1. Cloud Nine - Super groovy, like kind of the song you see at the beginning sequence of a film introducing the main character n shit. The bass and drums of this song bang so much. The low register and high register voices in some parts do get a little bit goofy, but overall a very nice track. (added)
2. I Heard it Through the Grapevine - Cool guitar intro, not really digging the vocals that much, lost it's Motown growl from the first track. A pretty classic example of the Soul genre, especially with the antiphony between back ups and main vocals. I like the keys riff.
3. Runaway Child, Running Wild - Grooviest intro I ever did see, the guitar tones are pretty sweet. 10 minute track is a bit dodgy, but has a really strong start. Keep featuring different effects, amps and pedals, but they kinda stop doing that once they settle into the track. Kind of wished they kept their initial vibe that they started the song with, but I really do like the instrumental of this track. Don't know why that kid is crying though. (added)
4. Love is a Hurtin' Thing - Mixed feelings with the vocals, crossing between Bill Withers and Mickey Mouse. The strings sound nice, a good song for a sunny day. Quite short in comparison to the other tracks.
5. Hey Girl - Cool chord progressions, can't really see myself putting this on regularly but thats alright. Can't really say much else about the track.
6. Why Did She Have To Leave Me - These tracks are progressively getting more and more the same. I dig the mixing of this track a lot more, the drums are also really strong in this song. The vocalist is staying a lot more consistent on this track in comparison to the others, really like the raspy soulful timbre. (added)
7. I Need Your Lovin' - Angelic voice on this one, cool harmonies from the backing as well; feels like an old fashioned Bruno Mars in some areas. The groove is quite mellow, acoustic guitar was a good choice for this track, really fitting well into it's genre.
8. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me - The bass on this track is awesome. Really strong song, the vocalist is going off. Really catchy chorus and what not, I rate it. (added)
9. I Gotta Find a Way - The track feels like it's sticking to the same tune the whole way through, which isn't bad but sort of gets old, which is odd since tracks like Runaway child is three times long, but manages to keep it fresh.
10. Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love - Don't really feel like the lyrics mesh very well with the compositional style, really clean bass lines though. Not a lot else to say about the song, the band sounds really tight, but there aren't really any outstanding moments within the track.
Rating: 7.5/10
1. Peaches En Regalia - Really nice piano intro, the kind of thing i'd write tbh. Not too sure about the synth melody but I think the song owns it. Sounds like midi wood winds as well, and an organ, which the organ sounds really cool I think. Might be a fun jam song to play, but I feel like it lacks a fair amount of melodic substance, like each instrument isn't stream lined with one musical theme. Definitely a style I haven't heard much of, and would certainly dig in specific moods.
2. Willie The Pimp - Really awesome guitar playing, feel like the intro started off a lot more dicey, but once you ease yourself into it the groove is quite enjoyable. I don't really dig the vocals that much but I understand the kind of style that they are going for. For a nine minute track, the guitar playing manages to stay pretty fresh throughout, can't say it felt like it was dragging along, mainly due to the several registers and styles the guitar explored. Nice parts of drums throughout the track, really cool and unique ways of carrying the groove that I haven't heard much before. Near the end might be my favourite part, when they bring the tempo back and play more on the beat, pretty groovy. The drums and guitar also communicate to each other quite well.
3. Son Of Mr. Green Genes - Feeling a very big stylistic contrast between all the track on this album which is pretty cool. Like the overlapping melodies on this one, feels very well put together. Really nice guitar part coming in as well, would've love to hear a different tone or style than the last track but thats alright. Am I hearing a Glockenspiel? or some kind of Synth? pretty cool little scales it's playing though. The horns are super cool, loving the line coming from the Tuba, with that slight growly edge to it is pretty nice. The tempo of the track is almost suggesting a jazz/rock hybrid, but feels a lot more like a jam styled genre than a rock album. Each note on the guitar sounds pretty crystal, and the bass line is nice and complicated. Interesting use of scales as well, diverting from the blues scales to other modes, and then falling backing into the blues. Briefly plays 'Come Together' for some reason, but you know what good for you I guess.
I like the outro, the piano chords are pretty crunchy and cool, as well as the harmonic switch going to a primarily major sequence.
