Blackstar

I don't feel like I needed to hear this album before I died

Just a little too odd for me

Goddamn I am so tired of Bowie albums

Sincerament, per mi de Bowie se n’ha fet un gra massa. No és que no em sembli excepcional, és que ni tan sols m’agrada

Not my Bowie album

I don't get it. On the bright side, Bowie left a large catalogue that i do like.

Not for me.

When music nerds discovered death. Who guys look out. David Bowie recorded this and then died. Yup. He knew he was dying and felt (insert overarching emotional theme of Blackstar here) about it. Truly the greatest poet of our time. Like he DIED. Who does that? What an artist. The discourse around this album bears all the hallmarks of “deep because death,” but I’ll give it the old college try. Tally ho Mr. B, if the good lord is willing, may your 1 star streak be broken. Blackstar - Here’s the deal. Sometimes I feel guilty about my reviews. Despite the fact nobody reads them, I feel I haven’t developed a concrete rubric and sometimes my distaste for something can be based on other factors. When I think about it more, I realize that is what art is and one’s connection to said art is the combination of all their feelings about the art. I’m not the only one who does this. If you don’t believe me, please look up “rayonbase” on your music platform of choice. One is a universally beloved, critically acclaimed “icon” of the music industry. One is a universally laughed at instagram musician. Yet, for at least the start of this song, they sound exactly the same. This wasn’t even my original observation, but as a fervent rayonbase enjoyer, I had to include. Oh, this song was cool until the loose bow tie breakdown at the halfway point. “I’m not a gangster, I’m a Blackstar.” Fuck off. I love the odd instrumentation, but the singing is again, where David Bowie loses me. ‘Tis a Pity She is a Whore - More cool music interrupted by these vocals. Listen to that. If you have the mindset that it’s intentionally bad, it gets a little better. We’ll go with that. Yeah, this almost becomes a punk album. Hell yeah. Context is king. Lazarus - Almost like Sabu’s theme song and that is the biggest compliment I can give any music. I wish he wouldn’t sing. My god. But then again ugh the bad singing is so cool. This is supposed to be the deep song about being dead, and he sounds almost disinterested. Except when the white boi reggae™️ riffs start. Then he’s fired up. The crackers yearn for the white sand beaches of Jamaica. Sue (Or in a Season of Crime) - I would like to take this opportunity to sue the estate of David Bowie. For the damages suffered on “Station to Station” to sitting through the death album. Why is there a sick alt-metal breakdown in here? You won me over you sly rascal. Girl Loves Me - Yeah he just didn’t care anymore. Going completely insane. This is evil coldplay. It’s so bad, that it’s good and not even in a funny way. It’s just anti-music. Do I like this album??? That can’t be happening. Where the fuck did Monday go? The great question of our time that nobody has ever asked. Dollar Days - Are back at McDonalds. Was it McDonald’s? Who cares. Some evil corporation did Dollar Days. Possibly inspired by big Dave. More chic bad music. Very fun in much the same way that watching a horrible B movie is cinematic brilliance. I Can’t Give Everything - This was as confusing an ending as I’d expect. I’m sure there is some beautiful death allegory about giving everything but being afraid to and having no choice blah blah blah. This song extinguished most of the charm this album had going for it. If David Bowie didn’t sing in this record, you’ve got yourself a very nice piece of music. Unfortunately, we did have to endure the vocal stylings of one Dave Bowie, but here’s the thing, as I espoused throughout this review, the singing was in the “so bad it’s good” territory. This was a cool record. I think it’s artistically viable despite being borderline unlistenable. Whatever it was, I was intrigued. Pop the champagne and pour it out for my homebody D-Bow. He’s out of 1 star purgatory. He failed his way out of the mire, only to be whack-a-moled with a shameful 2 stars. Better luck next time. 2 HIGHLIGHTS: The unblinking eye of the catacombs

#652. Jesus, more Bowie? When will it end? This is the fucking seventh album of his already. Why? This shit is not good. 2/5: shit

Ziggy Stardust deserved a better send-off.

A little too experimental for my taste.

Not a fan of this album, too experimental for my taste

Great artist, bad album.

Not his best work.

Highest production David Bowie album I've heard. Not something I would listen to again.

Listenable but quite annoying.

Nicht meins, aber die Stimme erkennt man

Liked the background music but I did not care for the lyrics and felt bored while listening

Idk… not a fan of David Bowie but the jazz band was so great

Subpar which is surprising

Not his best work

love bowie but not this

I don’t like this album. The first track puts me off right away. I don’t mind Tis a Pity She is a Whore apart from the mad jazz backing, and Lazarus is fine. The last track is the pick of the bunch. I get he was making a concept album about dying,but I find the mix of genres quite jarring and I feel like it tries too hard to be remarkable. If it were not for the fact that this is very obviously a farewell album it would not be in the book at all. David Bowie has been a million times more influential, more progressive, and more innovative than this. It’s a no from me, I’m afraid.

I tried to give it a 2.5. So many highs and lows. Def not the prime of Bowie. Still cool production

Já conheço este álbum e não é dos meus favoritos do David Bowie. Pareceu-me muito um ato de despedida e tirando uma ou duas canções, é demasiado melancólico.

