David Bowie

[starmandb]

Thanks zenith
Can we have sue( or in a season of crime ) from the album blackstar as today's track please
It was originally on a 2014 compilation album called nothing has changed that charted the whole gamut of his career
It was premiered by elbows guy Garvey on 6 music and featured the maria Schneider orchestra
It won a Grammy
It was rerecorded for blackstar
I love it as a signifier that right up until the end he was experimenting with interesting music
Not everything came off but I think this does
It stands up as a fantastic peice of avant garde jazz

[Zenith]

[starmandb]

Thanks zenith
Can we have without you I'm nothing as today's track please
Following his appearance on 20 th century boy with placebo at the 1999 Brit awards
They wanted to get some kind of collaboration on record
But both the band and bowie had just finished recording albums
So it was decided to bring out the title track as a single adding bowie
I rather liked placebo when I 1 st heard them but I don't think they have dated well
What do you think zenith?
I know brian molko was born in belgium but I find his voice a bit grating now
Bowie adds a bit of gravitas to the song

[Zenith]

You're not the only one who noticed Molko's voice isn't what it used to be and I fully agree, but I believe their music in general has gone downhill over the years.

'Battle of the Sun' was a disappointment and I did kind of lost track of them after that particular album. Did give 'Loud Like Love' a listen a year or so after release, but it only worked as a confirmation of what I already feared. The Placebo sound is still (more or less), but the effect is gone - it's as tough Molko put so much inspiration in Placebo's first 5 albums that he seems to have exhausted his creative quarry and it inevitably reflects in the music, particularly in the lyrics, which used to be one of the band's fortes.

Whilst some of Placebo's dark, melodramatic lyrics could be considered as tongue-in-cheek, it wouldn't be surprising if Brian and Stefan have become a more unflustered person than they used to be when they were younger; the envioronmental/mental state of a person can have a big influence on their creative spark, for better or worse. I also believe their particular style of music is so specific making it very tough to maintain for over a period of 20 years - it's already impressive they managed to keep that same momentum going for over a decade.

Just to come back on what you mentioned earlier, I feel Placebo has slowly become an occupation, a routine and it reflects in Molko's voice. Just like so many other prolific bands Placebo has arguably started to live of its own success, and who are we to say they don't have the right to do just that? I will never stop being a fan and still listen to their older work regularly, but it's unlikely that I'll attend any of their concerts again anytime soon.

[starmandb]

Thanks zenith
Can we have tis a pity she was a whore from the album black star as today's track please
Originally a non album single it was also on the b side of Sue
It was rerecorded for the album
A bawdy song based on a 17 th century play
It adds to the appeal of this fantastic album more than a stand alone single ever could

[Zenith]

[starmandb]

Thanks zenith
Can we have without you from the album lets dance as today's track please
It's probably been a good 25 years since I heard this song and I have to say after the last few days songs which have been quite intense this peice of fluff holds up quite well
Bowie is giving it his best ferry
With his barely there laconic vocal
Stevie ray Vaughn flits in and out and chic really come to the fore
I wouldn't say he is anywhere near his best
But some of this 80's stuff is proving better than I remembered

[Zenith]

[starmandb]

Thanks zenith
Can we have prisoner of love as today's track please
Written for his then girlfriend Melissa Hurley who had danced on the glass spider tour
It's an iggy pop type song
It's dramatic and intense and despite my reservations about tin machine it's very good
It appeared as a single and was on the Debut album
It failed to chart in either the uk or america
Bit of a shame

[Zenith]

[starmandb]

Thanks zenith
Can we have the stars are out tonight from the album the next day as today's track please
Such was the excitement felt when where are we now was released
That this ( the 2 nd single) rather slipped under the radar
It is the lesser of the two tracks but it deserved a better reception
The video featured tilda swinton ( who has that androgynous quality) as his wife
An older couple pottering along
There are also a younger couple in the video who are living a previous life that bowie would have occupied
The stars in the title would appear to be the casualtys along the way ie Amy winehouse, Marylyn etc

[Zenith]

[starmandb]

Thanks zenith
Can we have valentines day from the album the next day as today's track please
When I went to that gig earlier in the year where earl slick performed station to station this was performed as well
It sounded like a classic track
Maybe something off heathen
I was surprised that it was off the more recent album
Bowies 70's output I could name any album a song was on ( probably in track order) but the 80's 90's and noughties it gets a little more vague
What I'm trying to say in a long winded way is this really is an incredibly catchy tune that sounds like it's been around for ages
With a Beatles like hook
It's said to be about the spate of school shootings in America
But I just get swept along by the song
One of the last he recorded for the album

[Zenith]

[starmandb]

Thanks zenith
Can we have station to station from 1976 as posted on you tube by a chap called nacho as today's track please
He is doing some amazing bowie stuff
He uses the audio from the gig at the Nassau coliseum New York and mixes it with clips from all over the tour to make a complete version of the song ( though the scene setting.hall filling up etc are from the Montreal forum)
It really captures the excitement of a band coming onstage
From a glimpse of the Salvador dalli film un chein andalou that was shown before the 1976 isolar/ station to station tour
To 21 year old Stacy Hayden firing up his guitar for only his 2 nd ever show performing in front of a huge audience
Nacho has done a fantastic job spending over 200 hours on it
He doesn't own the rights
He doesn't get paid
It's a labour of love
Respect
It's magnificent