This past week has been one of the worst in a long time and I know every one of us music fans is feeling down. That's when I personally need music most, so lets talk about some music to distract from this horrible start to 2016. This week I will be reviewing the very last album from music innovator and legend David Bowie and the new album from the pop punk boys in Panic at the Disco. So here are my reviews of David Bowie's Blackstar and Panic's Death of a Bachelor. This week I am going to be doing a video and written review, because I figured I write up a guide anyway. Now you can read it instead if you would rather.
David Bowie- Blackstar Review-
David Robert Jones was born in Brixton, London on January 8th 1947.
I admit i have been having trouble finding the words to start this review. I still can’t believe that the man David Bowie is no longer here. It feels like hole has been ripped in the creative world that will never be filled. The man is gone but the legend and music with live on forever. It would be wrong not to review this last gift from one of the most creative and talented musicians who ever lived. If The Next Day looking back is the start to David Bowie’s final chapter then Blackstar is the ethereal beautiful end to a long and wonderful story. This album was Bowie pushing himself to make something creative and different one las time with the help of the ever present Toni Visconti and an all-star lineup of jazz musicians. Before his death people thought this was just a man looking back on his life and looking for the answers to the big questions in life, but after his death it’s clear when listening to this it’s the story of a man who sees his own death coming just out of site and wants to describe the feeling of the end and the meaning of his life as it happens. It’s a very dark and deep record and as a fan it’s a very challenging listen as you try not to break down and cry.
Bowie attended Stockwell infants school until he was six years old, acquiring a reputation as a gifted child. In 1953 the family moved to Bromley where he attended Burnt Ash Junior School. He was told he was way above average in singing and dancing even that young. He took up piano, ukulele, and bass at 9 years old. In 1962 he formed his first band the Konrads. After that he moved on from band to band for a while and changed his name to David Bowie in the mid 1960s after 19th century American frontiersman Jim Bowie. In 1967 he released his first solo album David Bowie. In 1969 he released Space Oddity to huge critical success. Bowie met Angela Barnett in April 1969 and they married within a year. He followed it with two heavier full band albums. After this he changed into the weird styles we know today as The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars era, a weird era that legitimized him as a rock star.
He moved from there with two more records into the Thin White Duke era, marked by funk, soul, and a wild future in a post apocalyptic city. This marked huge cocaine addictions and three new albums. Bowie moved to Berlin in 1976, this became the Berlin era. This era was marked by even more cocaine and a trilogy of minimalistic albums. Following that he released Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) in 1980, and the mega hit "Under Pressure" with Queen soon followed. In 1989 he had a short lived band Tin Machine that didn't do very well. In 1992 he Married his current wife Iman and moved into the Electronic Bowie stage. This was marked by electronic and hip hop explorations on new dance albums. The Final Bowie Stage is Neoclassicism Bowie, moving away from electronic to more minimalism. With Heathen, Reality, and The Next Day. Blackstar came out on Bowie’s 69th Birthday and two days later he died of cancer.
David Bowie Performs Heroes
1. Blackstar-I ordered the album in advance and didn’t get it till after he died so when I finally listened this monday afternoon it hit me like a truck. Blackstar’s title track is a ten minute long sparse and empty void of a song that seems to swirl all the instruments arounds the voice that sounds weathered and powerful. The song is held together by a voice in a void of hypnotizing noises and random jazz saxophones. It all comes together to create a Phychodelic, jazz epic. It’s powerful and painful with truly deep lyrics about a man looking back on his life on the day he died. He shines here vocally and even the weariness feels perfect. This is an album highlight.
2. ’Tis a Pity She Was a Whore-is a very strange song that starts with a solid drum beat and a jazz sound. This song is driven by the winding saxophone lines. The song is a great jazz song with David singing a story of a strange interaction with a women who he called a whore and punched him. It’s hard to tell here if this is him looking back at an actually interaction and regretting his choices or created character. It was inspired by a 17th Century play of the same name.
