Reviews (page 3 of 15)
Has to go down as one of the best final albums in any artist's catalogue. Favorite track: Lazarus
This album is going to be an interesting listen. It's the last gasps of a legendary musician who was staring into the grim reaper's eyes and facing down his inevitable end. Can a teenager such as me really, truly appreciate what this record means when he has so much life ahead of him? What I can appreciate is the songcraft. The songs on this record are of the somber and spacey variety, with lyrics confronting the reality of death and looking back on a life well lived. It's exactly the kind of album a man confronting his own mortality can be expected to make. This album is probably one of the most difficult listens in Bowie's catalog simply because of its thematic heaviness, not to mention the circumstances surrounding its creation. With this album, one of rock's most restless artists bids farewell to this world. I, a young kid with decades ahead of him, am now contemplating what my own death will be like as I listen to this. But alas, only time will tell. This album is the highest ranked album of 2016 globally. Other 2016 albums rated by me: Konnichiwa(4/4)-3
Very good, just not really my type of music
Best: All Worst: N/A
Notable Textzeile: This way or no way, you know I'll be free Just like that bluebird now, ain't that just like me? Oh, I'll be free, just like that bluebird Oh, I'll be free, ain't that just like me? Was für ein großer Moment für die Musik. Ich habe gerade keine Worte die dem auch nur annähernd gerecht werden können. Jeder Song ist ein leicht unterschiedlicher Genuss. Die Spannung in der Stimme, die in wunderbarer Weise manchmal dem dunkle Klang wie ein kleines Licht in mondloser Nacht entgegen steht, verloren geht, von umherirrenden einzelnen Gitarrentönen oder Bläsern gelockt wird und zur Konklusio kommen muss: see more, feel less. Mensch fehlt, Künstler hat hier eine perfekte Abrundung als silbernen Abschluss gefunden.
David Bowie and the Bad Seeds, irgendwie. Adult Pop Songs werden durch die Instrumentierung und Produktion erhöht und durch die Verletzlichkeit in der Stimme rührend. Funktioniert auf der zweiten Hälfte nicht mehr ganz so gut.
Verkünstelter Gemischwarenladen der unterwegs vielleicht selbst vergisst für wen er eigentlich aufmacht und warum da hinten in der Ecke der Kassenschlager von 1974 eigentlich nicht mehr gekauft wird.
Im not doing another bowie to comfirm what i already know
It’s generally true that artists aren’t putting out their best work in like the 5th decade of their career. This is a phenomenal album, elevated by the fact that Bowie knew that this would be his last before succumbing to cancer. Yeah it’s weird, but I love weird.
didnt think much of this when it initially released, but it really is a culmination of his life's work. on a side note, his most radioheadesque album
Some proof that humans aren’t all bad. The proximity of Bowie’s death, then Prince’s death shortly after that, I felt Blackstqr would be too sad to listen to. Then I sort of forgot about it, and now I’m listening to it. He saved best for last.
I kept revisiting this over the last few months to a) let the Bowie fatigue subside, and b) create more of a traditional album listening experience. The one per day album conveyor belt didn’t feel appropriate for this one, given the significance. It really grew on me, like a classic album should - something to be digested slowly, savoured. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go listen to some Slipknot.
not my vibe, nada contigo bowie.
I was hesitant when I saw this was a Bowie album released in 2016, but this was surprisingly good af.
Emphatically answers the question “What kind of album would you make if you knew you were dying?” We get to peel off the Band-Aid so infrequently. Gregg Allman‘s last album, Johnny Cash‘s American series, maybe John Prine‘s last album come immediately to mind. This album can proudly take its place in that canon. From an artist who spent much of his career hiding behind masks, personas and stylistic changes, this is amazingly intimate. Bowie invites us along on the journey, giving us essentially a ringside seat. This is at once both bleak and incredibly uplifting. This is art.
I’m sure this would’ve been a great conclusion for Bowie fans, but doesn’t overly do it for me. I can appreciate the overall dark theme of the album though. Rating: 4/10 Favorite Song: Lazarus
Good album. Every song is good. Kind of jazzy, kind of industrial.
I prefer his older works. I really disliked this.
Weird and creepy, two songs were good but it’s kind of unsettling
This one was hard for me to get into but there was a haunting theme throughout, and I will say I gained some appreciation for Bowie on this listen: he was definitely an artist. Specifically Lazarus and I Can't Give Everything Away were great. I have a feeling this is a 5 star album for a certain time of life, and I haven't lived enough yet. But a 3 is like a 5 for me on Bowie scale
Okay I gotta say it, this album didn't need to be on this list. We had 8 Bowie records in the original iteration of the list, so if we're going to add one post-hoc it should really stand out in a positive way. This one just does not. Musically, it's at least somewhat interesting. Vocally and lyrically, it's just bad. 'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore had some of the most un-serious vocals I've ever heard and highlighted just how far removed Bowie is from his peak. Girl Loves Me was similar in that regard. I feel a little bad being this scathing while I Can't Give Everything Away is wrapping up though because this song is actually quite enjoyable, but as a whole this was a swing and a miss.
Nothing about this album was enjoyable to me and I really can't believe it made this list. I was going to give it two stars but as I was writing this I was getting progressively more annoyed so 1 star it is.
Strange
Definitely needs a few more listens but the power of Bowie is evident! Still even in his dying breathes and having gone through so many transformations already he comes out with a really interesting fusion album. Hearing how he uses vocal pitching and the saxophone in such a leading role was a highlight.
respect the meaning for bowie fans. first song was stuck in my head for a bit, but isn’t something i see myself going back to regularly
The artists gave the album the correct rating with the first song title. ⭐
solemne y muy bueno 4.25
Blackstar? More like Fivestar What a way to go out. 10/10
This one is better but not by much 2.5 if I could
Still have memories of hearing this the week it came out, with its tone immediately shifting two days later. Not one of my immediate favorite Bowie records partially because of his death being so sudden and saddening to me, but man what a note to go out on. We miss you, David.
I understand that this might be the absolute worst Bowie album to listen to as my first one. However, it's still an incredible album and I don't think I can give it any less than a 5. I might revisit once I generate a few more, but I imagine my rating will stay the same
I distinctly remember a night in January 2016 where I was watching MTV or some other concert station, and I saw two of Bowie's videos (Blackstar - which was rife with death imagery - and then Lazarus - again, the death imagery...and the final shot of him shutting himself in the dark), and I immediately went to the internet to check if Bowie had died. The music itself being heavily jazz - periods of beauty interspersed with frantic anxiety-inducing dissonance, along with lyrics that seem like the nonsensical whispers of someone dreaming, it all makes for something strangely esoteric, but understood. Like death. We all know about it, and have experiences with it, but we don't fully understand it (it does not ask to be understood, it does not ask anything). Bowie was gone within a few days. This experience still sticks with me a decade later. The gravity of it, the beauty of defiantly (and joyfully? mischieviously?) creating while death settles around you.
This is tough. I haven't listened to this since it first came out, and obviously the circumstances were very different then. I still think "Lazarus" is genuinely moving, but it may be the only song on the album I actually like listening too (with the possible exception of "I Can't Give Everything Away," which has kind of an insane arrangement that I really dig). I think three (black) stars is an acknowledgement of what this album achieved, while I might go lower if just looking at the music by its own merits. (I fucking love Bowie but there's so much more to him than what's here)
Heresy I know, but far from my favourite Bowie album. I get that he made it knowing death was imminent, and it's his last testament as such. It of course belongs on this list for that alone. In places it is moving, but it's not an album I'll come back to often.
Good bowie, reasonable album listen. Backstory adds a lot to the album, but very mood dependent, as is the case with many non-ziggy bowie
Not bad. Not great
R.I.P David Bowie
Enjoyed this, have listened to it a few times over the years. But it falls in to the category of albums that I won’t go out of my way to listen to, but don’t mind if it’s on.
