Bowie - Blackstar

I've already posted about this but discovered the David Bowie thread is in the R.I.P section (shame on us all!!)



Anyway, this is amazing, i absolutely love it. For anyone else it would probably be considered a risk but it's Bowie and it works.

David Bowie has always been a musical explorer while alot of people knock this, I see this as typical Bowie always reinventing himself. I am a major Bowie fanboy so I will definitely be picking this up when its released.

I loved the song and video (weird as the video is).

It reminded me a lot of the stuff that was circulating in the early '00s when you think of what Bjork and Radiohead were up to - both musically and visually. It doesn't feel like a throwback though - more like, "I'm glad someone decided to pick up this style again."

I'm definitely looking forward to hearing the album when it drops.

January 6th is less than a month away woot

Im glad Bowie is making music again

Boris2008 wrote:

I've already posted about this but discovered the David Bowie thread is in the R.I.P section (shame on us all!!).

AGREED

Well the official release of this is 08/01/16 but I've just received notification that my preordered copy is on the way and I'll have it in my greedy mitts by Saturday!! 

Boris2008 wrote:

I've already posted about this but discovered the David Bowie thread is in the R.I.P section (shame on us all!!)

For a moment I thought you said that David Bowie was R.I.P, which is not surprising. As innovative as the man is, he is up there with Mick Jagger as far as undead rock frontmen goes.

Maybe it's the emotion of his passing but I honestly can't imagine hearing a better album in 2016. This record is absolutely f*cking mind blowing.

muckie wrote:

Boris2008 wrote:

I've already posted about this but discovered the David Bowie thread is in the R.I.P section (shame on us all!!)

For a moment I thought you said that David Bowie was R.I.P, which is not surprising. As innovative as the man is, he is up there with Mick Jagger as far as undead rock frontmen goes.

That statement is spooky now..........

chewie wrote:

muckie wrote:

Boris2008 wrote:

I've already posted about this but discovered the David Bowie thread is in the R.I.P section (shame on us all!!)

For a moment I thought you said that David Bowie was R.I.P, which is not surprising. As innovative as the man is, he is up there with Mick Jagger as far as undead rock frontmen goes.

That statement is spooky now..........

It sure is.

It's a fascinating album. Donny McCaslin is an excellent saxophonist and it's his regular group providing the backing on Blackstar. Bowie went and saw the band perform at a jazz club in New York and then contacted them a couple months later to play on his next recording project. It's a really trippy record, very experimental, but Bowie sounds completely at ease. It's not a "jazz" album but it uses a jazz approach to the arrangements. The last song on the album "I Can't Give Everything Away" is absolutely gorgeous and I love the way Bowie and McCaslin's sax are arranged.

Spooky tune and video. I wonder what it's about? Seems like there is some kind of voodoo ritual symbolism going on.

I've never listened to any Bowie save for his performance on Under Pressure with Queen, Space Oddity, and Moonage Daydream. I'd always meant to dig deeper but never did.

It feels weird delving into someone's discography just because they died, because in their music you can feel their life.

I probably should give the essential stuff a listen though, should I go after the artier stuff or the early glam-rock stuff?

Bowie, much like Robert Fripp is the type of artist you can not fully grasp listening to 1 album...or 5 albums...or just listen to one era....you kind of have to digest ALL of it to even begin to scratch the surface. I've been listening to Bowie for 30 years and I would still consider myself a novice.

Troublezone wrote:

Spooky tune and video. I wonder what it's about? Seems like there is some kind of voodoo ritual symbolism going on.

What it means to YOU is the important question here. The lyrics on this album are not literal, they are abstract, the listener needs to supply their own meaning.

Wurthless wrote:

I've never listened to any Bowie save for his performance on Under Pressure with Queen, Space Oddity, and Moonage Daydream. I'd always meant to dig deeper but never did.

It feels weird delving into someone's discography just because they died, because in their music you can feel their life.

I probably should give the essential stuff a listen though, should I go after the artier stuff or the early glam-rock stuff?

I think that as you have heard some of the more friendly stuff and never felt a pressing need to delve further then the experimental albums might be more of your thing but honestly so long as you pretend that he didn't release any records between Lets Dance and Black Tie White Noise (Okay, Tin Machine was kind of interesting, kind of) and you are prepared for the fact that Lodger is a disappointment and your good.

If I were you I would start with Blackstar but that's because I'm obsessed with it.



I really can't stop playing this. Good drum & bass has a sinister edge but this track is a maniac!

I think I may start with Blackstar, and then try the whole Berlin trilogy after that.

And I really dug that song you posted, it gave me the same vibe as Kayo Dot's last release (Coffins on Io) actually.

I really like the first Tin Machine album, the second one not so much.

I quite like Lodger and don't find it disappointing at all.

chewie wrote:

I quite like Lodger and don't find it disappointing at all.

I knew someone would defend Lodger! 

It's not terrible but after Heroes & Low I think it's just a bit below par. If we wait long enough someone will defend Never Let Me Down.....................................................................Maybe not! 

Boris2008 wrote:

chewie wrote:

I quite like Lodger and don't find it disappointing at all.

I knew someone would defend Lodger! 

It's not terrible but after Heroes & Low I think it's just a bit below par. If we wait long enough someone will defend Never Let Me Down.....................................................................Maybe not! 

Even though it has Frampton on it, I cannot defend that one!

I actually checked out some tracks from Pinups, and I really dug the choice of covers he made. "I Can't Explain" was really really well done, and I quite enjoyed "See Emily Play" and "Here Comes the Night" as well.

Wurthless wrote:

I think I may start with Blackstar, and then try the whole Berlin trilogy after that.

And I really dug that song you posted, it gave me the same vibe as Kayo Dot's last release (Coffins on Io) actually.

From the Berlin Trilogy Id start with Low or Heroes my personal fav from that group of albums is Low, very ahead of its time.

Blackstar is an amazing record, it sounded like to me he took the same approach as he did for Reality, I love the title track, Girls Love Me, and Lazarus. Its all ive been spinning for the past week. Sad its his parting gift to us his fans.

He had hoped to have enough time to do one more album as he had demo tracked 6 songs for the follow-up.

I started out with "Heroes" and am familiarizing it with myself and I'm really digging it. It is super ahead of it's time, just how you described Low.
I really love Secret Life of Arabia especially.

Have you guys seen this before?