The Next Day

It's a 56-year-old David Bowie, in 2013, trying to make music that appeals to young people, by sounding like 2003-era The Vines/The Strokes. It's impressive in that a 56-year-old man can pull it off, even if he's a decade late with the sound.

I'll be honest, though, it's pretty fucking good. Bowie is just is just so special, he drags something that might otherwise be fairly mediocre and he makes it very good.

I don't know how to rate this. it's 3.5 if we had half stars. I'll give it 4 stars because I gave Fiona Apple's Fetch The Bolt Cutters 3 stars and this album is light years better than that one.

An album cover that is also a metaphor for the content .

Straightforward no nones cover obscuring better older work

Ya, this was good, some interesting songs here.

Never thought I'd be sitting here praising this album over his more well known, classic albums, yet here I am.

I'm still of the opinion that Bowie is somewhat of a singles artist vs albums artist, but this is a fairly consistently good album. Up there with Young Americans and Ziggy Stardust for me.

It does start off really shaky with The Next Day and Dirty Boys sounding like C-sides to some of his older work, but The Stars (Are Out Tonight) rights the ship, and the album generally stays interesting throughout with its alternative meets 50's diner vibe its got going on.

Where Are We Now? is a bit of a stumble, but it gets back on track after that.

So yeah, quite enjoyed this. Doesn't it belong on the list? Yeah, definitely not. Just because its a comeback for Bowie does not make it an "Album you must listen to", but it is a really solid listen.

Not sure what I think of this, some strong songs on here like Valentine’s Day and the stars, but also some that are a little generic. Not sure there’s a lot that would bring me back to this. 3

I am loathe to give anything by Bowie a low score but I am more of a fan of his 70s albums. This was incredible – Valentines Day being the highlight – but for me there is something emotionally missing from this album.

The Next Day feels like one of the more accessible Bowie albums. On most of his albums he's trying to explore new territory: krautrock on Low and Heros, soul on Young Americans, industrial on Earthling, pop on Let's Dance, etc. The Next Day doesn't really feel like it has the same direction; it's not Bowie trying to shapeshift into something else. It just feels like Bowie wanted to make an album for fun after his time away from music and I can't fault him for that. Knowing Bowie, he probably had a ton of material collected and written from his time out of the spotlight. All that said, there are some hints at what's to come on tracks like If You Can See Me, which honestly wouldn't feel too out of place on Blackstar.

The Next Day isn't my favourite Bowie album, but overall I do enjoy it and it's impressive how he was still firing on all cylinders so late into his career.

En una primera escucha no me ha llamado nada la atención, volveré a oír las canciones más conocidas. Al final me guardo: The Next Day, The Stars (Are Out Tonight) y Valentine's Day. (Me estoy replanteando volver a oír los discos que he puntuado con 2 o 3 estrellas)

There is some very interesting stuff in here, and I continue to enjoy Bowie's work each time it comes up. It might not be on the A list of his albums, but some very interesting rhythms and great instrumentation.

I have two albums left from David Bowie on my journey. Not only are they the last two albums he put out in his lifetime, but the one I got today is the second to last. Even if my album journey with him wasn't exactly in chronological order, this is going to be a fitting ending for my relation to him.

In the time since the 1970s, Bowie's work took twists and turns that were daring for him but hard to encompass the legacy of the classic albums he already laid out. From the attempts at mainstream crossover in the 1980s, to the hard-rock side project Tin Machine, to the cannibalization of industrial and electronic music in the 1990s, Bowie went through "changes" in his sound to mixed results. Then, during the 2000s, Bowie reconnected with producer Tony Visconti, and the two worked together for the former to regain his creative form on Heathen and A New Reality. All was well until Bowie had to abruptly end his touring career after undergoing an angioplasty for a blocked heart artery. Afterwards, he largely withdrew from the public view, only making minor contributions in music and acting for others. People speculated that David Bowie was largely retired at this point, which would have been fine if he wanted to rest on his laurels.

