David Bowie attempted to go with a more mellow sound on his last album "Heathen," but although it did exhibit glimmers of his incredible musical ability, overall it did not go as well as he had planned. But now, Bowie returns with his Rock n' Roll roots in his new album, "Reality."
With melodies and lyrics resembling those of his earlier songs such as "Ziggy Stardust," "Ashes to Ashes" and "Rebel Rebel," he returns to lyrics that can be interpreted in thousands of different ways or not interpreted at all. "I'm God damn rich/ An exploding man/ When I talk in the night/ There's oil on my hands," he sings and with lyrics like this continuously flowing through all of his songs, we realize that David Bowie is back.
With the cool, melodic and beautifully accented voice that is unmistakably his, Bowie brings together the best of his old and new songs together for "Reality." Over time, Bowie has mastered the art of making wonderful songs. Not only are his singles, "New Killer Star" and "Never Get Old" breathtaking, but the other songs are equally noteworthy. From the upbeat, rock n' roll "Pablo Picasso" to the more mellow "The Loneliest Guy" and "Days," Bowie shows his musical genius by making every song on his album good, which cannot always be said with other artists.
The new songs that we discover in this album come from a newly matured and inward looking Bowie. Gone are the days where his extravagantly made-up face is all over the album cover. Instead we have a somber Bowie dressed in a black suit with a black tie and no visible make-up. Also, he pays tribute to the late George Harrison by including "Try Some, Buy Some" in his track list. The sound of this new album is a combination of his 70s and 80s sound and his more recent music. Bowie still sings about sex and drugs, although you can always interpret his lyrics in different ways.
Although lines like "Got your mother in a whirl/ Not sure if you're a boy or a girl" ("Rebel Rebel") are not as controversial today as they were in the 70s or 80s, Bowie still manages some R-rated lyrics on "Reality."Tragic youth was looking young and sexy/ Tragic youth wearing tattered black jeans/ Bearing arms and flaunting all her mischief/ Then tragic youth was going down on me," he mischievously sings on the title track. Then again, in today's music world, lyrics like these are a daily occurrence. But unlike other artists, Bowie works these lyrics into his music cleverly, so that they are barely noticeable.You will find yourself singing along without really knowing what you are singing.
But his voice and lyrics are by no means the end of his greatness. In addition to co-producing the album, he plays the guitar, keyboards, baritone sax, percussion, stylophone, synths and provides the backing vocals. Such versatility in the twilight of his career is astounding, and of course he also writes his own music and lyrics.
Once again, this places Bowie on a higher pedestal than many other artists. When looking at all his talents, it is no wonder that he is a model for longevity. "Reality" intertwines Bowie's past and present musical identities into one brilliant and remarkably coherent album.
Bowie's one shortcoming, however, is that he can't seem to attract a new audience. Only the faithful with years of appreciation will be able to fully appreciate the album; the uninitiated should start at Bowie's beginning before trying "Reality." Admirers of his back catalogue, on the other hand, will be smitten with Bowie's "Reality" check.
4 stars
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