Blackstar

i really liked this album it was something different and i have actually listened to some of the songs twice in particular Lazarus & I Can’t Give Everything Away.

4/5

meh. i bet this gets high numbers for being dead star.

Dead

I love David Bowie but this one is.... weird.

It's beautiful, heartbreaking and I love it. A proper wallowing album for me.

Bowies swansong album released shortly before he passed away. It's a short collection of intimate tracks that reveal Bowies realisation that his time was near an end, some of the lyrics are quite evident of his frame of mind that the end was coming. So I get the poignant importance of this album when it was released, and the hype around the album that followed thereafter his passing, but if you remove the timing and meaning of the album, it's actually quite boring, and not a creative release synonymous with his preceeding albums. I will always remain fan of Bowies music, but just not this album.

Excellent album. I'd rather listen all the way through than a song here and there. I'd buy the vinyl.

When I put aside that voice that says "I am supposed to like this" and consider this on its own terms, this album is fine. I don't think the album sells itself on its own merits. It's a little too jazzy and doesn't offer enough beauty for me to want to listen to it outside of this experiment. But I get why it's here.

ahhh Brilliant?

1. 4/5 2. 3.5/5 3. 5/5 4. 3.5/5 5. 4/5 6. 4/5 7. 4.5/5 = 4.07

This is a lovely finale to Bowie's catalog.

What a crazy swan song of an album by Bowie. Tells a story and really grips you while listening.

Strange experimental effort

Like many I listened to this for the first time right after he passed and was moved by the music. I listen to this a few times since and while I think it's a solid record it's not the same now that the emotion has faded, funny how music appreciation and emotion interplay.

Taking the timing and context out of an evaluation, half of this is a pretty average album. Dollar Days, Girl Loves Me, and I Can’t Give Everything Away are the better half. But adding in context would bump it to 3.5 for me.

I listened to this right after he passed. It still hits as hard as it did then. One hell of a good bye.

This is probably my favorite Bowie album outside of the Ziggy era. It's such a haunting album, especially knowing now what he was going through while writing and recording.

last album before death sure sure but idk.... his vocals are obviously not what they once were, but the beats are banging. the lyrics arent really anything spectacular. i like david bowie, but i think ill stick to his older stuff

Bowie is so innovative and creative he never ceases to surprise and challenge his loyal audience. One cannot separate his death from this release and it's a constant reminder whenever I hear Black Star.

Why are there so many albums not from the prime of the artist's career in this list? The first song is experimental crap - made for his own liking. He called it the star symbol - I guess it's supposed to be the song 'blackstar', which probably has Luciferian or Satanic undertones, because it would be too much to ask pop stars to not be into that. Apparently, the rest of the album is going to sound like experimental crap, too. It gets a little better with the 3rd and 4th songs.

As much as I love him as an artist, I don't vibe with his sound. This one was almost a caricature of David Bowie

This was a wacky one. I'm pretty familiar with Bowie's early albums, but had never listened to this. I definitely didn't expect how straight up experimental this was, and so much electronica/hip-hop/drum'n'bass to come through, but I listened through twice back to back and absolutely look forward to spending more time in it.

good guitar and melodies but not all of it was good.

Okay

Surprising: I was kinda expecting this to be bad as it was Bowie’s last outing and it hasn’t been pushed as amazing in what I have seen but I can really dig this. It felt moody whilst being fresh and pop-like all at the same time. You can clearly see elements from his previous albums such as Hunky Dory and it felt like a good round up of all the characters of Bowie in a singular album. His final goodbye in a sense which I very fitting as it was released during the week of his death. Perfect.

Absolutely incredible, and a fitting swan song for a man who knows he's dying.

Opens up off putting... but calming. Reminds me of vanilla sky soundtrack. Electronic and saxophone.. not a fan. Why is every song 5+ minutes?

The first song: no thanks. From there it's a climb in quality and enjoyment with bright spots along the way.

We get it, Bowie, you were dying and you knew it.

Dark and morbid but also stands as a singular statement of artistic purpose.

superbly produced without being overwrought. dreamy without being ponderous. intentional and purposeful but with the corners softened. a little sad to listen to but hopeful as well.

First and last tracks are such heaters

Really enjoyed it. Solid throughout with Lazarus being a beast of a song in the middle.

Vecie albumi patīk labāk. :)

Last album by the great. It’s really hard to judge considering how it was written. But it is also hard to listen to

This one was released on bowies 69th birthday 🧐 considering that it's experimental jazz, could be worse.

Bowie was a cool dude. I have huge respect for him as an artist and visionary. He seemed so switched on to potential and new things. But I found this hard work. Should I be more respectful of his last work? I don’t really enjoy listening to it. Sorry.

Great album, heart breaking.

There's better Bowie albums. This isn't bad but it was overhyped due to being released shortly before his death and the "prophetic nature" of it. Then there was a wave of Bowie-mania (certainly not a bad thing at all) but yeah, this isn't essential unless you're a big time Bowie fan. I feel like I kind of shit on this album, it really isn't bad, its solid. It just doesn't need to be here.

Didn’t enjoy very much. Some catchy riffs though.

David Bowie is great. This is not good.

too experimental for my taste...

If you’re dipping your toes into Bowie this is essential. There’s six or seven must hear albums to ‘get’ Bowie. But you could probably condense even that to Ziggy, hunky dory this one and heroes. (And space oddity). To Bowie fans every note he played is essential. Then this one. Note there’s a long gap between great and this. I do like the tin machine one. And scary monsters is decent. Blackstar is an outstanding even great swan song by a dying man embracing mortality. Not that we knew it at the time. So when he died (I was waiting on a plane to jet off to New York when my sister texted me to tell me.) it was a shock. I did find his flat in New York accidentally, up in SoHo (I think) with hundreds of flowers and tributes out the front. I wasn’t sure why they were there and I asked the woman next to me ‘why are these here?’ ‘David Bowie was a rock star …’. No no. Why HERE? I know who Bowie was. ‘Oh that’s where he lived. ‘ He also lived in St Ives on Sydney’s lower north shore, loving the relative anonymity being part of a smaller tight knit community. Is Blackstar one of the 1000 albums you must hear? Compared to Ziggy, or hunky dory, or heroes? Nah. Is it a good album? Yes. Even a great one. But not essential to understanding rock music. It’s a 4. But I’m not sure it should be on the list.