Pre-listening thoughts: I’ve heard mixed things about this Bowie album. I’m getting the vibe it’s probably not his best work but rather included bc a) it was close to his death? After his death? Something like that and b) it’s Bowie Post/during listening thoughts: this is… yeah. Exactly what I expected tbh. I really wish people would stop glazing dead people’s work just bc they’re dead and were a legend at some point. Bowie was constantly experimenting and to me, this one just didn’t succeed. I still think he was revolutionary but I don’t have to enjoy every body of work of his. Sorry. 4.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Lazarus Least fav tracks: Sue

Why is a David Bowie album from 2016 on the list? I couldn't get through it but will give 2 stars by default.

I love David Bowie. But this didn’t stand out. One of his more experimental albums and it was more background music than active listening. Going to rate lower than I expected to

Love Bowie but struggled to get through this album. Got better towards the end but did not enjoy the first couple songs at all. Like that it’s experimental but it didn’t land for me.

Not my fav Bowie album

I really really love David Bowie. Sadly this album didn’t connect with me.

I gave it two stars for sentimental reasons, but there is so much better Bowie out there. Call me old school, but I did not like the ChaChaChanges in this album.

Ok 2/5

Cool saxophone stuff. Sad knowing he died 2 days after this album dropped. Not for me. Feel like I should relisten later on and really focus on lyrics but at this time didn't love the album. No flow to album. 2

I got some very strong hip hop influence vibes from this. Didn't blow me away and probably won't listen to this one again.

Not my style. Kinda out there

Not really my type of style of music.

Very experimental but I don't like it, RIP David Bowie

Never really understood the hype. Feels like I’m in space. A few funky, futuristic sounds but kind of odd. Not very cohesive and the songs are long and dragged out.

I love David Bowie's old stuff, but I did not like anything from this album. Bummer. Just feels too self indulgent and egregious.

Feel like this one is kind of a freebie for Bowie. Like yeah you made star man so we’ll let this shite album into the top 1001. Definitely could have died without hearing this one. Also Bowie album on yhe day of big brother final. So fitting. Specific rating 2.5 Fav song - dollar days Least fav - *

Oh man. You gotta really love extended experimental trumpet solos to like this album.

This was very unexpected, not my thing

David Bowie was weird. Not stoned enough for this album

Not my liking

There are nice acoustics and the tone is interesting. A really mysterious vibe probably him contemplating death or something. Not sure if bowie is my type.

altewrn. Rock, 2016 -> 2

Rambling, overblown mush by a legend who should really have known better. "'Tis a Pity she was a Whore" and "I Can't Give Everything Away" are the only highlights, the rest is largely filler.

2 stars – Reminded me of that indie school band that was awful but thought they were super cool and better than everyone else. An awful album with one or two good moments.

Never been a Bowie fan so it's probably unfair to rate him this badly but honestly might be one of the more boring albums I've ever listened to. The music itself is actually really good, smooth sax and synths, nice. But his voice....the first time I could actually tell a singer is old. Bowie sings like you imagine a retired old man sounds when telling stories to his grandkids.

Pretty weird album. I like a lot of Bowie's earlier work. Glad to hear this. Doubtful I would listen again.

Knew he was dying on this record

I feel like if this wasn't Bowie's last record and released days before he died, it doesn't make this list. I'm a Bowie fan, but this isn't his best work. But the circumstances around the album make it very poignant.

I listened to this twice since it was so short. It didn’t resonate with me. I feel like it’s average at best and if I rated it any higher I would be grading on a curve based on the lifetime body of work. 2.5/5

Love Bowie. Didn't like this though.

One song

I'm biased because I like a lot of Bowie. The opening track is one of his more experimental tracks, but I hate it, I think it was a dumb choice for an opening track. The repetitive "I'm a blackstar" is a massive and annoying distraction from what is otherwise a stellar instrumental arrangement, and it should not be 10 mins long. Love the horns Bowie is using on this. Especially nice paired with the driving bass on Lazarus. Love especially the cute trills towards the end of the breakdown on that song, makes you feel like you're going deliciously insane in a Bowie way. Sue is another great track, super odd sounding with the jungle/breakbeat as a backbone. Yes to the dissonant synth chords gently throwing you off the ledge of comfort zone underneath the melody. I saw in the wiki that this album was influenced by Death Grips?? lol. you don't really hear it until the end of Sue imo. I wish Bowie messed around with more of that style of sound before he passed. That said, one overall trend of this album is my bone to pick wiith a lot of Bowie stuff in general - where tf is the melody? the man has the world's most recognizable wail but on this album it felt more wandering than clever, evocative, or catchy. This album feels overall more soundscape and ethereal than some of his other stuff. This is a decent album, but as far as representative Bowie to hear before I die, I think I would have picked more Ziggy or Space Oddity. Either way, the man has a beautiful catalogue that this list is prompting me to dig into more deeply.