4. Little Umbrellas - The double bass naturally creates a much more jazzier feel, sounds a lot less like King Krimson at the moment. I like the little melodic dissonance between the saxophone and the supporting instruments. The Organ has a simple yet quite effective little solo, I feel like it may overstay its welcome within the song, the recorder coming in on the ending line does make for a good finish though.
5. The Gumbo Variations - My notes unexpectedly quit and did not save, and the song itself is simply not worth listening to again. Felt like Pink Floyd on crack.
6. It Must Be A Camel - Super cool drumming on this track, very refreshing going to a more refined song after listening to jam tracks like the Gumbo Variations. Keys and horns compliment each other quite well. Like all of the other tracks, the instruments seemingly switch between diatonic and dissonance a little too often and with no warning. For me, its too jarring and especially for tracks that demand an uncommon level of attention (compared to that of modern song formulas) it is difficult to enjoy the song the entire time. I'd say the two most best and most consistent parts of all the tracks have been the drums and either the guitar or sax, otherwise, the tunes aren't strong enough to stand on their own.
Overall, there was a lot of interesting and unique arranging and concepts within this album, but I can't imagine giving it a second try personally. It sits in an uncomfortable position between art music and rock, blues and jazz, which unfortunately blends into ideas that to me don't sound completely cohesive.
Rating: 5.2/10
1. Tutti Frutti - Classic, mixing sounds a lot better than I remember. The rests played on the ensemble really make it super punchy. Little Richard's energy and stamina in this track always blows me away. The sax solo also slaps hard. Just a really strong track in general.
2. True, Fine Mama - Classic boogey, nice piano runs at the start too. Backing harmonies compliment the track really well also. Not too much to add about the piece, follows the same formula as the first track, both are very strong. Felt like more could have been added in the instrumental, but overall very solid sound.
3. Can't Believe You Wanna Leave - Great singing, the kinda song i'd imagine would play on the radio all the time. I really feel like a modern microphone would make this track an absolute killer. Would've loved to hear the piano further up in the mix, feels slightly faint at the moment.
4. Ready Teddy - Basically sounds like Tutti Frutti with different lyrics. Sounds great but is something we've already heard. All of these tracks are super radio and promotion friendly, which is both a gift and a curse in this situation. The band sounds very tight together, which is good, can feel the rhythm really well.
5. Baby - Don't know who's singing on this track, but I enjoy the switch up. Very simplistic song, I like the sax motifs in the background - would like to hear something outside of the 12 bars formula.
6. Slippin' and Slidin' - The keys are doing really well on this one, finding the right gaps to play into. One of the better arrangements on this album, can't really add anything else about it.
7. Long Tall Sally - Another famous one, the vocals of this track is pretty electric, I can see why it shines a little brighter than most of the other tracks. The drum part of this song is really strong, feels a little further up in the mix than the others which I enjoy.
8. Miss Ann - The groove of this track is quite fun, I wish I could hear more of the guitar, seems very light, wish they'd bring in more of the mids and the bass.
9. Oh Why? - Getting real tired of this formula at this point, but I really like the lyrics of this one, feels like there's a well set theme within this song. The vocal melody of the song is also pretty interesting, develops further than the 12 bar blues chords.
10. Rip it Up - The percussion is pretty cool in this track, feels like a much more stripped back song. Good to see that they are slightly experimenting on ways to play the exact same thing slightly differently. My ear isn't that well trained, but I feel like the majority of the songs are in the same key - just an observation.
11. Jenny Jenny - Not the biggest fan of the falsetto screams.
12. She's got It - Nothing different from any of the other songs, works well on its own and thats about it.
Individually, tracks are really strong. However, in a context of an album, becomes uninteresting quite quickly.
5.8/10
1. Love's In Need of Love Today - The introduction reminds of Jacob Collier in some ways. Really nice bass parts in the verse of the song. Really nice and simple approach to the instrumental at the moment, the vocal harmonies really add to the mellow atmosphere. The mixing on the track is also really well done, Stevie's voice is placed in a very good spot in the mix. Like a lot of Stevie tracks i've heard, it serves as a great groove/jam song, going over the same or similar chord progressions. Lyrics aren't particularly strong but they carry the theme very well. The ending is drawn out, but in this case I don't really mind, for a first track, it does really well to ease the listener into the entire album.
