Blackstar

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.

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?

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

fun album. not really sure if I'd listen to it often though. high energy

Moody, unique, and out-of-time.

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.

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.

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.

the first song sounded like a mummy

the intimacy of a man dying and recording an album

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)

got goosebumps listening to this album. I love david bowie, and I miss him everyday.

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

Bowie era una gran deuda, tipazo.

rounding up on a 3.5 cuz its worth a relisten

You know, I think the Montreal-Born Jew did it better

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.

an impressive and touching farewel of the duke

Eerie, as ever great music.

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.

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.

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.

J’ai beaucoup aimé, 3,5

It's overrated due to his death but still a good album. Love that it's not bloated. 3.5/5

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

There's something here I can't put my finger on, but I like it

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.

Really well done album by one of the best to ever do it. This isn't his best work but it still manages to be interesting.

Bowie’s swansong is less about bangers and more about one last little push towards the bleeding edge. Really enjoyed it

It finally happened, I've been forced to face this album head on and address it for what it is. It's art and it's not for everyone. Listening to this album from track 1 through track 7. I don't typically say this about music, but this album is really just audio art, it's not for casual listeners. Every note, every instrument effect, every drum tap and strike, every instrument used, even Bowie's voice is all intentional and meant to "paint" an image in your brain. How you react, how you interpret, the emotions that ebb and flow, it's all part of the experience. As a casual listener, it's jumbled off-tune pretentious self-indulgent music rambling about random shit for because why not. Calling it anything besides that would be ingenuous. It's not for everyone, and it's not something you just listen to on your commute to work and back. This is something you commit time to listen to on quality audio equipment and really absorb what's happening. I understand the low reviews, and I understand the high reviews. For me it's a 8/10 because I got to listen to this album in the right place at the right time.

I like the dark atmosphere and experimentation.

A great way for Bowie to bow out with an immensely creative album blending a range of styles led by art rock and jazz. The title track and Lazarus especially are wonderfully epic songs. The middle is slightly weaker, and probably *just* keeps this from a 5.

Even ten years later it’s difficult to not see this rather jazzy art-rock album as Bowie’s ‘auto-epitaph’, and a great job he did of it too. The three longer tracks (‘Blackstar’ itself, ‘Lazarus’ and ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’) are the core of the album, and the best songs too, along with ‘‘Tis a Pity She Was a Whore’ and ‘Dollar Days’. There is a slight lull with ‘Sue’ and ‘Girl Loves Me’; they're still good songs but they do bring the overall quality down just short of 5 stars for me. Nonetheless, this is a brilliant final artistic statement.

For a man who was dying, Bowie actually did a great job. The title track is nothing but gold. There are many great tracks on "Blackstar". It has to be one of Bowie's best. I don't think anyone can make a great track to finish their career like "I Can't Give Everything Away". 4 stars for "Blackstar".

David’s final album, he passed two days after it was released. It’s perhaps not his greatest but every track is engaging. Good - I already have this album in my music collection.

Belle surprise! Une réécoute ou plusieurs sont programmées 💪😉

Decent album without the context. With it... it becomes generationally unique. An artist taking their lest breath, and knowing so is someting that very rarely happens. Bowie isn't always for me but this hits in such a way 8/10

7/10

I throughly enjoyed this album listen! I’d heard some of the singles off this album but I’d never listened to the album as a collective. This album feels darker and heavier than other Bowie albums I’ve listened to but that’s probably because his health was suffering and he knew he was passing sometime in the near future. Overall, I thought this was a powerful and emotional final album from Bowie and truly a love letter to his fans and music before his passing. Bowie was truly one of a kind and so special. I’m so glad we have his music to remember him by forever!

the opening track is haunting. wow!

Knowing that this was his last album before his passing made it memorable. Felt very Bowie while a bit modern.

Haven't listened to this since it released. I still think it's visionary and haunting. Miss him so much!

very good - should listen to it more

Not my favorite Bowie, but something special about it. A very mournful capstone.

I think he saved his best for last.

At first I thought this was a little dull. Maybe a three but Tim said ‘he curated his death’ and that has made me view it a little differently.

I wouldn’t say it was Bowie’s best album but given the circumstances & his passing the album for me takes up some real emotion and sentiment. Quite haunting at times.

I sorely miss this man.

No notes. Ouvi logo quando saiu, e ficou em repeat por algum tempo. RIP KING

A beautiful album and carries even more weight given it was Bowie's last. Released in 2016, it sounds like Bowie but a modernized version that had me listening back multiple times. Love that Bowie.

Ashystar: Anxiety jazz backing the existential dread of a dying man. Bowie here isn't pushing a typical political agenda, but he looks to remind us, and perhaps himself, that the starman, and the many alter egos, is a man and men die. He knows his works have their own pull, but the light behind them will be gone, blackstar is a questionable metaphor here. Overall a hauntingly beautiful acceptance of death. A fun little conspiracy, Bowies corpse was on Elons Tesla sent to space in 2018 Low 4

This was an odd one to listen to. It was a very David Bowie-esque album to say the least, and you can definitely tell that it was modern as it sounded different to his older music. I would listen to certain songs again but some of them I really wasn't a fan of them. Some songs were extremely long and that was a small downfall of the album. But overall not too bad, very whimsical and psychedelic. 3.5/5 stars Favourite songs: *Blackstar* Lazarus Dollar Days I Can't Give Everything Away

I love lots of elements of this album. In no particular order, the jazzy elements, James Murphy’s drumming. It’s hard to look beyond the emotional significance of the timing of its release but then again maybe you’re not meant to.

Se siente extraño tener como primer acercamiento a Bowie su último trabajo. De todas formas conocía algunas canciones de él, tampoco es 100% nuevo. Percibo un tono lúgubre en la obra, quizás me condiciona el saber que poco después murió, pero hay algo en este álbum que me genera esa sensación de melancolía unida a una aceptación del destino. Se nota como es una obra de un hombre ya consagrado en vida que aprovecha su gloria para experimentar y renovar su arte. Quizás no es el mejor álbum para iniciar con Bowie, pero no deja de ser sumamente interesante en su sonido. Probablemente lo reescuche en un futuro y tenga mayor impacto en mi vida, aunque ya sin ser fan de Bowie lo tuvo.

fun, love the dancy elements

8/10

Es un gran disco, se nota que Bowie se despedia de este mundo haciendo lo que mejor sabía hacer.

I've listened to this album once: driving to work in he pre-dawn hours of Jan., 11, 2016 having seen the blackstar video three days before and having just found out Bowie passed that morning., Adjust my rating accordingly,

10 years later, hearing this for the first time. Even without the immediacy of Bowies demise, it's still a great piece of work.

