Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Bowie, David
Label: Columbia Records
Release: 2013
Running time: 53:14
Rating: 5/5
»The Next Day« is the first album in ten years from the multitalented artist and living music legend David Bowie, who many were convinced had closed the book on his career for good because of poor health, especially after his heart attack in 2004. But all that time, the one-of-a-kind musical chameleon was quietly recording new music, in exactly the way he’s worked through most of his long and wildly colorful career, during which he helped kick-start a good number of innovative musical trends. His twenty-fourth studio album echoes Bowie’s »Berlin trilogy« not only in most of its musical content but already in its cover, a nod to the late seventies, when he recorded three classic albums, »Low« (1977), »Heroes« (1977) and »Lodger« (1979), which still count among his best work today. Bowie’s picture from the iconic »Heroes« cover has been cut out this time, and the »Heroes« lettering crossed out, which is both a lovely tribute to that phase of David’s career and proof that even the greatest masterpieces of his past don’t weigh him down as he keeps creating fresh, creative music.
On »The Next Day« David teamed up with his old buddy, the legendary producer Tony Visconti, with whom he worked on most of Bowie’s best albums in the seventies. The lyrics carry a hefty dose of sarcasm toward a world gone mad (»Where Are We Now«, »I’d Rather Be High« and »(You Will) Set the World on Fire«), self-mockery (»The Next Day«, »Dirty Boys«), nostalgia for better times (»Love Is Lost«, »Valentine’s Day«), as well as David’s lifelong infatuation with mysterious outer space and science fiction (»The Stars (Are Out Tonight)«, »Dancing Out In Space«). The lineup of great musicians who came to David’s aid is a varied one, but a few undoubtedly stand out: cult bassist Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), Bowie’s longtime guitarist Earl Slick, longtime bassist Gail Ann Dorsey, drum master Sterling Campbell and guitar innovator David Torn. Besides singing, Mr. Bowie also had a go at acoustic guitar and keyboards, as he’s always done.
Not one of the 14 tracks on »The Next Day« goes past the five-minute mark, which is undoubtedly a smart move for a legend who’s been absent from the scene for a full ten years, since it lets him show off his stylistic and arranging range on every single track in short order. The title track perfectly captures Mr. Bowie with the voice of a irritated, bleary-eyed uncle who’s just climbed out of bed, pulled back the curtains and glared at yet another gray day, while Torn wildly shakes out biting, irritated guitar phrases with extensive use of witty effects. »Dirty Boys«, seasoned with jazzy rhythmic finesse, is an interesting hybrid of David’s glam rock and Berlin eras, with a special place reserved for the baritone sax courtesy of Steve Elson. It’s worth mentioning that David’s distinctive voice is still in very good shape for his age and has kept all the recognizable charisma from the days when he was a skinny, androgynous youngster with a peroxide hairdo.
The excellent »The Stars (Are Out Tonight)«, ruled by mighty orchestral curtains and drum fills, is one of the album’s peaks. With its hypnotic, nostalgic chorus it’s a fine demonstration that Mr. Bowie has kept his remarkable feel for arranging, so it’s no surprise it was picked as the album’s second single. On the dark, shattering »Love Is Lost«, where David’s singing once again conjures the image of a modern society shackled in steel, where love has long been trapped in silicone dolls with microchips, mighty symphonic arrangements rule over layered synth textures too, and there are plenty of them across the album. »Where Are We Now?« was chosen as the album’s first single, which isn’t surprising, as it’s an extremely subtle, nostalgic ballad that recalls David’s proverbially rich sense for moving lyrics. The words tell of an old man remembering the “good old days”. »Valentine’s Day« is laid over sharp Slick guitar phrases while keeping up a light melody that’s in perfect proportion with David’s singing, in which you can catch plenty of traces of sarcasm this time.
The somewhat enigmatic »If You Can See Me« has phantasmagorical vocal harmonies, with bassist Gail Ann Dorsey coming to Bowie’s aid, while Levin’s spirited bass lines effectively sustain the dark atmosphere. The fatalistic and slightly psychedelic »I’d Rather Be High«, yet another satire aimed at apathetic modern youth and contemporary society in general, features David’s mocking, salty vocal performance and subtle backing harmonies. On »Boss Of Me«, Levin’s playful lines on the Chapman stick and Elson’s witty baritone sax passages impress, while David’s voice, amid the self-mockery of lyrics asking how a small-town girl could end up being his boss, is once again torn between melancholy and mockery. On »Dancing Out in Space«, ruled by numerous witty effects on keyboards and guitar, the eternal musical Martian shuts himself in his astronaut capsule after a long time and blasts off toward a distant galaxy.
»How Does the Grass Grow?« features a borrowed motif from Jerry Lordan’s old classic »Apache« and some crazy guitar improvisations. David’s singing, helped along by Gail Ann Dorsey’s backing harmonies, is once again thoroughly mocking. The rebellious »(You Will) Set The World On Fire«, where Sterling Campbell’s drums are going full steam while Earl Slick supplies a string of jagged guitar phrases, is true to its title the hardest-hitting track on »The Next Day«, yet it also has a surprisingly melodic chorus. »You Feel So Lonely You Could Die« is a lovely romantic ballad, loaded with nostalgic atmosphere, mostly thanks to David’s shattering singing and moving symphonic arrangements. The dark, slow, heavy-atmosphere »Heat« is a very fitting closer for the regular version of the album and once again highlights David’s innate artistry, as it’s an experimental, even slightly avant-garde piece that’s completely different from everything else on the album.
The bonus tracks on the special edition are far from run-of-the-mill songwriting; in quality they’re completely on par with the regular material. The pastoral-psychedelic ballad »So She«, steeped in a nostalgic mood, recalls David’s early creative period, specifically the style of the legendary album »Space Oddity« (1969). The short instrumental »Plan«, with its dissonant improvisations, is a total experimental disconnect. And the energetic, pompous entertainer »I’ll Take You There«, where David pokes fun at the “American dream”, is a hugely entertaining extra to close out the special edition.
»The Next Day«, a stunning return of music’s greatest chameleon and proof that Mr. Bowie, even after a ten-year break, remains one of the most thrilling, unpredictable and unique musical masters of our time, is easily among his best achievements since the end of the seventies. Commercially, too, the album got an exceptionally warm reception soon after release and even hit number one on the UK chart, something no Bowie album had managed since 1993, when »Black Tie White Noise« came out. After this hugely successful studio comeback, there’s still no sign that David will come back from his live retirement too, but sooner or later he’ll almost certainly remember the old Bond motto, “never say never again”.
Lineup
David Bowie – vocals, guitar and keyboards
Gerry Leonard – guitar
Earl Slick – guitar
David Torn – guitar
Zachary Alford – drums
Sterling Campbell – drums
Steve Elson – saxophone
Tony Levin – bass guitar and Chapman stick
Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar and backing vocals
Janice Pendarvis – backing vocals
Antoine Silverman, Maxim Moston, Hiroko Taguchi, Anja Wood – orchestral arrangements
Production
Tony Visconti
Track list
1. The Next Day (3:51)
2. Dirty Boys (2:58)
3. The Stars (Are Out Tonight) (3:56)
4. Love Is Lost (3:57)
5. Where Are We Now? (4:08)
6. Valentine’s Day (3:01)
7. If You Can See Me (3:15)
8. I’d Rather Be High (3:53)
9. Boss of Me (4:09)
10. Dancing Out in Space (3:24)
11. How Does the Grass Grow? (4:33)
12. (You Will) Set the World on Fire (3:30)
13. You Feel So Lonely You Could Die (4:41)
14. Heat (4:25)