3. Lazarus-is the best song on the album and one of the best songs he has ever written. This is David’s beautiful swan song. When I first heard this song I broke down and cried and I don’t do that easy. “Look up here I’m in heaven, Ive got scars that can’t be seen.”, is the beautiful and painful first line of the song. He is singing with raw power as the saxophones and guitars slowly grind behind him. This is a jazzy ballad and it’s gorgeous and powerful. This song is the moment that his life flashes before his eyes and he is forced to recall every aspect of his life and he embraces life and love one last time and he lets go to be finally free. This song is a highlight is the understatement of the century. This song is actually based on his character he played in the man who fell from earth, and has since been developed into a stage show of the same name. I love this song. “This Way or No Way, You Know I’ll Be Free”.
4. Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)-starts with a rocking bass line and jazz percussion beat. It’s more of a kind of a big band jazz song with heavy bass lines and sparse synth waves thrown in. The rock jazz style all plays under the vocals of David as he sings of a murderous intent of Sue. The song is a dark and creepy jazz horror story. The intensity is driven by the bass line.
5. Girl Loves Me-makes the first use of the David Bowie scream that he has perfected over the years. The song is led by the catchy almost rapped line “Where the Fuck did Monday Go?”. It’s strange and instantly catchy. Apparently Bowie was listening to Kendrick Lamar when this song was inspired. The vocal style is very sing song almost pixies like. This song is a lot less horn infused then other songs using only synths, bass, and drums over his lines. I love this song. It’s weird and so very bowie. This to me feels like a song about where did all my time go. Is this really all I have left. My last monday I learned you died so I can definelty relate to the core message. This is an album highlight.
6. Dollar Days-starts slower and less angrily with a smooth sax solo. This song is a jazz pop song that sees Bowie looking back on all the things he will never get do do again, and convincing himself that it’s ok. The great sax solos really drive this great contemplative look back and his long and great life.
7. I Can’t Give Everything Away-The album closer leads in with syth lines and horns. Bowie shows the very full length of his still great vocal range. it’s raw and powerful. This track has the least amount of layers, stripping back to hear much more of Bowie in his vulnerable state. The simplest song on the album is one of the best and most beautiful. The things and relationships he leaves behind and how people will remember him is what he thinks of as the last song fades out. It ends with a classic fade out and the that's the last of Bowie’s final album.
David Bowie's final music video Lazerous.
This album is the final masterpiece from the masterful musician and innovator David Bowie. He really goes out on top here with the best band he has played with since the spider from mars. It’s a jazz combo in New York led by Donny McCaslin. This album is not anything traditional and that’s the point. He goes out exactly as he wanted to with a an album that pushes boundaries and defies the norm one final time. He will be missed so much and it hurts so much to know that he was actually recording demos for followup when he died. This album may not be the last music we hear from Bowie as demos will surly surface, but it’s the last thing with his magical touch and perfect production. The album was dark and dealt with Bowie as he sees his life coming to an end captures the moments at the very end in such a haunting way with beautiful lyrics, it really blew me away. I never really liked to think David Bowie would die. I always pictured he would just get in his spaceship and fly home. So where ever you are up there in space thank you for everything Major Tom.
Here is my Video Review of David Bowie's Blackstar.
Recommended Songs: Blackstar, Lazerus, Girl Loves Me, and I Can’t Give Everything Away.
5/5 Stars
Panic at the Disco- Death of a Bachelor Review-
Panic began began as a emo pop punk band at the height of that craze with the likes of Fall Out Boy and soared to huge popularity with we write not trajeties, the song we all know the words weather we like it or not. Following that they made a weird indie rock styled album that I actually liked, and a pop rock throw back that was ok. Their last album To Weird To Live To Rare To Die was a dark synth and electronic driven pile of crap that I reviewed and hated every second of it. This time around singer Brendan Urie is the only member left leading the band. He writes an album on the verge of marriage saying goodbye to his bachelorhood in grand fashion.