Bowie’s death hit me hard, as it did for so many. The following night I was among a group of grieving fans in Hyde Park, listening to his music at a gathering arranged overnight. I have never listened to this album before. The only track I had ever heard before was Lazarus. For me, Bowie’s passing was bookended by 2 trips to Melbourne - in September 2015, four months before he died, to see the David Bowie Is exhibition from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and in early 2019 to see a production of the off-Broadway production of Lazarus (Bowie’s last public appearance had been at the opening of Lazarus a month before he died). If I wanted to be narky, I might suggest that seeing it hastened his demise. It was dreadful. On the other hand, the exhibition, which featured his music, costumes, everything about him, was amazing. (Why Melbourne? Because they were not going anywhere else.) I suppose I’m just trying to make the point that I was a big fan, even though I’ve not been able to bring myself to listen to this album before. The last Bowie album I ever paid full price for on release was Scary Monsters (1980). I collected a heap of his stuff after that, but only because it was Bowie & none of it ever affected me like his great 70’s work. This album was painful to listen to but I’m glad I finally have, even though I’d rather not talk about it. Three stars.

This is special to me because of when and how it was released, two days before his death, like a gift for us all. Maybe not his most immediately memorable tunes, but the jazz guys playing rock, lush production and the lyrics imbued with depth and sense of mortality make this very special. A last loving note to us, his fans.

It’s great

Pretty good as background music to focus, but didn't really feel the desire to save any songs to my playlist. I really liked the second half of Blackstar (the song)

Incredibly strange and incredibly good. Ignoring the context of it's release I still think it's among Bowie's best, most interesting work. Takes you out of your comfort zone

Top notch art jazz rock

Dosta eksperimentalno cak i za Bouvija, ali dobija pass jer je Bouvi.

I the album certainly has the mystique of Bowie’s death around it, and that does make it feel special. After all, it was (knowingly) his swan song. Yet, I can’t help but feel that this album would not have achieved its notoriety if not for Bowie’s death two days later. I’ve always appreciated that Bowie never seemed too bothered with what would be commercially viable. Yet at times, Black Star seems too strange to enjoy.

Incredible! This album proves time and time again how innovative of an artist Bowie truly was. There are a lot of "I don't give a Fuck" type lyrics in this song. Especially on the song 'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore: "Man, she punched me like a dude. Hold your mad hands, I cried. Tis a pity she was a Whore" .... "black struck the kiss, she kept my cock. Smote the mistress, drifting on. Tis a pity she was a Whore" This song has killer saxophone throughout. Musically brilliant. Sure, the lyrics are silly... But almost adds to the song in a weird, charming way. This isn't even my favourite song, but it stands out. Each song has its own unique flavour and memorable moment. I think when artists get this far in their career, (I'm thinking the likes of Leonard Cohen, and Scott Walker) they really can do whatever they want. They don't care about album sales. They just create. It's too bad not every artist can do this. It would definitely dissolve the formulaic top 40 type artists. Black star ais simply a masterpiece. It's 7 songs that take up less than 3/4 of an hour of music. It's not too short. Not too long. Especially as a final album from Bowie, he could have thrown out a bunch of songs, and go out with a bang that way... But I feel he chose to keep his integrity and release the vision of what Blackstar is. I haven't listened to this album since its release... And I'm so happy that this came back to me. My favorite Bowie Album. Would have loved to see more of his work in this vein. 5 Blackstars out of 5 Artwork is simple. It's not confusing. It's simply just 7 shapes within a star. Not sure if it correlates with the amount of tracks. It almost looks like the pieces below the giant Blackstar spell out Bowie. Maybe that's reaching but I can see it.

A fitting crescendo to one of the greatest ever

Short, chaotic, and soulful. I really struggled with the first half of the album, but by the last couple songs it resolved into a mournful goodbye. Its fitting for the end of one of our great musical geniuses.

Wonderful swan song for Bowie, the sound people did him dirty with some of the songs but over all a good final album. So sad to know it was like his goodbyes before he died.

Haunting and awesome.

On the second song and so far this all just translates as noise not music. Not liking it. Hopefully it turns around soon. It got a little better but I don't like it. 1 out of 5.

Difficult

Not his absolute best but there are some sick tracks on there, "lazuras" and "I can't give everything away" are my favourite.

I just listened to Station-to-Station and asked for more David Bowie music. I did not mean more of his music the very next day, but that's what I received. Reviewing this album by saying "It's not Station-to-Station or Ziggy Stardust" isn't entirely fair, because what is as good as those albums? Yet still, this is a list of albums I MUST hear and I probably would have left this one off. It's not a bad David Bowie album, but I feel like it made this list since he died two days after it was released. It's a good album, but it's not one of his best. Still, really good and makes me want to hear more of his music...just not necessarily tomorrow.

This is an incredible swan song... a couple tracks towards the end are not interesting "girl Loves me" is a low point but I think bowie went out on his own artistic terms and the result is challenging and beautiful. I give it 5 because it is something I would be happy to own even if I skip track. James Murphy should have sat it out and Bowie should have brought in one of the artists he apparently looked to for inspiration like Kendrick Lamar .

Is it the effect of his death or is this a great album? I don’t know but this is one of the greatest swan albums in pop music history.