I like a lot of Bowies earlier albums and songs, he has some real classics. This album doesn't vibe with me at all though. I don't know how to explain it. The songs aren't straight up bad but I just can't get in to them.

Meh. David Bowie has come up multiple times and it's generally disappointing. This is no exception. The vocal work here kills any enthusiasm I had for the instrumentals.

Can’t lie, a little disappointed that this was my first Bowie album that I got to listen to. I didn’t get it, it just felt like sound and nothing more special. Couldn’t appreciate it, and I can’t wait to hear more of Bowie so I can understand the significance of him.

I'm tired of David Bowie. I don't care for his music and this is the 3rd album in the group!

Nearly 1 star.

Lazarus and I Can’t Give Everything Away are decent songs, overall too experimental jazzy to be enjoyable for regular listening. It does seem like an appropriate Swan song album.

Peor album de Bowie so far

David Bowie is good but this wasn’t top of list for me

Sounds like a James Bond soundtrack.

There is a lot to admire about this album. Pouring your end of life experience into a final piece of art is a beautiful and courageous way to go. Unfortunately I did not like the music. I didn't like it when it came out and was hoping a revisit would changey mind. I'm glad his final statement has resonated with so many people

“Lazurus” was the only interesting track on this album. It was interesting to peer into the thoughts of a dying man. The rest of the album was just really dull.

I would’ve never guessed David Bowie having an album post 2000. Now I know why. The other Bowie albums were ok so having a third when apparently the year he died says enough about the person who made this list. There were probably close to almost 30 albums that year that are more deserving than this. Squabble when ya gobble I guess.

I can't get behind older Bowie. Music is odd that way.

Another experimental album. Some good parts but over all not a great listen.

If you like weird, discordant music, this album is for you! But it isn’t for me. I’m a little confused by all of the critical acclaim, and all of the love that this album gets on this list by reviewers, but I suspect that it has something to do with paying respect to the man’s career at the time of his death. Once again, not at all my thing.

idk man

Carino, not my cup of tea, 2/5

so sad this iconic music figure is gone from this earth. However, this (his last) album shows his aging voice and just doesn't fit anymore. Been a big fan since the late '60's -- having owned multiple of his albums -- but this collection of songs is very subpar for even the late great Ziggy Stardust. IMHO

Heard this one when it came out... hard listening then, hard listening now...he knew he did not have much time left while creating/recording it. No track really stands out, especially compared to many great albums and songs Bowie left us. 2 stars for it being Bowie, there are quite a few other albums that better be on this list if this one is.

Probably my least favorite Bowie album I’ve ever heard.

No me esperaba que fuera rock progresivo. Hay cosas interesantes for sure, pero buen turret.

It's fine as late-career albums go. 'Lazarus' is quite good prog rock and the real highlight for me is 'Girl loves me', with its strange vocal tricks and lyrics. The rest I find clumsy, like how several tracks sound like 80s TV music, especially the closing track. This really clashes with the sombre tone. I'd take Bowie's 'Station to station' or 'Scary monsters' over this record any day

Found this one to be a little too much for me. Overall produced and not as good as some of Bowie’s earlier work. At least it took a chance. 2/5 Won’t listen again

Sorry David - this was not good

Older Bowie is more my style

Not a big fan of this one. I certainly understand the significance of it all, but I enjoyed very little. Willling to revisit in the future.

Not a fan of this one. 2/5

Too weird. I can't connect to Bowie's sound. Sorry.

Some nice moments, but not really my cup of tea

I didn't like this album when it came out, I don't like it now. Bowie was inspired by To Pimp a Butterfly and Death Grips while recording this, which is intriguing. But it doesn't make me like it anymore. I love the jazz group he hired to play the music. They are super dialed in. The drummer is especially tight. I'd give this a higher rating if it was just instrumental. The last track is the most Bowie sounding, and it hits harder because it was the last song to be released before he died.

Last album Bowie made, definitely not his best. It's just all over the place

I hated this. I know the story, I know the struggle, I still hated this. I hate his affectations, and the way he phrases his lyrics on this album. His style was amazing when it worked, but this is just worse than forgettable.

Okay moments here and there. Won't give it another listen tho. Maybe bowies earlier work is for me but haven't gotten there yet

Meh.

Pretty far from my favorite Bowie album. Lacked imagination and had a kind of stale sound, like it came out of the 90s. Still it's a pleasure to his voice, and to know he was devoted to making music, all the way to the very end.

Not my favorite Bowie album

Honestly this was hard to get through. If the name of the artist were different this would probably get a 1.

Annorlunda, konstigt, nytänkande, märkligt. Gillade "Dollar days".

I know it's Bowie. It's just too dark for me

Not my cup of tea. It gives off some pretty heavy Radiohead vibes, but honestly, if that’s what I’m in the mood for I’ll just go listen to Radiohead. And if I want to listen David Bowie, it’s not going to be this. It’s not bad per se, there just isn’t anything here that would ever make me come back to it.

