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Album Review: David Bowie - The Next Day
Other | Monday 4th March 2013 | Charles
Fits in Snuggly with his Range of Classics
There are few figures in music, or modern art, as enigmatic as David Bowie who’s constantly shifted his style over four decades to not fit the norm, but to push its boundaries. With no new record or much touring in the past 10 years most thought he’d finally, unlike most musicians these days, retired to the quiet life, but that would be far to droll for the man who invented glam rock and an fictional alien rock-god.
On his latest record Bowie may not be pushing those boundaries he did throughout the 70s but with the extensive legacy he already possess he can’t be blamed. Opener and title track, ‘The Next Day’ fits the form of classic the Ziggy-era Bowie but much of the dark, tense atmosphere and electronic sounds are more in line with his other defining era, the Berlin Trilogy.
Criticising Bowie feels like sacrilege at this point but the record isn’t perfect. Specifically the length can be problematic at 14 tracks over 58 minutes, compared to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars which hit 38 minutes with 11 songs left you ravenous for more but your purchase entirely value for money. But these are minor quibbles when so many ‘old’ artists release albums that will only satisfy their hard-core fans, but Bowie still feels relevant and great in this modern world.
Charles Pegg
