album: rock
David Bowie
“toy”
(Warner Music)
David Bowie’s unreleased 2000 album features excessive music, magic, and perhaps most importantly, a reconciliation with the “sins of youth.”
At the turn of the millennium, David Bowie was at a crossroads.
After spending the ’90s targeting the contemporary sonic pulse – with results that alternated between the wonderful (“outside”) and somewhat hopeless (“ground”), without causing great earthquakes neither commercially nor technically – it’s time to settle the scores.
It meant deciding on one of two ostensible directions: to follow in the footsteps of young people? Or stop for a moment, catch your breath and look back over 30 years ago as one of the most important folk cultural figures on the planet?
Bowie’s solution was to gather the band on the heels of the legendary Glastonbury concert in 2000, and then direct their attention (and newfound energy) toward the beginning of their careers—more specifically their humble beginnings from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. the number.
However, his then-record company Virgin/EMI released the album that resulted from these studio sessions. And now “Toy” is finally available, 20 years after its arrival, as part of the “Brilliant Adventure: 1992-2001” box set, which collects only this Bowie era (excluding the Tin Machine, plus antiques and additional materials) more than 11 CDs and 18 LPs. Pooh.
Is this “essential” boy? The answer is an unconditional “no” — even for someone still feeling the after effects after the man’s untimely death in early 2016. The song’s material is variable — it’s entirely possible to live a full life without hearing “I Dig It All” and “Loves That Way” And serious fans will already know several songs (“Let me sleep by your side”, “The London Boys”, “Conversation Peace”) in other versions.
The ‘Game’ is a novel and equally enjoyable experience that the record should be called a hit. This is the voice of an older Bowie as he forgives and finally embraces his young self and his shaky first step as an artist. Older Bowie isn’t just a top singer – he’s lived through these songs and knows what they need.
This relaxed, laid-back attitude makes “You Have a Habit of Leaving Me” a captivating force of caramel pop, while “Karma Man” is silly, Englishmanly choppy and funny. However, he does best as a master of stories, and the beautiful versions of “Shadow Man” and “Silly Boy Blue” spark hope that there’s a pure crooner album waiting to be pulled from the archives.
For listeners who are primarily interested in David Bowie’s demo pages, not all of the world picks up a “game”. This is one of the man’s most conservative albums – and at the same time one of his most loose-fitting. beat it.
Best Song: “Silly Boy Blue”
note. You will find a “Game” in the “Brilliant Adventure: 1992-2001” box, either in physical or on streaming services.
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