Again - It's David Bowie

- Felt different from the little bit of David Bowie I already knew - I feel like I would appreciate it more if I listened to it a few more times. Didn't hit that much the 1st listen

I'm sure it's a good album but i'm really just not vibing with it today. I've skipped the 2nd half of every song so far. 2 stars, giving it the benefit of the doubt that it's actually good and I just don't see it

The concept of a farewell album is interesting, not interesting enough to carry the album though. It was pretty boring and same sounding, the album felt much longer than it was. The lyrics felt cryptic. I’m sure if you hyper analyzed them there are some deep themes and meanings, but if I was doing that I’d rather read it on paper than have to listen to the songs again. 3/10

This was Bowie's last album before he died and he wrote it while he undergoing treatment for liver cancer. That's pretty bleak. "Blackstar" was really long and I didn't enjoy too much about it. The instrumentals were fine, I don't enjoy Bowie's voice much, and I didn't like the constant "I'm a blackstar" bit. "Man she punched me like a dude" is an interesting lyric. Again, the backing musicians on "'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore" are doing some nice work, but I don't enjoy any of the vocals. Reading articles about how people revere these songs makes me feel like I'm being punked. "Dollar Days" is my favorite song so far, its nice. Nice saxophone sections. Sorry David, I just don't really like this. I don't understand how all the reviews are so positive. The singing is distinctly *not* pleasant to listen to, and the instrumentals are kind of boring for long stretches. 4/10

Wasn’t really a fan I’m afraid. Disappointing.

I don't care for David Bowie, but I had hope that maybe old Bowie would be better than young Bowie. I think old Bowie may actually be worse.

I get it David Bowie was an influential artist in the late 20th century. Does that really mean his 2, 000th album should be in this list. As it is far from his best. Like I said before he didn't age like fine wine more like vinegar.

Not his best album, that's for sure.

I’m really not sure how to rate this album…it had some good songs, Lazarus and I Can’t Give Everything Away, but the first song was 10 minutes long and really weird 😩 The other few songs were also pretty strange. Not for me. I’m a simple girl with simple tastes, ok. I just want to be able to sing along to songs that sound pleasant to my ear 😁 This album did not satisfy those requirements. But I suppose I can give Bowie a pass, because he was such a cool kook that he’s allowed to do anything he wants 😅 I’m happy I finally listened to this album, but I won’t be listening again.

Not a fan of this one.

Did not hold my attention (unfortunately).

Didn’t do it for me, much as I love Bowie

I did not like this album. It seemed experimental.

This was a peculiar album. Very experimental. Reminded me a lot of Radiohead in the early 2000s when they lost their direction and were into the weeds with experimentation. It’s a merging of genres with an out of control drum machine where the end result is where the style and substance never seem to fused together properly.

Most of the music was fine. It was the vocals that often seemed out of sync and not really connected to the music.

Scratch in the same place

I listened to this album when it came out and was not super impressed but it's late Bowie and tough to hold up against the classics. It's not terrible, with a few ok tracks and a few bad tracks. The opener is not good...Dracula Bowie pining over a hooker does not bode well. Too track was "Girl Loves Me" with Bowie channeling his inner Gabriel and a pretty follower "Dollar Days." Another one making the list based purely on the timing and secretive recording. You can def sense the experience of his inevitable demise...2.0.

I remember the news of Blackstar's release and Bowie's subsequent death. I had low expectations that Bowie could still assemble a decent album in the last days while fighting illness. I was surprised how competent Blackstar was on this listen. Admittedly, the backing band is doing the majority of the heavy lifting as they bring in some funk that hits with more impact than Bowie's vocals. It's not an amazing album but certainly an appreciated parting gift from Mr. Bowie. Tragic loss to the music world, and even if it isn't something I'll return to often Blackstar was a great swan song on his way out. Final track I Can't Give Everything Away was a fantastic closer to a legendary career. 2.33 stars

Are we going to get any Bowie albums from the golden days? These 2010's albums are not vibing.

David Bowie's voice is just not good on this record. I understand its significance, but most of these songs were a drag to get through. Some instrument arrangements make this listenable though.

a loud, resounding meh for this one. if this album hadn't dropped right before bowie's death, i don't think it would've been more than a blip on most people's radars. after listening to like 6 or 7 bowie albums in this list, nothing has topped ziggy stardust for me and the rest have slowly turned me into a hater. there's just nothing interesting or captivating really happening on this album, just pretentious drivel. favorites: lazarus

Not my favorite Bowie Album...

Nothing great here, feels like there are many more albums out there that could’ve been on here instead of this

Appreciate the artist. Didn’t care for the album.

Absurd !👎🏼

3/10 - it was just bad. David Bowie but bad

Maybe I wasn’t able to fully appreciate this because I was doing homework, but this was pretty wack

First time ever listening to a Bowie album front to back (not really a fan of his). From the jump, the title track is an ominous, but dreadful opening track that seems like 3 miscellaneous tracks thrown into one. Musicianship is overall solid; lyrics and vocals are sometimes lackluster. It seems that parting, loss and coming to terms with mortality are the biggest themes throughout this record, which of course was eerily prophetic, and probably by design. No song captures that better than “Lazarus” which is probably the album’s strongest track.