2. Have a Talk With God - Such a funky sound coming from this one, really like the keys and what i'm guessing is bass. Feels very extra terrestrial, really like Stevie's vocal take on this track, really adds to the groove. Quite a progressive track for 1976, is quite a refreshing sound to listen to, branches off from Stevie's usual style. Overall really like this track.
3. Village Ghetto Land - Really appreciating the stylistic range the album has so far, the strings on this track are really pleasant, and oddly suits Stevie's voice. The blend of classical instrumentation with a blues like vocal tone does a great job, makes you pay a lot more attention to the lyrics of the song. I also appreciate the fact that they didn't use any other instruments on this track, especially leaving out timpani or anything like that, really does a good job.
4. Contusion - The crunchy chords on this track go really hard, the guitar and bass communication is really nice, very fun song to listen to. Really good instrumentation, the guitarist knows what they are doing, bass player doing a great job also. The drums are nice, I feel like they could play maybe a little bit looser or experiment a bit further with the grooves. I find it interesting to place this Jazz/Funk fusion on this album in particular, doesn't necessarily go against the theme of the album but is an interesting and potentially jarring transition to go from the previous track to this one. Really love the key playing on this track as always.
5. Sir Duke - Classic track, super fun to play with a group of people, there's a lot you can do with those chords. Melody in the introduction is really strong, the muted guitar is doing a really good job. The chromatic bridge motif might be my favourite part of the song. The instrumental part C section is super tight, very fun to listen to (hard to play well lol). I feel that the players are enjoying themselves while playing, which seeps into the listening experience as well. Not much more to say about the track, everything plays their role perfectly and doesn't overstep into other areas of the song.
6. I Wish - Absolutely love the groove on this one, feels the most refined and well developed so far. Nice chord progressions, really helps build the tension into some areas of the song. Very fun to hum along to the vocals but also very much the instrumental, mainly the horns. Probably my favourite track so far, overall just really fun to listen to manages to remain fresh throughout the entire song.
7. Knocks Me Off My Feet - I could imagine a lot of people sampling this track, very mellow, and is definitely a good song to unwind after the previous two tracks. Really love the melodic nature of all the tracks on the album, makes each listen really unique as you can focus on an entirely different part of the song and still discover new things about it. Really like the drum part on this song carries the tune quite well. The key change was really well done I thought, the keyboard run down made it feel very seamless. The singing is very amazing.
8. Pastime Paradise - Really interesting start to the track, had no idea that this song was THIS song. Really nice mood change in the album, feels like it has combined the classical strings and funk of the previous songs to make a sombre yet groovy track. Feels like Stevie has taken a much more serious approach on this track vocally, which is an interesting and cool thing to see. Love the gospel like outro.
9. Summer Soft - Really pretty song, despite being quite personal and heartfelt, it manages to maintain a lot of momentum, especially after the bass kicks in. Really love the harmony and chord changes in this piece, it does it's best to surprise you and you are unsure of where it's going to next which I love. When the piece picks up after the half way mark, it hits so hard, and is one of my favourite moments of the album. Stevie really hits it home with the vocal take at the end as well, feels like they poured a lot of their soul onto this track. The keys in the outro are very brilliant, shows off Stevies supreme talent.
10. Ordinary Pain - Since the first second, it feels like a create song to rap up the first disc. Contextually, it feels like a very nice piece to land on, after going through such a variety of sounds and feelings. The longer the track goes the more it ages I feel, however considering this album is 1 hour and 45 minutes long it isn't so bad. The change up near the halfway mark is super nice though, was very surprisingly and made me get back into the track. I like the different perspectives the lyrics take on this song, feels like quite a story focused song. Pretty solid backing track on this song, it's a little difficult to pick out a lot of the niche details of each part, as it feels like a solid wall of sound.
Really brilliant songs here, all of them are so melodic and interesting to listen to. I'm not going to do the second half of the album because I don't have enough time, but a lot of those tracks I know for a fact that they are very strong. Beautiful album which its influence has gone far and wide.
Rating: 9/10
1. The Next Day - Really electric start, the thumpy bass really gives this track a good oomph. I've always had a love/hate relationship with Bowie's vocals, but in this case, it suits the track really well - reminds me of talking heads. The guitars could be slightly further up in the mix in some places. The chorus is really awesome, almost reminds me of Queens of the Stone age, especially Times New Roman. Overall one of the better David Bowie tracks in my opinion.