What an interesting, strange note to end a career of one of thebest to ever do it. At parts spacy, at parts theatrical, at parts avant garde, this might be Bowie’s most out there album, but I’ve only listened to a few other Bowie albums. It’s a tentative 4, and I definitely need to relisten, but it’s not likemuch else I’ve heard.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Albumet är lite quirky och kan säkert vara lite utmanande men jag tycker det är ganska intressant och produktionen är bra och på sången kan man inte höra att David är nära slutet. Kanske påverkar vetskapen om historien och tajmingen kring albumet betyget men jag tycker detta är ganska bra. Inte albumet man går till för hits. Bäst är Lazarus, I cat't gige everything away.

The man wrote his own eulogy

A pleasant surprise.. the instruments on this album go crazy. The album flies by and doesn’t feel like it’s dragging even with its longer tracks. Standout track for me: Dollar Days Least fave: ‘Tis A Pity She Was A Whore

For me Bowie is an artist where I really only need the greatest hits. The big songs are amazing, but the rest of it is just fine. This album doesn't really change my opinion. Lazarus and Dollar Days are good but generally while this is a good album it isn't one where I feel the need to hear it again

kind of spacy, jazzy, experimental

Beautiful album rip bowie

Bowie's final(?) album. I like the first half a lot better than the 2nd

David Bowie is a music chameleon who can always make new music styles work for himself. This album has to be his most eclectic one, picking out music from pretty much everywhere. The title track is one of the greatest openers of the past years. That said, I like it but don't really love it. A lot of the tracks are nice, but I don't really love them. It's not an album I really come back to all that often. Also, I found it sounds quite uplifting for an album embracing death.

I love bowie

A parting gift from the Gods.

4.0 stars This album really shines musically, with the jazz band and swirling saxophone giving it a unique, restless energy that I found more compelling than Bowie’s often detached vocals. At times it feels more like Bowie inhabiting a character than speaking directly from the heart. Still, the results are powerful. Favorite tracks: Lazarus, I Can’t Give Everything Away

Still sounds like Bowie, but with modern instrumentation and production, nice. Even if he was still working on other projects, he was definitely considering his mortality, and it comes through nicely.

Spännande musik från Bowies äldre dar, 2026 (69 år?). Intressant lyssning, absolut nåt jag skulle kunna ha på i bakgrunden. Första låten riktigt cool. Men kanske inte så att jag sparar detta album.

When talking about David Bowie’s “Blackstar,” you have to start with the context that Bowie wrote and recorded the album while he had cancer, and that he died two days after its release. Very few artists get to deliberately craft a parting message, and while I heard that Bowie was continuing to write new music even after he finished this album, there’s no denying that this feels like a final statement from a great artist. And what a statement! A fusion of psychedelic rock, jazz, and hard rock. It’s mesmerizing and strange. I love that saxophone that occasionally sounds like it’s being strangled. It adds a ghostliness to the music. Very good album with some spectacular highlights. 4.5

You could assume that artists get to a point in their lives / performing lives when they know they are getting towards the end of working on and releasing art. I really love "Keep Me In Your Heart For A While" by Warren Zevon for this reason, as he was battling lung cancer and decided to write a final song for his loved ones on his final album. Bowie could be seen to some people as a mythical creature that would live forever, and I know a lot of the world was shocked when he passed shortly after the release of this album, but it really makes you think about his aim and direction for these songs. Overall as a singular listening experience I like it; it's got really great instrumentation and arrangements, and the strings, sax, synths, guitars, drums, percussion, are all epic, cool, and a delight to listen to. Breaking it down song by song though, I'm going to go against the grain a bit and say that it's really good, but kind of short of being really great. I don't get to the end of this album and think "oh I can't wait to hear that one song again". I'd have to just start from the top to get the kind of enjoyment out of it that I want. It's definitely an important album, and I see the special-ness of it when looking at his career and what he's accomplished. Even with me picking at it, I think it's a solid 4/5.

I'm not sure that I really know David Bowie, but being that this album was his last gift before returning to wherever he was from, I'm inspired to find out.

Slaps

A fascinating farewell with a quite welcome jazz influence from an iconic, era-defining artist. Unfortunately, not entirely my speed, but I did enjoy it.

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background This album will always be fascinating due to its release mere days before Bowie's death.

4.0

Looooove the way this album ends… it’s kind of crazy listening to an album that’s literally an artist’s swan song. And wow wow wow the shift in soundscape from the heavier funky baselines (particularly chef’s kiss in “Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)”) to the sort of ethereal wonder in Dollar Days and I Can’t Give Everything Away (which I love the clean transition between)… waow… it’s beautiful. I listened to the final song like three times in a row and it still didn’t feel like enough. Fitting, I feel. not necessarily always my personal taste but objectively that’s a 4.5/5

Ok, c'est un des meilleurs albums de mort ever.

WOW

I'm not a fan of Bowie, and I don't enjoy production here much, but damn. This is 4th Bowie album for me, and the first one than hit me in the feels and didn't left unimpressed. The way he sings about his upcoming death and using his own demise to create an art statement is gutwreching and heartbreaking. Even if you don't like Bowie, I can't understand how can someone left apathetic to this album.

I didn't think I was gonna like this. Bowie made good stuff at his old age. 👏🏼

I've loved Lazarus

A beautiful farewell from Bowie. RIP Thin White Duke

This is my favorite Bowie album we've had in this project, despite it being one of his newer works (2016). I loved that it was exploratory of modern motifs, similar to Radiohead and a little bit of pop a la Twenty One Pilots. Each song was unique and interesting.

A melancholic and mellow album, a good one.

Hauntingly good.

Striking, haunting, beautiful, extra terrestrial

This album feels like every moment all plays into this jaw dropping, awe inspiring look at the end of the life of the artist. It explores these so incredibly well and does it with some interesting instrumentation, great sax solos, cool vocal performances that play to the strengths of bowie’s voice at this point in his life. I give this a 4/5.

Always feels awkward having to assign a score to Blackstar, and truthfully my opinion on this album has varied significantly over time. It is obviously inseparable from Bowie's death given that it was his swan song production following his 18-month battle with liver cancer. Stylistically it is wholly distinguishable from his other albums because Bowie was such an innovator and sonic chameleon. The drumming and use of haunting syncopations in Blackstar is remniscent of middle-era Radiohead, combined with phantasmal wailing from Bowie, like a call from the grave. It's intentionally a little uncomfortable and so enjoyment of the album is highly mood dependent. I'm not a huge fan of the album because of the aforementioned discomfort, and I'm not even the biggest Bowie fan to begin with. Still, there's a lot of emotion packed into this album and there's a lot to value to the album.