How do I rate this? It's difficult. On the Bowie Scale, where, say, Station to Station is a 5, this is probably a 3.75 (if I try and filter out the sentimental factor around the timing of the release.) A 3.75 on the Bowie Scale is at least a 4.5 on any other measure so I think I have to give it a 5, even though it feels like I'm going to end up rating every DB album on this list the same.
I really struggled to rate this. It's an album that I always feel I need to study more to really appreciate
The end songs are very good, the whole album is nice too but I wasn't in the best of moods for this.
Haunting, beautiful and kinda scary.
What a week: Bowie drops a great new album, Bowie dies.
I wasn't looking forward to ANOTHER Bowie album that much, but this one surprised me. What a great album for him to end on. I could hear some of the similarities between this and The Next Day, but this one was much better for me personally. I'll revisit this one again. What an incredible amount of variety from one artist. I still think 9 albums on the list is too high for any one artist, but if you're going with someone, he's probably the guy to pick.
Ok - at times better, at times not so good.
I have been meaning to get around to this album for a while now, and now that I’ve heard it, I can definitely say it lives up to the hype. I may have overhyped it a little myself and that may have caused me to look at it a little differently since I’ve been wanting to here it, but if you strip that away, this is still a great album. The songwriting in this album is some of Bowie’s best, with songs like Lazarus and Dollar Days, two of my standout tracks, feeling like Bowie foretelling his own impending death shortly after the album’s release. The production on this album is also incredible, with songs like the title track containing many layers that are all beautifully weaved together. I love so many elements of this album, and I just think it is a beautiful way for Bowie to end his career, especially with a song like I Can’t Give Everything Away, my final standout track. Even if it wasn’t what I expected, it still is definitely one of my new favorite Bowie albums, and I think one of the lines in Dollar Days summarizes everything great about the album, “I’m dying to push their backs against the grain, and fool them all again and again” And that’s what he did. I may regret not bumping this up later, kind of like I did with Remain in Light, but this album is definitely a high four, even low five album for me. Hopefully Bowie’s waiting in the sky for us all.
David Bowie is such a talent he got his own approaching phantom to wail on the backing of most tracks. The band on this album are a bunch of fucking monsters. The drummer and bass guitarist should get married and 'adult adopt' me so I can become a rhythmic virtuoso. And, the moody masterpieces of the saxophonist and guitarist shall damn the halls of my mausoleum when I die.
1001 albums to hear before you're a blackstar... this is the most insane send off possible from a long established career Imagine knowing it'll be your last and putting musicians present giving their best to the final experimentation of a record for your life. Full of meaning and intent, extraordinary instrumentations, vocals.. it's like ascending to his death. Wow
Bowie at his lowest. This album is only on here because it is made by a star
wow. that was pretty moving…very innovative and very interesting and devastating. what a crazy feat he pulled off with this one, writing lyrics like that to be released two days before his death. listening to it now feels like he’s speaking to us from beyond the grave. what a gift! Fav tracks: Lazarus; I Can’t Give Everything Away
Bowie's final masterpiece peppered with little nuggets he left us as he died. Pure art!
What to say about this album? Loved it when it came out, saw it in a new light when he died, Bowie forever.
Duro álbum, muy oscuro. El primer tema es muy difícil de escuchar, los otros no tanto. Pero en general bastante difícil. Creo que Bowie tiene algo de pretensión que hace difícil digerir los temas. Lo escuché hace varios días así que no me acuerdo mucho más. 6/10
Very beautiful. A great end to an interesting career.
I like David Bowie. I did not like this.
I like David Bowie but his last album here just doesn't really do it for me.
That will be five yellow stars from me. The title track is one of my favorite songs of all time, but it wasn't until today that I listened to the entire album. Every track of David Bowie's Swan Song is unique, and poignant. It's the ideal way for someone to close out their life(a similar vibe to "You Want It Darker" by Leonard Cohen, and "Ghosteen" by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds). Favorite Track: "*"
It’s either the genius product of years of learning, growth, etc., or the random bullshit of a dying man; I don’t feel confident that I can discern which one it is at the moment, so it’s sitting at a 3 until I figure it out…
Really not what I was expecting. It was like an emo version of the labyrinth movie soundtrack
Heartbreaking and life affirming.
This album is making me question why this man is famous Huh...
Fint, men repetitivt album. Kun med på listen, fordi han døde et par dage efter udgivelsen.
I first heard this album on January 8th, 2016. It made me feel really uncomfortable and depressed, for some reason. 2 days later that reason was ofcourse David Bowie's death. I never listened to this album again untill this day, 10 years later. And I think now was the perfect time for me to listen to it. This album is amazing, and I can't wait to add this album on vinyl to my collection (after I collect all of Bowie's other albums, I'm halfway).
I found this a tiring listen, really triggered my Streets/Tame Impala collab PTSD. How can an album be so all over the place and so repetitive at the same time?
LOVED am a big Bowie fan anyway ofc. It this album to me is so interesting, love a short album of long songs - also really enjoyed the intro to the last song really amped me up
'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore has good jazz type sax. Lazarus was slightly depressing and haunting.
Déjà écouté avant. La lettre d'adieu musicale de l'un des plus grands artistes de l'ère rock - si ce n'est le plus grand. Et quelle lettre d'adieu, sortie deux jours avant son décès, à la fois testament hanté par l'imminence et l'inévitabilité de la mort et ultime réincarnation d'une rockstar polymorphe, s'inscrivant dans sa veine la plus expérimentale, celle explorée sur Low ou Outside notamment. Situé quelque part entre improvisations jazz bruitistes, sonorités électroniques minimalistes et cabaret funèbre, Blackstar ne se laisse pas facilement apprivoiser, mais le jeu en vaut la chandelle. Car il n'est pas seulement le 26e (!) et dernier album de David Bowie, mais aussi l'un de ses meilleurs. Le bouquet final d'un demi-siècle de carrière, et un geste définitif vers l'immortalité. Merci pour tout, Mister Bowie. Top : Sue (Or in a Season of Crime) Flop : Girl Loves Me
I’m outing myself as a David Bowie fanboy. This album isn't his best, but it is the saddest; "Lazarus" is one of my all-time favorite songs of his. Even though not every track is quite my cup of tea, it’s a worthy farewell from this genius.
Unparalleled album. To be this late in your career, dealing with cancer, and release this record just before your death is an act of ridiculous artistic brilliance. While I still prefer ZIGGY and 70s Bowie, there so much about this album to love. The range, the mediations on death and love, the instrumentals. So rarely is an artist able to write the coda to their own life and write it so perfectly.
I got Leonard Cohen's 'You Want It Darker' a week ago. Is the generator trying to tell me something? We all view this album through his immaculately timed death, and Lazarus at least lends itself directly to that. It's a beautiful song, and gives the space that the more frantic tracks ('Tis Pity, Sue) perhaps lack. The last track gives a little nod backwards with its poignant echo of New Career in a New Town, but the main thrust of the album is that he was still experimenting and still looking forwards.
David Bowie might be the only guy to have ever attended his own funeral
I wish I enjoyed this more. Listened to it when it came out, and a couple times throughout the years, and still now I just can’t fully connect with it. The music is mostly great, it’s the vocals I have a hard time with. The vocal effects on the title track sound haunting in a bad way, and they don’t really redeem themselves throughout the record. As much as I consider myself a Bowie fan I feel that if this wasn't his death album, it wouldn’t have the same attention and respect awarded it.
Devastating and beautiful album
I don’t know. This never connected with me. Relistening to it after all this time hasn’t done much to better it either. Sure there is a mythical connection to his death etc. The instrumentation is actually quite good and the production is nice. But to me there’s just something off putting with Bowie on this. Love the sax on “I can’t give everything” tho. I think it might be the best part of the album.
Великолепный предсмертный альбом. Боуи писал его уже будучи тяжело больным. Вышел в его ДР, а спустя пару дней Боуи умер.
