[David Bowie has passed away. Please post your condolences here http://prince.org/msg/8/421218

Please keep the discussion of the album on this thread only, thanks - luv4u]

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The album is out today and I think he's done it again. It's a great album....even though the melodies are kinda wandering and all.

Lazarus is my favourite song to be relased in 2015.

I have it preordered on Amazon but it won't be released til Friday.

loving "Lazarus"

EroticDreamer said:

I have it preordered on Amazon but it won't be released til Friday.

I can't believe a man knocking on 70 can even do this stuff. Can you imagine if he turned around and released a standards album ala Rod Stewart? No neither can I. And his voice hasn't changed at all. Amazing.

[Edited 1/7/16 9:26am]

Not bad...........he sounds a bit like Peter Gabriel on the vocals.

Milty2 said:

EroticDreamer said:

I have it preordered on Amazon but it won't be released til Friday.

I can't believe a man knocking on 70 can even do this stuff. Can you imagine if he turned around and released a standards album ala Rod Stewart? No neither can I. And his voice hasn't changed at all. Amazing.

[Edited 1/7/16 9:26am]

Yes, he sounds just as good as ever.

I wish there were more tracks on the album but there's always a 'deluxe' version a few months later.

I hope so.

Beats Prince by miles.

Hmmm. After several listens I am not finding the new material so extraordinary.

The title track is "the weirdest" piece of music on it, if that's what you were looking from the album. There's also an updated version of "Sue (In A Season Of Crime)" with a rockier overall sound that is about as weird as the title track stylistically, but doesn't quite work musically to my ears. I think Bowie should have redone the vocals and sang them differently on it. Now they sound like they belong to an entirely different piece of music.

Most of it is fairly standard "post-Tin Machine" Bowie. There's quite a lot of sax throughout the album, but a lot of it is fairly standardized and the more dissonant stuff is pushed down in the mixes. "'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore" has a fairly "avant-gardist" intro but the song itself reminds me of the material from... his early 90s period? The last track, "I Can't Give Everything Away", could have almost been on "The Buddha Of Suburbia".

Good stuff in overall, but doesn't break as much new ground as the initial reports suggested.

novabrkr said:

Hmmm. After several listens I am not finding the new material so extraordinary.

The title track is "the weirdest" piece of music on it, if that's what you were looking from the album. There's also an updated version of "Sue (In A Season Of Crime)" with a rockier overall sound that is about as weird as the title track stylistically, but doesn't quite work musically to my ears. I think Bowie should have redone the vocals and sang them differently on it. Now they sound like they belong to an entirely different piece of music.

Most of it is fairly standard "post-Tin Machine" Bowie. There's quite a lot of sax throughout the album, but a lot of it is fairly standardized and the more dissonant stuff is pushed down in the mixes. "'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore" has a fairly "avant-gardist" intro but the song itself reminds me of the material from... his early 90s period? The last track, "I Can't Give Everything Away", could have almost been on "The Buddha Of Suburbia".

Good stuff in overall, but doesn't break as much new ground as the initial reports suggested.

Amazon finally has the dl and I prefer this version of Sue (In A Season Of Crime).

Tis A Pity She Was A Whore sounds like a live recording with less mix and it's good to have another version but I prefer the original just because it bangs! more. This version doesn't sound as chaoticc or out-of-control as the original B-side.

I hadn't heard the last 3 tracks before today and I Can't Give Everything Away... that's my jam!

If you purchase the digital version from Amazon it includes the video for Blackstar.

It downloaded 2 videos but they're both the same file size but one has the 'Explicit' label and the other doesn't but I haven't notice any difference in content. (Probably just a clerical error.)

4 1/2 ouut of 5 stars for Blackstar.

Thank you, Mr. Bowie.

sounds like a hybrid of 'black tie white noise', 'outside' and 'earthling'. i like it

Great album, just frustratingly short...

Neversin.

First listen... Love it! Besides "Blackstar", "Sue" stood out for me. First listen, of course. He sings in a quite high register all through the album. Not too crazy about "I can't give everything away", I don't like the beat. Or rather, the sound of it. Reminds me of "Everyone says hi" on "Heathen", too thin sounding. And I would personally love it even more, if there were a few more electronic elements here and there. Now again with headphones!

[Edited 1/8/16 6:41am]

Neversin said:

Great album, just frustratingly short...

Neversin.

Yes! Would take 15 - 20 minutes more of this.

My first Bowie album.

I picked it up on the strength of the first two singles, and I have to say I'm loving it.

His use of horns is intoxicating. They contribute so much to the general meloncholic mood of the record, with their sad chords. Yet their tone is so warm, the sadness almost sounds comforting. Especially, on a song like Lazarus.

And the poetry of the lyrics really makes me want to grab a lyric sheet and study them. What's he going on about?

I love feeling like an album has taken you on a journey. 'Tis a pity it was so short.

Wonderful album.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

KingSausage said:

This album is fucking amazing. I have a hard time seeing how anything else that will come out in 2016 could top this. Even an extended edition of Black Messiah titled "Sausage Messiah, This One's 4 U, King!" with all the songs about me would take the back seat to Blackstar.

Lol.........please tell me you are joking.

Graycap23 said:

KingSausage said:

Graycap23 said:

Lol.........please tell me you are joking.

Why would I be joking? Bowie is tied with Prince as my favorite artist. This new Bowie album has blown me away. It would be very difficult for anything to top this album for me. Unless you mean I was joking about the D'Angelo thing. I haven't heard he's NOT doing a Sausage Messiah album so it can't be denied at this time.

Ok.........since he is your fav I get it.

Graycap23 said:

KingSausage said:

So far, I think Lazarus is my favorite track. I like all of them, but that one is just especially phenomenal.

Girl Love me.............that joint.

I'm going to have to add some screaming guitar to that one.

i tried a few times with the album and like everything i hear but i just cannot
get past "Lazarus". that songs is everything right now. it's the only thing i want

to listen to. no matter what else i put on, i just go 'no, Lazarus, again'

IstenSzek said:

KingSausage said:

Neversin said:

Great album, just frustratingly short...

Neversin.

It didn't have to be. There were 5 more tracks cut in these sessions so get ready to be milked again around the holidays for the inevitable "Deluxe" version.

It's a damn good record though. The title track is my fave and I wish it had more of that weirdness elsewhere on the LP. 'Lazarus" is a gem.

[Edited 1/8/16 13:18pm]

Just now listening to the download... Love it, but, of course, I've heard some of these songs already. Now, I need the Flac version. BTW sounds way better on head phones or a banging sound system. Can't wait to buy the deluxe Black Star with the songs he left off this one...