David Bowie - The Next Day

Oursler set Bowie up to watch footage of Berlin as he lipsynched the lyrics. Bowie's face is simultaneously projected onto the doll. Oursler's wife is listening to the song (in a seperate room?) and her face, as she listens, is also projected onto the doll. Maybe?

Bet you're right. The concept improves the video, so I'll go with it.

I'm sorry. Much as I love Bowie, I really don't enjoy this song at all. The whole thing sounds so lifeless. The production is straight from the Big Book of AOR Ballads (c) 1992. The songwriting is flat, uninspired, lacking in any sort of dynamism. It doesn't come close to achieving the stately mood it's trying to go for, plodding along like a tired dirge, barely lifting its head above the mire of pedestrian chord choices and workaday key changes. Bowie can be forgiven for not having the voice he used to, but rather than adapting and altering his vocal technique to suit his new range (like some other singers of his age), he just does the default Bowie voice albeit in a flatter, less risky way. I know we're all excited about his return, and fair play to the man, but this is more "That's Why God Made The Radio" than "Bish Bosch" or "American Recordings" - a dim impression of Bowie's previous work, with all the life sucked out of it.

Also when I first saw the video, I assumed it was a homemade fan vid. I couldn't believe it was the real thing.

Don't be sorry: to each his own, also with regards to the interpretation of a vocal performance. But this:

adapting and altering his vocal technique to suit his new range (like some other singers of his age), he just does the default Bowie voice albeit in a flatter, less risky way

Harry Hill's entire career (minus badgers and Burt Kwouk) summarised.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIyZap4StYg

Tony Viaconti interview. Lefsetz = "old fart". http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-bowie-producer-new-album-411233

Visconti, even

"We would catch up on the latest British comedy -- Ricky Gervais, Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore, Harry and Paul."

There's a lot of that kind of thing in there.

xxxp the whole of Visconti's last answer is worth quoting:

"Well, he used to be cutting-edge but he's an old jerk now. He is so out of touch with what people want. This album is already No. 1 in 20 countries and it hasn't even been released yet, so that's evidence that the album is the way to go. It might be not be for everybody because, honestly, people don't write enough good material to fill an album anymore. So Lefsetz is a complete asshole. At one time, a few years ago, he had his day in the sun but now he is basically an old fart and I am bored with what he says."

quality pwnage

Tony Visconti says [28 minutes ago near New York, NY]
Band members on The Next Day: Zachary Alford, Sterling Campbell, Gail Ann Dorsey, Tony Levin, Gerry Leonard, David Torn, Earl Slick, David Bowie, Henry Hey, Steve Elson, Janice Pendarvis, Alex Alexander, Antoine Silverman (and his string quartet) and me. We are no longer 'gagged.' ;)

Tony Visconti says:
Where Are We Now? Musicians: David Bowie, piano/strings, Zachary Alford, drums, Tony Levin, bass, Gerry Leonard, guitar, Henry Hey, additional piano, me keyboard strings. Small group making a big sound.

As for Bowie, Tony Visconti seems confident that The Next Day is a new beginning rather than simply one last hurrah. They ended up recording 29 songs, he says, and even on the deluxe edition of the album, there are only 17 tracks. "We have tracks left over that are really great, that just didn't fit with this batch, so I know we have the makings of another album. And I know he wants to keep recording. I'm not sure when, but I think he'll be back in the studio later this year."

Milk and Honey....It even shares Earl Slick and Tony Levin.

Wasn't this fellow latterly of this parish?

Well there ya go!

I love it when people describe music as "material" or even better "product"
It actually gives me chills

I would like a half kilo of Bowie pls

Let us maximize your assets upon release for public consumption so as best to satisfy stockholders.

yessssss

I provoked a fight on the Bowie blog comments thread last month when I intentionally referred to Bowie albums as product.

Commenters: b-b-b-b-but ADORNO and capitalism!
Me: Tonight, bro.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowie_Bonds

BOWIE BACK IN UK TOP TEN AFTER 20 YEARS

"Where are we now?..."

BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart show has just announced David Bowie's return to the Top Ten in the UK with the placing of his new single, 'Where Are We Now?', at Number 6.