I consider myself a Bowie fan but at the time Blackstar released (when he passed) I'd only relatively recently become interested in him. I listened to this then, like I'm sure a ton of people did, and unfortunately it just didn't click with me very strongly. The swan song backstory was powerful but the listening experience left me underwhelmed. Honestly I felt a little guilty for not enjoying it more. Coming back to it today I felt more appreciation, though I still wouldn't rank it among my 5-star Bowie albums. Highlights: "★" and "I Can't Give Everything Away."
Strange and heavy, a moody collection of dirges that are perfect for a rainy day
Didn’t enjoy much about this one. Too weird, not a fan of his voice. Did like the sax on Dollar Days. Last two songs redeemed it a bit.
The news of Bowie's death two days after this release brought a tragic poignancy to the listener experience at the time. Ten years later this remains one of the best albums of his later years.
Superb album. One of his best. Of course massive props to the band on here - essentially Donny McCaslin’s band - and Mark Guiliana in particular. Chops aside, this is such a multi-layered, interesting album. I could write for ages about why this is so good, but I’m sure it’s all been said already. 5.
Fun little album. Mix of Bowie-esque style. There's been better but still a decent listen.
The image alone is almost too good to be a true: a silently dying artist at the end of a 50-year career pulling everything together to create one last masterpiece, only for it to be released two days before his ultimate passing. But this isn't just a story or a symbol. These are songs that had never been created before, unique and pungent and full of purpose at every instant. It's desperate, intense and surreal, and every song succeeds at coneying this dizzying atmosphere. Bowie may not have needed to release this album in order to be immortalised, but in doing so anyway, he omce again contributed just a little bit to the lives of so many people, me included.
No fav song
Every song went on a little too long and also just not rly up my alley
Good
Lazarus is awesome, other songs don't hit as hard. I like the jazz musicans on this album and knowing the background of the recordings... you can't go lower than a 4.
3.75
not my favorite bowie vibe. 2.5
I've said it before I'm a Bowie fan but not always as an album artist. I have listened to this a couple times and like it quite a lot and have always said I want to go back when I can really listen and I still want to do that. It's odd but I find albums by artists that know they are making their last one fascinating
Talk about raging against the dying of the light. This is a helluva farewell from an incredible artist. Lazarus is the standout track on the album for my money. It's a beautiful and haunting - and yet somehow not depressing - final bow.
nothing special at all. this guy definitely has better music than that
This so not for me. Like his older stuff.
This is great, glad I finally got around to listening to this album that was recently released - I'm sorry, what's that? It's been out, did you say 2 years? TEN YEARS?!? Oh fuck, ok...
it had alot of interesting sounds I hadnt heard before.
Interesting Bowie album didn’t ext this kind of sound
Very strange for me.
wow
felt the need to browse the reviews for this one because of the circumstances of its release, my memory of its reception when it came out, wondering if i can say anything avoiding the most used words... one being "swan" from "swansong" like lol... but it is not unlike a ballet so ok. listened to this a lot in 2016-17 and havent since and i think a lot of tracks from "heathen" had gotten mixed up with this in my mind even tho theyre obvi very different... all to say to me the characteristics of this album are classic bowie songwriting and lyricism and orchestration with a clean electronic production style that is very of the time, which is to say shows an artist adapting innovations and contemporaneity to their personal expression (like what people like to call "genius"). the musical qualities of the album match the cosmic themes, which are of course a throughline of bowie's spaceman body of work, but have a particular depth of meaning from an established artist looking back on life and forward at the unknown. so as a listener i really get everything i could want from this, just kind of a big and swift glimpse at the experience of being a person with a body and soul and heart and head and all that junk. title track, i cant give everything faves
I think if you're a massive Bowie fan this would be incredible, but to me it's just a bit of an irritant and fully odd Bowie.
This is the closest an artist could ever continue to reach out from the dead. 10 years on now. You can feel that, above all else, Bowie wanted to leave something for his die hard fans.
Magnificent final opus
And if you stare into the abyss long enough, it will stare back at you and cry, “I am a Black Star.” The jazz band compliments Bowie’s chilling vocals so well.
I began this 1001 journey in part to become more acquainted with--to be forced to reckon with, more specifically--our "great artists"--like DB--who--also like DB--haven't really truly clicked with me yet. As it were, I've long loved Blackstar, and it's the only DB album I can say that about (for now!). Why am I exhilarated by a man singing his own funeral dirge? I am (we all are) stirred by those rare individuals who refuse, despite and to spite the end, to let our atrophying condition sap us of everything that makes us us. Bowie embraces the ever-after with a creativity that I hope I can find someday. Blackstar is unique among the so-called "dying albums" in that it's kinda freaky! Bowie avoids end-of-life sentimentality and chooses instead to rip through frenetic rhythms and trippy sax solos and sing about whores, virgins, looking for ass, and spitting deds from your deng deng. It's a horny dying album--what in the world--ONLY BOWIE! He doesn't dwell in the past really at all, which stands truer to his legacy as a restless spirit than any "I have lived a good long life" BS could've been. If I'm being honest, I don't understand what MOST of these songs mean even a little, lol. What exactly is a "blackstar," and why is David Bowie singing about it? He taps into a Lynchian surrealism that just. feels. right. This album sounds so dang good! Sure, there's something cool about L. Cohen recording his final songs into a Macbook mic from his literal death bed...but it's also cool how labored over Blackstar sounds. This is not the last gasps and patchwork of the shell of a man; this is a complete gift from a man who tied the bow himself and then--only then--CHOSE to shuffle off this mortal coil. More rock bands should have jazz drummers!
An incredible compilation created and recorded in the throws of death by a master artist. He is missed by all those who appreciate an artist who tries to grow and not just generate drivel to pay the bills. RIP Mr. Bowie. Stay strange and may the afterlife be filled with music you love.
9/10
Haunting Fave track: Lazarus
Bowie’s final album, released just two days before his passing, is a bold, experimental final send-off from one of the greatest musicians to ever live. Taking inspiration from Boards of Canada, Kendrick Lamar and Death Grips (what), Blackstar is not just a beautiful swansong that caps off Bowie’s prolific career – it holds its own as a masterpiece in a catalogue that has had so many. 4.5/5
David Bowien viimeiseksi jäänyt levy. Tykkään näistä aika kokeellisista jazz ja sinfonisista instruista. Muutenkin varmaan taas parasta ja mielenkiintoisinta Bowieta mitä oon kuullut, sanon tän varmaan joka levyn kohdalla. Parhaat: Lazarus, Blackstar, Dollar Days
Good - never listened much to DB but liked. lazarus and a couple others
Leah liked Lazarus, Austin too, along with Dollar Days. Meladolic. Reminds me of tangled chains. Very mind boggling. Leah - 5/7 Leprechauns Austin - 4/7 Leprechauns
Yeah- Bowie has 9 albums on the list. Not sure anyone else has that much representation. The Beatles have 7. Radiohead has 6. Bruce Springsteen has 5. Bob Dylan has 7. Bowie has 9. That alone is… impressive. Just the fact that someone thinks they can justify it. Now the thing is, Bowie will forever be a mixed bag for me. I hate him. I appreciate him. I hate him. I am dreading 9 albums. I’ve listened to… 3? 4? Of those, I had to admit a couple were good. Couldn’t be denied. I gave them 4s. I know I gave a 2 to one. Anyway… Aspects of this are so, so good. And it’s the end of his career. Bowie is an OLD MAN. With Cancer. And this album is, well, it’s actually amazing. I just hate his vocals. Really. Really. I would give this a 5. But it’s hard to listen to. But then I remember he’s Bowie, at the end of his career, with cancer. 5 Boolean: True, sometimes it’s true that you should listen to things you don’t want to.
A beautifully produced and performed final album from Bowie. Not something I'll come back to often, but I enjoyed it. 3.7/5.
Even on his death bed, David was always trying new things musically. What a great end to an incredible career.
I do not understand how David Bowie got so popular. I just can't stand this music, which is a personal preference I know.
Pretty hard to Lesson to
It's fucking perfect, dude. Jazz, Rock, Electronic music, it's all their and it's combined MASTERFULLY.
i’m ashamed to say this is the first full Bowie album I’ve listened to and I LOVED it! Girl Loves Me and I Can’t Give Everything Away are instant favourites - I predict there’s plenty more personal favourites to be found in his earlier work - exciting !
