing / Candidate / Sweet Thing (Reprise)' suite is among Bowie's most ambitious compositional constructions. Without Mick Ronson, who had departed, Bowie plays much of the guitar himself, showcasing a broader instrumental authorship than on any previous album.