New David Bowie single 'Where Are We Now?' & album in March
- Thread starter Balbi
- Start date
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Pretty sure the last two Bowie records were also the Best Comeback Albums By Anyone Ever as well, according to the broadsheet press anyway. I never listened to 'Reality' but Heathen was deadly dull.
For my money, the Best Comeback Album Ever is still Norton Folgate by Madness, unique for being considerably better than enything else they'd ever done.
Nanker Phelge
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
I agree to some degree, although it's arguable that Folgate was not a comeback album as their real comeback album was 'Wonderful' which was followed by The Dangermen Sessions and then Norton Folgate.
That they then went on to release another great album in 2012 demonstrates it was no fluke and that they've got some real fire back in their belly for writing tunes.
I don't hold out hope for The specials achievig anything near as good.
As for Bowie, I am always hopeful that he will release something great again.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Don't get me wrong, I do like this new Bowie stuff. I just don't think he's ever gonna make another album as good as Ziggy Stardust, because frankly nobody ever has.
editor
hiraethified
I think 'Where Are We Now' is great. It's the best song I've heard this year and it's still stuck in my ruddy head- and I haven't liked anything from Bowie in decades.
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
Tilda Swinton is as cool as fuck in the video. She looks amazing.
I was super disappointed with that video. This still is better than the whole thing.
It is a good still though. I wuv her.
Nanker Phelge
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
I shall reserve judgement until I hear the album as a whole. The individual songs so far have not excited me very much beyond being very glad he's back.
Favelado
J'adore South Shore
I think that's what's driving the hyperbolic single reviews. It's like when Dexy's released that abysmal record last year. There was so much goodwill around it got in the way of taste.
Greatest comeback album though huh? Hmm. There's a thread.
Nanker Phelge
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
The Dexys album has great songs on it, but I'm not completely sold on the production. Live it was amazing. Best gigs of last year for me.
They're doing two week residency at the Duke of York theatre in April.....should be great!
Dr. Furface
One small step for me
Me too. I wish I hadn't seen it before hearing the song, as I won't be able to hear the song in future without thinking about it. I wasn't that thrilled with the song either.
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
Yes the song was pretty poor too. I saw the stills in the paper and was keen on seeing the video.
The video starts with quite a cool sounding song type thing before the spoken word bit, so I was disappointed again when the song kicked off and it was long and boring.
Before I watched it I listened to Absolute Beginners (on here) and that stamped all all over the new song, and that shouldn't be the case.
Still, better than hello space face jellybaby I suppose.
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
PS. He really could have made more of the old man thing. It would have been really cool if he really had dressed like a regular old chap of his age, instead he couldn't face is and went for the cool old styled man look. bah.
editor
hiraethified
You must have a funny sense of fashion if you think that a normal plain shirt and a jumper is 'trendy'. That's exactly what a lot of men his age wear.
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
Yes but he has a stylish hair cut and all.
They could have easily made him look like a normal old man.
editor
hiraethified
He is David Bowie. He is not normal. He is genius.
Favelado
J'adore South Shore
The new one sounds like fairly pleasant indie-landfill with an asthmatic wheezing over the top of it. It's better than Tin Machine and the D n B stuff though.
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
Yes, but I would have liked to see him play a regular old man for just that very juxtaposition.
Also (controversially), I don't really think he is a genius anymore sadly.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
It's now officially stuck in my head too. Not much to it lyrically, but the vocal is wonderful.
editor
hiraethified
He's made the best single I've heard this year.
editor
hiraethified
It has a real sad, faraway mood to it - "oceanically melancholic" I think is how one reviewer described it. It's a beautiful song of real depth.
Nanker Phelge
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
Album will need a few more listens, but my initial feelings are positive.
Nanker Phelge
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
them days are long gone!
Balbi
Hey, Dean Yager!
Favelado
J'adore South Shore
I've heard it now. I admire the fact that he's really had a go at making something adventurous. The self-referencing is done so you can hear the motifs of yesteryear Bowie but it's never laid on so thick that it's annoying, It's full of different styles and sounds and sometimes it nearly pulls off some magic. The main problem with it for me is that on quite a few of the tracks I got ten seconds in and thought "Oooh, this sounds great" but by the time the first chorus had finished the song had already failed to live up to its promise and had descended into a strange kind of musical mediocrity, despite being conceptually daring. The production is great throughout but his voice, the vocal melodies and a lot of the lyrics are just plain poor. I don't ever want to hear the words "cricket and bat" in a song again. As you say, there a couple of tracks towards the end that work nicely.
It doesn't matter a fucking jot what the music press write. They're just excited that he's back and that's understandable. It would be nice if one of the critics had the balls to write a more honest review of the Old Emperor's New Clothes but no-one's going to break cover.
I give it a Pitchfork style 6.1
It doesn't matter a fucking jot what the music press write. They're just excited that he's back and that's understandable. It would be nice if one of the critics had the balls to write a more honest review of the Old Emperor's New Clothes but no-one's going to break cover.
I give it a Pitchfork style 6.1
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