![]() The version here is far more fully developed thanks to the fiery performances by Bowie’s ace collaborators: New York City-based musicians Donny McCaslin (whose phenomenal sax work is one of the album’s sonic signatures), the brilliant jazz guitarist Ben Monder, and the uber-talented trio of Jason Lindner on keys, Tim Lefebvre on bass and the amazing Mark Guiliana on drums. “‘Tis a Pity She Was a Whore” first appeared as the b-side to the new single Bowie recorded for last year’s compilation Nothing Has Changed, “Sue (or in a Season of Crime)”. “Blackstar” is the album’s throbbing heart, encompassing nearly one-fourth of its length and setting its tone. This is evident by his deeply compelling performance in the song’s hypnagogic video, which abounds with dark religious iconography and stark celestial scenery. Bowie himself isn’t talking - he hasn’t given an interview in over a decade - but he is clearly as invested in this music as anything he’s ever done. Fans and critics will be dissecting the song’s enigmatic and striking imagery well into the future. The concept of the black star has numerous meanings in the worlds of the occult, alchemy, astrology, mythology and philosophy. Musically, as with the rest of the album, the vibe is tight, compact, mathematically precise and controlled. Then at about the 7:45 point, the song shifts back to the tense drama of the first half. The mood is entirely different, with the manic repetition of “I’m a blackstar!” anchoring the end of each line. Bowie’s chant-like vocals are those of a tormented phantom, as he sings lines like “On the day of execution / only women kneel and smile / at the center of it all / your eyes, your eyes.”Īt about the 4:00 mark there is a transition marked by glistening strings until Bowie’s spectral vocals glide in over a subtle guitar part glowing with reverb. It’s a solemn intergalactic hymn that Major Tom might have heard on the glowing planet he mentions in “Ashes to Ashes” while strung out on heaven’s high. Over a taut rhythm, Bowie’s choral-like multi-tracked drone belongs in an alien cult’s sacred rite of mourning. “Blackstar” first appeared as the opening theme for the European crime drama mini-series The Last Panthers in October of last year. It’s like diving into a deep and shadowy lake with endless underwater crevices to explore.īlackstar opens with the 10-minute title track - the last time Bowie opened an album with an epic this ambitious was the title song to Station to Station which, perhaps coincidentally, turns 40 later this month. It’s so outré and surreal that it’s impossible to wrap your head around immediately. Blackstar gives away almost nothing on first listen. ![]() There are no potential hits here, not even much in the way of traditional song structures. Blackstar is previously unexplored territory for a man who’s already plotted more flags on the musical terrain than anybody else in rock history. Blackstar fits that description, particularly with the strong jazz influences, but that’s still not exactly dead-on. Blackstar swerves as close as Bowie has ever come to progressive rock, an amorphous sub-genre in which artists pull energy from just about every imaginable musical source, including jazz and cinematic soundscapes, to create often lengthy and obtuse pieces that aren’t immediately penetrable but require open ears and repeated listens to absorb with any real sense of meaning. Visconti told Rolling Stone Magazine, “The goal was to avoid rock and roll.” Avoid it they did, but not entirely. Producer Tony Visconti, who has collaborated on many of Bowie’s greatest triumphs stretching back all the way back to the Space Oddity album in 1969, is once again at the helm for Blackstar. ![]() Blackstar is Bowie’s most unconventional album since his dual ’70s masterpieces Low and ”Heroes”, and is a breathtaking and relentlessly fascinating piece of work. Of course, given that he’s well-known for his fearless experimentalism and versatility, it can hardly be considered surprising that the second release since his comeback is nothing like its predecessor. Fortunately, instead of one last hurrah by an aging musical legend, The Next Day appears to have been the start of an exciting new phase in Bowie’s career. It was a stunning return for an artist who many assumed had permanently retired from recording. ![]() Three years ago, with nary a hint of warning, David Bowie returned after a decade-long absence with the single “Where Are We Now?” (released on his 66th birthday), and word that a new album, The Next Day, was on the horizon.
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