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Rating:
The new David Bowie CD surprises but doesn't impress
David Bowie's new album, Reality, releases today, following a spectacular live show on September 8th broadcast via satellite in major cinemas across Europe.
The English artist leans towards the essentials of American rock, picking up a Gibson and abandoning all electronic experimentation, diving into an album of well-played, fun, and fresh rock songs.
But unfortunately, nothing new, shocking, or sensational. And here's where the new David Bowie lies: a star who wants to stop (or seems to want to stop) being a chameleon, a shapeshifter, a "character" and wants to wear the clothes of a valid musician eager to play, have fun, and interpret covers.
There are few standout tracks, many are listenable, with very few disappointments. But overall, it flows between American rock, sharp lyrics, and pop sounds. The lead single New Killer Star, catchy and "smart," speaks for most of the songs, while only Bring Me the Disco King, worthy of the '95 masterpiece "1.Outside", the energetic Reality with its Tin Machine-like sound, and Never Get Old (which at times recalls Low) in which the rocker insists on never growing old, almost denying the autobiographical album "Hours", stand out as gems.
Interesting is the cover of Modern Lovers' Pablo Picasso, where refined and fast backing vocals are added to the original; the other cover, by George Harrison/Ronnie Spector, Try Some, Buy Some is between yawns and at moments seems like a lament for the grandeur of Life on Mars, while the other slow ballad, The Loneliest Guy, tries to capture the tension of The Motel but fails. Looking for Water and the unnecessary She’ll Drive the Big Car pass unnoticed. Days is a vague and pleasant memory of acoustic ballads like Seven, Survive, and Everyone Says Hi. Barely noteworthy are the bonus tracks of the limited edition version; very interesting, however, is the revision of Rebel Rebel, already heard in the soundtrack of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.
In conclusion, I consider Reality a transitional album towards a future rock that hopefully will be less dull and cold.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
02 Pablo Picasso (04:05)
- Album: Reality
- Lyrics and music by Jonathan Richman
Swinging on the back poarch
Jumping off a big wall
Pablo's feeling better now
Hanging by his fingernails
Swinging on the back poarch
Jumping off a big line
Pablo's feeling better now
Hanging by his fingernails
Well, some people try to pick up girls and they get called assholes
This never happened to Pablo Picasso
The girls would turn the color of a juicy avacado
When he would drive down their street in his El Dorado
He could walk down your street, girls could not resist his stare
So Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole
Not like you
Wow!
Swinging on the back poarch
Jumping off a big wall
Pablo's feeling better now
Hanging by his fingernails
Swinging on the back poarch
Jumping off a big wall
Pablo's feeling better now
Hanging by his fingernails
He could walk down your street and girls could not resist his stare
Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole
Well, the girls would turn the color of a juicy avacado
When he would drive down their street in his El Dorado
Well, he was only 5'3" but girls could not resist his stare
Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole
Not in New York
Wow!
Swinging on the back poarch
Jumping off a big wall
Pablo's feeling better now
Hanging by his fingernails
Swinging on the back poarch
Jumping off a big wall
Pablo's feeling better now
Hanging by his fingernails
03 Never Get Old (04:24)
Better take care
I think I better go, better get a room
Better take care of me
Again and again
I think about this and I think about personal history
Better take care
I breath so deep when the movie gets real
When the star turns round
Again and again
Looks me in the eye, says he's got his mind on a countdown(3,2,1)
Forever
I'm screaming that I'm gonna be living on till the end of time
Forever
The sky splits open to a dull red skull
My head hangs low cause it's all over now
And there's never gonna be enough money
And there's never gonna be enough drugs
And I'm never ever gonna get old
There's never gonna be enough bullets
There's never gonna be enough sex
And I'm never ever gonna get old
So I'm never ever gonna get high
And I'm never ever gonna get low
And I'm never ever gonna get old
Better take care
The moon flows on to the edges of the world because of you
Again and again
And I'm awake in an age of light and living it because of you
Better take care
I'm looking to the future, solid as a rock
Because of you
Again and again
Wanna be here, then I wanna be there
Living just like you, living just like me
Forever
Putting on my gloves
And I bury my bones in the marshland
Forever
Think about my soul
But I don't need a thing
Just the ring of the bell in the pure clean air
And I'm running down the street of life
And I'm never gonna let you die
And I'm never ever gonna get old
And I'm never ever gonna get...