Ljúfsár svo ekki sé meira sagt. Titillagið var mikið spilað þegar það kom út og Lazarus í kjölfarið. Svo kom platan og maður var rétt að melta hana þegar höggið kom. En hún er frábær, stórkostlegur endapunktur hjá þessum heimsins besta.

Already familiar with this album. Blackstar and Lazarus are bangers. The other songs are okay.

Not my taste

Much different than what I was expecting. I've never really listened to anything of his before. Not my favorite genre or style wise but I appreciate the musicianship

Although I have listened to David Bowie before, it is certainly not an artist I usually listen to. Album seems very “experimental”? I kinda liked “Lazarus” and “I Can’t Give Everything Away”. In general, a good album and kind of a beautiful send-off to one of the most important musicians of my time.

Was an alright album just don’t care for this type of music while driving

Slower than what I normally like. The singing was good, but sometimes felt like it didn't fit the music. Not as good as the last Bowie album that I encountered ok on this list. 2/5

Feels more like classic 70's Bowie. The last two tracks (Dollar Days and I Can't Give Everything Away) were my favorite tracks.

Very experimental too drawn out

David Bowie, never boring, even through to the end. It's a challenging album, not nearly my favorite from him, but I have to give him props for staying adventurous and not resting on his laurels. The last couple of songs sound a bit like goodbye. Emotional and touching, but never maudlin. A great pick for album number 1,001. 4 stars.

Wtf, Bowie? Starting the album off with a ten minute song is not a good look. Especially when it’s so… esoteric? Slow? I’m not even sure what it’s supposed to be. The first track can be skipped without missing anything. The same can be said for every track on this album. I’m sorry, but this just isn’t it. I couldn’t find a single redeeming song on this album.

Couldn't get into it. 1/5

David Bowie is a musical genius and a treasure, but this one was a bit too out there for me.

Great job David, keep it up! :3

Known Before: artist Standouts: Blackstar 7

Known before: Band Standouts: 1. Blackstar Rating: 2.0

Known before: Artist Standouts: 03. Lazarus 06. Dollar days 07. I can't give Everything Away Rating: 8.0

Known Before: Singer Standouts: 1. Black Star 3. Lazarus 8.0

Fine

Not sure why this is on the list, it's nothing special at all. I'm fairly sure that if this didn't have Bowie's name on it, it would've been forgotten. Some songs are ok-ish, but mostly it was just weird and dissonant. Bowie's music has always been a bit weird to me, but it always manages to land on the good side. This doesn't.

This was different. Say what you want about this album but Bowie kept changing and trying new things all the way to the end. A weird mix of songs that goes between jazzy, rambling vocals and electronic beats. I enjoyed the more traditional songs like "Lazarus" and "Dollar days" where the sax in the latter reminded me of a Pink Floyd album. The first 2 songs were my least enjoyed ones which meant the album was off to a rocky start. I do have a sneaky suspicion the "Star" will grow on me though. Will give this 3 stars as there are some good songs and some bad but brownie points for never settling for "normal".

Bowie has proven that he is one of the best singular artists of all time. With 26 albums and this, his last, still being influential and wonderful proves that. Blackstar is a goodbye from one of the best in only a way Bowie could do. With modern music styles while still having deep storied lyrics it is remarkable the length at which he created and changed music. If there’s one thing this list has done it has made me truly appreciate Bowie for what he’s done. This album encapsulates that experience. 8.2/10

IMO, Bowie can do no wrong. 😂 Love this album. It's bittersweet and hauntingly beautiful. It's not something I would listen to regularly because it's also a bit depressing. Masterwork.

I knew his hits and was kind meh about Bowie. My favorite musician, Trent Reznor always spoke so highly of him. When he died, I bought this on vinyl just to kind of check out what his last album sounded like. There are some fairly cheesy dated but Bowie sounds in there. But this record is genius. It's shocking how much it grabs the listener. I've never heard anything like it. This record, his last got a 42 year old man into Bowie long after he was topping charts. This may be the best last record by any artist. Honestly, it's a masterpiece.

7/10

Dreamy

Intense. Kind of ghoulish in retrospect, but Bowie knew what he was doing. I like it now, I bet I’ll love it in 10 years.

I did not need a Prodigy-styled rock opera

David Bowie slowly growing on me but not enough.

OK I get it, he is a legend. The band was noticeably excellent. But I am just not a Bowie fan. His weird voice only annoys me. Always feel like we are in outer space.

-i didn’t know you could have symbols as song titles on spotify lol ⭐️ (blackstar) - love a good saxophone solo -i really like what the drummer is doing on this track. so often drummers get relegated to being just the steady rhythm but this song shows how much more percussion is capable of. -a really interesting entrance into the mind of a man who i guess knew his time was coming to an end. the -flute! -really cool track! more experimental than i have heard with previous bowie songs but it definitely works. 7/10 great opener from a technical perspective but its repetitive nature makes it something that i’m unlikely to listen to again. tis a pity she was a whore - drumssssss -love hearing the conversation between the sax and piano -good vibes 7.5/10 lazarus -i love this song already -another song reflecting on death but compared to blackstar, this song is more straightforward and thus feels more authentic. like he’s not trying to preform for anyone -the brass instrument (baritone?) is absolutely beautiful -amazing sax solo -9.5/10 sue (or in a season of crime) -the songs starts like a rage against the machine track lol -there is some dissonance between his vocal melody and the instrumental melody. i don’t hate it -not really my thing but still a very impressive track 7/10 girl loves me -can’t go wrong with a string section (though is probably a synth) -not bad but also nothing memorable 6/10 dollar days - i think this is the first time we hear acoustic guitar on the album. love the inclusion it makes this sound more like a ballad which is a nice tonal shift -beautiful song 8/10 i can’t give everything away -perhaps the title of this track indicates how bowies illness has prevented him from continuing to give music, art, and performance to the world -quite a bittersweet ending to a great album. -i’m glad the track ended with a fade out. feel appropriate lol -solid ending 7.5/10 overall this was a great album. i’ve listened to a few of bowies other works but this is my first time listening to blackstar. there seemed to be quite a few references to the play tis a shame she was a whore which i have not seen. that obviously means my opinion of the album is hindered. lazurus and dollar days are my favourites from the album. final rating: 7.5/10 or 3.5/5

Super album to close a great career

If I listen to this album like three more times, it'll be one of my favorite albums. For now, it'll have to stay a beautiful rock album. 8/10

Legendy swan song, but not something I'd listen to on a regular basis

- This is incredible - A legend at the end of his run, the lyrics are very poignant and reflective - Variety of styles and influences keep it engaging all the way through - Haunting how he died right when this released

- eerie knowing he died just 2 days later - overall not my favorite but I can see the value

8/10

The last masterpiece of a genius.

