David Bowie's Blackstar – a Weird Star Is Born

David Bowie’s Blackstar – A Weird Star is Born I found out about Bowie’s death just a few hours after turning this review. In retrospect, Blackstar is the kind of swan song only an unpredictable innovator like him could’ve produced. When you hear the words “David Bowie,” which version of him pops into your head? Perhaps it’s Ziggy Stardust, the White Duke, or that goblin guy from Labyrinth? Enter one more: The wizened icon willing to try literally anything. Released on Bowie’s 69th birthday [and just days before his untimely passing], his new album Blackstar combines elements of jazz, avant-garde and industrial instrumentation, and plunges him farther into the dark musical rabbit hole than he’s ever been. Two years ago, The Next Day, a serviceable rock record, marked Bowie’s first original material in a decade. But most of Blackstar gives the finger to his well-established musical sensibilities. Helping him to this end is longtime producer Tony Visconti, but he also enlisted New York jazz heavyweights Donny McCaslin (sax, woodwinds), Ben Monder (guitar) and Mark Guiliana (drums). The disregard for conventions that made him notable in the ‘70s has apparently not reached its limit. The bulk of Blackstar’s seven tracks are bizarre and experimental in their own way, so if you’re looking for three-minute tunes for your pre-game playlist, you may want to skip this one. The title track is probably the biggest departure, a behemoth clocking in at 9:55. It begins with a kind of bleak Gregorian monk chant with some abstract religious imagery (“In the villa of Ormen stands a solitary candle/On the day of execution, only women kneel and smile”), and switches completely to ghostly soul with a menacing refrain (“I’m a Blackstar”). My favorite is “Lazurus,” written for a musical of the same name. It builds on an atmospheric groove, with sax lines that fade in and out and guttural, Pixies-like guitar. As usual, Bowie’s lyrics remain cryptic on the album: “This way or no way/I’ll be free-just like that bluebird/Ain’t that just like me?” “Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)” is an eerie eardrum assault, with heavy, distorted riffs, off-kilter vocals, and a sludgy outro that borders on metal. Horns punctuate the album, but this isn’t your father’s “Young American” saxophone – it’s jazzy flourishes and impressive solos. Also notable throughout Blackstar is the subtle yet aggressive drumming by Guiliana. The insanely intricate groove in “Sue” isn’t the type of playing you’ll often hear from rock sessions players. The few tracks on Blackstar that aren’t aggressively anti-pop fail to make a big impression: “I Can’t Give Everything Away” is a tepid synth and “Dollar Days” is a fairly forgettable ballad. Still, give Blackstar a chance. These songs aren’t exactly easy listening stuff you’ll be humming in your car for days on end, but for an artist that has constantly stretched the boundaries of what he’s capable of, it’s not that surprising. If you’re trying to recapture the ‘glory days’ of Bowie, this album is definitely not for you. But in that case of a man constantly changing, was there ever any real Bowie anyway?.

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Cic004 Bowie.Pdf
4 Conversations in Creativity Explorations in inspiration Bowie • 2016 creativelancashire.org Creative Lancashire is a service provided by Lancashire County Council through its economic development company - Lancashire County Developments Ltd (LCDL). They support creative and digital businesses and work with all sectors to realise creative potential. Hemingway Design Lemn Sissay In 2011, Creative Lancashire with local design agencies Wash and JP74 launched ‘Conversations in Creativity’ - a network and series of events where creatives from across the crafts, trades and creative disciplines explore how inspiration from Simon Aldred (Cherry Ghost) around the world informs process. Previous events have featured Hemingway Design, Gary Aspden (Adidas), Pete Fowler (Animator & Artist), Donna Wilson (Designer), Cherry Ghost, I am Kloot, Nick Park (Aardman), Lemn Sissay (Poet) and Jeanette Winterson (Author) - hosted by Dave Haslam & John Robb. Donna Wilson Who’s Involved www.wash-design.co.uk www.jp74.co.uk Made You Look www.sourcecreative.co.uk Pete Fowler THE VERY BEST OF BRITANNIA 1. 2. 3. David Bowie:1947-2016 A wave of sadness and loss rippled through the This provides the context for our next creative world after legendary star man David Conversations in Creativity talk at Harris Bowie (David Robert Jones), singer, songwriter Museum as part of the Best of Britannia (BOB) and actor died on 10 January 2016. North 2016 programme, Bowie’s creative process evolved throughout his As a companion piece to the event we’ve 40+ year career, drawing inspirations from the collaborated with artists and designers including obvious to the obscure. Stephen Caton & Howard Marsden at Source Creative, and Andy Walmsley at Wash and artists; 4.
