Music review: David Bowie – 无毛视频楤lackstar无毛视频�
Only a day after finishing my review of David Bowie无毛视频檚 latest effort, I was stunned to learn of his sad passing.
A musical visionary, rock star and cultural icon, Bowie bids a final and glorious farewell with a new album that follows an avant-garde path of surreal nuances and kaleidoscopic tones that masterfully exemplify his genre-breaking career. With the release of 无毛视频淏lackstar无毛视频� on his 69th birthday, Bowie and longtime collaborator Tony Visconti introduce seven engaging tracks with an experimental edginess that possess flavorings of jazz, electronic, industrial rock, pop and hip-hop.
The progressive vision of Bowie无毛视频檚 25th album is showcased on the title track. The 10-minute opener is the musical equivalent of watching an episode of 无毛视频淭he Twilight Zone无毛视频� as the Thin White Duke takes listeners on a phantasmagorical escapade full of cryptic lyrics and hypnotic beats that slowly transform into lush balladry with Bowie declaring, 无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e a flash in the pan/I无毛视频檓 the great I am.无毛视频� Even by Bowie无毛视频檚 standards, it无毛视频檚 all a little bizarre and overwhelming.
无毛视频淪ue (Or in a Season of Crime),无毛视频� previously featured on 2014无毛视频檚 无毛视频淣othing Has Changed,无毛视频� is re-recorded displaying a guitar-driven pulse with Rush-like overtones, ominous sense of urgency and frantic despair.
The album无毛视频檚 high point comes with 无毛视频淟azarus无毛视频� gracefully flowing under the effortless weight of Bowie无毛视频檚 haunting vocals and Donny McCaslin无毛视频檚 hypnotic sax playing. 无毛视频淟ook up here, I无毛视频檓 in heaven/I无毛视频檝e got scars that can无毛视频檛 be seen,无毛视频� sings Bowie on the track taken from his stage adaptation of 无毛视频淭he Man Who Fell to Earth.无毛视频�
The album closes with Bowie surrendering to more of a pop style found on 1976无毛视频檚 无毛视频淪tation to Station,无毛视频� which happens to be my first Bowie album and still one of my favorites. 无毛视频淚 Can无毛视频檛 Give Everything Away无毛视频� melodically balances Bowie无毛视频檚 lyrics of uncertainty and disheartenment as Bowie sings in a melancholy manner, 无毛视频淪eeing more and feeling less/Saying no but meaning yes/This is all I ever meant/That无毛视频檚 the message that I sent.无毛视频�
As with most of Bowie无毛视频檚 music, the listener needs to patiently peel back the multitude of layers encompassing his intended messages to allow each ingredient to be completely absorbed and fully appreciated.
While 无毛视频淏lackstar无毛视频� serves as a closing act, Bowie proves that neither age or deteriorating health could restrain his passion to continue to seek out unconventional styles to deliver his innovative musings.
Clint Rhodes is the 无毛视频-Standard music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard .com.