#1066 David Bowie - Blackstar

One David Bowie album has come up before this one, and in that review I mentioned that I really like his music but he is another example of me just being a fan of the hits. That changed at least, for this album.

In the summer of 2014 Bowie was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, but he never released the diagnosis to the public. Instead he did what he had done his entire career, he got to work on his next album, and what would eventually become Blackstar. Fast forward to January 8th 2016 and his 69th birthday, and the release of the album. It was instantly critically acclaimed and touted as one of the best of his career and still no one knew that he was dying. Two days later he died.

I didn't listen to Blackstar when it came out, even though I knew everyone was saying it was amazing. Again it was because I have never listened to any of his albums, just his hits. As an album it is really, really good and I wish I had listened to it sooner. Listening to it knowing that Bowie knew he was dying and that it would be the last music he created it is gripping. Listen to the lyrics and you can hear that he completely knows it is his last and you can tell that he is at peace with his life.

The song "Blackstar" is the best on the album and might be one of my new all time favorite songs. It is just so well crafted it has to be listened to, I can't explain it.

"Something happened on the day he died
Spirit rose a metre then stepped aside
Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried"

In "Lazarus" you can tell he is grappling with his impeding death, and maybe even hoping that he could come back to life

"Look up here, I'm in heaven
I've got scars that can't be seen
I've got drama, can't be stolen
Everybody knows me now"

and finally in "I Can't Give Everything Away" you get the sense that understanding that he is going to die his mind has been opened to everything but he doesn't have the time to share it all. So instead we get this, his last album. 

"Seeing more and feeling less
Saying no but meaning yes
This is all I ever meant
That's the message that I sent"

Do yourself a favor and give the album a listen, you will not be disappointed. Just a word of warning though the song "Girl Love Me" does drop the F-bomb a number of times.

Tomorrow's Album #935 Jay-Z - The Blueprint