Album Review: David Bowie - Let's Dance (1983)

Picked this album up for a mere six bucks today, and being a fan of David Bowie it felt almost obligatory to do so.  There's a few big name songs on this album - "Modern Love", "China Girl" "Let's Dance", albeit the original "long" versions.  I can understand why they appeared on both radio and the hits albums in shorter form - it's not because they were necessarily too long, but because the shorter versions were a far superior mix and thus sounded better from start to finish.  Thanks to my music hoarding proclivities, I am nonetheless pleased that they are here.  Of course, I'll mostly stick to The Singles Collection versions for my fix, with the originals getting a spin every now and then should I happen to be in the mood.  And the original, and frankly awful version of "Cat People" is here too - stick to the "new and improved" version if you can.  And I might just admit too that "Criminal World" and "Shake It" might just last a few listening sessions.  All up, not too bad an album I guess.  B

Album Review: David Bowie - The Next Day (2013)

The last album I reviewed from David Bowie was Reality from 2003.  I thought it was a great album - at a time where many of his contemporaries would have well and truly slipped in terms of the quality of their musical output, Bowie was still at the top of his game.  The same applies to the album I'm reviewing here, The Next Day, which was released ten years after Reality.  Bowie made no bones about his artistic proclivities - and The Next Day is no exception to this.  It is a Bowie album through and through.  I must say though, that I'm not as fond of this album as I am of Reality, but it certainly sounds better than what I had initially expected, and I am nonetheless glad I took the time to review it.  I've found two memorable songs on this album - "Where Are We Now?" and "Valentine's Day", and I might find myself playing "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" from time to time.  It's definitely worth checking out regardless of whether you are a Bowie fan or not.  Boy, I wish this man was still here with us.  A genius through and through.  And not a bad album, either.  B+

Album Review: David Bowie – Reality (2003)

In light of the unexpected (and shocking) death of legendary rocker David Bowie, it feels somewhat obligatory on my part as a budding music critic (of sorts) to write up a review on an album by one of the world's most innovative, artistic and irrefutably brilliant musicians.  And I'm more than happy to oblige.  I loved David Bowie.  I loved his chameleon-like artistic proclivities.  I loved his musical sensibilities.  But most of all I loved his climatic and authoritative voice.  And I cannot help but feel somewhat guilty for finding the most gratitude in listening to his music after his death.  But of course, I guess, we are predisposed to take even the greatest musical titans for granted until the day that they cease to be, in which we quickly come to realize that we've just lost something irreplaceable.  And what we are left with - memories, the music that has been, the legacy of an immeasurable talent now lost to time - subsequently forces us to cherish and relish them until ourselves succumb to our own mortality and head for that great gig in the sky.  It seems you really don't know what you've got until it's gone.  Anyway, back to the review.

Reality from 2003 is a very good album, given that many artists who claim to have had musical careers spanning five decades are often burned out and mere fractions of the great artists that they once were.  But David Bowie, 56 years old at the time of this album's release, demonstrates aptly that longevity is no inevitable barrier to continuing musical brilliance.  The opening track, "New Killer Star", is as good a song as "Ashes to Ashes" or "Heroes" ever were.  From there it moves on to "Pablo Picasso" and "Never Get Old."  My second favorite on the album, "Days" makes for compulsory listening, and for good measure, I recommend giving "Fall Dog Bombs the Moon" and "Waterloo Sunset" a whirl as well.  A-