Great album
I want to give it 5 stars. I love Bowie and this is incredible- but it’s not quite good enough all the way through
Sign this guy up for the Ghanaian football team, because they are the Blackstars
Jeg har ikke anerkjent hvor god denne skiva er. De tre første sporene har jeg alltid sett på som sterke spor, men det er ikke før idag jeg har oppdaget hvor hardt instrumentalen i feks. tittelsporet går. Det er utrolig mange små elementer som kommer og går, deriblant innslag av 303 syrelinjer. Jeg tror vokalprestasjonen til Bowie er så hjemsøkende at den på en måte har stjålet mye av oppmerksomheten tidligere. Det er på det punktet at man kan argumentere for at dette er hans beste skive. At noen med en discography som han hadde på 70-tallet skal gi ut et (kanskje) enda bedre album i 2016? Det skjer ikke. Umulig. Og det er nok også et element som spiller inn på at jeg ikke har anerkjent hvor sterk plata er; den kunne faktisk ikke være så bra som den er. Bowie, du er offisielt tilgitt for å lage kjedelig "return to form" album i 2013.
En mer verdig avslutning enn The Next Day, heldigvis. Jeg føler alle jeg kjenner snakket om Blackstar da det kom og det var naturlig å genierklære Bowie. I ettertid føler jeg det nesten har vært obligatorisk å si "også Blackstar, da" når man snakker om diskografien til Bowie. Med døden hans på avstand føler jeg også at jeg har fått korrigert noe av hypen. Det er en god plate, sterkere på vibe enn enkeltlåter. En plate som vokser på en. Selv om dette var slutten for Bowie, så høres musikken mer ut som starten på noe. Jeg blir mer sulten og lurer på hva mer han kunne fått til med denne koden han åpenbart har knekt. Men det er bare en grådig drøm, og marerittet er å våkne til at han ikke finnes lenger.
Lazarus is incredible. Love the jazz elements bowie introduced. I don't think this is anywhere near his best work and it probably gets more credit than it should because he died soon after, but it's still a good listen full of emotion. 3.5
1.5/5 I'm not the biggest fan of Bowie and this didn't do anything to sway me liking his music anymore.
I simply have never understood David Bowie's status as a rock legend and this album didn't help my perception of him. The backstory to the album is very interesting, but musically and especially lyrically the album did not impress me. I know there are a bunch of Bowie albums on the list so perhaps one of the others will help me understand how he came to be considered among the all-time greats, but for now I remain as confused about it all as ever.
Best Song: Lazarus. The saxophone solo was quite evocative, and the whole song had this sparse and melancholy mood that really suited the album overall. Worst Song: Girl Loves Me. It's awful to say, but this really does sound like an old man rambling. Just alone on in a hospital room, crying out, "where the fuck did Monday go?" Overall: Truly there could not be a more fitting final album for this list. After having to endure so many Bowie albums (and I've come to learn through this list that "endure" is, for me, the appropriate verb), I get to end with the one that killed him. And it is about as middling as the rest of his album's I've listened to. Thematically, the reflections on death are compelling, but people like Leonard Cohen, hell even Johnny Cash, have already provided more thoughtful explorations than this. They were able to articulate the idea that, after a lifetime of fame and success, what matters to them more than the material things that they've had the good fortune to accrue are more previous and intangible, but they did it in a way that was a deal more subtle and artful than just repeating the phrase "I can't give everything away" ad nauseum. A clumsy and self-indulgent final album.
liked it, but not too much
I can’t see any reason this album would be on this list beyond the curator being such a Bowie acolyte. Generally uninteresting sound experiment.
I just found this really boring sorry
Ok
I have not heard this before. I haven’t heard much of Bowie’s work from after the 90s so I don’t know if this is a style he had been working on for a decade and a half or if it was a newer stylistic change. It’s a very weird and experimental record with some odd vocal harmonies and melodies that will shift from dissonant to harmonic, free jazz horns, drum & bass beats, and some really cool keyboard sounds. There are a few songs that drag and the guitar tone on the closing track is a really over processed 80s arena rock tone that I don’t like at all. Altogether a pretty great album though, I feel like I could spend a lot more time with this one.
Album #95: Blackstar - David Bowie Genre (W): Art rock, jazz rock, experimental jazz, experimental rock Singles: Blackstar, Lazarus, I Can’t Give Everything Away I have listened to this album once before. Thoughts?: Wow.. this is a heavy album. The fact that this was released two days before his death gives it so much weight. However, I’ll try to be objective. I love the arrangements of this album, and Lazarus is one of my favorite songs ever. Blackstar is also one heck of an opener. Favorite songs: Blackstar, Lazarus, Sue (Or in a Season in Crime), I Can’t Give Everything Away
very interesting
Incredible. The way Bowie made this record by using NY jazz musicians makes it so incredibly unique. Whilst I think that a lot of the praise for this record comes because of the circumstances around its release (Bowie’s death), that doesn’t take away from it being a masterpiece in songwriting.
Imagine this being your last album. Insane.
I think this album had potential, with a few good songs on it like "Lazarus" and "I Can't Give Everything Away", but I feel like this was just a lackluster attempt to re-live his massive popularity in the 80's
I thought this one might be coming and the Blackstar was like "BOOM" monolith when it popped up. I've always seen people swear by this album. I've seen many tattoos of the Bowie star. And it's from the era of Bowie I don't really know yet. I think this is the taste I most want to acquire. I really liked it. More art than music. Reminds me of "The National Anthem" by RH expanded to a prog album. Another massive win for Bowie!
It’s shit…
Would I listen again: no This was a big nothing burger for me. Looking back on it I can only remember some vague Bowie warble over some boring instrumental. It’s definitely not done anything for my opinion of posthumous albums.
What a piece of art.
2.5
Epic. I didn't really get on with his other late career record on here. This was so much better. Beautiful soundscapes. Really sounding like a young energetic artist in a lot of places. Also has that quality though (maybe it's all psychological) that gives a certain feeling to late career Waits and Cash and maybe the better bits of late Dylan.
Shrugs.
