David Bowie "★[Blackstar]" (2016)

★[Blackstar]
release date: Jan. 8, 2016
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,86]
producer: David Bowie, Tony Visconti
label: ISO Records / Columbia - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "★" - 2. " 'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" - 3. "Lazarus" (4 / 5) - 4. "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" - 5. "Girl Loves Me" - 6. "Dollar Days" - 7. "I Can't Give Everything Away"

25th and final studio album by David Bowie released on his 69th birthday, two days before he died Jan. 10. It's a complex, dark, and sinister art rock album, which was met by critical acclaim. Luckily, the album was reviewed by major music magazines and critics prior to his death.
I must say that I haven't been a fan of his for the past 35 years or so, regarding Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) from 1980 as his last fine album. Let's Dance wasn't and has never been my cup of tea, however, he almost didn't make a poor album in the '70s. And then this. The album is completely new to me. I didn't manage to hear it before all of the first issues was sold-out after his sudden death, but now I got hold of it, and it really sounds like an interesting and fine artistic accomplishment. "Lazarus", with its playing time of more than 6 mins is the finest track. At least so far, but more songs lurk and quirk - in the dark, awaiting to unfold itself. I think it's fine and quite interesting, mind you, however, "great" or "brilliant" are not words, I come to think of. Bowie is Bowie, undoubtedly. Having said that, I'm not staggering in amazement. And although this is by no means boring nor mainstream, and yes, it's surely highly original music - quite so, it's just not something I find on my player. I'm more into... something else.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, The Guardian, The Independent 4 / 5 stars ]

David Bowie " 'Heroes' " (1977)

'Heroes'
release date: Oct. 14, 1977
format: vinyl (1984 reissue - NL 83857) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,33]
producer: David Bowie, Tony Visconti
label: RCA International - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 3. " 'Heroes' " (5 / 5) - 4. "Sons of the Silent Age"

12th studio album by David Bowie and his second in "the Berlin trilogy" released only 9 months following the album Low.
The album has status as one of the finest of rock, or more precisely: art rock. It's Bowie's seventh studio album to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
I purchased the album at some point in the mid-80s alongside the predecessor Low after re-discovering Bowie. I had been fascinated by Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980) and simply loved his The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust... (1972) album, so it was a natural option to turn to his acclaimed Berlin-trilogy. I do understand how he was the notorious musical chameleon, and I was prepared to meet a diverse album, but at the same time, I was quite familiar with the fine title track, so I may have been slightly excited about getting the full album. I only felt bewildered as to why I didn't like this so-called masterpiece. Only the title-track felt like a fine song, but how that one song had everyone talking about it and lauding the album as something otherworldly was, and basically still is, beyond my comprehension.
In Bowie's Berlin trilogy 'Heroes' is his second, and that's also the way I rate them: Low, as the first is the best, and then the quality drops one by one. making Lodger (1979) the poorest.
[ allmusic.com, Select 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5, Blender, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

David Bowie "Low" (1977)

Low
release date: Jan. 14, 1977
format: vinyl (1983 reissue - NL 83856) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: David Bowie, Tony Visconti
label: RCA International - nationality: (West) Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Speed of Life" - 4. "Sound and Vision" - 6. "Be My Wife"

11th studio album by David Bowie and his first in what is known as "the Berlin trilogy" - followed by the albums 'Heroes' (Oct. 1977) and Lodger (1979).
The album is Bowie's sixth studio album to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
I do know how people refer to the trilogy as something spectacular, but I never really enjoyed any of the albums all that much. "Sound and Vision" is a great track, but in my ears, I simply cannot understand how what all the fuzz is about. Avant garde Oooooh yes! I guess that's what you have to say when melodies are absent and the sound is unlike anything else but mostly feels like sand in ears.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, Blender 5 / 5, NME 4,5 / 5, Spin 4 / 5 stars ]

BEST OF 1972:David Bowie "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars" (1972)

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
release date: Jun. 6, 1972
format: vinyl (1983 reissue - NL 83843) / cd (2002 remaster)
[album rate: 5 / 5] [4,84]
producer: David Bowie, Ken Scott
label: RCA International - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) 1. "Five Years" - 2. "Soul Love" - 3. "Moonage Daydream" - 4. "Starman" (5 / 5) - 5. "It Ain't Easy" - - B) 1. "Lady Stardust" - 2. "Star" (5 / 5) - 3. "Hang on to Yourself" - 4. "Ziggy Stardust" (5 / 5) - 5. "Suffragette City" (5 / 5) - 6. "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"

5th studio album by David Bowie originally released on RCA Victor is co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, and it's simply one of the most acclaimed rock albums ever.

Compared to Hunky Dory it's a tighter glam rock album than the predominantly art rock style of Hunky Dory, although, half of the album apparently was written before the '71 album. The style and sound, would probably not have been the same - having released the songs earlier. The album sort of combines everything good about art rock - The Velvet Underground / Lou Reed inspiration ("Suffragette City", "Star"), ballad blues rock Led Zeppelin ("Moonage Daydream"), glam rock tightness of T. Rex ("Soul Love", "Hang on to Yourself"), and Bowie's ability to write great pop songs using what's needed.

Yes, the album is one of rock's greatest and most lauded albums, and needless to say, it figures on various best of-lists encompassing the best of the best of modern music. Among these it's included on Time Magazine's "All-Time 100 Albums", it's number #35 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" and naturally, it's included in "1001 Album You Must Hear Before You Die".