Fantastic album. Its quintessentially Bowie: adventurous in all the right ways

Didn’t like it as much as Low

I love Bowie as a person and cherish a lot of what he's made but this one isn't for me. rip fr though

Wow, ★ starts the album going so many places. Really liked that song. The rest of the album felt pretty similar but didn't call to me as much; lots of interesting bits but a bit atmospheric.

Definitly a David Bowie album. He's a great artist, but this album isn't for me.

I get that this was his swan song but I really don't think this was anything special

I want so much to give this 10/5 stars. It was hard to listen to but brilliant

Surprised me. I had it on secret repeat (as in I didn't know it was repeating) and I managed to enjoy about three turns of the album before realising it had been on too much of a repeat. The vocals are curious, very David Bowie but also rather jazz. I think an excellent piece of overall work and I would happily listen to it again. Is it three stars? Four? High three, but not quite four, it could get there with more listening. Lets go three. Something about the vocals being spacious and atmospheric, and the music being a touch discordant (which could be the jazz notes through it) ... unsure.

3.5/5. Certainly different from his earlier work, but this was still good.

Did not like. I have mixed feelings about Bowie. Some songs there’s nothing like it but some songs sound awful. “I’m a blackstar, I’m not a gangster” - I was done with this album.

Bowie was a serious musician to the end. He continued to innovate and search for a new thing through his entire life. And he managed that feat multiple times, and yet was true to himself, and made music only he could make. He is a legend. And this album is fantastic. But is not my thing either. I am glad to have heard it, but I probably will not listen to it in a regular rotation. "'Tis a pity she was a whore" is a highlight. . . Lazarus is also a timely release considering he died around this release.

Phenomenal album. Lazarus is such a fantastic song. 4.5/5

Stunner of a record on this revisit. Shimmers like a mirage, Bowie's voice just out of reach, with strange, unique production that never settles into one mode. A one of a kind record and in totality my favourite from him. Fave track: Lazarus

Chilling album - beautiful and haunting. Continues to prove itself more and more as one of the better projects to come out of the previous decade. Four and a half. Fave track: Lazarus

Just alright for me.

First Bowie album that made a bit of sense to me

2/5 Not my type of music.

Such an interesting creative culmination of everything he's done. I selfishly wish there was more to listen to.

The story behind it made it even more melancholy. The pulsing heart beating bass/drum and frail voice gave it emotion. But not really my thing.

melodies of some songs are fine, but vocals were that enjoyable for me. 1.5/5 - S

Huge fan but Bowie's passing made me not want to listen to this record, I knew it would make me sad. This was the first time I listened to this album, and I liked it, though it is definitely a bit haunting. In the same mode as "The Next Day" but a bit more melancholy. As with some other artists with several albums on the 1001, I'm going to give it a four mostly due to the fact there are other Bowie albums I like better.

The first time I actually read into Bowie and listened to a whole album of his was when this came out. I thought he made the ultimate artistic move, and found it amazing. The album is really sad, of course. Without the background story, I wouldn’t be that into the music, but as an artistic piece, I love it.

Awesome, pretty emotional knowing this was released so soon before he passed.

It’s ok

Very relaxed jazz album

Trochę przymuł nawet jak na Boviego, ale przynajmniej nie jazz, chociaż momentami było tak różnie... 3/5

Sue is incredible. Album as a whole is amazing, but I myself might not be able to absorb the whole scale of it.

Bowie’s last album is challenging. But fuck it, it’s Bowie.

I'll admit I didn't think much when released. But somehow drawn to it since and has grown to reveal its brilliance. The best kind of album.

Good album, can definitely hear the kendrick influence in the production, which is great. Some of the songs drag a bit but besides that I liked it, may have to listen to it again to take in the lyrics more. Solid listen

Strange, atmospheric, dense, elusive. Bowie's final album sounds like Radiohead but a bit less dark. His voice shows both the same depth and strength it's always had but also the character and wear of age. It's strange to be so vital, experimental and interesting so late in one's career -- let alone such a mainstream successful one. Bowie is rightfully acclaimed as an innovator and explorer, but he deserves as much credit for seeking out great collaborators, embracing their strengths and often applying lessons from them long after the collaboration ends. There are very clear Brian Eno influences here and he's not on this record at all -- only safely embraced up in Bowie's own head. There's no hyper-catchy Modern Love sort of single here. It's beautiful, though -- reverb-drenched, overdriven rhythm guitars backing wild, clean saxophone solos while Bowie emotes just to the side; that sort of thing. It's unlikely to be your favorite David Bowie album, but you should listen to this. It's poppy electro-jazz by way of rock music's greatest chameleon frontman and it's a lovely, fitting, challenging swan song. A deserving entry into one of the great bodies of work in modern popular music -- even as it stretches those pop confines.

I can hear that he is on drugs. Cultish. Weird, off tune, lots of trumpet. If I take drugs again I would say that’s a good one

Not really my taste.. album was mostly rock? I liked one song which i saved - dollar days. His voice is pretty nice though

While listening to the album I wasn't getting too much into the songs but somehow learning about the release of this album surrounding Bowie's death it explains a lot. The lyrics are him giving his farewell to his fans and a send off the best he could. While the genre of the album might be rock or jazz, to me it is sci-fi space.