This album is super weird but it got me into a flow state at work, which I definitely appreciate
# David Bowie — *Blackstar* (2016): An In-Depth Review *Blackstar* (stylised as ★) is David Bowie's twenty-sixth and final studio album, released on his 69th birthday, January 8, 2016. Recorded in secret in New York City while Bowie battled terminal liver cancer, it stands as one of the most remarkable farewell statements in popular music history. Two days after its release, Bowie passed away, transforming what was already a challenging, experimental record into a devastating final testament — a "parting gift" from an artist who turned his own death into a work of art. --- ## Music & Production ### The Sound: Jazz Meets Art Rock *Blackstar* represents Bowie's most radical sonic departure in decades. Working with longtime co-producer Tony Visconti and a core band of New York jazz musicians — Donny McCaslin (saxophone), Jason Lindner (piano), Tim Lefebvre (bass), and Mark Guiliana (drums) — Bowie deliberately sought to "avoid rock'n'roll". The result is a fusion of atmospheric art rock, experimental jazz, free jazz, progressive rock, and industrial elements, with critics noting influences ranging from Kendrick Lamar's *To Pimp a Butterfly* to Death Grips and Boards of Canada. The production is dense, textured, and deliberately unsettling. Visconti and Bowie crafted a soundscape that feels both organic and alien — live jazz instrumentation processed through an art-rock lens. The rhythm section provides a fluid, improvisational foundation, while McCaslin's saxophone work adds anxiety and intensity throughout. Ben Monder's guitar contributions and James Murphy's percussion add further layers of complexity. ### Key Tracks - **"Blackstar"** (10:00): The epic title track shifts through multiple movements — opening with a funereal, almost Gregorian chant-like atmosphere over a drum-and-bass rhythm, before breaking into a bluesy, almost Beatles-esque middle section, then returning to its dark, hypnotic groove. It began as two separate melodies that Bowie merged into one sprawling piece. - **"Lazarus"**: A brooding, sax-led threnody built around a groove reminiscent of later Massive Attack. Sung from the perspective of Thomas Jerome Newton (the alien Bowie played in *The Man Who Fell to Earth*), it functions as a purgatorial reflection on a life of excess and isolation. - **"'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore"**: A re-recording of a 2014 single, transformed with a hip-hop beat, free-form sax, and a more aggressive, sociable vocal performance. The title references a 17th-century John Ford play. - **"Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)"**: Originally recorded with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, this remake features a heavier, denser groove with funk-rock guitar and drum-and-bass stylings reminiscent of Bowie's 1997 *Earthling* album. - **"Girl Loves Me"**: Perhaps the album's most experimental track, featuring Nadsat (the slang from *A Clockwork Orange*) and Polari (British gay slang), set against acrobatic drumming and bouncing bass. The refrain "Where the fuck did Monday go?" captures a desperate sense of time running out. - **"Dollar Days"**: A lush ballad with delicate acoustic guitar, strings, and free-form sax, reminiscent of *Young Americans* but suffused with melancholy. The line "Don't believe for just one second I'm forgetting you / I'm trying to / I'm dying to" is devastating in retrospect. - **"I Can't Give Everything Away"**: The final track, built on pulsing synthesizers and tightly-wound percussion, features a harmonica solo echoing *Low*'s "A New Career in a New Town" — a deliberate callback signifying transition and acceptance. --- ## Lyrics & Themes ### Mortality as Art The dominant theme of *Blackstar* is death — not just Bowie's own impending passing, but death as a universal, mythological, and spiritual concept. Many songs are narrated from the perspective of the dead or dying, creating a multifaceted exploration of mortality. The lyrics operate on multiple levels: - **Direct confession**: "Lazarus" opens with "Look up here, I'm in heaven / I've got scars that can't be seen" — lines widely interpreted as Bowie admitting his failing health. - **Coded references**: The title "Blackstar" itself carries multiple meanings — from occult and alchemical symbolism to the medical term "black star lesion" used to describe certain cancer tumors. The opening line "In the villa of Ormen" may reference Ørmen, a Norwegian town connected to Bowie's early girlfriend Hermione Farthingale. - **Literary allusions**: "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" references Jacobean tragedy; "Girl Loves Me" incorporates Burgess's Nadsat; "Sue" contains noir-ish narratives of violence and farewell. - **Self-mythology**: The album constantly references Bowie's own past — the harmonica on "I Can't Give Everything Away" echoes *Low*, the alien narrator of "Lazarus" returns to his *Man Who Fell to Earth* character, and the entire project functions as a culmination of his lifelong obsession with death, dating back to his 1967 debut. ### The Art of Dying Scholars have noted that Bowie engaged in *Ars moriendi* — the medieval "art of dying" — by carefully staging his own death through the album and its accompanying videos. By remaining silent about his illness, he allowed fans to create their own interpretations, making his passing a communal event of mourning and celebration. The album became a "means of assisting and joining his listeners in their work of mourning". --- ## Influence & Legacy ### Critical Reception Upon release, *Blackstar* was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. It topped charts worldwide (including Bowie's first and only #1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S.) and became the fifth-best-selling album of 2016 globally. Critics praised its ambition, with *PopMatters* calling it a lesson for artists to continue challenging themselves, and *Mojo* arguing that the jazz backing band freed Bowie from "the weight of his own influence". Posthumously, its significance only grew. The album has been included in *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* and consistently ranks among Bowie's greatest works — typically placed in the top 10 of his discography. ### Cultural Impact *Blackstar* redefined what a "swan song" could be in popular music. It demonstrated that an artist facing mortality could create not a sentimental farewell, but a challenging, forward-looking work of art that engaged with death on its own uncompromising terms. The album influenced subsequent discussions about mortality in music and set a new standard for artistic final statements. --- ## Pros & Cons ### Strengths - **Uncompromising artistic vision**: Bowie refused to make a safe, nostalgic record, instead pushing into experimental jazz and electronic territory at age 69. - **Lyrical depth**: The multilayered lyrics reward endless analysis, operating as puzzle, poetry, and confession simultaneously. - **Production excellence**: Visconti and the jazz ensemble created a unique sonic world — anxious, intense, and deeply atmospheric. - **Emotional resonance**: The album's posthumous context transforms it from merely excellent to profoundly moving — a genuine parting gift. - **Cohesive yet varied**: Despite its experimental nature, the album flows as a complete narrative, with each track contributing to the whole. - **Vocal performance**: Despite his illness, Bowie delivers a performance of remarkable fragility and soul, particularly on the final two tracks. ### Weaknesses - **Uneven vocal delivery**: Bowie's physical condition is sometimes audible — cracks and breaks appear, particularly on "Girl Loves Me" and sections of the title track. While contextually powerful, these can be distracting on purely aesthetic terms. - **Deliberate inaccessibility**: The album's experimental nature and refusal to offer easy melodies or comforting structures alienates some listeners. As one critic noted, it can feel "fractured" with a style lacking unity. - **Uneven track quality**: Some critics have argued that tracks like "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" and "Girl Loves Me" feel like "irrelevant filler" compared to the monolithic power of "Blackstar" and "Lazarus" — entertaining but lacking the same compositional gravitas. - **"Lazarus" overshadows the rest**: The post-mortem analysis of "Lazarus" is so powerful that it can dominate perception of the album, potentially underappreciating the other tracks. - **Requires context**: The album's full impact depends heavily on knowledge of Bowie's death and illness — without it, some of the lyrical references and emotional weight may be lost. --- ## Final Assessment *Blackstar* is not merely a great album — it is a unique artifact in popular culture: a meticulously planned final statement from an artist who spent his entire career reinventing himself, and who chose to make his death his final reinvention. It is challenging, sometimes difficult, occasionally frustrating, but ultimately transcendent. As one critic wrote, it is "the single greatest piece of art he ever created" — a breathtaking swansong that turned the most personal of tragedies into universal art. Few artists have had the courage — or the circumstance — to choreograph their own farewell with such precision. *Blackstar* ensures that David Bowie's final act was, like everything that preceded it, entirely on his own terms.
This album is so freaking good. Even without the context is a 5-star. With the context, it's out of this world
Def not my favorite Bowie
3,8/4
Interesting sound, reminded me of Radiohead a bit. I have only listened to Bowies first few albums so this was hugely different. I feel this is an album I need to revisit to gage if it deserves a higher score. At least he went out on a pretty decent album.
This is a haunting listen, not only because it was released days before his death. He was losing his battle with cancer and most of the albums’ content is associated with death which is only amplified by the fact that the artist literally died right after making it. From a pure showman’s perspective, there’s not really a better way to say goodbye and go out. I went to look at my history and this is actually the second time that I’ve had back to back Bowie albums and my 8th and 9th Bowie albums overall. I think it may be a sign that there’s too much Bowie here, even though I love everything he ever released.
Didnt find this album all that… But its bowie i guess.
I Can't Give Everything Away is one of the greatest "last track on an artist's last album" ever. Appropriate that it was also the last single released just after he died.
It's unusual to get a raw look into a musical icon facing his mortality. Blackstar is the rare album of songs from someone who didn't burn out or fade away.
sinto sua falta david bowie
Amazing, RIP, my dear Bowie
This is a musically complex and challenging listen, but it’s brilliant, it walks a tightrope of being really musically all over the place but really enjoyable and I think it does it really well, a great mix of genres but still really cohesive, the perfect album with a man coming to terms with their death. The length is perfect and if it were longer I wouldn’t enjoy it as much but this is great. A great parting gift from the late great David Bowie
not quite my tempo. 2.5?
Seems like a departure from Bowie’s normal style. Felt like it had some Radiohead Kid-A influences. Ultimately pretty macabre given the timing of its release near his death.
Respect to Bowie for always pushing his music to new places. Still like Ziggy better.
