Review 1 of 2

lordcroquer writes:

4of 5 Stars

Bowie had left behind the derivative interesting blandness of 'Hours..., and moved into newer territory with 'Heathen'. Though flawed, it showcased Bowie's ever growing vocal range and was his most mature work for years. The promise of great things was once again at hand. This is it. 'Reality' is a record packed with innovation and emotion, so well crafted by Bowie and Eno that the songs stay with you for just as long as those of The Thin White Duke's 70s heyday. From the rip-roaring title track, based around a fantastic, playful riff, to the art-rockiness of Pablo Picasso and the Low-esque 'Looking for Water', this is every bit his finest record since Scary Monsters. It is a development of his best works, spanning Ziggy, the Berlin Trilogy and his (better) more recent stuff. The piece de resistance is 'Bring me the disco king', on which Bowie's voice soars so effortlessly, and with such seemingly real emotion (he acts his songs AND sings them) that the piece is layered with meaning; it is both a lament and a positive statement- as 'Life on Mars?' was 30 years ago. We can only hope that Bowie's work continues to develop from here; another great phase of his career might well have begun.

May 12, 2006 15:34:04

Review 2 of 2

Plummerdesign writes:

1of 5 Stars

This is tough. REALITY got (3) plays before I tossed it into the trash bin.
Don't get me wrong, David is one artist I have followed and listened to since 1972. He is an artist, he grows by stepping out of his "zone of comfort". For REALITY he simply chose to stay in comfy socks.
Therein lies the rub. REALITY is a "lite" blend of HOURS... and HEATHEN, with a smattering of weak covers. No edge, no new, no Bowie is evident in REALITY.
Oh, I also tossed out Tin Machine and David Live as they were released.
I look forward to 2006-2007 as David sets his mind to creating perhaps the best piece of his carrer. He is healed, he is more than capable.
But REALITY...forget it ever happened.

Jan 7, 2006 10:03:34