RIP David Bowie

Listened when it came out, but not after. Starts real strong. Very TV on the Radio. Hard to not to associate with his death, stands on its own too. It has been 10 years. 4.5 rounded down Heard before? Some Owned: No 48/204 (23%) Will I get: Yes

It’s really hard to disaggregate the album from the death of the man. Taken independent of it, it’s a really strong album that has all the hallmarks of Bowie but does have a more modern edge, and something that preceding albums didn’t really have (the drums on ‘’tis a pity she was a whore’ being a good example) but yet still sounds very distinctly him (the chorus on the title track sounds like his vintage 70s era, ‘I can’t give everything away’ from more of the Berlin era). As an album it’s very good, as a swan song to a career such as his and in doing so adding to mythos of him it’s incredible.

I’m not sure why I never got around to listening to Bowie’s final release but I never did. Today I did and I really am impressed with how creative he was until the very end. What a way to go out , the opener really is a remarkable track. 4 stars

Incredible album. Similar to Leonard Cohen’s last album. Just a true artist till the end. Lazarus is one of my favourites songs period, and his best 21st century song.

This is, without a doubt, still a very good album, but it did get overblown a touch on account of it being David Bowie's swan song.

A good album, I liked I Can't Give Everything Away the most.

Not a Bowie fan, so haven't really followed his career (post 'Major Tom' era) or heard this album before. First few sounds from track 1 I knew it was going to be an interesting ride; real depth in the mix, like 3D over 2D, or seeing something in colour versus in black and white. Unusual rhythms in the opening percussion, teasing the trip-hop/electronic layers alongside live drums, jazz fusion. Cool. I'm not a fan of Bowie's 'wobbly' vocal, which is present in the kind of psalm like versus of the opening track 'Blackstar', but thankfully not as noticeable in the latter tracks - maybe I was just tuned into the more instrumental aspects of the album on this listen. I think this 1001 list is testing my prior commitment to a dislike of saxaphones. It turns out it's not all saxaphones, and there is tolerable sax, and even some sax I quite like. This is bordering on tolerable plus. Also made the false assumption that, being a legacy album, this would be reeeaaallly long through fear of missing anything out, but it's a good and manageable 40 minutes, particularly when there is so much to listen to (it's not easy at times) and may otherwise be fatiguing. Feel it gets really good in the middle. Thought 'Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)' would be my favourite, before the groove in 'Girl Loves Me' blows it out of the water. Yeah. Lots of good tracks on here, will definitely be spending more time with it. Don't like everything equally, therefore it's gonna be a 4. Total number of tracks: 7 Fave track: 4: Girl Loves Me. Others: 2: Sue (Or in a Season of Crime). 1: Blackstar 12/02/26

4.5!!

Not what I expected, but I’m only familiar with 70’s Bowie. It was a bit weird but I liked it more than I expected. Worth another listen.

Blackstar ‘Tis a Pity she Was a Whore Lazarus Girl Loves Me Dollar Days I Can’t Give Everything Away

Blackstar Lazarus Sue (Or In a Season of Crime) Girl Loves Me I Can’t Give Everything Away

Nice

I love David Bowie. I dislike aging rockstars. I should have known that David Bowie is not like other aging rockstars. This was experimental and haunting with interesting soundscapes. A few too many bad words for my liking but overall glad i was brought to this album.

The Jazz combo backing was an excellent touch. A lovely goodbye album from a music icon.

Pure vibes

Overall Rating - 3.93/5 (7.86/10). In a lot of ways, this is classic Bowie. Never quite what you expect, but always well done and experimental. You can tell that he knew he was dying when he recorded it.

I really like this album. I haven't listened too much David Bowie before this but I liked this album a lot. The jazz and rock elements were really nice, also since they are to of my favorite genres.

Not Bowie’s best work in my opinion. But still truly incredible and just shows how he never stopped evolving.

Heartbreaking, a great sendoff to a legend.

Interesting that we got 2 final albums in a row from legendary artists released shortly before their deaths, this one extremely so Beyond the almost mythical status of the album at this point, it's an extremely experimental and bold delve into jazziness from an artist that historically always leaned more towards rock, surely made possible by being led trustingly by his contributors. I think this might be the first time I've heard this since it came out (10 years ago!), appreciated it a lot more this time around

was really looking forward to hearing this and it was absolutely nothing like what i was expecting. i loved it and each of the songs were growing on me more after each listen (aside from maybe sue) feel like this is what BCNR were trying to recreate with Ants from up there 4.5

This was truly sad but good album! Love David Bowie and hearing his last album was pretty haunting, had some good stuff on it

Bowie has always been weird, this is one of his weirdest albums yet. In a good way.

Definitely an album I had no idea existed, I have to say I’m more into his older stuff, but of course there were some great songs on this record as well.

Hard to be objective about this one. It's great, not amazing, but the circumstances of its release gives it that extra feels edge.

This was like weird, but in a good way. I really liked this and crazier to realize that Bowie died a week or so after it's release. The instrumentals were a lot of fun! This was great. Liked Songs: " 'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore" , "Lazarus" , "Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)" , "Dollar Days" , "I Can't Give Everything Away"

almost a 5 but the first song is kinda annoying

Ooohhh, my first Bowie album! Exciting! Initial thoughts of ⭐️, it’s… interesting. It has a funky kind of feel to it. I started to get a bit of a feel for it 5 minutes in when the drumbeat kicked in. It’s slightly eclectic, but enjoyable. ‘Tis a pity she was a whore honestly just made me laugh at the name. It’s a decent track. I love the horns and the dance vibes. I’ve just looked at the lyrics and I laughed out loud. I don’t know what this is in the context of his career, but this is so funny. The way he sings Whore is absolutely golden. Lazarus was a good track. I enjoyed it. Sue, I liked the music, but the vocals seem slightly washed out? I’ve noticed that with this album. I also find he sings a lot of runs of the same note in this song, which is slightly taxing on the ears. Girl loves me. I immediately opened the lyrics on starting this song and was not disappointed. The lyrical entertainment value from this album is high. I can hear the hip hop influences and I actually think it’s pretty cool. Dollar days was beautiful. I think in the context to when this album was released, it’s a heartbreaking piece of music. I can’t give everything away was a nice enough closer. Overall, I can’t help but feel that this was not the first full Bowie album I should’ve listened to. I think this album would do best in the full context of his whole career, as I read it was his kind of “swan song”. At this moment it’s going to be a 7/10 or a 4/5 ⭐️. 22/1089

Not his best album but I always loved Bowie. He’s always interesting especially this goodbye album.