Then, this album dropped out of nowhere. His first album of material in a decade, Bowie worked on The Next Day with Visconti and other personnel in secret until the time was right to release. That in and of itself is a feat in a day and age when the rise of social media has made leaking more commonplace. It also helps that the album in question is amazing.

Not only did The Next Day sound creatively revitalized, but it showcased Bowie reflecting on his legacy with enough self-awareness and maturity to make these songs feel fresh for a man in his 60s. After all, Bowie and Viconti took production cues from the Berlin trilogy and lyrical benchmarks from previous efforts to create a bouncy and experimental record that explored darker themes and conflicts. From the condemned man facing his punishment on the opening title track, to the aging celebrity looking to the next generation of performers on "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)", to the people lost as their lives move on in "Love is Lost" and "Where Are We Now?", to the inner monologue of the school shooter on "Valentine's Day", there's palpable rumination on death and decay as the two loom over. The first half of the album is some of the strongest and most consistent work Bowie had written up to this point in time.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the more varied experimentation in the second half. Unlike the aforementioned Berlin trilogy, the innovations made here come off as more curated and refined with age. The odd time signatures and pitch shifting on "If You Can See Me", the psychedelic haze over a militant drumbeat on "I'd Rather Be High", the glam rock strut with the horn accompaniment on "Boss of Me", the shuffle beat with the ethereal guitar hooks on "Dancing Out in Space", and even the stab at 80s arena rock on "(You Will) Set the World on Fire" were all played excellently. Then the album closes on two wonderfully resonant notes - the absolute callback to the Ziggy Stardust era on "You Feel So Lonely You Could Die" in the spare drum beat, guitar line, and vocal arrangement, and the simmering synthesizer of "Heat" as Bowie sang away in his lower register. What an eloquent way to close out an album.

I do not mean lightly when I say The Next Day was the best record David Bowie made in decades. It's a shot of well-written, well-realized momentum that recaptured the ragged danger that ran through his best work. There's only one album left from him, and I cannot wait to get that.

2013. David Bowie, in his mid-sixties, puts forth one heck of a creative effort, but he does not sound good for a man in his sixties. His health must have already been in decline; Blackstar was his farewell, this is the dark themed lead up to that farewell.

I mean, it's damned good for what it is, the musings of a powerful talent contained in a weak flesh vessel that was breaking down. It's got to be taken in context, though.

I actually really liked The Next Day. It is always interesting whenever this project has an album that was released several years after it's artist's prime and this one is certainly no exception. It still has a lot of David Bowie's trademark traditions including always having a special kind of energy to his songs and also having many art rock elements. I guess if i did have one issue with the album, then it would be the fact that the album is a bit sloppy in places where the compositions don't feel perfectly put together and the instrumentation doesn't help those moments. Other than that though, the songs are great and i still had a good time with this album.
Best Song: Love Is Lost
Worst Song: The Stars (Are Out Tonight)

Late stage Bowie just feels sad, not as sad as Black Star being his deathbed release, but this is an artist in decline literally trying to gloam on the better times by reinterpreting the Heroes album cover for purpose. Nothing here stood out, nothing felt "you must listen to this before you die" worthy. It's just there.

This came out in 2013. Bowie could’ve just rested on his laurels at this point but he never stopped. While this isn’t my favorite album it’s not bad. I would not have expected Bowie at this point in his career to still be making unique and interesting music. It truly is a testament to his talent. By 40 plus years into a music career most bands/musicians aren’t putting out anything noteworthy. Usually it’s just some half-assed rehashed bullshit. So kudos to Bowie for never settling down.

Just because it’s David Bowie doesn’t make it automatically a “must listen”. He has numerous albums on this list. This one didn’t need to be here. It doesn’t add a thing to his other work.

2.42 per track. Bowie has to be the most over rated.

Always happy for more Bowie. This album is another great one from him, especially as a comeback album. I love the art rock vibes.

Never heard this before and maybe never even any of these songs. He's a legend but I can't really tell why from this album.

Individual tracks are amazing but seems a bit inconsistent and long