I’m wondering if fans thinks that this isn’t a good first introduction to Bowie. As much as I could appreciate the artistry and knowing how revered he is, I didn’t enjoy a lot of the album; certain songs I actively didn’t like. The production was really cool and the opening track was well done, but many of the compositions were not appealing to me. It felt like the experiment album an iconic artist puts out later in their career, and I struggled to get into it. 3/10

- I don’t think I can get past his moaning voice lol - he’s so off beat as well - instrumentation isn’t the greatest either - Lazarus is tolerable

What a curtain call. A haunting, mesmerizing masterpiece from an absolute legend. To think, Bowie was dying from cancer when he made this artistic tour de force. Simply incredible.

Det skulle vara kul om det var kul, men det var det inte. Det är synd att säga det men albumet var supertråkigt. Det skulle funka bra som bakgrundsmusik medan man kör nån stealth mission i nåt spel, men på egen hand har det inget lyssningsvärde. Man hör att Bowie är på dödsbädden.

Känsla: Slöt, monotont, och rent av trist. Kändes som en klagosång nästan. Musiken: Följde inte den dramatiska kurvan eller nåt. Den hade inga höjdpunkter utan bara tragglade på med samma beat o rhtym. Min slutliga dom: 1 stjärna En klagosång med trist musik ger inte ett högt betyg i mina öron.

Girl loves me var helt nytt för mig. Inte jättebra men nytänkande om man inte vet bättre. Dollar days var ganska bäst. Albumet i helhet var det sämsta jag hört från Bowie.

David Bowie, Darkstar His 26th and final studio album.... RIP 2016 Fantastic. Standouts: Darkstar, Lazarus, I Can't Give Everything Away, Dollar Days 4/5

I've loved this album since release. What a farewell note.

i didn’t really like it tbh

Not for me

An exotic, beautiful and haunting trip through the mind of a musical genius coming to terms with his own death, ★ is an essential album to any Bowie fan. In face of extreme adversity, David Bowie managed to succeed in originality, sofistication and emotion in nearly every song. Truly a powerful statement to end a legendary career.

Girl Loves Me is so rad. The whole album is but wtf is that song. Kinda Pink Floydy

fell asleep early on first listen (just tired), but listened through next day. not knowing much of Bowie's back catalog, it is a really interesting listen, but nothing mind blowing. really like the saxophone work - amazing, basically a +1 to overall score. lyrics that I could understand are a bit odd at times. 3.8/5. only 1x listen while awake, but went back and watched MVs for Blackstar and Lazarus.

The truth is... I like this album OK. I don't find the songs particularly interesting. The instrumentation and production is excellent. When it first released I remember listening to it and just feeling fine about it. But... I'm giving this 4 because it still has a massive impact on me. It feels like Bowie is talking from the grave. It feels like a premonition. It's like the ultimate piece of performance art. Gotta give props for that.

Uno de los mejores álbumes de David Bowie y uno de los mejores trabajos del género alternativo de la historia. Una real carta de despedida de una de las figuras más relevantes de la música del siglo XX. Con intensas interpretaciones, letras crípticas y un sentimiento de permanencia, el cameleónico artista se despidió del mundo. Realmente un ejemplo a seguir de como mantenerse relevante hasta el último aliento.

I love David Bowie's back-catalogue of songs and hits, but this project has taught me that a lot of his albums are wildly inconsistent. This album however is actually consistent and good throughout. The context of the album definitely elevates it I think, making a concept album out of his looming death. A true artist to the end. It's bold, and artsy, and kind of wonderful.

Mid

lazarus is good. Sue is alright. girl loves me is a skip. dollar days is nice i guess. last song is david bowie vocals over some boomer midi ass beat. it’s nice though

Ive hear better of him, but the album deserves to be on the list since it is the last one of a legendary artist.

Excellent Bowie, rien à redire

Je n'écoute jamais les albums "tardifs" comme celui-ci, parce que j'ai un a priori négatif sur le fait que ça ne sera pas aussi bien que les premiers. Préjugé pas vraiment détrompé ici, même si ça reste du Bowie et tout à fait écoutable, avec le côté émouvant en prime de l'album sorti juste avant sa mort.

Perfect

People seemed pretty keen on this when it came out, but my sense is this was nostalgia, as Bowie had passed away by its release. Which I understand he intended. But it’s so dark and sad and droning. I can’t do it

We may as well rename this the “26 David Bowie and 975 other albums….” project.

It’s difficult to review this as just an album because it is so wrapped up in its context. I listened in the day between its release and Bowie’s death and thought it was stunning then even though I didn’t quite get on with the whole thing. It has grown on me more with every listen and, while not my favourite Bowie record, it is everything one could possibly want from a Bowie record in 2016

I'm sure this has a lot of artistic merit or whatever, but I really did not enjoy the sensation of listening to this. Historically I haven't been a fan of late period Bowie, and this feels like the strongest hit of late period Bowie there is. Decidedly not for me.

Parempi Joutsenlaulu minkä Yö teki

mun aivokapasiteetti sopii paremmin Bowien Radio957-tason tuotannolle

En muista mitään ja hyvä niin.

no.

dissapointing tbh

Meh. Love Bowie but this just didn’t grab me at all. Didn’t even finish. 2/5

The great farewell. Lazarus is a tear-jerker.

good background noise. long songs and lots of instrumental but good david bowie sound

Super Strange. I’ve already listened to this many times. Still don’t know what to make of it. Seems like something that is forgettable OR will be come to know as his crowning achievement.

Solid album. I would be happy if I got an album out 2 days before my passing too.

Rätt otroligt ibland

Eerie and haunting but not the most accessible album. I'll break this out when I'm in the mood for something artsy.