Bowie’s shit has always been too weird for me, but something about this album (except the first two songs) resonated with me. A lot of hauntingly beautiful instrumentals and effects used, plus I teared up at the last song. Maybe I get it now

A living relic of the before-times.

Very difficult to separate from the circumstances of it's release. Deeply melancholic. From Lazarus to the end is excellent and right up there with the best he ever did. The first 2 songs are not my favorites.

I liked the expiramental sounds of this, it was really a journey and every song felt individual. Dollar days was may favorite

Good production, starts a little slow but it might grow on me on subsequent listens. A good send off to Bowie

This would have been a good album even if he hadn't died a week later. I think it's going in my regular rotation.

Nice drum 'n bass, great lyrics, reinventing once more before the end.

The master at work

It's a great fucking album, I honestly didn't think it will be that good, so i was pleasantly surprised throughout listening. The blackstar song deserves to be mentioned as one of the highlights of the album(the best song on the album imo)

Not sure about this album some good tracks

8.5/10

The sax in this album is unreal, loved the whole process of this album from start to finish♥️

I enjoyed the music, but would find myself drifting off mentally and couldn’t stay focused. Would relisten, I have heard this before but never made it thru the entire project

Very torn because I really liked most of this but hating 2 songs on a 7 song album isn’t great. Some of the production was overstimulating at times but I did enjoy it in some songs. Giving it a 3.5 but rounding up to 4 here

fun but not my style

not my favorite Bowie album, and thats saying something because i LOVEEE David Bovie.

This was my favorite one from him.

got better as it went on- liked last 2 songs 4/5

On ne va pas se mentir mais l'année 2016 a commencé avec un sale goût dans la bouche. Je me souviens très bien de ce matin de janvier où j'écoutais encore le disque d'une oreille distraite, en me demandant ce que le vieux caméléon essayait de me vendre cette fois-ci, et paf... Le communiqué tombe, le duc est mort. Et soudain, tout ce fatras sonore, tout ce jazz torturé, toute cette mise en scène cryptique prend un sens macabre. C’est le coup de théâtre ultime, chapeau l’artiste, tu as réussi à transformer ta propre mort en happening artistique. C'est du grand art, ou du grand cynisme, je ne sais pas encore trancher. J'ai toujours eu un problème avec Bowie... Il est trop sophistiqué à mes yeux. J'ai grandi avec des sons qui sentaient la crasse, la cave humide, le larsen incontrôlé. J'aime quand ça saigne, quand c'est rugueux, quand l'urgence prime sur la pose. Bowie, lui, c'est l'anti-Ian Curtis par excellence. Là où Curtis hurlait sa douleur parce qu'il n'avait pas le choix, Bowie a toujours semblé "jouer" la douleur. C’est un acteur, un mime, un alien de synthèse. Cette sophistication c'est ce vernis glacé qui a souvent empêché un gars comme moi de vraiment entrer dans son monde. J'ai bossé chez un disquaire, j'ai vu les fans se prosterner devant "Let's Dance" ou "Ziggy", et je restais là, un peu dubitatif, à préférer remettre une face de The Cure période "Pornography". Trop propre, le David, trop calculé, toujours en contrôle, même quand il faisait semblant d'être défoncé. Et pourtant... "Blackstar". Ce disque, c'est une anomalie. C'est peut-être la première fois depuis les années 70, ou peut-être depuis "1. Outside", que la "sophistication" de Bowie sert réellement le propos au lieu de le masquer. Pourquoi ? Parce que le propos, c'est la fin et la fin, ça ne se maquille pas. Enfin, si, lui il l'a maquillée, mais avec des bandages et des boutons à la place des yeux. Musicalement, on est loin de la pop radiophonique et c'est là que ça devient intéressant pour des oreilles comme les miennes. Bowie a viré son groupe de rock habituel pour embaucher des jazzmen new-yorkais, la bande à Donny McCaslin. Ce n'est pas du jazz d'ascenseur, c'est un jazz sombre, urbain, nerveux qui suinte l'inquiétude. Le morceau titre, "Blackstar", c'est dix minutes de messe noire bizarre. Il y a des cassures rythmiques, des changements d'ambiance, une voix qui chevrote, qui incante. On n'est pas si loin de l'ambiance rituelle de certains trucs de Current 93 ou de l'expérimentation d'un Scott Walker sur "The Drift" (même si Bowie reste plus accessible, faut pas déconner). Les saxophones ne sont pas là pour faire joli, ils sont là pour créer du malaise, des textures. Mais voilà, on en revient à mon problème initial, c'est trop bien fait, c'est trop propre dans la saleté. Même en train de crever d'un cancer du foie, Bowie ne peut pas s'empêcher d'être "sophistiqué". Il ne lâche jamais prise et il contrôle l'image, le son, le timing de la sortie. Il n'y a pas ce moment de vérité crue, de fragilité totale que je pourrais trouver chez un Nick Cave (surtout sur "Skeleton Tree" sorti la même année, où la douleur est insoutenable de réalisme). Chez Bowie, la mort est stylisée. "Blackstar" c'est 2 ou 3 très bons morceaux, un "Blackstar" monumental, un "Lazarus" glaçant, surtout quand on connaît le contexte. Et "Look up here, I'm in heaven", putain, le mec a écrit son épitaphe et nous la chante alors qu'il est encore chaud. C'est d'une audace folle et c'est peut-être le clip le plus flippant de l'histoire du rock, ce vieux mec dans son lit d'hôpital qui tremble. Mais le reste de l'album ? "Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)", c'est du drum'n'bass jazzifié un peu bordélique. "Girl Loves Me" avec son argot Nadsat (celui d'Orange Mécanique), c'est brillant intellectuellement, mais est-ce que ça me prend aux tripes ? Pas sûr. J'admire l'architecture, je hoche la tête devant la complexité harmonique, mais je ne pleure pas. Je reste spectateur d'une performance. C'est là tout le paradoxe de ma note, de ce 4 sur 5. Si cet album avait été sorti par un inconnu en pleine santé, je lui aurais mis un 3 et j'aurais dit : "Intéressant, belles textures, un peu prétentieux sur les bords, quelques longueurs". Mais voilà, c'est Bowie, c'est le dernier souffle d'un géant, le contexte écrase la musique. Je ne peux pas écouter "Blackstar" sans voir le fantôme. Je mets 4 parce qu'il faut avoir des corones en acier trempé pour transformer sa propre agonie en œuvre d'art. Je mets 4 parce que, pour une fois, sa sophistication n'est pas une barrière, mais un linceul. Il a organisé ses funérailles et il nous a invité au premier rang. C'est un album froid, clinique par moments, mais habité par une urgence vitale. Il savait que le sablier était vide alors il a tout mis : le jazz, l'électro, le rock, l'avant-garde. C'est un disque "somme". Est-ce que je vais le réécouter souvent ? Probablement pas. C'est lourd, c'est chargé et j'ai du mal avec ce côté "regardez comme je suis intelligent" qui transpire parfois de la production. Je préfère mille fois me remettre "Unknown Pleasures" pour la millionième fois, parce que Curtis ne cherchait pas à être intelligent, il cherchait juste à survivre. Mais il faut rendre à César ce qui est à César. David Bowie a réussi sa sortie, il ne s'est pas éteint comme une vieille bougie dans un hospice en chantant ses vieux tubes pour payer ses impôts. Il est parti en supernova, en laissant derrière lui une énigme noire, une étoile noire. Donc va pour le 4/5. Pas pour les mélodies, pas parce que je suis devenu un fan transis sur le tard. Mais pour le panache, pour ce doigt d'honneur ultime à la faucheuse : "Tu vas m'avoir, mais c'est moi qui décide de la bande-son".