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..-.,., ~ -.---- . ~' -- .- -... ~- • MBER OF COMMERCE SEMI-ANNUAL "DOLLAR DAYS" PLANNED NEXT MONTH -'-r upport Your Fa"orite Baby THENE KPOST In ontest CAR Local Agriculturalists Visit New U. S. Marshal LOANS ON We Need Votes! How About It? TOWN WIDE TO Farms In Lancaster County - ~ WHEAT ARE EVENT TO HERE IN TOURIST PARTY Control Of POSSIBLE FEATURE RROW Rainfall Is Denlonstrated Inforlnation BARGAINS The scientific control of rainfall on Given Fanners the farm was the basis of a 105-mile tour of southern Lancaster County, Yesterday August 2·3 Pa., Monday by a group of New Announced CasUe County farmers, agricultural Delaware farmers, providing they experts, bankers, civic leaders, and are eligible under the rules of the As Dates For fertilizer supply men. Agricultural Adjustment Adminis- Conducted by officials of the Soil tration, may obtain loans on their -- Conservation Service, U. S. Depart- 1938 wheat crops. Sales Affair nnd dates of operation ment of Agriculture, Newark and This fact was revealed by R O. Plans for Newark's third semi- Janes to be operated in Lancaster projects cooperating, the Stelzer, state executive officer for annual "Dollar Days," which were cit i e sand tow n s tour consisted of visits to six Penn- the AAA and extension economist announced several weeks ago, are the state, starting to- sylvania farms in four townships, at the University of Delaware, at a rapidly taking shape, with Meyer been announced by where erosion control measures al- meeting of state, county, and com- Pilnick, who has alterated arrange- Charles L. Terry, ready in use were demonstrated. munity agricultural conservation ments for a vacation trip in order commissioner.
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Autobituary: the Life And/As Death of David Bowie & the Specters From
Miranda Revue pluridisciplinaire du monde anglophone / Multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal on the English- speaking world 17 | 2018 Paysages et héritages de David Bowie Autobituary: the Life and/as Death of David Bowie & the Specters from Mourning Jake Cowan Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/miranda/13374 DOI: 10.4000/miranda.13374 ISSN: 2108-6559 Publisher Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès Electronic reference Jake Cowan, “Autobituary: the Life and/as Death of David Bowie & the Specters from Mourning”, Miranda [Online], 17 | 2018, Online since 20 September 2018, connection on 16 February 2021. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/miranda/13374 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/miranda.13374 This text was automatically generated on 16 February 2021. Miranda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Autobituary: the Life and/as Death of David Bowie & the Specters from Mournin... 1 Autobituary: the Life and/as Death of David Bowie & the Specters from Mourning Jake Cowan La mort m’attend dans un grand lit Tendu aux toiles de l’oubli Pour mieux fermer le temps qui passé — Jacques Brel, « La Mort » 1 For all his otherworldly strangeness and space-aged shimmer, the co(s)mic grandeur and alien figure(s) with which he was identified, there was nothing more constant in David Bowie’s half-century of song than death, that most and least familiar of subjects. From “Please Mr. Gravedigger,” the theatrical closing number on his 1967 self-titled debut album, to virtually every track on his final record nearly 50 years later, the protean musician mused perpetually on all matters of mortality: the loss of loved ones (“Jump They Say,” about his brother’s suicide), the apocalyptic end of the world (“Five Years”), his own impending passing.
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Louis Brown and Tony Visconti at L. Brown Recording Series 80B
Tony VisconTi WoWs aT PMi audio GrouP’s eVenT durinG The aes conVenTion New York, New York October 24- After making several appearances at PMI Audio Group’s booth at the 131st AES, Tony Visconti made his way from the Jacob Javits Event Center to L. Brown Recording on 9th Avenue for a special and intimate meet ‘n’ greet. Visconti is the legendary producer of David Bowie, T. Rex, Dandy Warhols, Moody Blues, Ziggy Marley, Thin Lizzy, Iggy Pop, The Finn Brothers and more recently Morrissey. Hosted by PMI and Louis Brown at L. Brown Recording, some lucky AES attendees were given invi - tations at the PMI Audio Booth during the show. The invitations also served as an entry to a special raffle in which Louis Brown and Tony Visconti at L. Brown Recording a Trident Series 80B® was given away! releases. Toft’s Trident Audio consoles The event was an informal Q&A forum have also been a favorite of Tony’s with Tony discussing his much-lauded over the years. history as well as current events. Tony The evening was capped off by the shared details of his many sessions at highly anticipated giveaway of a new Trident Recording Studios and EMI’s Trident Series 80B® module. Under Abbey Road Studios, both in London. the wanting eyes of the crowd, Tony One of which was recounting his skill picked a winner. Congratulations to as an expert recorder player. In Mark Downie! Mark is a producer, addition to his production duties with FOH mixer, musician and engineer David Bowie on Space Oddity and The from Massachusetts.
