View Poll Results: How do you rate this album?

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Thread: Album Club, May 2016: David Bowie - 'Black Star'

  1. #1
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: Land of the Lilac Curtains, UK

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    I'm Curator.

    Default Album Club, May 2016: David Bowie - 'Black Star'

    The Album Club choice for May come courtesy of Laurence (Hackney RF) with a timely and appropriate tribute to David Bowie and his final album - 'Black Star'. As always, please listen to the album in its entirety before you vote.


    David Bowie - Black Star




    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blac...d_Bowie_album)



    I had a very long time to think about my suggestion and had changed my mind numerous times. I really did have some cracking stuff lined up! However events on January 10th stopped me in my tracks and left only one choice.

    I woke up that day to find my dear old Dad John, who had been a big influence on my music tastes, had passed away. I also woke up to discover we had lost one of our most, if not the most influential artists of our time. Choosing 'Black Star' was easy for me. An emotive choice perhaps but a simple one.

    Ok it's well known that Bowie had on occasion not produced work that was up to his very high standards. However with 'Black Star' it seems he may have left his best until last. Opening with the Scott Walkeresque 'Black Star' it's clear that this ain't going to be no crowd pleasing Rock/Pop record. I have been trying to pick out highlights, but have failed miserably. Personally I feel there is not one weak song on this album but if pushed I would say the last two 'Dollar Days' and 'I Can't Give Everything Away' are perhaps two of Bowie's most gorgeous songs ever put onto record.

    Tony Visconti has said that this was Bowie's parting gift to us. It certainly feels like that to me.

    It's a thing of beauty.

    What do you think?



    https://open.spotify.com/album/2w1YJXWMIco6EBf0CovvVN
    Last edited by Barry; 01-05-2016 at 21:52. Reason: Error in title

  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2012

    Location: leicestershire

    Posts: 694
    I'm John.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Album Club View Post
    The Album Club choice for May come courtesy of Laurence (Hackney RF) with a timely and appropriate tribute to David Bowie and his final album - 'Black Star'. As always, please listen to the album in its entirety before you vote.


    David Bowie - Black Star




    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blac...d_Bowie_album)



    I had a very long time to think about my suggestion and had changed my mind numerous times. I really did have some cracking stuff lined up! However events on January 10th stopped me in my tracks and left only one choice.

    I woke up that day to find my dear old Dad John, who had been a big influence on my music tastes, had passed away. I also woke up to discover we had lost one of our most, if not the most influential artists of our time. Choosing 'Black Star' was easy for me. An emotive choice perhaps but a simple one.

    Ok it's well known that Bowie had on occasion not produced work that was up to his very high standards. However with 'Black Star' it seems he may have left his best until last. Opening with the Scott Walkeresque 'Black Star' it's clear that this ain't going to be no crowd pleasing Rock/Pop record. I have been trying to pick out highlights, but have failed miserably. Personally I feel there is not one weak song on this album but if pushed I would say the last two 'Dollar Days' and 'I Can't Give Everything Away' are perhaps two of Bowie's most gorgeous songs ever put onto record.

    Tony Visconti has said that this was Bowie's parting gift to us. It certainly feels like that to me.

    It's a thing of beauty.

    What do you think?



    https://open.spotify.com/album/2w1YJXWMIco6EBf0CovvVN
    Blackstar is a stunning album (more later) - but Dark Star (see subject line) is also a great movie...can a moderator change the title line please?
    Last edited by Barry; 01-05-2016 at 21:56. Reason: Quoted error corrected
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  3. #3
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

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    I'm openingabottleofwine.

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    Quote Originally Posted by johnB View Post
    Blackstar is a stunning album (more later) - but Dark Star (see subject line) is also a great movie...can a moderator change the title line please?
    Done - perhaps, subconciously I had the film in mind when I posted Laurence's Album Choice! Mea culpa
    Barry

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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    Quote Originally Posted by johnB View Post
    Blackstar is a stunning album (more later)
    I agree, and especially stunning on vinyl... A much nicer overall product to own, too!

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  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2011

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 7,487
    I'm the'greatunwashed'.

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    I don't need to listen to this before voting as I have played it dozens and dozens of times, superb from start to finish and for me unquestionably 10/10.

    Sent from my XT1580 using Tapatalk
    "People will hear what you tell them to hear" - Thomas Edison

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2012

    Location: leicestershire

    Posts: 694
    I'm John.

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    Where the fuck did Monday go?

    Can we vote more than 10/10 please?
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  7. #7
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Oakengates, Shropshire

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    I'm Richard.

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    Looks like I'll be the first miserable git here. I bought this on vinyl a few weeks back and was listening to it yesterday afternoon, but at the moment I only like half of this album.

    Some of it feels like a continuation of The Next Day - which is an album I played and played and played when it came out and I still really like. There's definitely a link between the first track on both albums and I really like the track Blackstar. I also agree that I can't give everything away is one of the best songs he wrote in at least the last 20 years and was the track that made me buy the album. The harmonica in that track is so haunting and seems to have some weird reflective power over his entire output. When I fidst heard it I thought it was an old song, it just felt so familiar. For that track alone it scores well. But I just can't (currently) get on with tracks 2, 4 or 5 which makes it a bit scrappy for me. Maybe in time it'll click, but this album as it stands scores a 6 whereas The Next Day was an easy 8.
    Rich

  8. #8
    Join Date: Sep 2009

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    Black Star.

    Bowie is gone but he keeps on giving...

    Leave your copy of Black Star out in the sun and something beautiful happens...



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  9. #9
    Join Date: Feb 2013

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    Lol, don't try this in Scotland

    Got it in my prime library to listen to later
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  10. #10
    Join Date: Apr 2016

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    Mm mm, didn't grab me, one or two tracks might grow on me should I persevere. But then there are only a handful of Bowie tracks I like tbh. He was a talent and a pioneer, I remember him saying years ago he would cut words from a newspaper and juggle them around to form lyrics for songs, an unlikely way to get results but it worked. Was probably his earlier work.
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