David Bowie - Blackstar - Anybody got it?

[Hi-Fi Mogul]

One of my favorite albums is The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust.

A few years ago when NEW DAY was released, I rushed out and bought it.

WOW, was I underwhelmed. Although critics seemed to love it.

Hence, I am gun shy about buying another Bowie record off the cuff.

Just wish that BLACKSTAR would sound like old Bowie, because New Day, IMHO, did not.

 

[4-2-7]

You just express my sentiments, I only played New Day once.... and now I'll wait and sample this new album.

 

[hjames]

I downloaded a copy of Blackstar and now, Lazarus,
and have been playing them for the past week ...
Sonically interesting ... stuff

Title track, Blackstar -

Lazarus video -

I've got it preordered - so it should arrive tomorrow/Friday Jan 8th -

which is David's 68th birthday! -

 

[hjames]

Just got the Fast Future CD from Donny McCaslin - its his band backing up Bowie on the new album ...
couple of very cool tracks on there - sort of jazz v. shoegazer with a bit of fusion tossed in ...

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UDDXRUO

Kinda makes a turn 3 min in ...

 

[Hi-Fi Mogul]

I downloaded a copy of Blackstar and now, Lazarus,
and have been playing them for the past week ...
Sonically interesting ... stuff

Title track, Blackstar -

Lazarus video -

I've got it preordered - so it should arrive tomorrow/Friday Jan 8th -

which is David's 68th birthday! -

I have tried to like his "new" music but find it all so similar sounding with a boring beat that seems to drone on and on. They call it "rock" music, but I bet too differ - most critics use the connotation of "art rock" to ensure a reader understands that it may need a niche in the market to find commercial success.

With all the critics providing positive reviews, on the all the lists that I encounter, Bowie's releases from 1993 moving forward are all at the bottom of "Bowie's Best". This is representative of the sales of those albums, with most of his albums since then barely getting above water and far from reaching Gold status.

It's just puzzling to me, I understand his stature as a Rock God, but he has been irrelevant for many years. Here are some of the Bowie albums you don't have in your collection: Heathen, Never Let Me Down, The Buddha of Suburbia, Tin Machine, Hours..., Black Tie White Noise, Earthling, Reality, Outside, Lodger. When you put all of his work together, he has failed commercially, more than any other artist in the history of music. David Bowie's work can mostly be found in the discount record bin.

Hope I wasn't too harsh..

 

[hjames]

I dunno - no flames, but I don't think Bowie has been "a Rock God" for many years.
I tend to think of him more like an explorer or collector, rather than anything else
- sometimes I like the things he finds and shows us, and many times not.
Got to admit he has worked with some amazing folks over the years ...
Ronson, Fripp, Eno, Belew, Nile Rogers, Metheny, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Philip Glass ...

I actually do own Lodger, Heathen, and Reality - tho I'll admit Reality never got much play here!

Then again, there is a lot of new stuff coming out from many artists that doesn't do much for me -
either feels too derivative or just goes in a direction that leaves me cold.

 

[Hi-Fi Mogul]

I dunno - no flames, but I don't think Bowie has been "a Rock God" for many years.
I tend to think of him more like an explorer or collector, rather than anything else
- sometimes I like the things he finds and shows us, and many times not.
Got to admit he has worked with some amazing folks over the years ...
Ronson, Fripp, Eno, Belew, Nile Rogers, Metheny, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Philip Glass ...

I actually do own Lodger, Heathen, and Reality - tho I'll admit Reality never got much play here!

Then again, there is a lot of new stuff coming out from many artists that doesn't do much for me -
either feels too derivative or just goes in a direction that leaves me cold.

Ok, so Bowie the Rock God has become a granola-loving explorer who occasionally embarks on a power walk in New York City. IMHO, he's just an enigma nowadays, and perhaps like Madonna, he is simply a savvy promoter of himself rather than a current producer of music for the ages. I can equate his work with the work of filmmaker Woody Allen, a guy who makes movies that are never panned because his neuroticism has been both the staple and the limitation to his work. A well-worn identity, if you will.

Bowie and his glam-rock lives on through Ziggy Stardust, but died soon after. Golden Years, Fame, that is where his artistry ended for me. Let's Dance, Blue Jean, etc. were just David re-working his music to garner the pop music payday, but when the 1990's rolled around, he just had too much money and no real requirement to do anything other than remind people that he was still alive.