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ED061552.Pdf
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 061 552 CG 007 129 AUTHOR Reynolds, Maynard C., Ed. TITLE Proceedings of the Conference on Psychology and the Process of schooling in the Next Decade: Alternative Conceptions. INSTITUTION Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Dept. of special Education. SPONS AGENCY Office of Education (DHEW) , Washington, D.C. Bureau of Educational Personnel Development. PUB DATE Sep 71 GRANT OEG-0-9-336005(725) NOTE 274p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$9.87 DESCRIPTORS Behavior Change; Change Agents; Child Development; Cognitive Development; Cognitive Processes; Education; *Educational Change; *Educational Innovation; Educational Objectives; *Educational Philosophy; Educational Problems; Guidance Personnel; Intelligence; Learning; *Psychologists; Psychology; School Psychologists; *Schools; Social Experience; Student Teacher Relationship ABSTRACT The conference intended to stimulate dialogue between psychologists and educators for the purpose of developing ncreative propositions., that address the functions of schooling with the most relevant and advanced psychological knowledge. Most broadly, the papers and critiques are concerned with how psychology could beused to improve: (1) socialization;(2) curriculum development; (3) teaching; and (4) guidance. Some attention is also given to the total functioning of schools, especially organizational change and the community base. Papers deal variously with:(1) an interactional view of learning wnich weds Dewey and Piaget; (2) the new view intelligence as a gradually accumulated fund of skills i, -tion with social experience;(3) the role of school psycholoy'qf 4S teacher advisers; (4) current brain research and its relaLlonship to the problems of education; and (5) the lack of a productive theory of change process. A dissatisfaction with the current schooling process pervades the proceedings. Alternatives and innovations are suggested.
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46 MARCH 2016 City Employees Club of Los Angeles • Alive! LAFD, LAPD Los Angeles Public Library 46 Life Shavers Library’s It’s time for St. Baldrick’s! FS 89 will be used for the head-shaving fundraiser against childhood TOP cancers. March 12, 2016 St. Baldrick’s n Sat., March 12, LAFD and LAPD person- and marrow Who: LAPD and LAFD Personnel 10 nel, and other City Employees, too, will drives, face O (all are welcome, though) participate in their 13th annual combined St. painters, balloon Here’s what LA was What: Fundraiser for childhood Baldrick’s fundraising event. Participants, or artists, free reading, watching and cancer research “shavees” as they are known, collect pledges kids’ toys and When: Sat., March 12, from 7:30 a.m. listening to in January. from friends and family in exchange for shav- entertainment, to 2 p.m. ing their heads. The bald heads signify solidar- and more. And Lists are courtesy Los Angeles Where: LAFD Fire Station 89, ity with child victims of cancer, who often fire and police Public Library, Central library 7063 Laurel Canyon Blvd., lose their hair while undergoing treatment. apparatus are downtown and 72 branches North Hollywood All money raised goes to the St. Baldrick’s expected to be combined. Why: To raise money to fight child- Foundation and is distributed to doctors and present for chil- hood cancer other researchers on the front lines of the war dren to explore and for photo opportunities. How: Sign up or donate at: on childhood cancer. Participants and helpers are needed to www.stbaldricks.org/events/ This year’s location is again Fire Station 89, staff this event.
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Mr Selfridge Actorjakecanuso Had Nearly Drowned Climax, and Then Startagain —Rolling It Has Been Rumouredthis Week That Frenchspiral
4saturday review Saturday January 12 2013 | the times TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER, CHRISTOPHER LANE theconversation ‘Thenight beforethe single’s release Icouldn’tsleep.I’d kept asecretfor twoyears,itwas a Visconti’sguideto countdown, Iwas bitingmynails’ Bowie’snew album 1The NextDay Anhistorical songandhorrendously gruesome,Ithinkit’s aboutaCatholic cardinalortyrant. It’sveryviolent:the main characterishung,drawnandquartered, Afteradecade of silence, DavidBowie is back. Tim Teeman talkstoTonyVisconti, Bowie’sproducer,friend burntandthentornapartby people. 2DirtyBoys andrepresentative on Earth, aboutthe newalbum, health, happiness andtheir shared love of Britishculture Aeuphemism, andsong,foralltheglam rockstars thathaveever been. onyVisconti has known one thingIwould liketodispel it’s the isn’t proppingmeupany more. Icannot 3The Stars(AreOut Tonight) DavidBowie since 1967 rumours about his ill-health. He’s incredi- stay awake. On the wayhome my heart It’saboutallkindsof stars.Youcan sayI’m and produced12of bly fit and takes care of himself. Obviously JIMMY KING felt likeitwas goingtoexplode. Ididn’t beingsecretive. his most memorable afterthe heartattackhewasn’t too want to cause ascandal forhim and me by 4LoveisLost albums, beginningwith thrilled, but he has an amazingfamily goingtohospital, so Itook12sleeping pills That’snotaboutaloveaffair,buthow The ManWho Sold The and friends. Visconti calls family “the —nosuicidal intent,justtoslow my heart everyonehascutdowntheir feelingsin T World (1970). He has F-word” with good reason. He became and it did and Isurvived. We’d have both theinternetage. done “mountains of cocaine” with his estrangedfromBowie in 1988 having been dead if we’d carriedon. There wasa 5WhereAreWeNow? longtime friend, “though alcoholwas far talked about Bowie’sclose relativestothe myth it wasn’t habit-formingbackthen. Averypersonalsong—it’sabout theBerlin worse”.Both are now sober veterans of press in away the singer felt was“too Foolishly we believed that.
