Bowies Latest

[Old Man Riva]

He can pretty much do what he wants for me, given his output between 1969 and 1983, so I'll always approach any new song of his wanting to like it.

I think this is brilliant and I absolutely love it.

Spent most of the morning with Mrs Riva trying to work out what it's all about - fundamentalism? one's own mortality? the state of popular culture? - and haven't a clue. He's nearly 70 and he's still managing to challenge the listener and get people thinking.

I'm not sure I can think of any other artist who manages to do that.

Genius Jones.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Old Man Riva

[taunton-hobbit]

I think I'm missing the point.........

[toneknob]

Well, the astronaut is clearly Major Tom, who's crash-landed on another planet (or maybe future Earth). Everyone's evolved and grown tails and lost their sense of rhythm. Tom is hailed as a god of that new planet. The narrator in the lyrics is a prophet of the new Major Tom religion, and is referring to Tom as the "he", ie "something happened on the day he died". The "Blackstar" is where Tom appeared from - a black hole - and is the symbol of the new religion, much like the cross in Christian religion.

[kevin_lindsay]

If it's Major Tom, why was he wearing face jewellery in the space suit?

[toneknob]

He picked it up on his travels.

[spectoremg]

I like what I interpret to be Bowie's outlook. Megastars often have to be very guarded with their opinions but he gives plenty of hints in his musical output. I also interpreted the space suit to be a reference to Major Tom and personally I'm glad he's still making use of the character.

[KK Jale]

I loved it. Weird, challenging and sexy.

Some clues about the song's characters in this interview with director Johan Renck.

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/david-bowie-blackstar-video-johan-renck-director-interview

[tauzero]

Ten minutes of my life I won't get back. I am presumably not part of the target demographic.

[Billy Apple]

I thought it was great. The best thing I've heard him do in a long while, but then he draws a cock on it 3/4 of the way through. He's a funny bloke Bowie, part musical genius/revolutionary, part regurgitator of kitch nonsence. It feels like a song where he lost his bottle after a stellar opening.

[roceci]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1448226898' post='2913858']

I'm not sure there is a target demographic. He has ideas. They manifest themselves into what you've just watched. He thinks it's perfect and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about. History tells us that he takes some degree of pleasure in doing virtually the opposite of what is expected of him.
[/quote]

I take it Dancing in the Streets isn't included in that XD

[SICbass]

Absolutely brilliant. Classic Bowie-type excellent wierdness.

[toneknob]

Dave does a move straight out of the Dancing In The Street video in Blackstar. Ffwd to about 5m46s, under the lyric "you're the flash in the pan".

[Old Man Riva]

There's a good Bowie feature in the latest Mojo (interview with Tony Visconti and also members of Bowie's studio band - Maria Schneider Orchestra) along with a review of the Black Star album..

[the boy]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1448323989' post='2914545']


Even so, the song to which you refer is a cover recorded and filmed in less than 24 hours for charity.
[/quote]
This always cracks me up.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_li_d_YviZ4

Edited November 26, 2015 by the boy

[Mister RLP]

Like a lot of Bowie's good songs - strange at first - then I can't get it out of my head. "I'm a blackstar - I'm a star star",

[bubinga5]

musically it does nothing for me. but i recognise and applaud him for his vision. he is an artist in the true sense of the word.

[TheGreek]

You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time...

[spectoremg]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1448809836' post='2918285']
You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time...
[/quote]I think he's a genius but that's a very valid point.

[Norm]

I'm loving that. Still being challenging as an artist. Good on him!

[colgraff]

I liked Dancing in the Street. I even liked Labyrinth, too!