I actually loved this album more than I thought I would. As his last album, Bowie sounds older and wiser. I loved the experimental jazz elements of the songs, and overall, I felt like I vibed more with this album than his Aladdin Sane album.
I just don't get this album. Many people love it. I love Bowie but this album isn't it. It's very similar to the 'The Next Day,' so please read that to get a list of better Bowie albums. I get that it is his last album but this and 'Furious 7' and shouldn't get a pass because of it. Top track: "I Can't Give Everything Away"
RIP a legend, he would have hated how much this kinda sucked. Or maybe he would have loved it? who could say.
--★...myriad twists and turns to this epic. would take many more listens to fully appreciate --'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore...'tis, David, 'tis. I'm not sure what he found so compelling about this arrangement. the band is doing insane things in the background but it all kind of amalgamates into mediocre pop. weird but not weird enough --Lazarus...the wiki entry claims Bowie did not fully intend this to be his final album, but songs like this make it obvious he believed it could be. not as needlessly busy as the previous track but it's far more interesting. nice saxophone --Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)...James Murphy doing serious work on drums but not feeling it overall --Girl Loves Me...ominous, perhaps a little creepy. could grow on me over time --Dollar Days...easy listening but it doesn't veer into cheesy. or maybe it's the right amount of cheese? Bowie seems to be adding extra emotion here --I Can't Give Everything Away...Bowie gives it his all again. not a great track but it's hard not to root for him at this point. guitar work is a highlight
the pacing was odd and bugged me a bit, the songs were a bit off and not in a good way, maybe just not my taste.
Great
🛸 🌎 Uber for David?
Hard to compete with happy nostalgic memories of earlier Bowie songs. Another album elevated by its place and moment in time. My favorite parts here are the moody saxophone parts
Vielä viimeiselläkin levyllään Bowie onnistui luomaan jotain mielenkiintoista ja uutta.
The sound of a man who knows he is dying and has so much more music to get out. RIP Legend
My expectations for this album were very low. It did surpass those, but not by enough to make this one really good. 3/5
B- Blackstar 3 Tis A Pity She Was A Whore 4 Lazarus 3 Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) 3 Girl Loves Me 3 Dollar Days 4 I Can't Give Everything Away 3 I understand the importance of it, but it's nothing too crazy.
Not his best-thoughtful but ultimately disappointing
As with much of David Bowie's, this is a mixed bag. There is no stand-out track and some of it meanders. In contrast, there's the feeling of a genius at work.
Not an album that I have ever really listened to. I think I went straight to listening to his classics as soon as he died and not this album. It’s very Bowie - imaginative and powerful. May take a couple more listens. Slightly harsh 3*
Feeling a bit of a heathen about this one. I think Bowie has done some great things. But nothing on this album grabs me as being of that quality. Maybe I'm wrong. And I'll change my view over time. But right now it's a mean-spirited 3*
I enjoyed recognising some of the songs from the Peaky Blinders soundtrack but that's about it
Still affected listening to this 10 years later.
Maybe not his strongest vocally but really liked the downbeat jazz on Lazarus and whatever was going on with the title track
Man, what a way to go. How many times did Bowie come back as a different character? Not this time. Look back at all the covers and the striking poses. The black star is his last reality and a nod to the end of all the past incarnations and a reference to the magical first cut that belies his dying. I can hardly believe this tragic bookending of Black Star and I Can't Give Everything Away. Thank you, David, for all you gave us over the years and will always give us.
It’s very difficult to extricate my emotions from my judgement on this. David Bowie is so into woven with my whole life and my parents and my friends. I can’t listen to this without ending up in tears. It’s incredibly poignant and the themes are far too close to home. But incredible and poignant.
I cannot imagine what it was like to produce this record—as in write, preform, record, and just get the album done. Impossible to extricate the circumstances from the finished product. It's brilliant, creative, dark, beautiful, ambitious, Bowie seems both within himself and self-assured and helplessly teetering on the brink of another world. I guess he was all of those things, and the fact that he gave fans and listeners this final, profound experience is a gift. Ranks high on his list of great albums.
This is definitely a good album. I feel like I owe it more listens before rating it. I only had time to go through it once, however. I love that he didn't phone in his last couple of albums. There's a lot going on here. The drums alone are fascinating. The melodies are complex, perhaps a bit formless, although maybe more listens would change my mind on that front. Anyway, I dig it. Not sure it needs to be on the list, but it's a good album.
Profound
A fitting end to a magnificent career. Probably his best album since Outside. To make an album as bold and diverse as this at 68 and knowing this will be your last is truly remarkable. Genius
Not Bowie’s most iconic, but definitely important. Maybe there’s a bit of bias considering the circumstances of this album, but it was excellent with Lazarus being a standout. Essential listening for any Bowie fans
Solid album and a great final album by Bowie. Not my favorite of his but given the circumstances it's great.
I was familiar with the story of the album and Lazarus, but not the rest of the track list. Bowie is truly the master of the concept album, and Blackstar is so funky and so, so sad- but surprisingly joyful.
sooo fun this is exactly the kind of weird shit I wanted from this website - I loved how sinister it is!
I love and respect Bowie for his experimentation, but this being released right before he died doesn’t make this a good album.
I have not looked at the ratings for this on here, but I remember this being a well received record. Maybe even a record that was hailed as GREAT. O how I wish I had the persuasive power of whoever convince people of that...I think this is the third Bowie record I've gotten on this list and it is far and away the worst of the bunch so far. I try to save my 1 star ratings for the true trash of the list, the stuff that's barely music and is essentially unlistenable. I toyed with giving this a 1 for a while, but I guess I'll be nice. 1.5 rounded up - I'll never willingly listen to this again
Great album, further amplified that it was his last album. Lazarus was the highlight of the album for me.
I'm aware of this album, and I think I've heard parts of it, but I don't believe I've listened to the whole thing. This is an interesting situation I find myself in: I think the other David Bowie albums I've listened to have more individual tracks that I enjoy than this album does, but maybe I enjoyed this album overall more than the others?
Bowie will always be weird, but still interesting. I liked it, didn't love it, but I could see myself listening to it again.
beautiful sad record. remember well listening to it when it came out - I mostly focused on a couple of tracks. now the impression is the record is way more coherent than I thought [LISTENED BEFORE]
me deja super frio lo siento
David Bowie is one of those artists that I struggle to like as much as I should, according to his critical acclaim. While listening to all these albums though, he has really grown on me. We have listened to 6 of his albums now and I think I am finally starting to get it. He has been consistetnly creative on every project, each one with a specific thesis/look attached to it. His voice is difficult to get used to, but the music speaks for itself. You just have to be willing to listen and pay attention to appreciate it. Blackstar was no different. My ear was perked up with the Jazz influence, something I haven't heard on Bowie's previous albums. The songs were interesting and the album is the perfect length. Favorite tracks: Blackstar Sue Dollar Days
Look Up Here, I'm In Heaven 1001 Albums Generator 293 (5/18/2026) What a way to go out. To have a career as long and noteworthy as David Bowie is one thing, but to end that career with one of your finest and most experimental albums is another. From the strange, atmospheric jazz rock of the title track to the punky, gothic Lazarus to the aggressive industrial sounds of Sue, Blackstar is an album that can't stay still. Bowie knew that his death was imminent, and he left nothing on the table here. Also, the drums on this album are consistently excellent. An amazing swan song to a one-of-a-kind artist that grows on me with every listen. 5/5. Favs: Blackstar 'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) Least Fav: Dollar Days
I like Bowie, I'm not a super-fan but I've gained an appreciation for him as time has passed. That said, this album made me well up a bit at the end. Possibly my favourite album of his.
fun album. not really sure if I'd listen to it often though. high energy
Moody, unique, and out-of-time.
i remember when bowie died. it was my senior year of high school. busy year for dying… prince, denise “vanity” matthews, chyna. bowie was not someone whose music i had a lot of experience with … i liked his song “fame” because i heard it in next friday. i liked “let’s dance”. that was it. this album was sad enough with the context. but it was good. 3.5
A really difficult listen, personally speaking. But a giant if an album. Some swansong.