It's Bowie's highest charting hit since 'Absolute Beginners' reached Number 2 in 1986. It's also his first Top Ten hit since 'Jump They Say' reached Number 9 in 1993.

This is an impressive result for Bowie, particularly when one takes into account the figures are based on just five days' sales (it's a full week normally), and that the track was available in the digital format only.

The surprise release of 'Where Are We Now? on Tuesday sparked a media frenzy which saw the single get off to a flying start and the song remains on both the BBC's A playlists for 6 Music and Radio 2.

Though 'Where Are We Now?' is included as an instant download with pre-orders of The Next Day, understandably those particular sales are not included towards the Official Singles Chart.

Martin Talbot, Managing Director of the Official Charts Company ( http://www.officialcharts.com/ ) says "It is great to see a great British musical icon such as David Bowie returning to the Official Singles Chart. He had has first Top 10 with Space Oddity in 1969 - so the fact he is still scoring chart hits more than 40 years later is quite remarkable. Welcome back David."

And so say all of us! Well done David and thanks to all of you reading this that bought the single or pre-ordered the album.

BBC News article

YAY press now using cheery recent(ish) photos of Bowie.

Having transitioned from listening intently to the song over and over when it was first released - and possibly overthinking my response to it - to just hearing it in the background on the radio when it comes on, I have to say it's very lovely. In a way, I'm disappointed about Visconti's (and others) hints that it doesn't represent the more-rocky album to come. I would gladly take a whole album along these lines over another Heathen/Reality, which is probably what we'll get. (Those albums do have their moments.)

Mind you, I am listening to Reality as I type, and if the new album is close to this standard it will get a lot of love.

Reality >>> Heathen

Recent Bowie slow songs >>>> Recent Bowie uptempo songs.

Hang On, Haven't We Heard Bowie's 'Where Are We Now?' Somewhere Before?

Hats off to CraigrowBrooklyn for spotting the similarity between Bowie's downbeat comeback track, and his "chubby little loser" cameo performance in Ricky Gervais' Extras.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/eKdTM_X6V1s

1) I also think this sounds a bit like Robert Wyatt, or could have used a touch of Wyatt

2) It also sounds more than a little like his "Silly Little Fat Man" song from Extras, in terms of vive and cadence.

― Josh in Chicago, dinsdag 8 januari 2013 15:04 (6 days ago)

Some more info from Visconti, going into individual songs: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/david-bowies-the-next-day-album-a-track-by-track-preview-20130115?link=mostpopular2

I may have to wean myself off these Visconti interviews/previews. While I'm excited to hear this record, I'd like to listen to it on my terms.

Funny that people keep asking "How many songs on this are rockers?" like, really, how many songs on Hunky Dory are rockers?

it's not so much that anyone's hoping for Ziggy Stardust 2 as that they're fearing 12 "Where Are We Now?"s

Well hopefully he will tour and buy a black leather jacket and get his hair done up in frosted tips etc. etc.

Really, what's wrong with growing old?

"Well hopefully he will tour and buy a black leather jacket and get his hair done up in frosted tips etc. etc."

Glass Spider!

Wouldn't it have been impossible to get the train to Potsdamer Platz back in Bowie's day?

he is still alive, you know

Is he? Still not convinced this isn't a hoax.

Visconti accuses Fripp of leaking Bowie plans, Fripp calls bullshit.

http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?entry=22980

Had I had been invited, in my current non-performance mode, it would have been a very hard choice.

Too bad the Frippster isnt involved...would have been fun to hear.

Maybe he is on the album, but it is just totally double-secret secret, and this is all just further misdirection.

possible.

Maybe he just listens on it.

Oblique Listening Strategies.

Maybe he is on the album, but it is just totally double-secret secret, and this is all just further misdirection.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, January 17, 2013 2:24 PM (1 hour ago)

If so, his online diary for the last two years would be the most amazing long con since, uh, that football player's dead girlfriend.

i like the new song more now than the day it came out, really nice

the advertising i've seen around here (W12) is kinda funny - they've just stuck those white 'The Next Day' squares in the middles of existing posters.

When it come out?

Oh 11th March