2. Dirty Boys - This further emphasises the mood that the album is going for, quite like the EQ placed on Bowie's vocals, really does make the track feel mucky and unapologetic. The mix of horns and guitar really synergise well together, which is often a tricky thing to do well. Really nice sax solo as well, overall a really groovy track that i'm definitely going to go back to.
3. The Star (Are Out Tonight) - The keys are a pretty cool touch, I like the way the rhythm carries this song along, oddly quite a danceable tune even though it's moved away from Bowie's more disco like tracks. Not as big of a fan of the vocals on this track, feels a little bit all over the place, but the instrumental is very disciplined which allows Bowie to take a much more loose approach to the melody. The constantly moving bass makes this song feel very kinetic, and gives a sense of unpredictability to the track.
4. Love is Lost - Like the harmonies on the introduction, interesting choice of chords that feels very fresh. The track feels like it's brooding, which makes me unsure of the synthesiser in the top register, makes it feel a little gimmicky when combined with the vocals and bass line. Pretty cool change up in the middle, opened a new avenue within the song which I did not expect, sort of wish it lasted a little longer, as the whole idea was tied up in around 10 seconds.
5. Where Are We Now? - really like the space put into this song, the spaceyness really helps creates that feeling of helplessness. Bowie's vocal take on this is absolutely amazing, really concentrates the emotion into the lyrics, makes it a great listen. The drum part is quite interesting, the emphasis of beats creates a lot of anticipation hanging on the end of each bar. Really beautiful song.
6. Valentine's Day - Good song, not much special about the track in itself, reminds me much more of Bowie's earlier stuff, especially in the lyrical writing. The guitar part is really cool, sort of staying away from the traditional blues scale in parts, the tone is also quite fun to listen to.
7. If You Can See Me - Really awesome drums, as well as the guitar/bass line. Really odd but cool vocal line, the polyrhythms keep me engaged with the song. The only issue for me is it doesn't really choose to develop the motif all that much, makes the song a little bit one dimensional as a whole.
8. I'd Rather Be High - The singing reminds me of his earlier stuff, I really like the melodic stuff that has featured throughout the entire album, Bowie hasn't shyed away from utilising the instruments and their registers. I really like the chorus of the song, the way the bridge sort of eases into it through the melodie's resting point.
9. Boss of Me - Nice song, kind of just drags along, sort of song where you already have to be in an energetic mood to find the song enjoyable. I feel like the horns could have been used a bit better, potentially just put further forward in the mix. The piece does pick up a bit in the middle, but comparative to the previous tracks in the album, it still feels like the energy has tapered off significantly. Drums almost sound like a Garage Band loop, overall a filler track in my opinion.
10. Dancing Out In Space - Really cool guitar intro, the lead plays just the right amount of notes. Not a big fan of the vocals in this one, but it's sort of saved considering the amount of space the song allows for the instrumental to do its work. Maybe a little bit more mixing work could have been done on the vocals, feels unpolished compared to the instrumental track. Cool synthesiser.
11. How Does The Grass Grow? - I find it interesting how this album escapes its initial mood into a much more classic version of Bowie, makes the listening experience more interesting. I like the ya ya ya's, feel like I heard this track a long time ago as a kid, feels very familiar. I really really want to like the guitar solo, but in this case the dissonance doesn't really work for me considering it has frequented this and previous tracks already.
12. (You Will) Set The World On Fire - Really awesome guitar, might be the first time where it feels completely full in this album. The chorus is really nice and clean, the structure of the song is simple but really effective in this case. Really awesome guitar solo as well. Really good track.
13. You Feel So Lonely You Could Die - Quite a pretty track, brings back the good vocals from Where are We now, the strings are a nice touch, could've been used in a few of the previous tracks, but I appreciate how it is special to this song. The I - iv verse structure is nice but gets a little predictable, which is then absolutely shaken up in bridge. Pretty song, but I find the way it is performed it is hard to listen to the lyrical content of the song.
14. Heat - This song reminds me of how old he is at the time of writing the album, makes it feel a lot more personal, I really dig it. The tension building in this song is really well done, from the chord extensions to the synth in the very back holding whichever note. I actually really like the way that this song builds tension at the very end of the album, all just to fade away. An oddly strong finish for the album.
This has become one of my favourite Bowie albums, such an interesting sound and it's cool to see how he has evolved and developed as an artist.
Rating: 8.5/10