Listening now! Super good surprise!
Only a few tracks in but I'm reeeeaaaally loving it.
We can't understand what he's talking about (as is sometimes typical with Bowie) but we're really loving the music so far!
jesus, he went straight back in time with this one. i'm generally undecided (one of those weird late-period Bowie likers) but it has some real barnburners in there. and DAT DRUM SOUND.
Just after the first listen and it's AMAZING.
Enjoyable album - it's the music I want modern Bowie to be making, and I hope he makes more of it!
Also, I have a decent-quality rip from the iTunes stream with the tracks separated. PM if you want a link.
Wow, it's fucking good imho! I already loved The Stars (Are Out Tonight) but the highlights on first listen for me: "Love is Lost", "Valentine's Day", "I'd Rather Be High", "(You Will) Set the World On Fire" and "You Feel So Lonely You Could Die"
Fantastic overall!
I just got through my first listen... It's strange there are elements from (pretty much) every Bowie era in here, there is something for everyone.
I was enjoying the shit of it but getting a bit on the fence with the vibe from the first six track , then If You Can See Me kicked in... so far this is more than I expected (and I expected good things).
I can't wait to listen to it more... Heat is a great closer too
Last edited by danebraddy; 03-01-2013 at 06:14 AM. Reason: forgot a
I'm still on my first listen, and I was unsure about the first few tracks but so far everything after and including Where Are We Now is pure gold. I love the Earthling vibe on If You Can See Me
It's now available from the usual suspects should that be your thing.
I kinda 'missed it' the first time through because of giddiness - but The Next Day (song) is awesome
Is the iTunes stream the standard tracklist or the deluxe version with the bonus tracks? (just out of curiosity)
Happy to see everyone's enjoying it!
as much as i wanna cave in with a stream/link- i think i'm going to handle this one the old fashioned way and wait for the release date. but i'm glad to hear all the positive reviews so far!
Really enjoying this after two streams!
On the first listen, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. But I'm listening to it again and it's astounding. I think all the loudness complements his silence of the past ten years. It's so different from what I thought it would be. It's so new and retro and yet so touching in those rare, surprising moments too. "Love Is Lost" is beautiful, especially since its segues into "Where Are We Now?" Two nice, consecutive slaps in the face. It's great.
And the lyrics are so, so stirring too. Wow.
"I can see you as a corpse,
Hanging from a beam.
I can read you like a book.
I can feel you falling,
I hear you moaning in your room."
And also this, which is nice:
"You're country is new
your friends are new
your house are new
and your eyes are new
your maid is new
and your accent too
but your fear is as old as the wo-o-orld"
And "Heat" which is just incredible:
"My father ran the prison.
My father ran the prison.
I can only love you,
By hating him more.
That's not the truth,
It's too big a world.
He believed that,
Love is theft.
Love and wars,
The theft of love.
And I tell myself,
I don't know who I am.
And I tell myself,
I don't know I am."
And, of course, the title-track:
"here i am; not quite dying
my body left to rot in a hollow tree
its branches throwing shadows on the gallows for me
and the next day and the next and another day."
So I've listened through it twice now and I think that there is a lot to enjoy and to appreciate in the coming months. My musical tastes moved a bit away from this kind of garage band/indie rock and I would have liked a little more ambience à la Heathen or a little more "jazziness" (Bowie uses pianist Mike Garson for that, but didn't do it this time). Still, Bowie's in formidable form, I can't help but appreciating that. The songs are, within the limits of indie rock, rather versatile, full of little tricks and surprises.
This might be the last good opportunity to point people to the song 'The Electrician' by The Walker Brothers (that is, Scott Walker). If you like Bowie's 'Heat' listen to this one, you will be rewarded.
'the electrictian' (and all the scott songs from nite flights) are amazing.
and i caved. i'm listening to a nice vbr rip of the new album now. absolutely loving it so far!
I can tell this is something I'm really going to like but it's not entirely blowing me away after a couple listens. I know I enjoy it...but something's not clicking 100% with me really.
Add me to the list of Earthling lovers also. That was right around the time I really got into Bowie. I remember Muchmusic had his 50th Birthday concert on back in the day, and the diversity of the tracks hooked me. It may be unofficial, but I am happy I finally have decent audio of the concert: http://www.musicadvisor.biz/david-bo...997-review.htm
Thinking of that concert, I haven't seen this song mentioned a lot in here:
DVD of that concert please!!!
moonage daydream? the highlight of ziggy stardust in my opinion, alongside 'five years' and 'rock n' roll suicide'- those three songs are irrefutable. 'all the young dudes' is a great forgotten gem, never fully realized by either mott the nipple or the flat studio recording from the aladdin sane sessions. weird how that one got swept under the rug in a sense.
so two listens into the new album. i like it, but don't LOVE it. too much self-reference (a problem with heathen/reality as well), from the drums in 'five years' to two songs (TWO!) sounding like 'repetition' from lodger. it's been mentioned that 'heat' is great, but that it's also a scott walker homage.
the best song by far is 'love is lost' which truly wowed me. the rest is solid but doesn't really jump out at me, though 'the stars (are out tonight)' gets in my head a lot. i so a solid effort for sure, on par with the last few as far as the WOW factor is concerned.
Moonage for sure! I remember first hearing it at the 50th birthday concert. "Moonage", "Space Oddity", and "Seven Years in Tibet" were the first three songs that grabbed me from first listen.
I also love the version of "Repetition" that plays over the credits of the concert. Bowie and the "light masks"!
that's an acoustic backstage session, i believe... complete with an interview and people calling in to wish bowie a happy birthday. scott walker calling in is especially touching.
I'm going to have to look for those calls. Getting into Scott Walker two years back reminded me of getting into Bowie in the late 90s.
here's the one in particular:
Not a bad album at all. My favorite track is "The Next Day" I think that would have been a better single than "Where are we now?". I really can't get into that song at all, it's just so different from the rest of the album, to the point where the album doesn't seem to flow well with it being a few songs in. I enjoy "(you will) set the world on fire" as well.
The new album sounds good! It was on sale on a local grorecy store already today, maybe I'll go and pick it up. I'm new to his music so what albums would you people recommend to start with?
I can't wait for the release date. I want the cd in my HANDS. I'm glad to hear people's reviews about it are mostly positive.