David Bowie

[Findus]

Is it just me or does that new pic of Bowie make him look like an action figure?

Either an action figure, or a character from The Polar Express, or some other Robert Zemeckis mo-cap movie (but not Beowulf, because of that hat and shirt).

[allegro]

Either an action figure, or a character from The Polar Express, or some other Robert Zemeckis mo-cap movie (but not Beowulf, because of that hat and shirt).

It looks like it's been airbrushed to within an inch of its life. He looks like a paper delivery boy in the 1920s.

MS paint of the heroes cover is kinda infuriating. I hate to hate it. But i love to hate hating it. Damn you, bowie! So continues the db fanatics emotional turmoil. He hasnt missed a beat in the past decade.

Ever study the Dada movement? Maybe it's a big fuck you to album cover art. You know, like Fountain by Duchamp was anti-art. Like the White Album. (Or "Smell the Glove.")

Speaking of visual arts, I like the odd visuals in the video.

[uroboros]

Ever study the Dada movement? Maybe it's a big fuck you to album cover art. You know, like Fountain by Duchamp was anti-art. Like the White Album. (Or "Smell the Glove.")Speaking of visual arts, I like the odd visuals in the video.

I've never seen it done. I respect the choice from such a watershed artist. Its so grating. No cover has bothered me so. Tis actually shocking artwork. And thats coming from ole densenstized me. So amen to that. I cant wait to see it on vinyl. Duncan directed the vid! Good to see their first public collabortion.Props to ya for the smell the glove ref!

(Writ on a bus)

[jmtd]

The cover really pops in a gallery of postage sized pics... Such as an amazon search for "David Bowie". Sadly that's the way most folks see the stuff now.

[fillow]

please facepalm the post above for me

[jmtd]

please facepalm the post above for me

Your wish is my command.

[kenthebear]

Looks like SOME people can't handle the WUB.

Anyway, no live shows to promote the album, but rumours of Bowie doing a DJ set dropping noisia, nero and excision remain undenied.

http://www.nme.com/news/david-bowie/68126

[witte]

http://pitchfork.com/news/49125-davi...ve-ever-again/

[BRoswell]

http://pitchfork.com/news/49125-davi...ve-ever-again/

Looks Like Pitchfork Made That Up

Also, Visconti said there are no guests on the album, meaning anyone hoping that Trent would make an appearance will (once again) be disappointed.

[NotoriousTIMP]

Speaking of Earthling, am I the only person that likes that album?

Nope, I loved this album when it first came out and I still love it. Now if it would get the repress treatment that OUTSIDE received last year I would be a happy man!

If you haven't already, pick up the 2012 repress of OUTSIDE. Sadly it's excerpts from the album, but it sounds amazingly warm and fresh. At $28, I feel it's money well spent!

[uroboros]

Dear god...I've waited oh so long for this. I snagged it as soon as I got home from work. Mahalo to you, good sir, for telling of this repressing. I don't know how this slipped by me. Outside was the album that dragged me kicking and screaming into the Bowie Discography. I should note that I do have the Heart's Filthy Lesson 12" picture disc which is oh so pretty to look at.

I still have to get that Heathen LP reissue though..

[Ryan]

Earl Slick, the long-term guitarist for David Bowie, has said the legend’s live band ‘would love’ to go back out on the road, but admits that possibility remains remote and the present time despite the confirmation of a new album and single this week. “We don’t know,” Slick has told Ultimate Classic Rock of Bowie’s live plans. “Obviously, we want him to. But right now, that’s a big if. I could get a phone call tomorrow saying, ‘Hey, you know what? Here’s the setlist.’ I don’t know.”
“I can’t speak for him or the organisation. Obviously, the band would love to go out. Even if it’s not a huge tour, we would like to go out and do some gigs. But that’s yet to be seen.”
David Bowie’s new album ‘The Next Day‘ arrived out of the blue earlier this week, and will be released officially on March 11th. Speaking of the record, Slick has echoed the thoughts of producer Tony Visconti by describing it as having a rock theme:
“There’s a lot of rockers on there, I can tell you that,” he continued. “There’s a few kind of really cool mid-tempo ones in there as well, but I’m the go-to guy for the rock stuff with David.”

Read more: http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2013/01/...#ixzz2Hj5Gp1OI

[dlb]

So here we go, I'm hooked and I think now is the perfect time to get into Bowie completely. I pretty much have every release on the shelf, but never took the time to proplery explore his world. The only records I really got into where heathen and reality back when they were released. And of course I know the stuff from the outside tour with NIN aswell.