So sad now. I bought it when it was released but never really listened to it. It probably deserves further attention.
Absolutely love Blackstar and Girl Loves Me — the haunting-ness of the music.
I’m not a David Bowie fan. And now I know why. The instrumentals were excellent and then he’d start singing. Not for me.
Poignant. Moving. I basically have no words. It's not just the album's circumstances, it's the album itself.
Honestly, not my favorite but of course, it's Bowie so I'm biased. He's not dead, he's just finished with his earth tour. I'll love him forever.
Thank god he died before he made another album
Such a unique and interesting album I definitely want to explore it more
Haunting yet beautiful vocals alongside a tight knit band that crafts intricate and powerful instrumentals. Bowie’s voice is shaky and disorganized, his lyrics are very loose and all over the place. My favorite part of the album overall is the instrumentals that help clash the vocals (which aren’t to my taste but Bowie is 69 and that’s his style). Top 3 Songs: Lazarus Girl Loves Me I Can’t Give Everything Away Overall Score: Strong 7
Not in my edition of the book! 2016. 4 stars. Not his best work, but still damn fine - almost a "greatest hits" sample of his work post 2000. Short and bittersweet.
Moody and ethereal. It's good, but not a ton of variety in sound throughout.
Didn't like it, I'm not really into this sound
the first song sounded like a mummy
Genuinely one of my top Bowie albums. Listened to this just days before he passed, didn't realize the character he was portraying was his own ghost. Found this album beautifully haunting
i like insutrments
Wasn't feeling it
Always had a tough time with Bowie, respect everything he's done but just don't really enjoy listening to him. There are some really cool instrumental moments on the record, between the saxophone + guitar in particular. It's a cool record, just not one I'll likely return to.
Did not enjoy, 2 stars because of of the backstory
"I can't give everything away" saved it.
Moody, jazzy album that shares a lot of DNA with Scott Walkers later, more Avant Garde albums. Excellent.
что-то как-то не мое
ваще альбом вайбовый, не знал, что это предсметный альбом боуи. Первые трека очень классные
the intimacy of a man dying and recording an album
Lazarus is the only good song in this album
Is it as good as they say (by which I mean, one of the hundred or so greatest albums ever made)? No – the production holds it back at some points, and at its worst moments this feels a bit more like 1997’s Earthling (one of Bowie’s weaker records) than anybody perhaps wants to admit. But the songs are great, and the cleverness with which Bowie orchestrated this album to coincide almost perfectly in every way with his own impending death is fairly incredible. Having a song’s chorus be “where the fuck did Monday go?” and dying on a Sunday night was just the cherry on top, making it feel like Bowie—in all his impervious perfection—controlled the universe. He was rock’s canniest operator, that’s for sure, a CEO of a billion-dollar advertising firm in another life. Best track: “Lazarus”
Последний и один из важнейших альбомов в дискографии Дэвида Боуи. Этот альбом пропитан страданиями Дэвида, но также спокойствием и неким подведением итогов его жизни. Удивительно, что Боуи умер меньше чем через две недели после выпуска альбома.
David Bowie made his name by being able to jump on the trends just before they became the trends, even as he was never really among the best to do them. On Blackstar, he finally makes an album that doesn't really fit in with everything around it; I guess maybe it sounds like late Scott Walker sort of? Of course, this type of experimental rock didn't work for me when Walker did it either, and I like him a lot more. And as someone who never cared for Bowie in the first place, the fact that this album is him writing his oen eulogy is important to understanding the album, but I don't have the visceral emotional connection that would put it over the top for a Bowie fan.
bowie slop
It's interesting to hear Bowie kind of go back to his roots in art rock but mixing it with jazz styles. By the time I reached the last song, it felt like a complete finale to his career. Thanks for sharing your last work with us David! (3.5-4)
Tis A Pity She Was A Whore is amazing; up there with the best of Bowie. Ten years on, I think this album easily stands the test of time.
3/5
got goosebumps listening to this album. I love david bowie, and I miss him everyday.
Muy experimental en el mal sentido
A solid album. If Bowie had lived, would it be considered as highly as it is? Perhaps not, but knowing he died a few days after it came out adds a heavy weight, especially to the 5/5 song Lazarus (music video is a must see; so powerful). Some songs aren't as memorable, but it's overall great
The perfect final album.
Interesting but I'm not the biggest fan of some of the vocal choices
Bowie era una gran deuda, tipazo.
rounding up on a 3.5 cuz its worth a relisten
Lazarus is sick. Stand-outs - Black Star - Lazarus
5/10
Not one of the better Bowie Albums But OK
You know, I think the Montreal-Born Jew did it better
Not the best. Very significant and sad
Pretty dissonant, especially 'Tis A Pity She Was a Whore. More avant-garde and moody than his older albums but maybe I'm just a normie. He really likes the sax on this album. Fave Song: I can't give everything away 3/5
wowza
Der Typ nervt mich
Hab schon schlechteres und besseres von David Bowie gehört.
Ein neuer Stinker von David Bowie
Musically interesting and somewhat haunting while still being fairly catchy
Released shortly before his death... This was his last and he knew it. He poured a lot into this one. It was a very hard listen.
There are some Bowie songs I like, and Ziggy Stardust is pretty good, but most of it just is not for me. I can listen to it, but I'd prefer something else. This album in particular was quite unsettling.
Perfect
Despite being a spooky album, there are moments that are reminiscent of 70s Bowie songs. Subtle but I hear ‘em. Good album overall. 3.5/5.0
Det mesta är redan sagt om allt det artistiska, om det kontextuella och om idémässiga med Blackstar. Allt det är förstås femstjärnigt och vi tar med oss det. Istället väljer jag en take på den rena musiken, vad är det vi hör egentligen? Blackstar är i mina öron inte helt olik Kid A. Det finns en rytmisk grund som tveklöst kommer från den elektroniska musiken, med uppbrutna drivande beats som jag upplever som skivans själ. Sen kan det bli fritt spelrum inom detta för det andra, lite så fungerar Kid A också, även om jag tycker den är mer utmanande rytmisk. Någon slags stram frihet i brist på bättre beskrivning. Blåset får stor plats, men även hårt processade gitarrer och syntfigurer. Bäst blir det när det likt Kid A blir snårigt, febrigt och lite obekvämt som i min absoluta favorit "Girl loves me", "Sue" och titelspåret. Där är Blackstar även musikaliskt femstjärnig. Men när Bowie ska försöka göra det lite snällare och stryka mer medhårs genom att trycka in nummer som "Dollar days" och avslutningsspåret med sina stråkar och ett popigt anslag blir det genast sämre, särskilt sista spåret tycker jag är direkt tråkigt. Ibland händer det också lite väl mycket i ljudbilden, jag hade gärna sett en liten återhållsamhet stundtals och låtit musiken få vila i det och lita på det uttrycket, som i "Lazarus" och titelspåret. Bowies röst låter åldrad, tärd, ibland nästan svag, med all rätt förstås men det är iögonfallande och ovant att höra Bowie så. Musiken på Blackstar blir en stark trea, men ett album är förstås mycket mer än det vi hör som vi var inne i inledningen. Lägger vi till den artistiska idéen, kontexten och Bowie själv som nån slags nästan egen konstyttring. Ja då landar vi på den svaga femman. Blackstar som album är ett konstverk i en större bemärkelse
Lazarus är uppe där bland Young americans, Let’s dance och Heroes som en av Bowies bästa låtar. Albumet som helhet är minst topp 5 av Bowies album. Det bästa sedan 1970-talet. Starkt att samla ihop sig på det här sättet i livets slutskede och att våga göra det med något till stora delar nytt sound som han inte testat tidigare. Jag gillade det här när den släpptes.men jag tycker ändå mer om det i dag. Det växer fortfarande.