Panic at the Disco is an American rock band from Las Vegas formed in 2004. The band was founded by Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, Brent Wilson, and Brendon Urie. Brendon Urie is now the sole remaining member. They got Famous off of the lead single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies". The album was certified double platinum. In 2008 they debut a new sounds on the second album Pretty Odd. Following this principal song writer and guitarist Ryan Ross as well as left basist Jon Walker left the band in favor of the new sound. The third album Vices and Virtures went back to the vaudevillian pop sound. In 2013 they releases Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! and Spencer Smith left leaving Brendon as a solo artist. That leads us to Death of a Bachelor.
Panic at the Disco I Write Sins Not Tragedies.
1.Victorious-opens with a background chorus before become a party pop anthem destined to be played in night clubs everywhere. The song is about a hang over from a night of praying on the verge of a big life change. He is very whitty with his lyrics here as always. The music plays like a pop song mixed with a sample driven beat. It’s not a good or a bad song, it’s the lead single on a modern pop rock album aimed to rejuvenate the image of a band and put them back in the limelight. I think that it might just work.
2. Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time-This song samples Rock Lobster strangely and way too many times. The lyrics here while clever but the music doesn’t keep up with his wit. I’ts more just a modern pop song with dj and rock lobster samples in it.
3. Hallelujah-starts with horns and explodes into huge chorus with Brendon’s vocals shining. This song is destined to become a drunken singalong and future ring tones. The song is destined to play in dance clubs as a pop song fused heavily with dance beats and dj samples. It’s a better song then others on here and it stands out.
4. Emperor’s New Clothes-contiues where the rest of the album has taken off. It’s is very much a party anthem album made to pre gaming, drinking, and dancing. It’s admittedly not my thing but I think the choruses are huge and catchy with cleaver lyrics and people will eat this shit up. It also has a strange Nightmare before Christmas sounding sample.
5. Death of a Bachelor-is a very different song then the rest of the album combining jazz lounge singer style with modern pop and dance beats. I think it works because of its weirdness and the fact that it he sings huge high to help this track stand out from the rest of the album. This is a song that I actually like it’s a guilty pleasure. I think it’s an album highlight.
6. Crazy=Genius-It follows with another jazz pop song that is just insanely catchy. This song unlike the last one has a more a pop punk jazz sound to it. The song about how many famously crazy people were also famously talented. This song really shines with the jazz horns and fun dj samples. Again I really like this song for its weirdness I think that’s where this band really shines, like on the album pretty odd. An album highlight for sure.
7. LA Devotee-This song is a love letter to Los Angeles after his move from Las Vegas. This song abandoned the jazz for a modern pop sound with more dj samples.
8. Golden Days-Is a straight up pop song that sounds like it could have come off a Katty Perry album if she sang it. It really doesn’t do anything for me, and it seems destined for the radio.
9. The Good, The Bad and The Dirty-is another highly dj sampled modern pop song about death in general. This song does have some of the most cleaver and witty lyrics on here.
10. House of Memories-features Dylan Schwab in a synth driven song that is insanely catchy and just try to get it out of your head. It sees Brendon looking back on all of his past life of romances and parties as he reminisces.
11. Impossible Year-The last song on the album is way different sort of song from the rest of the album. It’s more a straightforward lounge singer ballad. It’a beautiful song that really shows how truly talented Brendon is. This concept album about the death of his bachelorhood persona for his married life ends here. The final song is like a eulogy to his single life.
Panic at the Disco Crazy=Genius
I expected to hate this album like last one, just kidding not like the last one most things aren’t that bad, but they made a huge shift in style and made an album that will serve as a commercial comeback. The album is a modern pop album that is fussed with glam, jazz, electric, and rock styles. As the only member left Brendon shines vocally here like never before and creates an album destined for radio play and dance floor but with enough wit and weird musical diversions for most casual music fans and panic fans alike. It’s not the best album they have written, but it’s not the worst and its a worthy chapter for a former pop punk band going modern pop.
Here is My Video Review Panic's Death of a Bachelor.
Recommended Songs: Death of a Bachloer, Crazy=Genius, House of Memories, and Impossible Year.
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