A little more droning than I like. The story around the album is amazing, but the first track really set the tone in a not great way for me

Good

Maybe this is your thing. It is not mine. Boring

Quite nice

Don't know what I think about this, in either a good or bad way

Solid. Might give it another listen

When I love David Bowie, I love David Bowie when I don’t I’m just meh.

Some of the songs were rather painful, but the album was saved by the last two, which were excellent. I like me a little jazz in my rock and roll.

A really bizarre experimental album, quite interesting but won't listen again. Would rate it as his best, some people have but I'm not sure it makes this list.

2/5

Wanted to at least like it but damn...I hated it

Lazarus-black star-decent

It's a dark album, but fantastically good. Beautiful and evocative. I may be reading to much into it, but I feel a definite sense of finality and his impending passing on. When ever I listen to this album it makes me a little sad, and reminds me of all the people I've lost, dredging up the sadness I still feel surrounding their passing.

4/5

Not for me. I’m a fan of Bowie, but this was just weird and messy.

Not sure if this is up with Bowie’s greats, but each of three playthroughs moved me, and I love the atmosphere of this record, circumstances of its making perhaps playing into that. The skittish drums, the sax-playing that calls back to when it was used as an instrument of manic intensity with the Stooges, and Bowie wringing his ghostliest dregs out of his voice are my first notes on what makes this special. I’m reminded of his Berlin records, as this is largely mood music with some exquisite song-songs in between. This was the record that made me realise - belatedly, of course - that his authenticity was in his theatricality, which he maintained to his death, and is still bold. I am excited to see what Simon thinks!

When I first heard the title track on the radio I was stunned - excited for a new Bowie album for the first time since Outside 20 years ago (then)! And so it is, with new ones always viewed as "his best since..", this one was easily the most *interesting* since Lodger. Its (almost immediate) poignancy adds to the mystery. What an unbelievable talent, what a legacy

Something new, something familiar, something experimental. Strange and ethereal and also comforting in parts. I haven't listened to the album in a number of years since Bowie's passing. I still think it's a really, really good send-off album.

I remember when this came out thinking that it was incredible that David Bowie was still making groundbreaking music at almost 70 years old. One of his finest albums and released only 2 days before he died. Makes it hit a little more and the album already hits hard on its own with its grand instrumentation and arrangements. This project is just as experimental, if not more, than something he would have made in the 70s. The production is fantastic and I’m always pleasantly surprised at how well Bowie can sing in his late sixties. There isn’t one component I have an issue with on this album. It’s truly beautiful. 5/5

3? I don't have the patience to like this though

Not what I expected. There is a lot of jazz influence. It's experimental. A wild final ride from Bowie. Also Lazarus is a stand out.

Dark and stormy with lots of electronica influence in the bass and drums parts (a bit like Burial) and lots of gothy Cure/Depeche Mode/Nine Inch Nails sounds in the layers of droning guitars and minor-key synth & string parts. Bowie consistenly has the best use of sax in rock music, which continues here, with jazzy parts and solos running under and alongside the vocals, creating a poly-vocal multi-melodic bursting feel to the songs. His voice is distinctively his, but somewhat wispy and injured, fully committed but exhausted. He's giving the last he has singing "I can't give everything away."

Da e nåken godinga her, men når ikkje heilt opp diverre

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Girl loves me

Too sad

David, you lovely little sausage. Like everyone else, I mythologised this album, given the circumstances of its release, so I was a little concerned that it might not stand up in the cold light of the Project. Fear not, it's magnificent. How is Lazarus written by a 68 year old with months to live? It beggars belief.

A few good songs but overall meh.

Underlig

3.5/5, piano parts remind me abit of some Nick Cave albums, a good album that does the art rock/jazz rock style very well.

I have been a fan of his for a long time. I wept when I heard of his passing. The song and video for Lazarus are hauting.

Very parred down, maybe heralding the return of the saxophone.

Incredible sounds and ambience!!

I love this album. In the context of his death it can be difficult to listen to.

I found this to be quite avant garden but also quite interesting. One in my listening group said "You can't say he didn't go for it" and that is 100% true - it's out there but also cool and listenable

Great album

Lovely final album, has a very elegiac feel to it. Needs a few listens to really appreciate the quality of the songs and the musicianship. Dollar Days is particularly beautiful and sad.

Soz and all that but was a bit meh!

I quite like this. Better than lots of previous Bowie

Very good.

I'm not sure why, but I put off listening to this after hearing about Bowie's death. I was glad when it was selected last Friday, but didn't listen immediately, I wanted to take my time with it. Now having listened, it was alright. I appreciate it being Bowie's swansong, but nothing particularly stood out as rememberable for me. 2.5

It was a decent listen but the hype seemed to be more that it was his last, rather than it was his best.

Decided to give this album a listen in spite of not being enthusiastic about Bowie. Really enjoyed the jazz influence on the first track. I can't see the hype in the overall album, but maybe it would grow after a few listens.

David Bowie never lost his touch. What an amazing body of work he left us with. I don't know if I would regard this album the way I do if it was by an unknown performer.

It’s beautiful, complex, and chill. There is a sadness and feeling of tiredness and loss which permeates, making it even harder to separate this album from the end of Bowie’s life. I love so much of Bowie’s work, and this stands as his final great achievement.

Liked the brass instruments but album was not my fav

Bowie z'n laatste meesterwerk. Alsof hij z'n dood gepland heeft of in ieder geval zag aankomen. Je hoort het overal terug, niet alleen in de eerste zin van Lazarus. Muzikaal is het ook gewoon heel goed.

Unique. Makes me want to listen to older David Bowie. Saved a couple from this album 3.7

Innovative, inaccessible, however a hard listen honestly.

have to say i'm not exactly in the mood for albums like this one today. nevertheless, i really enjoyed the atmosphere present and i'm sure i'd enjoy it even more on a different day.