Minns första lyssningen av Blackstar. Albumet släpptes en fredag tror jag och så dog han på måndagen. Hade inte hunnit lyssna under helgen men nu fanns ju inget alternativ. Låg i sängen med hörlurar och blev totalt golvad. Hur ärvar det möjligt att en döende man kunde vara så här levande, vital och angelägen för sin tid? Bowie stannade aldrig i det trygga, invanda som han visste skulle funka. Hela tiden tänka om, skapa nytt. Så ända in i döden. Det är förstås en relevant invändning att omständigheterna påverkade omdömet där och då, under första lyssningen. Men fortfarande 10 år senare gör Blackstar lika stort intryck på mig. Om något uppfattar jag det som ännu bättre idag. Femman är förstås given. Redan inledande Blackstar är ju som ett eget lite album värt högsta betyg redan där. Referenserna till Bowies döende tillstånd är subtila men ändå självklara. Och så sången. Vi har haft en del åldrande artister där rösterna inte är lika spänstiga som när det en gång begav sig. Bowie däremot sjunger med en nerv som inte lämnar utrymme för klagomål. Trots stenhård konkurrens håller jag Blackstar som ett av Bowies allra bästa album.
an impressive and touching farewel of the duke
What a freakish album.
Never knew about this album from Bowie before. Went into it excited that I’d get to listen to some new stuff to me from him. Turns out this album is awful. Weird as hell vibe to this, don’t know what he was smoking when he decided this album made sense to make.
This album is a mess. Look, we all love David Bowie and he has some amazing music, but this isn't it. It's not complete junk, there is a coherent vibe to it and you can hear what he went for in his final album, but it all just felt so chaotic and disorganized. His singing feels offbeat and like crazed ranting, the instruments will randomly break into cacophony, and it just felt messy. All I'm saying is if this album was dropped by a less known artist people wouldn't care for it nearly as much; it's just not good music in a vacuum.
Full of intriguing symbolism and metaphors about Bowie's life and death, making this album an interesting listen that probably needs to be separated from its musical value to be really appreciated. That being said, I only enjoyed Dollar Days and I Can't Give Everything Away because they were more upbeat and didn't carry the same haunting, slow sounds that the rest of the tracks featured.
Eerie, as ever great music.
Not my fave :/
No esperaba que me gustara tanto. Muy distinto al pop rock de Bowie, mucho espacio y reflexión auditiva.
David bowie turned out to be very different than what I expected. I listened to this album more than 5 times. I think I need to listen to it many more times to understand his approach. but his craft comes across.
I haven't listened to much David Bowie, but I feel like there are different albums from him I would enjoy more. I don't find the sound of this album very interesting.
A massive surprise. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this much, but it started brilliantly and then just got better. This is a corker
This was another fascinating album by Bowie. I just really like that he was effectively able to recreate himself this late in his career, all while being reflective on his musical journey. Lots of interesting tracks on here, with an eclectic mix of rock, electronics, and jazz. Highlights included the title track, 'Tis a Pity She Was A Whore (loved the way this song drove), Lazarus (which I personally thought was the best song on the record), and I Can't Give Everything Away. It wasn't all perfect, but that he came up with this so late in his career is a testament to how great Bowie was as an artist. 4 stars.
Awful! One of the worst I've listened to so far.
Only because it’s Bowie. Love the voice.
I mean - it's Bowie... His parting gift. Amazing how he seemed to know just exactly how awful this timeline was going to get - and so dropped one more classic album before buggering off back to his home planet.
- as creepy as always - I didn’t like this as much as heroes, but still unique and fun - would listen again probably
Broadly eclectic sound but not a whole ton of variety within or between songs. All very neat noises though. Highlights: "★", "Lazarus", "Girl Loves Me"
The latest David Bowie album I have is Earthling. After that I focused all my attention on getting all the great early works and now I guess I'm going to have to go for all the stuff after Earthling as well.
RIP David Bowie. One of the most creative artists in music history, always reinventing himself to keep things fresh during his long career. This album is no exception. He took a risk in making sure his final album was not radio friendly but at the same time manages to avoid being pretentious. You can tell from the lyrics that he knew he was dying and ready to go to the great beyond, but not to the point of making it overly sad and depressing. Its a pretty good album that leans into elements of space rock and does not feel like a drag to get through. The only other albums I have listened to though are Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory, so I need to give some others a listen eventually.
I remember listening when this album came out. I believe it was pretty good. I like the opening so far. There is a lot of Bowie on this list. I know he’s revered, but man a lot of these are hit and miss with me. Track 5 is great. I love this groove and vibe. So far though I like this one. Only on track two but I like this better than any early Bowie I’ve heard. I’m wondering if Bowie is someone where I need to listen with context to the old albums. See what else was popular when he was doing what he was doing. On track three “Lazarus”. This is so good. Every note has purpose. And what funny is having listened to old Bowie and not enjoying it, I can hear call backs to those old albums I didn’t like. Maybe some of the stuff I don’t like was a victim of the technology at the time? Ok. This is the Bowie album I really like. Track 4 is great. Track 6 “dollar days” is even better than the last track. This just keeps getting better. This album is a masterpiece.
Genial para los que les gusta David Bowie, no me incluye ese grupo de personas.
J’ai beaucoup aimé, 3,5
It’s Bowie. Different but cool sound.
It's overrated due to his death but still a good album. Love that it's not bloated. 3.5/5
# Playlist Track - Lazarus # Notes - If you listen to it without knowing it's Bowie's last album, you'd rate it lower. Just saying. - I really like Bowie but this album didn't resonate with me.
never got the bowie craze,
Also beautiful. Released the year of his death I believe
I liked the guy, and I wanted to like this, but except for the the last 2 songs, the music seams to be completely disconnected from the singing in long and tedious songs. 4/10
Läskigt
I liked it but I also sort of agree with the comments that it’s been overrated as it came out days before he died
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Putting out a record largely themed around mortality two days before you die is a heck of an artistic statement but the record itself is patchy, and the sound doesn’t do it justice.
Good Album
Not my favorite bowie
There's something here I can't put my finger on, but I like it
GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN. 10/10 NO NOTES. if you have to die make a haunting swan song of an album while you're at it oh my god. genuinely to this day the only song i can listen to on this album without getting a feeling of existential agony / despair / sadness is 'tis a pity she was a whore. everything else on the album evokes some weird niche feeling of horror from 9 year old sophie's psyche in 2016 in which she realised there would in fact be a world without david bowie and that death was permanent and a real thing. also fuck you abc news by the way for putting blackstar over the news announcement of his death at 9pm bc i could not sleep and still cannot hear that song without crying
Definitely not my favorite Bowie album. It’s less fun, a little more depressing, but the jazz influence is nice. Not bad overall, just a little different than his other stuff
I’m just not a big fan of David’s singing - it’s not something I hate but I just is kind of there for me.
Mediocre Bowie is still a good album
I love David Bowie and this was no exception. I hadn't heard any of this music (apparently his last) before, but I loved everything about it. I listened to this album three times before running out of time, and will definitely listen to it again. Five stars, easily.
Tengo q escucharlo completo
Having heard a couple bowie records before, I went in with similar expectations. Quickly I discovered that this album is much different. The vocals are quite interesting, and this avant-garde style of Bowie was not my cup of tea. Some of the lyrics are extremely questionable as well. Every song is so murky and gray, and I cannot bear this to any extent. However the last two songs strike me by surprise and shift to more melodic and structured songs, featuring a phenomenal sax and guitar solo. I really wish they just stuck with that sound the whole time. This kind of experimental genre is just not for me. I just don't see the appeal.
Blackstar is an album that genuinely changed my perspective on music when it came out (yeah, I'm young). "Lazarus" in particular is a masterpiece. ★★★★★
This was a challenging listen for me, because my memories of this album are of course so tied up with Bowie’s passing. I remember a friend showing me the video for “Blackstar” (perhaps even before he passed, as it was the lead single) and just being captivated by how it carries such a dark energy with a relative calmness, like a placid lake surface blanketing unknown depths. It’s always exciting to listen to how Bowie adapts and experiments through every era of his career, and utterly bewildering how this man born 47 years before my time, living the life of a superstar, manages to still feel like he’s singing for my generation.