David Bowie - Blackstar discussion plus poll

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   ^ I am with you on the second track actually, and that is the one track that I sometimes skip. Regarding an earlier comment, I find the second half altogether excellent.  I guess if I had to choose just four songs off it (In order) then they would be Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me, and Dollar Days.

For me Blackstar is Bowie's ultimate album, and not just because it was the last.  I think that it's a brilliant culmination of a long an illustrious career, has pathos, vulnerability while being life-affirming to me in its way.  It reflects a moment in time of Bowie's life while reflecting on his life generally.  It can feel appropriately nostalgic, and the melancholy is hardly something I could fault Bowie for and it would be much less poignant to me without it.  For any who may be disappointed due to nay depressing qualities, like Paul, I wonder how they would rather Bowie had approached the album?  It's a personal album that speaks to me on a personal level, but one's appreciation will depend on the individual psyche.  Of course it's fine not to enjoy it, but I would hope that most would still be able to appreciate it.

When it was voted Collab Album of the year, there was one poster who complained that it wasn't a very good album and the only reason people ranked it so highly is because of the circumstance surrounding it.  I responded that that made it more poignant to me and may be a factor, but even had Bowie not been dying and say, had recovered (actually I don't think I quite said that but will put it that way now),  that would have been my favourite album of the year.  I found it be an unfair and uncharitable comment re the assumptions made about others.

While I would want to view it in the context of his whole career (as well as take into consideration the state he was in when he made it), in a way just comparing it to his early classic period and saying this is better than that, or this is more satisfying than that feels too superficial to me.   That said, Blackstar is to me Bowie's most poignant and moving album.  While I respected and rated the album highly right from the first time I listened through it all soon after it was released, over the subsequent years my appreciation has grown.  Especially over the last couple of years I have listened to it many, many times and come to appreciate it all the more.  Blackstar resonates with me hugely on different levels.

That said, ten of my favourite Bowie album include (In chronological order):

The Man Who Sold the World
Hunky Dory
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Aladdin Sane
Station to Station
Low
"Heroes"
Lodger
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
Blackstar

So Blackstar is the only one there post 1980.  That said, I have not heard quite a few of his post 1980 albums, at least in full or in the right situations where I could give it my full attention (and I like to listen more than once at different times and when I am experiencing different states of mind -- what resonates at one time might not at another time, and sometimes I am looking for the wrong things and have the wrong expectations).  I do like Just Dance more than many (still have it on cassette), especially for the B side.  Of his more modern ones, I di like Heathen, but it has been about 15 years since I last listened to it, and even then I did not listen that attentively as I had borrowed it from the library and played it while driving down the Oregon coast with my first born two year old aboard who was making Dora the Explorer based knock knock jokes.

Poll Question: The discussion is and comments are what matters
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
5 stars - Essential: a masterpiece of Bowie albums	7	[38.89%]
4 stars - Excellent addition to any Bowie music collection	7	[38.89%]
3 stars - Good, but non-essential to your Bowie collection	3	[16.67%]
2 stars - Collectors/fans of lesser Bowie albums only	1	[5.56%]
1 star - Bottom Bowie. Only for Bowie completists	0	[0.00%]
0 stars - Everyone should steer clear of this album	0	[0.00%]
You can not vote in this poll

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Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 37595	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: September 07 2021 at 12:01
	^ I am with you on the second track actually, and that is the one track that I sometimes skip. Regarding an earlier comment, I find the second half altogether excellent. I guess if I had to choose just four songs off it (In order) then they would be Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me, and Dollar Days. For me Blackstar is Bowie's ultimate album, and not just because it was the last. I think that it's a brilliant culmination of a long an illustrious career, has pathos, vulnerability while being life-affirming to me in its way. It reflects a moment in time of Bowie's life while reflecting on his life generally. It can feel appropriately nostalgic, and the melancholy is hardly something I could fault Bowie for and it would be much less poignant to me without it. For any who may be disappointed due to nay depressing qualities, like Paul, I wonder how they would rather Bowie had approached the album? It's a personal album that speaks to me on a personal level, but one's appreciation will depend on the individual psyche. Of course it's fine not to enjoy it, but I would hope that most would still be able to appreciate it. When it was voted Collab Album of the year, there was one poster who complained that it wasn't a very good album and the only reason people ranked it so highly is because of the circumstance surrounding it. I responded that that made it more poignant to me and may be a factor, but even had Bowie not been dying and say, had recovered (actually I don't think I quite said that but will put it that way now), that would have been my favourite album of the year. I found it be an unfair and uncharitable comment re the assumptions made about others. While I would want to view it in the context of his whole career (as well as take into consideration the state he was in when he made it), in a way just comparing it to his early classic period and saying this is better than that, or this is more satisfying than that feels too superficial to me. That said, Blackstar is to me Bowie's most poignant and moving album. While I respected and rated the album highly right from the first time I listened through it all soon after it was released, over the subsequent years my appreciation has grown. Especially over the last couple of years I have listened to it many, many times and come to appreciate it all the more. Blackstar resonates with me hugely on different levels. That said, ten of my favourite Bowie album include (In chronological order): The Man Who Sold the World Hunky Dory The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Aladdin Sane Station to Station Low "Heroes" Lodger Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) Blackstar So Blackstar is the only one there post 1980. That said, I have not heard quite a few of his post 1980 albums, at least in full or in the right situations where I could give it my full attention (and I like to listen more than once at different times and when I am experiencing different states of mind -- what resonates at one time might not at another time, and sometimes I am looking for the wrong things and have the wrong expectations). I do like Just Dance more than many (still have it on cassette), especially for the B side. Of his more modern ones, I di like Heathen, but it has been about 15 years since I last listened to it, and even then I did not listen that attentively as I had borrowed it from the library and played it while driving down the Oregon coast with my first born two year old aboard who was making Dora the Explorer based knock knock jokes.