Meh

Not my favorite Bowie but it was fine. 2.5 but probably wouldn’t repeat so rounded down

Eh I can’t say that I am a fan of this album. As said in an earlier Bowie, I don’t think that I am a huge Bowie person and this album just seemed superfluous and added just because it’s Bowie.

I gotta say, it seems to me that because this is Bowie's "swan song," people like this album more than they otherwise would. And that's okay, it's sort of beautiful and very human, actually. I ALMOST like the chant in the second half of the first song, Blackstar, but the lyrics are lackluster to me. I like the Eastern sound Bowie had going on in the song, but it's just not quite there for me. Dollar Days is a pretty cool soundscape. I think a lot of these tracks would be amazing live (dang, too bad), but they're not quite hitting for me in the streaming format. The entire album is just not quite there for me. I'd say Bowie was more worried about translating his mind into music than conforming to a specific sound, which is cool, that's the special thing about experimental music, but it makes for highly polarizing music. You either love it or you are appalled. Except in my case I'm sort of in between, I appreciate this album for what it is, I find it interesting, it's cool, I didn't mind listening to it, but I didn't really enjoy it either. Probably won't listen again.

Do you like rock with jass music? if you do then this album is for you. I don't like this album and this is why. First the guys voice suck in my opinion. second I don't like the beat of the music it kinda suck. Last I don't like the lyrics there pretty weird. I don't recommend this album try to look for something else.

i Love the jazz and the jacksafon but i dont really like the lyircs. Its okay i like thne beat i vibe with it but dont really like the lyircs.

Do you like music that sounds like it's in the future? Then this is the album for you! The background sounds like it's a battle scene from a video game. I like his voice, but I can't understand the lyrics. I also like the beat. So that is why I recommend that you listen to this album.

If you like slow, electronic music, this album is for you! However, I wouldn't say I like this album. Because it's too slow for me, and I'm not too fond of his voice. He does have good range though. In my opinion, I don't think you should listen to this album.

lazarus sounds like he's been listening to blood orange. thus i like. why's he so moody saxophone is the real star here i will not be listening to this again

It was fine I guess. Didn't really dig it much.

In this old fart's opinion, Bowie's best material came between 1968 and 1980. Given the circumstances surrounding the release of this one, I really hoped I could like it but it's just not for me.

Worst david bowie album Ive heard. One song was very good others were the same and meh. Still love him.

- ich werde einfach kein Bowie Fan mehr glaube ich - verstehe nicht so ganz, was an dem „Hype“ dran ist - ging mir nicht total auf den Zeiger, aber habe auch schon besseres gehört

the instrumentals and drums in this album are amazing, it’s just a shame that the song is immediately ruined every time david bowie opens his mouth. best song is Girl Loves Me.

Davids last album Very morbid

Shite, top to bottom

Expected something more exciting tbh

this is shite -cit.

Lazarus and girl love me were the best songs on there they were interesting especially the music video for Lazareth. That was kind of cool.

I found it tough to listen to this album. David Bowie, was battling cancer during the creation of these songs, so gotta give him that. Unfortunately so 2/5.

Nope. I never got the whole Bowie thing. I find most of his stuff dreary and droning. I quite literally fell asleep trying to listen to this. There are some interesting song ideas here, I guess, but then Bowie drones all over them. I still don't get the Bowie thing.

Super average for Bowie, boring/uninventive/outdated. Wouldn't play any of these songs again intentionally

I like Bowie's biggest hits but don't really care that much about the rest of his stuff. This falls under the second category for me.

Pretentious crap. Died a week or so after and could have done without having this out there. Scraped away from a 1 by about 12 bars.

unique. weird. not my style

Maximalist, but sounds kind of amateur to me, songs without much structure (or too much), they wander around and do not sound harmonious. This might a jazz-type thing of knowing the rules and breaking them, but I didn't get much out of this album.

I saw Bowie on the Spiders From Mars tour - fell asleep during a costume change and woke up for the encore. There was a "costume change." No more need be said. Hadn't missed a thing - there's a decent track or two on here, but all in all it's pretty awful.

Meh. This is an old artist trying to be artsy. Wouldn’t be as popular if he didn’t die right after it was released.

Not for me. Didn't really understand it and nothing jumped out at me.

Meh... Has its moments. But it's also a weird mixed bag.

Creative, but not my style

I’m sure it’s brilliant. It feels brilliant. It just. Is hard to enjoy.

I'm not a Bowie fan. A few songs of him are ok, but there's nothing of that on this album. More often than not I had the impression that Bowie's voice track was overlayed over some random music, especially in Sue. Music and the singing weren't connected at all. More parts on this album are similar. Then there is his way of singing. I can't stand it for a longer period.

Weird and depressing

Odd - clearly there's a context here, but the music doesn't feel too dark. Or too inspiring. Late period Bowie is different from most old man rocker stuff, but it still doesn't grab me

Really boring.

I have nothing good to say about this album. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 2/5

Hard Pass

nice to have some contemporary bowie to listen to, just a shame that it's only kind of ok. best track Lazarus. 2

"F 2016, 2016 SUCKS" they said. It turns out people die. There were worse years to come that weren't ruined by old, heavily drugged people dying. I hope all the people who pretended to have loved David Bowie as soon as he died listened to this album as punishment. It's not even the worst, but nowhere near what this list should be.