I'm not too fond of the new track, but I'm glad he's back. Any recommendations where to start?

[uroboros]

Any recommendations where to start?

The Best Bowie Eras:

1974 - 1980: Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Station to Station, Low, Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters
1993 - 2013: The Buddha of Suburbia, Outside, Earthling, Hours, Toy, Heathen, Reality, The Next Day


There's a fantastic start for ya. Station to Station and Outside are great places to start. Lodger and hours are weaker albums IMO of those periods, but the rest of it is pretty flawless. I'm guessing the new album will be the same. Of course there's the Early stuff and the Ziggy period, which are essential too, but, artistically, the above are his best periods. Most of his 80s stuff has been denounced even though Let's Dance is alright for what it is. Then there's Tin Machine which did what it had to do. Its a freakin' massive discography. It'll take years to fully comprehend it. Good Luck and kudos for giving it a go!

[sore_and_crucified]

The Best Bowie Eras:

1974 - 1980: Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Station to Station, Low, Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters
1993 - 2013: The Buddha of Suburbia, Outside, Earthling, Hours, Toy, Heathen, Reality, The Next Day


There's a fantastic start for ya. Station to Station and Outside are great places to start. Lodger and hours are weaker albums IMO of those periods, but the rest of it is pretty flawless. I'm guessing the new album will be the same. Of course there's the Early stuff and the Ziggy period, which are essential too, but, artistically, the above are his best periods. Most of his 80s stuff has been denounced even though Let's Dance is alright for what it is. Then there's Tin Machine which did what it had to do. Its a freakin' massive discography. It'll take years to fully comprehend it. Good Luck and kudos for giving it a go!

Here's hoping the album is a mix of Outside and Station to Station!!

[screwdriver]

The Best Bowie Eras:

1974 - 1980: Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Station to Station, Low, Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters
1993 - 2013: The Buddha of Suburbia, Outside, Earthling, Hours, Toy, Heathen, Reality, The Next Day


There's a fantastic start for ya. Station to Station and Outside are great places to start. Lodger and hours are weaker albums IMO of those periods, but the rest of it is pretty flawless. I'm guessing the new album will be the same. Of course there's the Early stuff and the Ziggy period, which are essential too, but, artistically, the above are his best periods. Most of his 80s stuff has been denounced even though Let's Dance is alright for what it is. Then there's Tin Machine which did what it had to do. Its a freakin' massive discography. It'll take years to fully comprehend it. Good Luck and kudos for giving it a go!

I think that's good prognosis, but I really don't think you can sell short Ziggy -- fantastic album, it catapulted Bowie to fame for a reason. Great starting point if you're not one of those people instinctively turned off by older music. The remaster last year was great too.

[danebraddy]

The Best Bowie Eras:

1974 - 1980: Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Station to Station, Low, Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters
1993 - 2013: The Buddha of Suburbia, Outside, Earthling, Hours, Toy, Heathen, Reality, The Next Day


There's a fantastic start for ya. Station to Station and Outside are great places to start. Lodger and hours are weaker albums IMO of those periods, but the rest of it is pretty flawless. I'm guessing the new album will be the same. Of course there's the Early stuff and the Ziggy period, which are essential too, but, artistically, the above are his best periods. Most of his 80s stuff has been denounced even though Let's Dance is alright for what it is. Then there's Tin Machine which did what it had to do. Its a freakin' massive discography. It'll take years to fully comprehend it. Good Luck and kudos for giving it a go!

Each to their own I guess, but hours... really grew on me over time and I loved Lodger from first listen - Fantastic Voyage, DJ, Look Back in Anger, Boys Keep Swinging and Repetition are catchy and very accessible.

Also, Bowie rapping in 1979 on African Night Flight is awesome.

Personally, I'd say Lodger is easier to 'get' and like than Station to Station <ducks for cover>

[frankie teardrop]

Personally, I'd say Lodger is easier to 'get' and like than Station to Station <ducks for cover>

you asked for it! i love lodger (except the lesser re-recording of 'sister midnight), but it's extremely schizophrenic and experimental, what with everyone switching instruments as per brian eno's suggestion and no one really grooving together as a result, for it to be a great introduction or an instant love. station to station is a MUCH more straightforward and solid record, damn near perfect.

so uh. ups to lodger for sure but i disagree on your ranking.


as a brief aside, chris connelly (wax trax) and shirley manson played an entire set of bowie songs at the metro last friday. setlist was chock full of classcis (young americans, station, starman, life on mars, dj, win). would have liked to have been there for sure...

[allegro]

yeah, come ON, you can't get any more catchy than STAY!!!