1st January depression, thanks

Pretty good beats & guitars for a dying man's last words.

¿Pero como vas a publicar un disco así dos días antes de morir? Pura brujería, la verdad

So I knew the context of this one and how Bowie was writing this in light of his imminent death, but had not actually ever listened to it before now - some stunning moments here to be sure. The opening track is absolutely haunting - the mental imagery of a solitary candle "in the middle of it all" (what does the villa in Ormen mean?!) really stuck with me for some reason. Musically it's very cool as well. Lazarus is clearly another high point. This seems like the sort of album that rewards repeat listens and parsing the subtext of the lyrics, which I haven't really had time to do, but overall feel this is quite good.

An imposing and dark album. Whilst lacking the catchy numbers which defined most of his career, it's excellent.

it can appreciate that this is good but maybe not really my style. star is a really cool song name

Tragic cause he knew he was dying when producing the album, just full of ache and love and I dig it. 3.6

Big fan of this album

Hits in more ways than one 🙏🏼.

I don't hate this, which is weird because historically I have hated every Bowie song I've heard. Every time my husband was playing music on his phone and there was a track I just COULDN'T STAND, it ended up being Bowie. Anyway. This is a pretty good album with reduced theatrics. Confusingly, I immediately want to give it another listen.

Not my taste but i think it's a good album. My favourite track is dollar days

Actually enjoyed it

I heard the first song, but I’ll be back!

love love love

I really vividly remember when David Bowie died (not that it was that long ago). it was such a weird vacuum of time. I was a teenager. somehow, though, I'd never listened to this album. it was a weird, meditative experience.

Phenomenal

Strange, interesting and good enough.

David Bowie

Feels like a bit of a companion release to The Next Day and has a real mix of sounds Bowie used throughout his career. Poignant and contemplative it is worth a listen.

Day 158 Bowie's final masterpiece, I love the melancholy in his voice.

I listened to the two singles before Bowie passed but after he did pass away I just couldn't listen to the project as a whole. It has great moments indeed and it is poignant, but not the best Bowie album.

ethereal, haunting. rating this feels like rating bowie's death.

Probably the best Bowie album. I'm not a fan of his normal repertoire but this record manages to hit every time. Maybe it's the fact that he died two days after release but these songs feel very dreary and contemplative. Not that great for a casual listen but certainly a thought-provoking experience if you have 40 minutes to spare.

A fitting conclusion to a legendary career

This is the album of a man who knows he's about to die.

There's no-one else like Bowie. Clearly the context surrounding this album is more important that others on the 1001, but even without that it's a deep and interesting album. Need to listen to it more.

Classic Bowie Album - RIP

Воно цікаво звучить, але ніц не зберегла

Poignant and stunning.

Seeing the reviews im surprised it got this high. My mother been a Bowie fan all her life and hated this album. It is a very personal album probably because it was his last. It is very different and more rooted in progressive rock(Not as inaccessible as some prog rock though) and sounds like a last chance to explore a genre he never really got to do when it was at it's peak in the 60s-70s. It is a historical album but a personal and quite inaccessible to the avverage listener so i can't give it a 5.

Good

not what he used to be, 4 (black) stars

Have been aware of this album but never listened. It didn't have as big of an impact on me as it had on others, but I have to commend Bowie for going out on such a high note. He really didn't want to put out something run of the mill and successfully made it fully interesting and even experimental up until his very last moments alive. It's a good album, and weight of his death aside, that's a great accomplishment.

I’m still discovering new things on this album.

When David Bowie passed away, I wasn't really a big fan of all of his music. I had listened to Ziggy Stardust a bunch, and that's still one of my favorite all time albums, but I didn't really know much outside of that album and one or two others. A few years after he had passed away, I decided to listen to all of his albums as they had released. I finished with this album blackstar as it was obvious the last he ever put out while alive. I have it a 5 back then, I can't say I feel the same now purely on the basis of the music alone, but it's still a 5 in my heart. I think that a lot of the album blends together in a good way, but still in a way that works well for what he was going for when he was putting the album together. It's a really strong 8, maybe leaning toward a 9. It's very much an essential Bowie album, but after listening for the second time, I wouldn't put it in the absolutely essential albums that I would recommend if that makes sense. It's still is great, and should be appreciated for what it artistically represents as far as the career of one of the best to ever do it goes

Straight walk off

Avant-garde, jazzy, musical. Bowie’s voice sounds like it was made for this setting. What an amazing way to end a brilliant career! “I Can't Give Everything Away” is top-, top-notch.

This album was released unexpectedly. Despite the many hints within the album (for example, David Bowie himself was always pictured on the cover, and now there was a death star on the cover), no one anticipated that David Bowie would die a few days later. This made the album especially impactful.

Title track is far too long and not very good. Everything else is pretty good

he really went sicko mode on this one

Dark, haunting and beautiful.

Enjoyed it!

Bowie but more conceptual.

