I woke up this morning to the news that after more than a decade, musician David Bowie had finally released a new song (appropriately titled "Where Are We Now?") on this... his 66th birthday!
Being a fan, I was excited to give this a listen...
... but actually clicked it off less than a minute into it.
A very gloomy, downbeat song after all this time, and definitely not what I expected. Sure, I am used to Bowie venturing into some odd sonic territories... at his best, that's what makes him David Bowie! But at first, second, and third listen, there is something very awkward and dreary about this one... makes it hard to listen to (not unlike the latest from fellow rock veterans Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones).
I will say that Bowie earns points for continuing to be experimental. Apparently the song deals with the city of Berlin, where the artist lived in the late 70s, and perhaps looks at how much he and the city have changed since that time (it has a very regretful, sad feeling to it).
Following his tremendous rise in early '70s, Bowie moved to Berlin, Germany, to exorcise his rock and roll excesses, which included a heavy drug addiction. He recorded three very interesting, experimental albums with producer Brian Eno (Low, Heroes, and Lodger), and set the template for much of the electronic sound and style that would emerge in the 1980s. Listening to the song (and watching the video) from that perspective, I am somewhat more sympathetic... it gets better towards the end actually. There is a very heavy conceptual thing happening in the video, directed by Tony Oursler... it wouldn't feel out of place as a video art installation, which is cool.
At the moment, I'm also intrigued by the upcoming album. The cover design takes one of those 70s Berlin albums, Heroes, and simply places a blank square over top with type that reads "The Next Day" (the new album title). I'm a little more prepared to see the brilliance in that minimalist move, following last year's graphic design class.
As for the song... I have to say that it is hard to listen to work by an artist you admire, and admit to yourself that you're not really sure you dig it (I'm ok with melancholy, but prefer a little more melody to balance things out). Maybe I'll have to give it more time...
In any event, I'm relieved to hear that David Bowie is back. Happy Birthday to one of the true originals, who apparently still has a few tricks up his sleeve...
Related Links:
www.davidbowie.com
"Everything We Know About New David Bowie Album 'The Next Day,'" Flavorwire.com, January 8, 2013
"David Bowie: The Next Day. That album cover design." Barnbrook Blog, January 8, 2013
"Born To Rock," Blue-eyed Soul Productions blog, January 8, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment