Praised by critics and hardcore fans, "Diamond Dogs" represents Bowie's thwarted efforts to translate George Orwell's "1984" into a rock opera. Having sacked The Spiders, Bowie took full helm, writing, arranging, and producing this album. To help him in his task he gathered a new cast of musicians including Mike Garson, who had previously provided some outstanding piano work for the "Aladdin Sane" album.