Album 52/1001 💀 ⚰️👨‍🎤 ⚰️ 💀 Favourite lyrics: GIRL LOVES ME* "Cheena so sound, so titty up this Malchick, say Party up moodge, nanti vellocet round on Tuesday Real bad dizzy snatch, making all the omies mad, Thursday Popo blind to the polly in the hole by Friday Where the fuck did Monday go?" "You viddy at the cheena Choodesny with the red rot Libbilubbing litso-fitso Devotchka watch her garbles Spatchko at the rozz-shop Split a ded from his deng, deng Viddy, viddy at the cheena" *The lyrics to this song are a mix of: • Nadsat (a fictional register or argot used by the teenage gang members in Anthony Burgess' dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange. Burgess was a linguist and he used this background to depict his characters as speaking a form of Russian-influenced English) & • Polari -(a secret slang language with a history as a coded form of communication primarily used by gay men in the UK when homosexuality was illegal. It draws from a mix of sources, including Italian, Romany, Yiddish, and Cockney rhyming slang, and was used for secrecy, social bonding, and as a form of humor) Favourite song: Lazarus ☁️🗽🐦⚰️ (also one of the greatest, and eeriest, videos of all time) Honourable mention: Dollar Days 💲🗓 Blackstar ☆ Girl Loves Me 👩‍🎤❤️👨‍🎤 I Can't Give Everything Away 💀👞 4½ / 5

If there is a time that calls for self-indulgence, it's when you are one of the most famous musicians of all time and you are about to die. I thought this album was genuinely beautiful. Lazarus and I Can't Give Everything Away are just plain good songs. Maybe not the most revolutionary piece of music, but an album that did speak to me.

Album is the epitome of "too weird to live; too beautiful to die". Lazarus and Dollar Days make me want to weep and weep and weep, whereas the rest of the album is a saxophonical cacophony of echoes and warbling. ★ out of ten for the man and the legacy. (and a high 7 for this album)

Each song leaves me with a groove, a thought and an emotion.

I guess this was an unfinished album. I remember vividly when Blackstar was released and when Bowie died. That song is epic and incredible. This album is great but I'm assuming he needed more time to finish it to his liking. I like it, but it's not quite a 5.

This could be a five star album for me on further listens. Bowie’s voice is ominous and otherworldly, and the freestyle avant-garde jazz is disconcerting. And the context that Bowie started writing this when he was diagnosed with cancer, and only lived a few days past its release, adds another level to baleful atmosphere - reminding me of Mozart’s Requiem and the fact Mozart believed he was writing it for his own death. I think the AllMusic review says it best: “it is music for the dead of night but not moments of desolation; it's created for the moment when reflection can't be avoided”.

Man I miss this guy. Really good and it ended up being his swan song. There is a lot of beauty in this. He always exuded confidence. It’s hard to imagine him being frail and vulnerable.

So close to a 5. Love many of the songs but Sue

So beautiful. Don’t love every song but “I can’t give everything away” is a 5 on its own. I love you, David Bowie.

#164/1001. I've had a few familiar DB albums here before, and will probably have a few more later. I don't know why, but the classics I had to review for me sounded nowadays fake and too theatrical. And theatrical is again a key word here, but fake? No way. Fragile and weird perhaps, the songs and the blackstar video kind of convinces is that David Bowie's overtheatricality is not fake acting, that's who he is (was). The album is at times aged and uses sounds and instruments which are not in any way current - even sounding at times like they are from a wrong era - but still there is an interesting mystic atmosphere fluttering around. As a final word, a manifesto some parts of the album make sense, then again it has some out of the context diibadaaba songs, which I guess he wanted to include since this would be the last shot. I mean, (gangsta rap aside) how many living musicians would get away with a song title such as "'tis a pity she was a whore?" But yes, this album did speak to me, like a Greek drama. But would I want to watch /listen to the same drama again and again? But suddenly this was raised high in my Bowie album lists.

Blackstar

Pushing boundaries and blowing minds right to the end.

I came in thinking this album would be here because Bowie died two days later. In a sense, I was right, but what an album. Thematically it is incredible, talking about death and the place of the author in history. Musically it is Bowie meets Radiohead in a way, and it sounds tired in an interesting way. You have earned your rest Bowie, thank you.

Death is a tough subject. Shout out Frank who loves Death. Very impressed with this and as is often the case with Art Rock, will need more time to digest. Tis a Pity She Was a Whore was a highlight. Two whores in one review! Horns and drums also stood out. If it wasn’t Bowie I may go 3, but it is.

Surprisingly good and a bit „Radioheadish“. Angenehme Länge, abwechslungsreich.

This is the second David Bowie Album i got

Primera canción y ya me estoy emocionando. Si alguien tenía que hacer un testamento/carta de despedida en forma de album ese era Bowie. Las tres o cuatro que te sacuden con la instrumental constante y letras devastadoras son todo un viaje, gut-wrenching como dicen los anglos. Lo difícil que es inventar cosas nuevas en música y este señor no hizo otra cosa en toda su carrera. Ganas de que salgan otras muchas joyas suyas en la lista. Favs: Blackstar, Lazarus, Dollar Days D.E.P. </3

Pues mi primerito álbum de Bowie (no me peguéis!!) a excepción de Outside que quiero escucharlo de nuevo. Me dice AOTY que hay UNOS 25 ÁLBUMES DE ESTE HOMBRE. Y resulta que este es el último de su discografía. Eso lo sabía, y la verdad es que sin haber escuchado el resto, más allá de algunas canciones aquí y allá, es difícil juzgar este álbum dentro de un contexto autoral, así que me limito a analizarlo desde el POV de listener casual. Así a bote pronto, Lazarus es una de las mejores canciones que he escuchado en mi vida. Suena honesta y desgarradora a partes iguales, y me parece la highlight del álbum. Aún así, las otras seis canciones no están exentas de genialidad, y aunque algunas me gustan menos que otras (no soy muy fan de Girl Loves Me), hay algo en la variedad musical que lo convierte en una escucha interesante en todo momento. Creo que la creatividad conceptual de Bowie es lo que más me va a gustar de su discografía cuando me ponga a escucharla entera. Sé que es uno de esos artistas responsables de ampliar las miras de la gente en lo que a experiencias musicales respecta, así que tengo ganas de conocer a fondo su influencia a lo largo de los años. Si todo suena tan bien como Blackstar, we're in for a ride. Favs: Lazarus, Dollar Days, I Can't Give Everything Away

Understandably dark, I'm quite a fan of Bowie's work. For me this is not one of the best, but it was interesting.

Ive heard of Bowie and heard a few of his songs growing up in the late 90s early 2000's. Ive watched the labyrinth as well. I think this was my first bowie album front to back. What a trip.

Brooding, alienating, spooky, conflicted. This is record is of the outré arty Bowie and while I appreciate it as such, especially given it being part and parcel of his mortality, I'm not sure when I would choose it instead of Ziggy, Hunky Dory, or several other great Bowie records.