Never liked him much

Don’t understand the hype at all with this

Interesting sound!

Hard to listen to, weird for no reason, not very good

'Tis a pity she was a whore is an actual track name.

I like Bowie and I understand the circumstances around this album's release, but it just didn't register with me.

I would normally highly rate David Bowie but not this album. I would give 1-star but he’s David Fucking Bowie.

RYM.com has this up there with Bowie's best work. Records like Low, Ziggy, HonkeyDory, I get, although I don't love Bowie. This, however I do not get, I feel people rate this with their heart not thier ears

I still feel the same way about David Bowie as I have with all his other albums on here; I see, respect, and fully understand the talent and why people consider him to be one of their favorite of favorites. But it just isn't for me But I will say that using the portions of the stars to spell out "BOWIE" is galaxy-brain levels of graphic designs. I'll never get tired of this artwork

A bit crap for Bowie

Poignant given the circumstances but I didn’t really like it - sorry

Not convinced by this and whilst it sounds harsh, it's experimental self indulgentness. I suppose that is ok if it's your parting gift but clearly clouded the judgement of some critics. Some decent jazzy moments but won't be revisiting.

I like David Bowie but this was difficult to listen to.

I guess I can see it's appeal for really big fans of Bowie, as some sort of concept jazz album. But I didn't think it was very good.

so weird, I feel like you'd have to be on the trip with Bowie to really get deep into this one

I've had so many Bowie albums on this list so far and nothing has topped Station to Station. This one was another weird, unsettling one. Didn't like. Stand-out: Dollar Days

Prefer other Bowie albums

Came out as he was dying so holds sentimental value but the music is not his best.

Second Bowie album on the list so far, and this one, doesn't make the cut. It's Bowie, so an extra star.

I can appreciate what Bowie was going for here, but I'm not really trying to listen to experimental rock from a 68 year old Bowie.

This will take Bowie, from my favorite artist, to my most controversial here. What I can I say his best work wasn’t his last work

Very dark

I do love David Bowie. I saw him in Auckland once but this is not great

Blackstars. Because there are 2 from me.

Didn’t love this.

I listened to this when it came out and then set it aside. Now, as then, I really like Lazarus and don’t care for much else on it.

I didn't like it much. The instrumentals were nice but that's about it.

Bowie har gjort mycket bra, men vet inte om jag fastnade för detta.

Another attempt at listening to David Bowie. I still don't understand it.

Very different. Not my cup of tea.

Probably the weirdest one yet from this gentleman

Some of the instrumentation was kind of nice, but in general I was ready for this album to be over.

Lol...another late stage Bowie that really isn't good? come on.

Als geheel mwah, maar lazarus is een 10/10.

Weird. I imagine if you are a Bowie fan that you’d love this

This album reminds me my friend's assessment of post Kid A Radiohead: I liked them more when they made songs. Ended up enjoying it more than I did when it first came out, but I don't love it. 2.5

There were nice moments within songs but I didn’t like any songs start to finish.

Definitely not a favorite Bowie album

this album is bad. not worth the hype

Just not my type of music

Tja.. Det er Bowie.. Det skal være skabet, og det skal være nysgerrige lydbilleder.. Jeg er ikke blevet fan på grund af det her album endnu.

Not his finest work

Bowie was never the strongest singer and even production tricks can't hide his voice getting weaker with age. It's cool to hear him going back to a more classic Bowie sound post-hiatus. That said, this album was average at best and for a legend like Bowie, I was expecting much better.

Every song is about 2 min too long and repetitive. I have no emotional connection to Bowie's music so this being his swan song death bed album album doesn't sway me either. It only gets 2 stars because 1 star is reserved for those truly terrible albums

Just didn’t vibe with this album, a little too dour and never picked up in energy or quality.

Musically this wasn't Bowie's strongest album and I don't see myself coming back to listen to it again. With that said, this very much is a goodbye album from a man who was dying. The fact that Bowie died two days after releasing this album and recorded it while having cancer shows that he viewed this as his last task and once it was done, he was free to go. From that perspective it is an interesting album to listen to as you can see the influence of his knowledge that he will die after this album. I want to give this a higher score but the music just wasn't there for me.

no comment

No. I listened to it when it came out and I hated it.

what happened?

This album feels like watching paint dry, because nothing happens. If you listen to the first 10 seconds of one song you basically listened to the whole song, because there is barely any sonic variations in the songs. This album drags itself through your ears for 45 minutes with the best moment being the end.

not a huge fan tbh.

Poor

I guess when you've already done everything you can possibly do within the realm of creating music, but you still want to do more, the only thing left is to make is experimental weirdness. This is the 8th(!) Bowie album I'm reviewing for this project and it's easily the one I like the least. While I can see some artistic merit in it, I simply don't think it's enjoyable music. The best parts of the album are probably those harking back to his more accessible, straight-up pop rock past.

