★

Played this lp last night and was again taken aback by how great it is. Also, I forgot how crappy the vinyl pressing is—very noisy. Is there a good quiet pressing?

As with many syncretic talents, Bowie needed the right band:

I was reading this interview with Matt Chamberlain the other day and he talked about the Heathen sessions, with just him and Bowie and Visconti, and how much Bowie fed off of what he was coming up with:

David is kind of like Tori, in that nothing is too precious and everything is permissible. You can try anything because if you don’t—and you just do what he wants—then what’s the point in having me there? He just let me go, and it was kind of mind-blowing. He would write a song and say, “Alright, what do you think”? And I would go, “Well, let me make a loop.” Then he and Tony would disappear and I would sit in the studio by myself. At the time, I was using a cheap Boomerang pedal to make loops and the whole time I was thinking, They’re letting me create the vibe of this song? This is a David Bowie record. Aaahhh!

It just occurred to me that people might be working with a general usage of "dissonant" as meaning something like "harsh/unpleasant/not belonging together". When discussing harmony, it refers to unstable harmonies that seek resolution and are an important element in tonal music. I don't believe that anyone hears #iv m7b5 as stable and resolved.

Harmony has multiple meanings as well

Man, she punched me like a dude

those last two WOOs! on ‘Tis a Pity
Damn

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I'm not a film star!

i'm not a gang starr!

we should do a ★ videos poll next

Tbh I feel like anyone not voting for the title ★ is fronting or taking it for granted.

the tension in the chorus before resolving with 'away' is the most magical part of the song IMO.

I saw NIN perform this on their last tour and it was pure magic.

Tbh I feel like anyone not voting for the title ★ is fronting or taking it for granted.

★★★★★★
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★★★★★★

today i learned that a black star can be italicized

Like giancarlo esposito, sure

Title track through Sue is up there with Remain In Light for me in terms of all-time unfuckwithable Side 1’s

Er thru Lazarus that is, lol

3 hours left to vote

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very surprised to see Lazarus so low (though i voted for ★)

Definitely surprised by those results. For me it's ★, Sue, Whore, Give, Lazarus, Girl, Dollar (the only song on the record I actually dislike).

glad Blackstar won

Black struck the kiss, she kept my cock
Smote the mistress, drifting on

and happy Tis a Pity placed so high

I still can't listen to this record though, I've barely revisited it since 2016. Just too much... I probably said this before but to face death with such dignity, strength, and risk. A truly remarkable man.

Sue is a really good song! Damn.

Yeah Sue is really something else. When I listen to the album straight through, by the time Sue is finished I usually need to turn it off for a minute and take a break to get my bearings

Is Turrican on holiday

You could put it like that.

it's more accurate to say that we're on holiday

Not banned is he? I assumed he was wisely stepping back from ILX for a while.

a little r and r at a ranch they call number 51

xp banned with extreme prejudice, I think he hit 55 before they pulled the plug

Oops.

The earlier version of "Sue", from the Nothing has Changed comp alerted me that Bowie was really back, and still much prefer it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NYgRuxO2sw

i was the only "girl loves me" vote?!?

i'm not decided between the "nothing has changed" versions of "sue" and "'tis a pity" and the blackstar versions. they're both good in their own way!

also "astronomy (8th light)" was robbed

I couldn't choose, but I might have voted for Girl Loves Me if I had been able to

xp, yeah i think the og version of sue absolutely destroys the blackstar version

It’s more highbrow, but I love the dirty drum’n’bass workouts of the album version. A little nod to Earthling which I still rate.