I don't think it's that great.

Var väl sista plattan då han fortfarande var i livet. Sjuk var han väl också. Men visst sjutton är det bra.

duh it's a 5/5 but i think it's genuinely incredible that bowie can make such amazing music from as early as the late 60s to his death in 2016. from the majesty and beauty of space oddity to the grand but desperate and almost despondent lazarus, there's only a handful of misses. across 5 decades. it's amazing. if i have to pick tracks then the title track, lazarus, and girl loves me. the whole thing is beautiful though.

I'm an old Bowie fan - I saw him live during Aladin Sane years. He has several absolute classic albums but I don't think this is one of them.

There's such a discomforting, disconcerting intensity about the whole album and his performances. It's ambitious and impressive - and really restless. Lazarus is one of the great songs about death, and blackstar is a brilliant theatric creation. The only thing it lacks for me is some congruency at times between the instruments and vocal performances - they don't always fit. And while this is the point in places, in others it feels clumsy and awkward. But still a strong 4 stars

3.5

obra maestra

Aghh my first David Bowie album.. and im disappointed. It's not that bad, but i can see it just like soundtrack, nothing more. Not my cup of tea, but it have something inside. 3 from 5

Pointless indulgent twaddle

I am a massive Bowie fan but since his death, I have been hesitant to listen to his final album. I was sad during the listen but the album was superb. * (Black Star), Lazarus, Girl Loves Me and I Can't Give Everything Away

Even after listening to three David Bowie albums now, including this one. He still remains a mixed back for me. There songs that I just absolutely love, but also a few that just sound alright to me. Never really anything bad though. So sadly, even for his last album, I can only give it 4 stars again. Still it was worth listening to this one and I enjoyed my time with it. Favorite songs were: Blackstar, Lazarus, Dollar Days and I Can't Give Everything Away.

I love Bowie but several of these songs I just do not enjoy. He always did what he wanted to do and I respect that but I cannot understand the appeal of a lot of his work.

Another classic

Beautiful and frightening.

Sacrilege I know, but I’ve never really got Bowie in any of his eras. Aside from a few songs that are usually associated with other things that I’ve liked he’s just not an artist I’m interested in. Same goes for this one, though the last track is probably one of the best songs I heard in this challenge.

Really enjoyed this album! The album has more grit to it then Bowie's other music. At least that was my thoughts as someone that has listened to a very minimal amount of Bowie Interesting Album facts - Bowie recorded it while dying of liver cancer - He died 2 days after its release - considered his swansong - Him and the band listened to Kendrick Lamar's 'To pimp a butterfly' while recording for inspiration: Bowie dug that he Kendrick didn't simply rely on his hop hop background for the album themes: led to Bowie hiring a jazz band to play 'rock n roll' style music instead of a rock band to play jazz Favorite song on first listen: Lazarus

Amazing ending to a career. Dark.

Magnificent exit album. Lazarus is a perfect song.

J'avais des attentes suite à l'album que j'ai eu l'autre jour (Station to station). Probablement des super sons que j'admire pas assez, mais je juge sévère vu que l'autre était nice.

This record is a lot to take in right off the bat, but once I got used to it, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Certainly an interesting end of life album for Bowie.

A more mature Bowie for those who love him

A swan song from a man dying of liver cancer. Blackstar shows even in the face of his demise Bowie was trying to experiment with both industrial hip hop sounds and a electronica similar to artists like Boards of Canada. Blackstar is both a bow on Bowies legacy but also a great album in its own right. Fav songs: Blackstar,I can’t give everything away

Vind Bowie als persoon wel echt gaaf, maar vond dit helemaal niets.. veel te vaag en zou het liever niet nog een keer luisteren. Misschien mis ik een soort groter besef van zijn kunt oid maar ik voel de vibe nie

Sorry David, mooie vent maar vind je muziek maar niks

Pretty good, one more in line with my tastes

Amazing artist. I respect the courage he had throughout his career. Great send off

Mostly bad to listen to

This was an amazing album for Bowie to go out on.

Meh

best bowie album

It’s a little too advanced-Bowie for me. The man was very imaginative for the entirety of his career. Gotta give him that.

Bowie was always good at changing musical styles as times changed. This is an interesting mix of electronic, jazz, rock, and pop. It's the last words of a dying man, in that context, the themes make more sense. Overall a good album

was never a huge Bowie fan in addition to thinking he was kind of a creep, so this never really had any emotional resonance for me as his "goodbye" or whatever but the actual music is objectively pretty good and interesting

I remember when this came out and being impressed by it even before realizing that it was a farewell. There are a ton of interesting ideas on this album. Ultimately, it will never rank amongst my favorite Bowie records, but I’m glad it exists. I think I’ll be listening to it more than I have been.

Not the best Bowie, but not remotely the worst. His last effort, and proof that he was always fiddling with his style.

In tears she poured out words with a faint voice, lamenting her sad woe, as when the swan about to die sings a funereal dirge.

He knew he was dying and decided to give us one of his best albums R.I.P. Bowie

It's the final album by David Bowie, which might have made the critics more sentimental, so we have it here, on this list. Personally, I didn't like "Blackstar". I felt like Bowie lost his charm and was not as entertaining on this album as earlier in his career. The quirky melodies weren't really fitting with his voice, just a bit of a mismatch. Average album at best.

Ooof. That was an emotional listen.

I was a bit underwhelmed

Not his greatest work, but obviously still excellent work. Really atmospheric, not rally my usual vibe. My top pick is 'Dollar Days'.

Unique album. Not sure what I expected. Fun listen but not an album you would listen to everyday.