Not my style

A lot of pressure on this one, what with the praise and the grief from all corners of the world. I probably need to listen more attentively and more often, but it's a 2 at this time.

David Bowie was born in 1947. Raquel Welch was born in 1940. David Bowie released Ziggy Stardust in 1972 when he was 25 years old. Raquel Welch was in the film where her famed doe-skinned bikini shot was taken in 1966 when she was 26 years old. Raquel Welch Was 69 years old in 2009. David Bowie was 69 years old in 2016 when Blackstar was released. If you want to listen to a David Bowie album made in 2016, do you want to look at a poster of Raquel Welch in a bikini from 2009? I’m sure Raquel Welch was interesting and charming and insightful at 69 years of age, and I may have loved reading an article she wrote or watching an interview with her at that age, but I wouldn’t want to see Raquel Welch bikini-modeling in 2009, and I don’t want to listen to Blackstar. Obviously, bikini-modeling and making music are not the same thing, but I would argue that, while older people can still enjoy it, rock and roll music is primarily made by and for young people, just as posters of women in bikinis are. And even if this album can’t be classified as rock and roll, that’s what Bowie was famous for doing (I know, I know, Low etc., still) and so what makes his ambient, jazz noise album any more desirable to listen to than any other 69-year old’s? I am a firm believer in Sick Boy’s Unifying Theory of Life: “at one point, you’ve got it, then you lose it. Then it’s gone forever, all walks of life. . . ‘The Name of the Rose’ is merely a blip on an otherwise uninterrupted downward trajectory.” We all get old if we live long enough. Some of us, like Bowie, achieve greatness for a brief period if we are exceedingly talented and brave and lucky. Bowie was brilliant when he was brilliant, but in 2016 he was decades past his prime. Blackstar is an interesting artifact and I suppose a nice “parting gift to his fans” (they still had to buy it though didn’t they) but it’s not for me, and I suspect that it’s not really for most people, if they’re being honest with themselves.

Not a fan. How can someone say this album is one that you need to listen to before you die? JFC I feel bad for the people that truly like this music.

Honestly I think I would have enjoyed this album much more if it was an instrumental. Bowie really did not add much to this, only bizarre barely sung spoken word poetry of nonsense

I have to say it was just okay. I'm not a big Bowie fan. I like him more in Labyrinth than from his music. That's a me thing, I know.

emotionally charged because this is his last album, but . . .ugh

Bowie songs are always hit or miss for me. I’m normally a lyrics person, but being classically trained in music theory I notice when things don’t exactly fit the “norm.” Overall, the long minutes with a pre-made beat from GarageBand and various instruments going all over the place was a miss on this album. Dollar Days is the only song I would willingly give a second listen.

Not my cup of tea.

I like Bowie and most of his work. But with his latest album, I don't feel any connection at all. I think it's overhyped following his death.

2/5. Meh

not my skeez

the first song being 8 minutes…boy shut up. liked the sax in “lazarus”

Makes me anxious.

I didn't really like later Bowie. There's a lot of emotional weight on this record, but I just did not enjoy listening to it.

Fine. Sounds like Bowie.

I feel bad giving such a legend such a low score. But I wonder if the hype around this album was largely tied to his death. This is way too obtuse an album. Like overly-complicated Radiohead (and overly-complicated is Radiohead’s thing but they make it engaging).

I know this was his last album, but there's no way it belongs on this list.

No me gusta la voz de Bowie, mucho vibrato. Como esforzándose. No me gusta el álbum, la instrumentación está buena pero se nota que son músicos de sesión y no siento que transmitan algo auténtico. Sino algo más pretencioso.

Look, I appreciate David Bowie, the "Hunky Dory" album is terrific. But there is no reason for him to have NINE albums in this list. Smh... Girl Loves Me is catchy

Not my favorite but nice orchestral build ups.

I'm not sure what I did to deserve this, but I was given my second Bowie album in a row. I'm not sure if this gets great reviews because it was his final release before his death or because it actually resonated with "music critics?" But I can say that it isn't for me. I'm not a fan of art rock or avant guard music. The one highlight I enjoyed was the song Lazarus. The music was so good and the lyrics work so well. While Bowie sings, "Where the fuck did Monday go?" on the song Sue (or in a season of crime) I find myself saying "Where the fuck did my 41 minutes and 17 seconds go at I listened to this album?" But as work all music, what I might not enjoy it I know someone else probably loves it. 2 out of 4 stars

This album is highly regarded but to me it just sounded erratic and depressing.

Not that food

Weird album even for Bowie

Wirklich sehr experimentell.

last album before death sure sure but idk.... his vocals are obviously not what they once were, but the beats are banging. the lyrics arent really anything spectacular. i like david bowie, but i think ill stick to his older stuff

Why are there so many albums not from the prime of the artist's career in this list? The first song is experimental crap - made for his own liking. He called it the star symbol - I guess it's supposed to be the song 'blackstar', which probably has Luciferian or Satanic undertones, because it would be too much to ask pop stars to not be into that. Apparently, the rest of the album is going to sound like experimental crap, too. It gets a little better with the 3rd and 4th songs.

