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David Bowie's Blackstar: A Modern Masterpiece

In his most self-aware work to date Bowie gives us an unparalleled glimpse into death

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David Bowie's Blackstar: A Modern Masterpiece
npr.com


The light has gone out for David Bowie, his star has faded and turned black. A dying man who knew it all along as he recorded his final studio release. On January 10th, 2016 Major Tom left earth permanently. Or so I thought. This titular character created by Bowie more than 30 years ago graced us with a cameo in the music video accompanying the titular track of the album, Blackstar. A bejeweled skull can be seen inhabiting an astronaut costume referencing both Major Tom and Bowie’s iconic glam pop style. A style which Bowie has returned to in this latest album only to warp it into something much more intricate. Blackstar is certainly not an album for those unwilling to adventure past Bowie’s more well-known pop singles like Let’s Dance and Starman. This album is challenging, tortured, complex, and pure genius.


Blackstar is an intimate look into the process of Bowie’s actual death. Cancer broke him down and drained him and his vocals on this album reflect this lost battle with stunning awareness. You can feel his weariness in his wracked and straining voice. It is filled with this desperate need to hit notes his dying body can no longer perform; his voice is both powerful and heart-breakingly depleted. His fading voice is highlighted best on the closing track I Can’t Give Everything Away, which summarizes his painful situation perfectly. Bowie has dedicated his entire life to music yet he still cannot step away, even on his death bed. Even with a career spanning 54 years, this icon feels as though he needs to give more all the while understanding that he cannot.

Personally, there has been no release rivaling The Arcade Fire’s seminal debut Funeral in terms of conveying both the inherent beauty and pain of death. Blackstar is not only on par but surpasses Funeral in this aspect. There is one reason for this; while Win Butler and company were mourning the death of loved ones, Bowie was literally staring death down. The courage it takes to tame death and make it your muse to fulfill an artistic vision in order to leave fans with arguably the greatest bookend in music history is truly commendable. With Lazarus we see Bowie acknowledging and even embracing death:


“Oh I’ll be free
Just like that bluebird
Oh I’ll be free
Ain’t that just like me”


These lyrics accompanied with the gutsy image offered in the Lazarus video of Bowie all glammed up and dancing, defying death got me choked up I will admit. Anyone who knows of the tale of Lazarus understands this allusion all too well. Bowie knew his time was up, he is literally laying on his death bed, his face bandaged, two holes cut into the cloth creating a wholly disturbing costume. He must die but understands that through his final studio album and countless incredible works he will live on. His music has given his soul immortality as releases like

I’ve spoken of vocals but I would like to highlight perhaps the greatest aspect of this album, the lyrics. Voice crackling and straining Bowie delivers some of the most self-aware lyrics I have ever heard. Beginning with the second movement on the opening track Blackstar, Bowie croons:
“Something happened on the day he died
Spirit rose a meter then stepped aside”

He cannot be more explicit than that. It is paramount to note that these lines are some of the most lush (sonically) in the entire album. He’s had enough, he’s weary, he’s given all he can and he welcomes eternal sleep for the rest it offers him. This reflects perfectly his submission and acceptance of death, he is all too aware that it is time for him to step aside and into the unknown of death.

Another line which struck me very deeply can be found in the track Dollar Days where Bowie repeatedly asks “Where the fuck did Monday go?” Speaking of the deterioration of his psyche as he may be forgetting that he has already demanded an answer to this unsettling question. He is visibly scared, afraid of where he is and what awaits him. Cancer has left him confused and disoriented and perhaps he is attempting to understand where life passed him by. I looked deeper only to discover that Bowie died on a Sunday. He never made it to that Monday.

Finally, I would like to point out that although the instrumentation is rather refined and tight, especially the drumming which features work from LCD Soundsystems' James Murphy, the sax solos break free and emulate the energy Bowie feels in relation to death. Like I’ve stated before, this album explores both beauty and pain in the act of dying and the presence of the sax in this album represents this exquisitely. Once again the track Blackstar is fraught with stunning melodies and disturbing experimental rock. David Bowie was caught between abject fear and weary thankfulness in the face of death. At times the sax reaches a soaring beauty only to come crashing into bursts of squeaky sporadic notes. Because of this we know where Bowie is at in relation to his feelings regarding his oncoming passing. He gives us an unflinching look and for that we must thank him.

I strongly recommend you give this album a listen and the videos a viewing, but only if you’ll do so with an open mind. This is a challenging work which deserves a few repeats before you make your final decision. It is as candid and truthful as an album could ever hope to be. Rather than going out with a fizzle, Bowie has gone out with a bang. He showed unthinkable courage using his death for artistic means. One might think he and Claude Monet, famed Impressionist painter may have been made of the same grit; both offering all they could to their art using their quickly decaying physical states as fuel. Major Tom has stepped through the door and is once again gazing at the cosmos. Maybe his star hasn’t really gone black after all.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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