Poignant and moving, and wonderfully creative. Plus it’s not every day that a song is named after a seventeenth-century revenge tragedy!

gött att sitta i ett groove länge o verkligen gosa in sig i det

Fint album, mange gode spor. Treffer meg aldri helt første gang, men gjør det ved flere lytt og litt mer kontekst for plata. Laterlus har jeg hørt en del før. 3-4, tror jeg må lande på 4 ut fra hva jeg har gitt andre album

"look up here, I'm in Heaven" okay. damn.

Definitely a concept album, from the title track to Lazarus thru Gril Loves Me. Not an album a casual Bowie fan would listen to, but shows the mind of David and that he did not care about being popular, he cared about creating. Some good music, not for everyone.

me gustó bastante

> The Beatles

RIP Bowie

3.5/5

Bom!

The starman’s last album. The greatness is palpable. I really like girl loves me for some reason.

More mellow than I expected but good

muito mais inclinado prum jazzinho do que eu esperava não eh dos melhores trabalhos dele, mas eh bem marcante, né, o mano morreu dois dias depois disso aqui ter saído. uma ótima despedida, que deus o tenha

This album has slowly grown on me overtime, but I still don't love it as much as I wish I did. Even if it hasn't completely clicked with me yet I still have nothing but respect and appreciation for how triumphant this album is. Bowie really went out with a bang here and in a way that really only he could've. RIP to the goat. Favorite track: I Can't Give Everything Away ★★★½

Bowies letztes Album - zwei Tage vor seinem Tad veröffentlicht. Rock mit elektronischen & Jazz Einflüssen. Spannend zu hören. 4/5

Strong 4

4,5

Better than I remember. Finally listened to the lyrics more closely. So good. Really enjoyed this.

I decided to open my mind to this album and so here we go! From the first note I felt like I was on to something special. I believe because I had zero positive expectations of connecting with it. Oh boy this is a vibe!

Powerful last album by David Bowie — his death came as complete shock as the album was bursting with creativity and freshness.

Finally gave it a spin. This record deserves a praise for being one of a kind. Opening track is like nothing I've ever heard before, not even in David's discography, and other than that, context behind the album is great. Always crashing in the same car sample really sells it.

One of his best records but not quite perfect IMHO. Features two of his best songs I feel he's written with the opening and closing tracks and the themes and timing of the release and his passing are beyond eerie. When he left this plane so did sanity and decency in society.

Mukavan psykedeelistä meininkiä, varsinkin Girl Loves Me on loistava!

This album was a great listen. Bowie's emotions are raw, potent and present throughout this album. The production was a highlight. I just loved how diverse it felt. The structure within the songs and album as a whole strayed a little and muddied how the album came together. Barring that small complaint, this was about as a good of a final show as any generational artist could possibly give. Even if Bowie himself meant to end it off with a follow up. He is a Blackstar. Top 4: Blackstar, Lazarus, Dollar Days, and I Can't Give Everything Away 3.75-4.25

This list is a little too Bowie-heavy for my taste, but I prefer this one to most of his output from the 40-ish years prior. Does some interesting experimentation while still creating some catchy and enjoyable music.

Very interesting yet dark album

3.5 - Weniger experimentierfreudig, dafür aber gekonnt emotional und packend Highlights: Lazarus, Girl Loves Me

different, but never boring. themes of mortality and isolation. this album was bowie’s swan song, as it was released literally two days before his death. highlights: “lazarus” “girl loves me” “i can’t give everything away”

I feel like I need more listens to digest it all

This album is unique and pretty intense. It acts as David Bowie's swan song because he released it two days before he died of cancer. The songs on this album are darker and even more bizarre than his earlier music, though they still have his signature sound. I'm a fan of David Bowie so I actually really enjoyed this one! I like almost all of the songs. My favorite is probably Dollar Days because I love the saxophone. 8/10.

The best thing about Bowie is he always remained relevant. This album is no exception. A great record and a wonderful swansong capping off a brilliant career. It made me realize how much I miss Bowie already.

Electronic jazz, pop beats, sometimes like a twisted version of Sade. Interesting album. Almost mythological due to Bowie’s death and the record’s eerie sounds. Also written with humour, which helps to lighten it up a bit. Album as a whole doesn’t feel as depressing as it could have. Favourite track: Lazarus. 4/5

Jazzy and experimental with lots of dissonant and haunting sounds. None of the songs are hooky or catchy but it was interesting enough that I already want to listen to it again.

Hard to know what to do with this. This is art and Bowie was try to say... Something. It will take a few more listens until I can form an opinion.

That was surprising. David Bowie is more miss than hit with me but this was surprisingly enjoyable. It was also varied and interresting which I didn't expect. To call it his Magnum Opus seems a bit much but it is pretty good. Just misses out on 5 stars but by only by a tiny margin.

A very discordant Bowie, I think I like the second half more than the first, not without its catchy moments despite the discordance.

Au sommet du game jusqu’à la toute fin. C’est une fin très glauque et sinistre comparativement au reste de son riche catalogue, mais ça ne pouvait que finir comme ça. Je me souviens encore de la frayeur que j’ai eu la première fois que j’ai vu le vidéoclip de Lazarus, il a toujours su transposer son message à travers ses costumes autant qu’à travers sa musique, je te donne ça! Godspeed, Ziggy!

Brilliant album with such a strong lock on my memory and an incredible project. Loved having a reason to relisten today.

Nice

Not as mind-blowing as some of his career’s work, but still very good for his final album.

Probably only on here because of the connection to his death & I do think the context doubles the haunting quality of this album, but I think a lot of it stands on its own. Maybe wouldn’t have put this one on the list personally, but I’m happy I went back & listened to it.

This one is hard to rate. I don't know if it's so smart that I don't get it, or if there is not really much there to get. It's an interesting album, especially with Bowie's death surrounding its release. I've listened to it twice and have yet to form a solid opinion about it. I'm going with a 4 because it's Bowie's goodbye to the world and it's fascinating.

A unique album experience. Far from my favourite of Bowie's but it holds a special spot. I thought about this work when dad passed. The experimentalism and longevity of Bowie — who created this work while dying — this really is like a time capsule or message from beyond. 4/5

+ Lazarus, I Can't Give Everything Away

I've had Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow on the last two Sundays so was fully preparing myself for some Aimee, Liz, Fiona or Bjork but instead I got the final studio album by Bowie. He was of course a master of re-invention during his career, but was never to my knowledge never eligible for a Lilith Fair bill. He did die on a Sunday though so kind of apt I suppose I remember doing an early shift the next day and waking up to the news of his death, which came just a few days after the release of this album and it was a heavy mood. It's a wonderful elegiac record and the sax playing from Donny McCaslin is a standout. Was tempted to give this a 5 for Lazarus alone, yet I only gave Aladin Same a 4 so can't quite place this above his early 70s output but the fact he was still making records almost as good four decades later is remarkable really.

