996 David Bowie - Earthling (1997)
996 David Bowie - Earthling (1997)
Studio album - Electronic/Drum 'n' Bass/Industrial/Jungle/Techno
About the Act:
David Bowie was a British Pop/Rock star from Bromley in Kent. He first started to come to prominence in the late 60s/early 70s, and was musically active up until his death in 2016. Bowie was noted for his ever-shifting style, and constant reinvention of himself musically and adopting a variety of public personas. His popularity waxed and waned over his career, as the styles and personas he experimented with were more or less attractive. Some might accuse him of style over substance, but it is more true to say that the style was the substance. He released 27 studio albums, including two credited to the band Tin Machine. He also had a career as an actor, and was an active artist and art collector. As one of the world's pop megastars, his history, public and private life have been endlessly picked over.
About the Album:
This is Bowie's 22nd studio album, and not a particularly well-known album. There was a deliberate stylistic move towards electronica, but instead of sampling other people's work, the musicians concentrated on creating their own sounds to sample. The original intention was that the album would contain several new compositions and some remixes of previously released songs. As it turned out, Bowie's songwriting was prolific during recording and so it became all new material. The album only took 2.5 weeks to record. Bowie's band-member Reeves Gabrels deserves special mention as being a strong creative partner for this album.
My History with this Album:
None
Review:
I had not even heard of this album before putting this list together, and when I first played it yesterday, I was astonished when it started as a Jungle groove. If there is one thing that David Bowie is notable for, it is his inability to sit still stylistically. Some people have accused him of jumping on the electronica bandwagon with this album, but I am inclined to be more generous than that, and to think that he has embraced electronica, but in his own way, and with his own stamp. One thing that I respect is that instead of sampling other people's sounds, like much of electronica does (and did), Bowie and the band created their own sounds using real instruments, which were then sampled and manipulated to create the album. Stylistically this would not be everybody's cup of tea, but there is some fine musicianship at play here, both in the original playing and in the remixing. It's still unquestionably a David Bowie album, as he sings, and his voice is unmistakable. As always, expressive and versatile.
And, as always, the songs are more noticeable for their music and style than for the lyrics. As is the nature of this kind of music, the lyrics are often highly repetitive. My favourite track is "I'm Afraid of Americans" which I have heard before, but only in the last few weeks, and I don't remember when. Oh yes I do, it was part of a Glastonbury set that was broadcast on TV.
So far this has been mostly descriptive (there is a lot to describe). Did I like it? Well once I got over the initial surprise, actually, yes. I found it has more substance than much of this kind of music by other people, and quite listenable. It's very up-tempo, quite aggressive and in-your-face at times, and absolutely infused with energy. You could dance to it, but it can also be quite good background music, especially if you want to be energised. Ultimately, though, it's not my favourite sort of style.
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