His music puts me to sleep, but I will admit, he still looks good for his age..far better than Mick Jagger who is only 3 years older.

 

[hjames]

So the new album isn't for you then

 

[icenine]

After The Next Day I am sort of avoiding this one. The Next Day has some good moments (Where Are They Now) but in my opinion was dreary and not very fun to listen to.

 

[ConradH]

This is so timely- ten minutes ago I ran out for some take-out and they were playing Ziggy Stardust on the radio. I thought, wonder what ever happened to him?

 

[BlindBoyGrnt]

Ok, so Bowie the Rock God has become a granola-loving explorer who occasionally embarks on a power walk in New York City. IMHO, he's just an enigma nowadays, and perhaps like Madonna, he is simply a savvy promoter of himself rather than a current producer of music for the ages. I can equate his work with the work of filmmaker Woody Allen, a guy who makes movies that are never panned because his neuroticism has been both the staple and the limitation to his work. A well-worn identity, if you will.

Bowie and his glam-rock lives on through Ziggy Stardust, but died soon after. Golden Years, Fame, that is where his artistry ended for me. Let's Dance, Blue Jean, etc. were just David re-working his music to garner the pop music payday, but when the 1990's rolled around, he just had too much money and no real requirement to do anything other than remind people that he was still alive.

His music puts me to sleep, but I will admit, he still looks good for his age..far better than Mick Jagger who is only 3 years older.

Never thought that I'd chime in to defend Bowie, but to suggest that it all ended for him with the demise of glam is to ignore a highly influential career that extended beyond Station to Station to his so-called Berlin albums and Scary Monsters is like saying that Michael Jordan's career ended when he decided to play baseball. Buy those albums, listen to them, and see if you don't change your opinion. Bowie was capable of amazing feats of "re-energization" along with all the chameleon-like exploits of which we are all familiar.

 

[fredcohiba]

I like the early Bowie stuff. Listened to Blackstar and - not a fan.

 

[hjames]

Yep - a different kind of edgy ... I like Lazarus and some other cuts on the album, not all of it.
Its not Alomar and Bowie, or Belew and Bowie, or Fripp and Bowie, and certainly not Ronson with Bowie!

 

[chodad]

I bought into the hype of Next Day when it came out ... won't make that mistake again. It was my worst music purchase of 2014 and I bought a lot of music that year.

 

[Stillhouse]

Picked up a copy at B&N today. I've never been a big Bowie fan, just a casual enjoyer of some of his endeavors. So far I like what I have heard. Blackstar caught my attention a while back on Youtube and I found myself not just interested in the video(which deserves its own thread ) but also the song and the band backing David.

 

[VinylHanger]

This is what Spotify is for.

 

[j free]

I'll have it on vinyl tomorrow, I'm intrigued based on what I've read. No expectations of old Bowie, cause Bowie's now old.

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

IMO, the last great Bowie album was Hours. He totally lost me with Heathen and Reality....Toy was a nice rebound....but the newer stuff? Meh.

 

[Hi-Fi Mogul]

This is what Spotify is for.

I could never rent music. I do use You Tube to check out an album before I purchase. The Next Day I purchased because the critics claimed the old Bowie was back. I sold the CD online after one listen. This was not the first Bowie mistake I made - I made at least one purchase of a 1990's album from Bowie. I should have known better.

 

[Hi-Fi Mogul]

Never thought that I'd chime in to defend Bowie, but to suggest that it all ended for him with the demise of glam is to ignore a highly influential career that extended beyond Station to Station to his so-called Berlin albums and Scary Monsters is like saying that Michael Jordan's career ended when he decided to play baseball. Buy those albums, listen to them, and see if you don't change your opinion. Bowie was capable of amazing feats of "re-energization" along with all the chameleon-like exploits of which we are all familiar.

MJ did play a season or two too long. It is not unusual for talent to stay around past their prime. Sports stars, unlike musicians, are forced out of their jobs after they are no longer competitive - in the case of Bowie, he should have retired in 1990. None of this "best of" or "Greatest Hits" have songs beyond the eighties because he hasn't had a hit in 25 years. Perhaps I am being a bit of a complainer, I just have issue with the critics saying the Old Bowie is back when there is no real connection with his music before and after 80's.