Ok, DB again. My favorite of his last album is the cover

Spooky. Released 2 days before his death. He knew.

Very clear that this album was made by a talented musician who spent years perfecting his craft. I believe that there is some sort of story behind the album? I should find out.

Excellent. But dark. He is clearly dying and is close to the exit. That permeates the album but in neither a maudlin or defiant way. Stoical. Appreciative, yet tinged with sadness but no regret. A challenging listen.

Egentlig et vanskelig album å vurdere fordi det er så tett knyttet til Bowies bortgang. Men uansett et sterkt album. For meg i grenselandet mellom 4 og 5. Velger sterk 4’er i dag. I morgen er det gjerne 5. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Rating: 3.9 This was exemplary. I thought people were playing up how haunting this album is, but the fact you can hear his labored breathing and shaky voice at several points throughout conveys a profound sense of finality. I guess I’ll find myself going backwards through Bowie’s long ass catalog since this is the first of his I’ve heard all the way through.

dark, jazzy, artful, angry. great final note for david bowie. crazy lore that it came out on his birthday and 2 days before he died.

Listened in the truck via YouTube music. This is the second Bowie album in a row. Blackstar was unique but so are all of his albums. Great send off for a legend.

Fantastic goodbye album by the master, that I don't play very often though. It's maybe too dark, too jazzy? Very nice lyrics though

Two days after the release of Blackstar, I was zoning out to a radio DJ set, floating somewhere between wakefulness and dreamstate, when the DJ interrupted his program to tell us that David Bowie had died. Denial spewed illogically from my brain. "No, he can't be dead, he just released an album on Friday." He had written and planned the release of this album to coincide with the end of his life. A last gift to the world from a legendary master of reinvention, a symbol of how his legacy will far outlast the limited lifespan of his mortal being. Kind of fitting and beautiful, isn't it?

RIP Bowie, you went out with a banger 4/5

Crazy to read that he died 2 days after the release of the album. It was a mix of rock and jazz that I did not hear before. I am not sure I woud listen to it again but it was a nice discovery, it felt very nostalgic!

Favorite songs: Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me Least favorite songs: Sue (Or In a Season of Crime) 4/5

Some flashes of brilliance for sure. Heartbreaking and driving.

I own this CD. Great production. Somber. Music is moody and beautiful - Saxaphone is gorgeous. I love the jazz movements mixed with melody. Lyrics are sad and tragic. Much discussion and many questions. Favorite tracks: Lazarus, Dollar Days, and I Can't Give Everything Away

Perfect requiem. Love Bowie

Zero bad tracks and a fitting farewell

Тимати - не завидуй

Always loved Bowie but never listened to this one. Really enjoyed, very beautiful, sad and jazzy in places as well.

no estaba mal

Dark, melancholy, and downright sad. Bowie's final album may not rank with his greatest achievements, but it certainly is a worthy send-off. 4/5 #130

Amazing that Bowie made this Album while he knew he was dying. It comes through in the music, so haunting.

A beatiful way to say goodbye.. warm atmospheric art-rock RIP David Bowie

Pretty good

"Look up here, I'm in heaven I've got scars that can't be seen I've got drama, can't be stolen Everybody knows me now" Honestly, this album starts off rough. The title track is a ten-minute fever dream that meanders its way around being worth listening to, never quite getting there. "Tis' A Pity She Was A Whore" is actually awful. But then, something wonderful happens. Lazarus is wonderful. Sue is the kind of experimental that doesn't make me wish I was deaf. Girl Loves Me interrupts the good album that's hiding inside the album as a whole. It's like if someone told MGK to write a Bowie song. What the fuck is this. Dollar Days and I Can't Give Everything Away round out the four songs worth listening to. But honestly, those four songs make the whole thing worth listening to. I'll just skip the others.

8/10 Favorites: ⭐️, Sue

I don’t know what this guys talking about most of the time but this album is excellent. Takes me back! Killer last track!

One of the first proper album's of Bowie's I got into. I will never forget listening to the closing track in Europe and all the Bowie parties that were happening all around. As close to a classic farewell/posthumous album as there ever will be for an absolute legend.

This was cool, I liked what he did on this a lot more than what I've heard from Bowie in the past. There were a couple of tracks that felt a little undercooked but overall I thought it was cool

This is a wild ride, especially comparing with Bowie’s previous album the next day. Very 80s style arranging but with a modern feel and tone that shares a lot in common with a lot of current R&B and soul records. 2016 was an outstanding year for music and this album is a big contributor.

Alright

Not my favorite Bowie album, and not very familiar sounding in a lot of places. But the man still had it.

Solid late career album

найс, прикольно звучит.

Ich mochte die düstere Atmosphäre sehr und dass es etwas jazzig ist

I would never call any of these ground breaking , especially in context to the rest of his catalog. But it’s definitely a defiant album from a legendary musician. Honestly, if you told me Brand New was the band behind this I’d totally believe you. RIP to the legend himself

me gusta mucho y encima su ultimo disco q penita, lo amo

Pretty rad - might listen to again

Interesting experience.

siento que a pesar de que me gustaron algunas de sus canciones más que otras, de manera objetiva es un álbum muy consistente y su concepto es una pasada. me hace mucha gracia que bowie tomara inspiración de death grips para su ultimo proyecto.

Really good but there’s better Bowie.

Kyllä bowie osaa tehdä musiikkia

Bowie's poignant swan song. I enjoyed this, particularly the title track. Certainly not Bowie's best work but is interesting enough to keep your attention.

A strange but good album with a unique sound. Not every song is great, but it’s a strong final work.

Blackstar is a monumental album. Bowie was infinitely innovative, and this record is a great showcase of this, being a blend of experimental/jazz rock, where he mixes different styles and concepts. It's all used in the service of a very deep, moving concept: Bowie's impending death. It's a profound artistic choice, and it's even more remarkable how well Bowie manages to execute the concept. He delivers a thoughtful, innovative and often eerie album. The performances are great, the drumming and sax are standouts, and Bowie's vocals capture perfectly the concept. My favourite song was "Lazarus", but I feel that the record works much better as whole than as songs by themselves.