Bowie’s back

david bowie

The Economist pretty much captures the bind that Bowie has faced over his career. The man who retains the longest stretch of creativity in rock music (1971-1980) blew it by trying to keep cutting edge. With his genuinely great crooning voice he could have out done Rod Stewart’s American Songbook by a mile, but instead tried vainly to keep up with “yoof” culture. The latest release is OK as an album track but as a single? Hardly – though I like the reflective tone that only comes with consciousness of ones own mortality.