REALITY

I decided to continue my exploration of Bowie's discography, jumping from the '70s to the 2000s, and I cay san here that it's a very average album by DAVID BOWIE, ain't no particular prog element and BOWIE had temporarily lost his intriguing creativity on this opus (before reaching new heights !?), nevertheless some tracks deserve attention.

the 1st hit is a good opening, quite dynamic, catchy the chorus is not bad, it reminds me a bit of rebel, rebel

Never get old (is it a wink to My generation or the wish of Bowie? ) another particular piece, rather ambiguous with grandiose passages, others more furtive.

Then comes a quiet lament after the energetic tracks, the fact that Bowie has aged in the meantime has made his voice softer, more etheric too, and I think I prefer this song with his 2003 voice than the more snarling one of Ziggy Stardust. Good use of his renewed musical potential.

Looking for water is for me a failed intrusion in a more electro prog register of the 2000s.

She'll Drive The Big Car is rather lackluster, despite the presence of choirs.

Days is a nice ballad but it's too much pop for my taste, we're not in the prog or in a daring register that Bowie had used to.

Fall Dog Bombs The Moon is a reference to 9/11, a mere tune that speaks for itself.

Then Bowie takes over Harrison's song with rather heavy production, I'm quite disoriented by the song, the original version, and the one of Spektor had also the heavy hand. As for the Bowie version, I don't think it's indigestible but it's unfortunately not original enough to me.

Reality raises the level a bit and sends energy around, after all, this track has little to do with glam rock or prog.

Finally, Bowie delivers us a track more jazz-oriented. A pleasant track which is for me a little the surprise of this record, I did not expect to hear a pseudo-jazz with Bowie.

All in all, I'm quite disappointed with this opus, I didn't have many expectations but I was waiting for a Bowie record, here we have a rather aseptic album, quite flat than what Bowie made us discover earlier in his career. Finally, I searched but I didn't find many musical elements related to prog.

I'm giving this album 2.5/5 knowing that he did way better in his life, surprisingly TONY VISCONTI is also playing on this album, and producing it.