And finally, I have reached the last decade of David Bowie’s albums. Much like the 90s it seems like the albums from this era don’t really get brought up too often. I’m really not sure what to expect from these records so let’s take a look……..
Heathen– musically, it’s sort of similar to Hours and again harkens back to his work he did in the 70’s a little. Lyrically it seems like it’s open for interpretation however I read somewhere that critics interpreted some songs as a response to the September 11 attacks. There are some cover songs from bands like Pixies and Neil Young and they’re pretty good. Again it goes straight too far away from what he’s done in the past but it’s a great album and I’m going to give it 9/10.
Standouts: Cactus, Slow Burn, Afraid
Reality– i’d say musical.ly this one’s more upbeat sounding, and it tends to pick up where the last record left off. This one did catch my ear a little bit more and like the last album there are some cover songs, but they’re great covers. This album came out in 2003 and he would not release another record until 2013 as he retreated from public view to undergo a procedure to treat a blocked artery. I’ll give this album 8.5/10.
Standouts: New Killer Star, Never Get Old, Days
The Next Day– after 10 years of not making a new album how does this record sound? Well, it sounds great, which should be no surprise. It’s an art rock album, but with elements of glam and funk. This is one of those records that I would sort of lump in there with comeback records because it sells refreshed and she sounds reenergized. Not a return to form record necessarily but a great listen and I’m going to give it 9/10.
Standouts: The Next Day, Love Is Lost, Boss Of Me
Blackstar– here we are the final record from David Bowie. I do have to say it does in fact feel like a final album. I really can’t explain it. You just have to listen to it. It’s a very atmospheric record with a lot of various jazz elements and the lyrics are told from the perspective of him dying which he in fact was. Knowing that really makes this a very sad record but it’s a perfect final record. I’m going to give this 9.5/10.
Standouts: Lazarus, Girl Loves Me, Dollar Days
Well, I do have to say I really really enjoyed these records and it really is too bad that David Bowie is no longer with us. I have no doubt in my mind that if you were still alive and kicking that, I would’ve definitely gone to see one of his concerts. This is another great decade, and as I’ve said, in previous reviews, the fact that he can reinvent himself, I’m pretty much every single album is truly an amazing accomplishment. David Bowie may be gone, but we have a massive amount of albums to listen to that have absolutely preserved his legacy. This was another great decade and I had an absolute blast going through all these records.
Final Grade: A
Album Rankings:
- Heathen
- Blackstar
- Reality
- The Next Day
Sinister Reviews 