Lazarus is one of the best songs I've heard. Full stop. Interpreting this album with the context that this is Bowie's final hurrah is deep. I hope, when I age, I am as reflective and accepting as Bowie

God, what a gorgeous send-off to a brilliant artist. It is amazing to me that an album can sound so reassured yet so scared, so at peace yet not ready to go, and so relaxed yet so on edge. The use of avant-garde jazz is used to the benefit rather than just as meaningless noise, and the short but sweet album knows when to bring in something to changed it up. It is also completely admirable that nothing here sounds derivative of anything else Bowie-like, going out with a bang rather than a "best of" situation. Just fantastic from beginning to end. Bowie really nails those short track listing albums to a tee. Seems like a ten minute opener is a guaranteed fantastic choice. Also wild to see Kendrick Lamar and Death Grips as inspirations for this, but I can hear it. I also really liked the allusion to A New Career In A New Town in the final track with the harmonica, whether intentional or not.

Second listen. I’m sure this album will grow on me, but it’s just not really one of my favorites from David Bowie right now.

Best Songs; -★ -Girl Loves Me

Took a couple listens but it grew on me. Musically it's interesting but I don't care for his voice on this record. Standout is the last song is the "I Can't Give Anything Away"

Weird but good album. Gave me the first impression of a gothic-mechanic machine soundtrack. Don’t think that I will listen to it soon again.

I love Bowie but I think I'm realizing I am not a huge fan of art rock, which this album leans in to very heavily. There are some interesting tracks and I can tell there's a lot of musicality to what's going on, but I just don't think it resonated with me.

I like the beginning of the first song black star, but is way too long for my tastes. The last song is a nice top off and I like it.

While undoubtedly a fantastically haunting album, I simply do not connect to this album. Not an isolated incident, as I have listened to several other David Bowie albums, and felt the same way. Feels as though it never really gets where it wants to go, as far as a cohesive experience. It's weird how you can actually hear the Death Grips influence on tracks like Sue.

🤯🤯🤯

The darkest side of Bowie, a personal album but it's not for me

This was a good album. It reminded me a lot of Bowie's early stuff. I had not heard it before and it delivered. It isn't really a 4 but it is better than a 3 so I will round up

Cet album m'émeut toujours aux larmes, dans la fragilité et la vulnérabilité de la voix, d'abord. Un album qui ne fait pas de concession, qui se permet d'essayer, d'évoluer, qui reste actuel en étant intemporel

Blackstar (I’m black too), Tis a Pity She Was a Whore, Lazarus (best song), Sue, Girl Loves Me, Dollar Days and I Can’t Give Everything Away. Love the jazz sounding instruments. Saved his best album for his last. He knew he was dying and it’s a great farewell. 69 years young.

it has the same feeling as johnny cash's last album. blackstar, lazarus

A very solid farewell from David Bowie. FS: Lazarus, Sue

A work of absolute genius, by one of the very best ever.

Not the biggest Bowie fan, and I generally don't enjoy albums by artists 30 years after they've hit their peak, but this was great. Reading more about it, sounds like there's a bit of inspiration in there by bands I do like, like Boards of Canada, and LCD, so maybe that's no surprise. Definitely going to listen to this one again. Great swansong.

I'd obvs heard Blackstar before and not sure I really got it at the time or gave it enough attention. on this listen I thought it was bloody brilliant. Amazing to chug out another cracking album at this time in his life

Just magnificent. What an album to end on. Lazarus is such a banger. The whole album is spectacular.

4/5 Best: Lazarus Worst: 'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore

emmm not quite get it

the first 5 minutes of the first song are truly horrible in such a way that it distorts how the rest of the album can be perceived. there are some very solid instrumental sections, but Bowie always had a very moaning-like sound and personally never understood why people liked it, he has a couple great songs but there are none here.

Nao gostei nem um pouco

I hadn't listened to this since it came out but it blew me away...wow

1 2 3, it's Mos Def and Talib Kwe... oh. More Bowie. If this wasn't released so close to his death, would anyone really care? There's a LOT of... just... not good here. Will there ever come a day when discordant saxophone doesn't automatically get you the "experimental" crown? It's actually, genuinely, such old news. Feel like Leonard Cohen pulled off the trick to better effect later in the year. When are we gonna pull some actually fun Bowie?

Weird, even for Bowie

Great (but sad) album. Bowie certainly knew how to release them for maximum attention.

I think this is the second time I hear this album in full. The first time was right when it launched, a few days before he passed. I was so in shock, realizing the true meaning of some of these songs, that I couldn’t hear it again casually. Almost cried hearing it again. Amazing album.

This is a brilliant final bow out for any artist. Been considering the full 5 stars for a few days now. But it just isn’t quiet their when comparing this to peak Bowie, therefore just misses out, maybe if I come back in a few years I’d rerate this one.

Bello!

I seem to be getting a lot of Bowie generated recently! This is considered to be his “swan song”, as he passed away only days after this was released. I remember when this album came out and the worldwide shock when he died. Songs I already knew: Lazarus Favourites: Blackstar, Lazarus I haven’t loved every Bowie album, but I do love how frequently he changed his sound. He doesn’t tend to stick to one genre and I’d consider that to be pretty rad. I read online that he took inspiration from Boards Of Canada for this album, and it certainly does seem a little more electronica than I’d usually expect from him. The real highlight for this album is his voice - it is the distinct voice we all know, but with a lot more sorrow and wisdom coming through with his age. This was a pretty great album. Give it a listen!

It's Bowie ... so it's art, not just pop music.

First song singing was terrible. Even worse was that it was a 10 minute song. The instrumental was good but the only thing bad about this album was the singing. I don't understand why people like this album so much.

This albums dope, it has that balance I love of having a darker sound with serious themes but not letting itself be taken to seriously with some goofin around with goofy instrumentals or vocal inflections or bars. Even with these lighter moments it still lets the serious parts do their thing they don’t feel undercut. Such an honest and inspired record, awesome instrumentals especially those fucking killer drums. My favorite Bowie album. The best

Interesting art piece but not my favourite