Blackstar - Instant best album of 2016?

[deeohgee]

Probably

[Swordfishtrombone]

I've listened to it several times now, and while I agree with everyone else that it's too early to tell whether it will be album of the year, it's up there with my other favorites from him. Other than a few minor complaints about it (only small things like vocal effects on title track + wishing the vocals cut thru a bit better, but like I said, small things), it's great imo.

Also, since someone brought up the album being tied to his death, that's something that's been on my mind a bit with this. I mean, Blackstar's in a weird spot with this. It's clearly about his impending death, and imo, you can't really appreciate it properly without considering that (don't get me wrong, I thought it was great when I listened and he was still alive, but it just takes it to another level for me after the fact), but it's gonna be hard to really separate it from the fact that it's, from what I can tell from how big of a deal it is, basically the John Lennon (in terms of public reaction) of this time period.

Makes me wonder how this album would be doing if he had lived long enough to do another album, like he apparently planned to do. If he was still alive right now, would Blackstar be the big deal that it is?

Sorry for just rambling on, but I've been up for ages, so I barely know wtf I'm going on about.

[DarkAxel]

I think he finished the intended album and it might get released someday? Maybe I misread the news...

Anyway - fair question. I don't think the sales would be as good, I think the death was incredibly good for business. Critical acclaim though... that's something I'm not able to guess

It would still be the same great album, perhaps some lines would lose their gravity (although... he would still be old and possibly on the cusp of death and they'd eventually gain the gravity anyway) but the quality would still be there. The question is if we would still be able to appreciate it as much or if it got more typical lukewarm reception as so many great albums get. And I mean even acclaimed ones. I feel usually the reactions to albums these days are sort of disinterested regardless of the rating so perhaps his death brought out the attention and excitement we lost for great music because it feels more like honoring him after his passing

My rambling is due to me being quite high. Ramble on, I didn't start this thread just to write what i think!

[D.o.S.]

How's the weed in Prague, anyway?

[DarkAxel]

I'm not in Prague, I'm in Brno... Anyway my drummer brought me some and smoked some with me while we listened to Jaga Jazzist and The Bad Plus

I like his stuff a lot! Home-grown, fertilized with chicken shit... He's from outside of the city

[Swordfishtrombone]

I think he finished the intended album and it might get released someday? Maybe I misread the news...

Anyway - fair question. I don't think the sales would be as good, I think the death was incredibly good for business. Critical acclaim though... that's something I'm not able to guess

It would still be the same great album, perhaps some lines would lose their gravity (although... he would still be old and possibly on the cusp of death and they'd eventually gain the gravity anyway) but the quality would still be there. The question is if we would still be able to appreciate it as much or if it got more typical lukewarm reception as so many great albums get. And I mean even acclaimed ones. I feel usually the reactions to albums these days are sort of disinterested regardless of the rating so perhaps his death brought out the attention and excitement we lost for great music because it feels more like honoring him after his passing

My rambling is due to me being quite high. Ramble on, I didn't start this thread just to write what i think!

I'm not sure. Tony Visconti said that there were five demos that he wanted to use as a follow up to Blackstar, but iirc, Bowie/Visconti basically said Sue and Tis a Pity were basically demos when they were first released, and those were proper recordings. So I dunno.

Yeah, I think I'm with you on that. Hell, The Next Day didn't seem to get too much attention from people that weren't already fans to begin with, which isn't bad for someone like him. I may be misremembering since that was three years ago tho.

Yeah, it would probably get a good amount of attention if he had lived a bit longer, but it would probably be overshadowed by whatever comes next, maybe at the most gaining some sort of mystique in a similar way to Ian Curtis and The Idiot. Like you said, the timing of his death made it so it was not only an album that Bowie's fans would love, but also spawn the whole "Bowie turned his death into art" thing that everyone's going on about.

Honestly, I'm cool with all of the people that are only really getting into his work because of this, even if their only real exposure to him before was the singles from the 70s and 80s, they've listened to the title track + "Lazarus", which are great songs on their own, and have hopefully been intrigued enough to listen to the rest (especially since everyone involved was cool enough to put everything up on youtube). It's awesome that people will be able to experience that.

Also, "where the fuck did monday go?!" is possibly one of the coolest lyrics in the last 10 years. Most people sound silly when dropping clusters of fucks like that, but Bowie had the right attitude for it.