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Singer of the Hollies and Marks An- Thews.Melissa'ssoulfulversion Should Down Home Funkisstillvery Much a Other Change of Pace for Havens
DEDICATED TO THE NEEDS OF THE MUSIC 'RECORD I SINGLES SLEEPERS ALBUMS BOZ SCAGGS, "LIDO SHUFFLE" (prod. by Joe THIN .LIZZY, "DON'T BELIEVE A WORD" (prod. NATALIE COLE, "UNPREDICTABLE."It Wissert)(writers: B.Scaggs & D. by John Alcock)(writer:P.Lynott) is rare that an artist "arrives" on the Paich) (Boz Scaggs/Hudmar, ASCAP) (RSO/Chappell, ASCAP) (2:18). The scene, estabiishes herself with a first (3:40). One of the best tracks from closest that the group has come to release and :mmediately takes a place Scaggs' much acclaimed "Silk De- the infectious,rockingbadboy among the giants of popdom with every grees" album, this one seems the sound of "The Boys Are BackIn indicatio' being that's where she'll re- most likely contender to follow in Town," this "Johnny The Fox" track main for many years. Such has been.thie' thesuccessfulfootstepsof"Low- has already charted in the U.K. Be- case for Ms. Cole, whose remarkable down." Scaggs' easy going vocal lieveit: the boys are back to stay. growth continues unabated with yet a blazes the way. Columbia 3 10491. Mercury 73892. third Ip. Capitol SO -11600 (6.98). DAVID BOWIE, "SOUND AND VISION" (prod. GENESIS, "YOUR OWN SPECIAL WAY" (prod. JETHRO7JIi.L, "SONGS FROM THE )114K)1.1 -,P - by David Bowie & Tony Visconti) by David Hentschel & Genesis) WOOD." .::te tour of smaller halls re- (writers: David Bowie) (Bewlay Bros./ (writer: Michael Rutherford) (Warner cently completed by Tull has put the Fleur, BMI) (3:00). "The man who Bros., ASCAP) (3:03). The group is group in the proper frame of reference fell to earth" is still one step ahead currently enjoying its biggest album for this latest set.
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Why Doesn't Anybody Write Anything About Glam Rock?
WHY DOESN'T ANYBODY WRITE ANYTHING ABOUT GLAM ROCK? Jon Stratton In discussions of post-war British youth cultures glam rock gets very little attention. For example, in their seminal work on British youth cultural forms, Hall et al (1976:54), make only one passing reference to this subculture. In a list of subcultural possessions and objects they refer to: '... the glitter costumes of the Bowrieites ... .' Similarly, Brake (l980:80) in his outlines of British post-war youth cultures gives the culture half a page while skinheads get two pages and rockers one page. Hebdige, (1979) in Subculture: the meaning of style, does spend about two and a half pages looking at glam rock but most of this space is taken up with an analysis of the images of David Bowie. Hebdige writes of Bowie that: Certainly Bowie's position was devoid of any obvious political or counter-cultural significance ... (l979:6l). And Bowie's meta-message was escape — from class, from sex, from obvious commitment — into a fantasy past ... or a science-fiction future (1979:61). What is confusing for Hebdige about glam rock soon becomes clear: In glam-rock, at least amongst those artists placed, like Bowie and Roxy Music, at the more sophisticated end of the glitter spectrum, the subversive emphasis was shifted away from class and youth onto sexuality and gender-typing (1979:61-2). On the one hand, Hebdige can write so much about Bowie because glam rock's presentation of image as image lends itself to Hebdige's dominant semiotic method of analyzing cultural texts.
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