[Piko]

Just about any album he has could be a good starting point since they're so different from one another. My personal favorites, though, are Heroes and Low. I avoid his 80s stuff, and I'm probably in a minority. But the thing about Bowie is how well he's able to adapt to the times and the things around him.

[Sutekh]

Station to Station a good starting point? Great LP but a bit challenging in some places...Ziggy is blatantly the entry level Bowie album, follow that up with the Berlin albums to see his evolutionary leap

Also (maybe this belongs in the controversial opinions thread) The Idiot and Lust for Life by Iggy Pop are more or less Bowie side projects (co-wrote, produced and played on every single song, plays selected songs live as recently as 2004)... I'd rate them as amongst the best he's worked on

[frankie teardrop]

Station to Station a good starting point? Great LP but a bit challenging in some places...Ziggy is blatantly the entry level Bowie album, follow that up with the Berlin albums to see his evolutionary leap

Also (maybe this belongs in the controversial opinions thread) The Idiot and Lust for Life by Iggy Pop are more or less Bowie side projects (co-wrote, produced and played on every single song, plays selected songs live as recently as 2004)... I'd rate them as amongst the best he's worked on

gonna sound bizarre, as a staunch berlin-era supporter (heroes is my all time favorite album) and die hard station to station fan, but i agree with this. start with the simple, catchy, timeless glam rock that made the man famous (they really are amazing songs- life on mars, rock n roll suicide, panic in detroit etc. are golden), and also listen to roxy music if you want more of that vibe. station to station through and including scary monsters is the best era for me, but not something to dive into without getting the full ride of the progression, and the satisfaction that comes along with it. if you want to get fancy, just go chronological... if you want to get hardcore, do so while reading the pushing ahead of the dame blog which tells a very lengthy tale about each song, with interpretation and careful consideration to detail...

and the iggy pop stuff is amazing, but the same rules apply, as these records were made in the same era, and the idiot is notoriously dark and difficult (but fucking brilliant).

[fillow]

Copy-and-pasting some news that made me almost spill my coffee:

Tony Visconti’s saying in today’s round of interviews that there’s enough material for two albums! From The Times:

“The two have created 29 songs together of late, making a second album almost inevitable. “We’re not going to give up on the songs that haven’t made this one,” Visconti says.
“We’re going to go back and look at them because they’re spectacular musical pieces, they just haven’t been finished lyrically. I think he’s on a roll, and will possibly return to the studio later this year. If people don’t like this album then maybe he won’t, but it doesn’t matter to him. He told me what he wants to do is make records.”

Also, I just spent almost two hours simply surfing though the albums, checking up a few notes from each songs (which obviously led to listening a lot of songs in full). The next two months looks like perfect timing to go retrospectively though the whole catalogue, which I'm starting to do as I write.

[frankie teardrop]

and for the already berlin converted... this may sound familiar:



great story on the song this inspired on aforementioned blog.

[allegro]

Also (maybe this belongs in the controversial opinions thread) The Idiot and Lust for Life by Iggy Pop are more or less Bowie side projects (co-wrote, produced and played on every single song, plays selected songs live as recently as 2004)... I'd rate them as amongst the best he's worked on

Hahaha as an Iggy fan since I was a kid in the early-70s in Detroit, I think of those albums as classic Iggy (ESPECIALLY Lust for Life) with Bowie helping out an old friend.

[Sutekh]

Hahaha as an Iggy fan since I was a kid in the early-70s in Detroit, I think of those albums as classic Iggy (ESPECIALLY Lust for Life) with Bowie helping out an old friend.

Neighbourhood Threat is a contender for my all-time favourite song... I love the chorus of ghostly Bowies in the background

[allegro]

I think a good Bowie starting point is Hunky Dory.

My personal intro to Bowie, meaning when I finally started paying attention, was when "David Live: David Bowie at the Tower Philadelphia" was released and we used to be able to play records in the school lunchroom and somehow that album got played every day during lunch (over the lunch room PA) for months. My best friend Robert put Sun-In in his hair to look like Bowie.

[allegro]

yeah, that's a great song!!

My favorite Bowie background-singing-on-an-Iggy-song is "Turn Blue." Second fave is "Success."

[Nirvana23]

I'm super excited about the new album! Where are we now? didn't strike me immediately but the more I'm listening to it I'm enjoying the nuances to Bowie's voice and the simple but powerful instrumentation, the strings are fantastic! Plus this song is produced very nicely I believe.

[jmtd]

Call me a cheapskate but I don't feel like buying this single, that I like, as it has no b-side to speak of. I might as well hold out for the album.