[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally posted by bjjp2 Wow, I couldn't disagree more. To the contrary, Bowie has made many consciously uncommercial, yet artistically adventurous, albums. Listen to "Outside" "Low" "Lodger", "Earthling."

I agree those are great albums...but then he did Let's Dance and from there it came crashing down.

Also note that I did say this in my post too:

Quote:

He doesn't hide it and I respect him for that. When he gave up the rights to his music to buy stock and then sold that stock to make something ludicrous like 200 million now...well, that's beyond selling out...that's called business savy.

 

[markl]

I have to agree with Darkangel, except I have no need even for Ziggy Stardust. If you're looking for "rock star goes mental" music, Pink Floyd the Wall does it much much better, IMO. I think Bowie is an over-rated "artiste" at any period of his career. Take away the make-up, his then-shocking sexual-ambiguity, his new "image/persona" every two years, and what do you have left? At the end of the day, what does David Bowie *want*? Who is he, and does he even know?

The guy studied mime, for chrissakes.

All that said, he can write great songs, he worked with a lot of great people, but IMO, even the recent 2CD best of that came out recently has some spotty unnecessary moments ("Oh you pretty things"??? "Drive-In Saturday" anyone?).

I'm probably going to end up with Heathen just because its in SACD, but my expectations are low. When I do, I'll post a mini-review in the sticky SACD thread.

Mark

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally posted by markl I'm probably going to end up with Heathen just because its in SACD, but my expectations are low. When I do, I'll post a mini-review in the sticky SACD thread. Mark

Bowie has made so many bad albums since "let's dance 1983" only a hardcore Bowie fan would recognize these duds:
-tonight
-never let me down
-black tie
-outside
-budha of surburbia
-earthling
-hours

After so many lame works it would be very surprising for Bowie to make good album.........can anyone tell us they think HEATHEN is a good album?

BTW I just saw where they will release 30th anniversary edition of "aladdin sane" 6/24/03 I have said before the 30th "ziggy" is fabulous, great package and great sound (better than latest remaster)

 

[bjjp2]

Quote:

Originally posted by Zanth I agree those are great albums...but then he did Let's Dance and from there it came crashing down.

Actually, two of the albums I mentioned came after "Let's Dance." And I wasn't really saying "Outside" and "Earthling" are great, just that they're the furthest thing from a "sell out."

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by bjjp2 Wow, I couldn't disagree more. To the contrary, Bowie has made many consciously uncommercial, yet artistically adventurous, albums. Listen to "Outside" "Low" "Lodger", "Earthling."

And Tin Machine. That was a deliberate attempt to parlay in more "alternative" music, and to get his "indie cred" back. Quote:

Originally posted by DarkAngel Bowie has made so many bad albums since "let's dance 1983" only a hardcore Bowie fan would recognize these duds: -tonight -never let me down -black tie -outside -budha of surburbia -earthling -hours After so many lame works it would be very surprising for Bowie to make good album.........can anyone tell us they think HEATHEN is a good album?

I did.

Methinks you jump to conclusions after only a few listens. Have you actually listened to these albums more than once or twice?

I thought, in particular, that Outside , Hours, and Earthling were fabulous albums.

I do agree that Tonight and Never Let Me Down were the introduction of the anti-Bowie after the real Bowie had been assissinated, with some sort of conspiratorial plot to cover it up, but starting with Black Tie White Noise, I think he started to find his voice again (it still kinda sucked).

He's a crooner, always was, always will be, and therefore, automatically, he will always have a sense of "pop" and "hook" that more underground material does not. So if that's what y'all want to call "sell-out", go ahead. I won't, but I have a hard time with the term, anyway (any commercial artist that releases music for anything other than free is selling out if he does anything other than try to break even, and sometimes even then).

 

[Davie]

I don't think that with Bowie it's a matter of selling out. The guy was a chameleon anyway. And Let's Dance was a smart, well put together record. But afterwards, it's like the spark just died or something. Either that or he got lazy. It was so sudden. A lot of rock musicians have their inspiration fade but usually it's somewhat of a gradual process. Does anybody know what happened?