I'm never ever gonna get...
And I'm never ever gonna get old
And I'm never ever gonna get...
And I'm never ever gonna get...
I'm never ever gonna get old
04 The Loneliest Guy (04:11)
- Album: Reality
- Lyrics and music by David Bowie
Streets turn from walls
Empty smell, that's all
Weeds between buildings
Pictures on my hard drive
But I'm the luckiest guy
Not the loneliest guy
Steam on the floor
Shots by the mirror's frame
Clouds green and old
No Sign No nothing Now
But I'm the luckiest guy
Not the loneliest guy
All the pages that have turned
All the errors left unlearned, oh
But I'm the luckiest guy
Not the loneliest guy
In the world
Not me
Not me
09 Try Some, Buy Some (04:24)
- Album: Reality
- Lyrics and music by George Harrison
Way back in time
Someone said try some
I tried some
Now buy some
I bought some
Oh, ho
After a while
When I had tried them
Denied them
I opened my eyes and I saw you
Not a thing did I have
Not a thing did I see
'Till I called on your love
And your love came to me
Woh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho
Woh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho
Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho
Through my life
I've seen gray sky
Met big fry
Seen them die to get high
Oh, ho, ho
And when it seemed that I would
Always be lonely
I opened my eyes and I saw you
Not a thing did I feel
Not a thing did I know
'Till I called on your love
And your love sure did grow
Woh, ho, oh, ho, ho, ho
Woh, ho, ho, ho, oh, ho
Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho
Won't you try some?
Baby, won't you buy some?
Won't you try some?
Baby, won't you buy some?
Woh, woh, woh, ho, oh
Woh, woh, woh, ho, oh
Woh, woh, woh, oh
Woh, woh, woh, ho, oh
10 Reality (04:23)
- Album: Reality
- Lyrics and music by David Bowie
Tragic youth was looking young and sexy
The tragic youth was wearing tattered black jeans
Bearing arms and flooring all her mischief
The tragic youth was growing down on me
And I swear
Hoo, hoo
Yes, I swear
I feel the wall of silence separate us
I hear the morning junk, her wretched highs
I spin from Planet X to Planet Alpha
Struggling for reality
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Woo, hoo
Ha, ha, ha, ha
Woo hoo
Hey, now my sight is failing in this twilight
Duh duh duh duh duh-duh duh-duh-duh
Now my death is more than just a sad song
Da duh duh duh duh-duh duh-duh-duh
And I swear
Hoo, hoo
Yes, I swear
Hoo, hoo
I still don't remember how this happened
I still don't get the 'wherefores' and the 'whys'
I look for scent and I get next to nothing
Hey, boy, welcome to reality
Ha, ha, ha, ha
Woo, hoo
I've been right, but I've been wrong
Now I'm back where I started from
Never looked over reality's shoulder
Ha, ha, ha, ha
Huh, ha, ha, ha
Woo, hoo
Huh, ha, ha
Woo, hoo
Wooh
12 Waterloo Sunset (03:27)
Dirty old river, must you keep rolling
Flowing into the night
People so busy, makes me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so bright
But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise
Every day I look at the world from my window
Chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset's fine
Terry meets Julie at Waterloo Station
Every Friday night
But I am so lazy, don't want to wander
I stay at home at night
But I don't feel afraid
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise
Every day I look at the world from my window
Chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset's fine
Millions of people swarming like flies 'round Waterloo underground
But Terry and Julie cross over the river
Where they feel safe and sound
And they don't need no friends
As long as they gaze on Waterloo sunset
They are in paradise
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Waterloo sunset's fine
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Other reviews
By Mr_Iko
The ideal of elegance and perfection that has always accompanied the Divine David... shines, it magnifies them.
I wrote that Bowie is not a musician but a 'state of mind'. Now I am here to shout it even louder.
By GrantNicholas
"A record of great class, something the White Duke has always accustomed us to."
"An example of how one can continue to write beautiful music even after many years of a glorious career."