Back then, it fared quite well - although, it didn't go as high as its predecessor - making it to number #5 on the national chart list. Elsewhere around the world, including The US, the album was Bowie's commercially best performing album. Although, only 12 years of age, I knew of the album around '77 because of my older brother who had bought the vinyl album. I just don't recall him playing it that much, but I have always loved it, and I have always considered it Bowie's best - also in retrospect.

In 2002, EMI released the "30th Anniversary 2CD Edition" consisting of a new remaster of the original album and a bonus disc of 12 tracks with demos, alternate versions and outtakes.

The album has been analysed and commented a thousand times over, and it's one of those albums you can always put on to make people listen in awe.

This album is a must.

[ allmusic.com, Pitchfork 5 / 5, PopMatters 4,5 / 5 stars ]

1972 Favourite releases: 1. David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars - 2. Lou Reed Transformer - 3. Jethro Tull Thick as a Brick

"30th Anniversary 2CD Edition"
2002 remaster

David Bowie "Hunky Dory" (1971)

Hunky Dory
release date: Dec. 17, 1971
format: cd (2007 remaster)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,28]
producer: Ken Scott
label: EMI Japan - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Changes" (5 / 5) - 2. "Oh! You Pretty Things" (4 / 5) - 3. "Eight Line Poem" - 4. "Life on Mars?" (5 / 5) - 5. "Kooks" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "Quicksand" (4 / 5) - 7. "Fill Your Heart" - 8. "Andy Warhol" - 9. "Song for Bob Dylan" - 10. "Queen Bitch" (4 / 5) - 11. "The Bewlay Brothers" (4 / 5)

4th studio album by David Bowie, who is also credited as assistant producer, is Bowie's first album on RCA Victor. The album signals a new beginning - and is by many considered his first major album, as it's his first actual art rock and glam rock album, which in a way combines his strengths as pop singer and artsy psychedelic pop performer in a new shape of art and glam. Here, one will hear inspiration from Dylan, The Velvet Underground as well as the old British baroque pop and the new extravagant glam rock as embodied by Marc Bolan. The album has been lauded, not only as one of Bowie's best, but also one of the best pop / rock albums of modern ages. Time (magazine) includes the album in its "All-Time 100 Albums" list, and it appears on many such best of lists. The album is naturally included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and it was Bowie's first commercial success as it went as high as to number #3 on the national albums chart list.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]

David Bowie "The Man Who Sold the World" (1970)

The Man Who Sold the World
release date: Nov. 1970
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,82]
producer: Tony Visconti
label: Mercury Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "All the Madmen" - 3. "Black Country Rock" - 8. "The Man Who Sold the World" (4 / 5) - 9. "The Supermen"

3rd studio album by David Bowie and the first to feature guitarist Mick Ronson. The album marks a change towards heavy rock with a distinct glam rock influence. On the one hand it's more homogeneous than its predecessor but also less appealing - perhaps due to more hard rock influence but less hit-based compositions, except from the fine title track. At places, e.g. track #3, Bowie (and backing band) sounds much like a clone of Marc Bolan and Tyrannosaurus Rex. The album was reissued by RCA Records in '72 with a new cover, and that album reached number #24 on national albums chart list.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

  

1971 alt. cover

1972 RCA reissue

David Bowie "David Bowie [Space Oddity]" (1969)

David Bowie [Space Oddity]
release date: Nov. 4, 1969
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,96]
producer: Tony Visconti
label: EMI Japan - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Space Oddity" (5 / 5) - 2. "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" - 4. "Letter to Hermione" - 7. "An Occasional Dream" - 10. "Memory of a Free Festival"

2nd studio album by David Bowie and the first to be produced by Tony Visconti. The album was originally released on Philips Records as David Bowie. In 1972, after Bowie had signed with RCA Records, RCA reissued the album as Space Oddity (leaving out track #3, "Don't Sit Down").
Now with Visconti as producer the sound appears tighter, more energetic, and Bowie has moved away from the Britishness of baroque pop, which was quite typical for the period, and instead he has fused the album with blues rock elements and more straight-forward compositions founded on more traditional rock & roll instrumentation - perhaps influenced by a more American traditional style, also delivered by The Rolling Stones. Fleetwood Mac and The Who. The obvious hit on the album is "Space Oddity", which was Bowie's first hit song making it to number #5 on the national singles chart list, however, the remaining songs are somewhat distanced from that single, and the album comes out as a bit unfocused without a clear style or direction. Some tracks are pure blues rock compositions with what appears as a distinct The Doors inspiration, whereas other tracks are more subdued psychedelic pop songs completely without the rock tension.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

David Bowie "David Bowie" (1967)

org. cover

David Bowie [debut]
release date: Jun. 1, 1967
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,38]
producer: Mike Vernon
label: Deram Records - nationality: England, UK

Studio debut album by David Bowie [aka David Robert Jones, Jan. 8, 1947 - Jan. 10, 2016, Brixton, Greater London]. Stylistically, this is far from what Bowie was later associated with - this is baroque pop and much closer to the music of artists like The Kinks, Tommy Steele, and (apparently) Anthony Newley. It also resembles the style of a later '67 debut album by Scott Walker - music inspired primarily by British acts with certain amounts of The Beatles with an addition of a certain psychedelic pop element without being too extravagant nor innovative. This was not music that tried to seek out new musical territories or recreate pop music itself. The album didn't stir up things and basically was a rather unnoticed release in the UK, and it's quite difficult to link this with his later works. The album really only is interesting for historical reasons and as fan material. Otherwise, the album is not recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Blender 1 / 5 stars ]