at a glance...

Hometown: Brixton, England
First Recordings: 1966

Personnel:
David Bowie -vocals, keyboards, guitar, drum programming
Reeves Gabrels -guitars, drum loops, synth, drum programming
Mark Plati -bass, guitars, synth and drum programming, mellotron
Mike Levesque -drums
Sterling Campbell -drums

Related artists:
Tin Machine, Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, Mott the Hoople, Queen, Nine Inch Nails

Notes:
David Bowie began singing with rhythm and blues bands in the early- and mid-sixties but saw little success, so he began to experiment with a number of different musical styles. 1969's Man of Words/Man of Music (re-released as Space Oddity in 1972), The Man Who Sold the World (1971) and Hunky Dory (1971) gave him a name and set the stage for 1972's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which marked Bowie's ascendance as the leading glam rock performer. Three albums followed before 1975's Young Americans, which featured a collaboration with John Lennon, returned him to his r 'n' b roots. After his next album, Station to Station, stardom began to take its toll, and a drugged- and freaked-out Bowie retreated to Berlin in 1977 to record three albums with Brian Eno. Low, Heroes and Lodger explored the more experimental side of Bowie and, though spawning few hits, were critically acclaimed. Bowie returned to the mainstream in 1980 with Scary Monsters, and the '80s and early '90s saw the release of five more albums and the formation of his band Tin Machine. In 1995 he returned to experimental music with Outside, followed by 1997's Earthling, an album whose songs he debuted in large part at his 50th birthday concert in Madison Square Garden. His latest album, hours..., is due for release on October 5.

Links:
Our David Bowie Mothership
We Love David Bowie

Nebulocity: a growing number of features on mostly cool artists

If you haven't listened to David Bowie in a while, hours... is a nice little re-introduction. If you're new to Bowie, this album is a painless, low-impact view of his vocal idiosyncrasies and fine songwriting. If, however, you've been following Bowie throughout his career, hours... is a total shock.

A complete departure from the heavy industrial sound of '95's Outside and the techno-drum 'n bass experimentation of '97's Earthling, hours... is quiet and melancholy. It tackles the theme of aging and reflecting back on life, surprising from a man who has spent the last 30 years refusing to get any older. The result is an album which, though well-made and interesting, is not particularly striking.

The first track, "Thursday's Child," sets the tone for most of the album. It's slow and placid - not catchy, loud, or strange enough to intrigue you at first listen. "What's Really Happening," a fan collaboration resulting from an online contest, has potential but never finds the edge that could make it extraordinary.

There are, however, a couple of notable moments on the album. "The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell" is the only track on hours... that really rocks, and it reminds the listener how comfortable Bowie is with that style. "Brilliant Adventure" is an ambient instrumental whose only fault is that it's just too short. "The Dreamers," the album's closer, is the one song on the album that struck me the first time I heard it.

hours... isn't really bad. It isn't really good either. The lyrics are passable but the songs as a whole don't grip you enough to hold your attention. hours... grows on you after a few listens, but I'd advise Bowie to stick to making music that's daring, different, and representative of what he does best, and leave the sentimental, twilight reflections to the old folks.

If you like David Bowie, check out:
David Bowie Hunky Dory
David Bowie ...Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
David Bowie Low
David Bowie "Heroes"
The Moody Blues Strange Times
Pink Floyd Division Bell
Styx The Grand Illusion

--Vikki Otero