[GardenoftheDead]

It's a damn good album but I don't know if it's unbeatable for the album of the year title.

[Eivind August]

I'm not in Prague, I'm in Brno...

No shit? My best friend is studying in Brno right now, and will be for the coming years. You know what that means...

[DarkAxel]

Also, "where the fuck did monday go?!" is possibly one of the coolest lyrics in the last 10 years. Most people sound silly when dropping clusters of fucks like that, but Bowie had the right attitude for it.

That's the most haunting line of the whole album because he never lived long enough to see the monday

not to get all paranoid and shit... but it's almost as if he pulled the conspiratory Elvis and went into hiding, faking his own death as a last joke.

I mean I'm sure he's dead, but... it all lines up a little too well you know?

[Inconuucl]

Also, "where the fuck did monday go?!" is possibly one of the coolest lyrics in the last 10 years. Most people sound silly when dropping clusters of fucks like that, but Bowie had the right attitude for it.

That's the most haunting line of the whole album because he never lived long enough to see the monday

not to get all paranoid and shit... but it's almost as if he pulled the conspiratory Elvis and went into hiding, faking his own death as a last joke.

I mean I'm sure he's dead, but... it all lines up a little too well you know?

He DID specified that no one attend his funeral.

[Swordfishtrombone]

Also, "where the fuck did monday go?!" is possibly one of the coolest lyrics in the last 10 years. Most people sound silly when dropping clusters of fucks like that, but Bowie had the right attitude for it.

That's the most haunting line of the whole album because he never lived long enough to see the monday

not to get all paranoid and shit... but it's almost as if he pulled the conspiratory Elvis and went into hiding, faking his own death as a last joke.

I mean I'm sure he's dead, but... it all lines up a little too well you know?

Yeah, definitely. That and the repeated "I'm dying too" bit at the end of "Dollar Days".

I've seen a few people wondering whether he committed suicide or not because of that line.

I do like the idea of Bowie, Elvis and Tupac traveling around, Scooby Doo style, tracking down big foot, the person on the grassy knoll, etc. After a particularly rough mystery is solved, Elvis would say to the rest of the gang that he's all shook up, and needs some time to decompress. Bowie will be like "pfft, it's a godawful small affair", Tupac would nod in agreement, and Elvis would storm off, shocked by his friends' insensitivity towards him.

[DarkAxel]

that made me laugh so hard man

Hey but seriously. There are moments like that in basically every song. Allusions, provocations... I respect Bowie's memory but I'd not be surprised if it all of a sudden went public it was a ruse and he played us and he's sipping tall drinks in the bahamas wearing all white suits and shit

[Swordfishtrombone]

Yeah, I could see that being possible. In a few months, his wife and kidmove to some private island somewhere, and he lives out the rest of his days with them, occasionally releasing new material thru Tony Visconti as "demos" or "album rejects" and just relaxing.

Also, I love how Bowie's managed to be bizarre enough in his life that this idea isn't as far fetched as it would be with some others. It's seems somewhat plausible that Blackstar + his death are just a performance for him. I believe that he is dead, and have no real reason to think otherwise, but this isn't too farfetched imo.

[Chuckchuck]

Ok I do believe that it will be really hard to beat this record

I literally just got into Bowie. along with Low, Lodger, Tin Machine and Heroes this is one of the first albums I've heard in their entirety. I can't really judge it in the context of his discography, but even as an album it's fantastic. I really enjoy both the production and the writing, it's the right mix of catchy and propulsive with eclectic and surprising, provoking. It's a treat

Lyrics are a bit odd, but I'm not too big on lyrics almost ever. There are very few exceptions (Elbow for example)

See: Diamond Dogs, "We Are The Dead" what a pretty, melodic verse. I remember when Tin Machine came out--everyone was like what the hell Bowie in a garage band? Of course it was a super-group-garage-band.

"Try Some Buy Some" also great. I wish he used a lowfi or live sound vs tight studio for that Reality album. To my point, "Bring Me The Disco King" is beautiful but would you guess by that intro that it's Bowie? Could be Diana Krall or something until his vocals kick in. To contradict myself, Disco King is the most live-sounding track on that album, prob b/c it's him, piano, jazz drums.

[casecandy]

Honestly, I always thought of Ronson's riffs as quintessential garage-band fodder, once filtered through a few levels of influence on other artists...