We get it, Bowie, you were dying and you knew it.

This one was released on bowies 69th birthday 🧐 considering that it's experimental jazz, could be worse.

Bowie was a cool dude. I have huge respect for him as an artist and visionary. He seemed so switched on to potential and new things. But I found this hard work. Should I be more respectful of his last work? I don’t really enjoy listening to it. Sorry.

too experimental for my taste...

Was an alright album just don’t care for this type of music while driving

Slower than what I normally like. The singing was good, but sometimes felt like it didn't fit the music. Not as good as the last Bowie album that I encountered ok on this list. 2/5

Very experimental too drawn out

Not sure why this is on the list, it's nothing special at all. I'm fairly sure that if this didn't have Bowie's name on it, it would've been forgotten. Some songs are ok-ish, but mostly it was just weird and dissonant. Bowie's music has always been a bit weird to me, but it always manages to land on the good side. This doesn't.

I did not need a Prodigy-styled rock opera

David Bowie slowly growing on me but not enough.

I love Bowie as a person and cherish a lot of what he's made but this one isn't for me. rip fr though

Definitly a David Bowie album. He's a great artist, but this album isn't for me.

I get that this was his swan song but I really don't think this was anything special

Just alright for me.

2/5 Not my type of music.

I can hear that he is on drugs. Cultish. Weird, off tune, lots of trumpet. If I take drugs again I would say that’s a good one

Not really my taste.. album was mostly rock? I liked one song which i saved - dollar days. His voice is pretty nice though

Girl loves me var helt nytt för mig. Inte jättebra men nytänkande om man inte vet bättre. Dollar days var ganska bäst. Albumet i helhet var det sämsta jag hört från Bowie.

Not for me

lazarus is good. Sue is alright. girl loves me is a skip. dollar days is nice i guess. last song is david bowie vocals over some boomer midi ass beat. it’s nice though

People seemed pretty keen on this when it came out, but my sense is this was nostalgia, as Bowie had passed away by its release. Which I understand he intended. But it’s so dark and sad and droning. I can’t do it

Meh. Love Bowie but this just didn’t grab me at all. Didn’t even finish. 2/5

Maybe this is your thing. It is not mine. Boring

2/5

3? I don't have the patience to like this though

Too sad

Underlig

Soz and all that but was a bit meh!

Decided to give this album a listen in spite of not being enthusiastic about Bowie. Really enjoyed the jazz influence on the first track. I can't see the hype in the overall album, but maybe it would grow after a few listens.

I don't think it's that great.

Sacrilege I know, but I’ve never really got Bowie in any of his eras. Aside from a few songs that are usually associated with other things that I’ve liked he’s just not an artist I’m interested in. Same goes for this one, though the last track is probably one of the best songs I heard in this challenge.

J'avais des attentes suite à l'album que j'ai eu l'autre jour (Station to station). Probablement des super sons que j'admire pas assez, mais je juge sévère vu que l'autre était nice.

Vind Bowie als persoon wel echt gaaf, maar vond dit helemaal niets.. veel te vaag en zou het liever niet nog een keer luisteren. Misschien mis ik een soort groter besef van zijn kunt oid maar ik voel de vibe nie

Sorry David, mooie vent maar vind je muziek maar niks

Mostly bad to listen to

It's the final album by David Bowie, which might have made the critics more sentimental, so we have it here, on this list. Personally, I didn't like "Blackstar". I felt like Bowie lost his charm and was not as entertaining on this album as earlier in his career. The quirky melodies weren't really fitting with his voice, just a bit of a mismatch. Average album at best.

I was a bit underwhelmed

I love Bowie but I think I'm realizing I am not a huge fan of art rock, which this album leans in to very heavily. There are some interesting tracks and I can tell there's a lot of musicality to what's going on, but I just don't think it resonated with me.

1 2 3, it's Mos Def and Talib Kwe... oh. More Bowie. If this wasn't released so close to his death, would anyone really care? There's a LOT of... just... not good here. Will there ever come a day when discordant saxophone doesn't automatically get you the "experimental" crown? It's actually, genuinely, such old news. Feel like Leonard Cohen pulled off the trick to better effect later in the year. When are we gonna pull some actually fun Bowie?

First song singing was terrible. Even worse was that it was a 10 minute song. The instrumental was good but the only thing bad about this album was the singing. I don't understand why people like this album so much.

Whatever this style is, I didn’t like it. The sound, the instrumentation, the rhythm, it did not fit my taste However, I respect the fact that this was David Bowie's last album and it faces a lot of deep topics like death. So I will bump it up to 2 stars because of this. I think the whole thing just went over my head a bit, not really sure.

There's stuff to be enjoyed here but for the most part I'm unenthused.

I think I'm learning I don't really like Bowie's albums. I'll happily listen to the odd single but his music/style is not for me. At only 41mins I really had to fight through each song. It all sounded so random and incoherent to me.

This was an interesting album. Dark atmospheres and I found myself enjoying most parts of the album, but occassionally the vocals would be too much. Glad I listened to it.

not for me but it was ok

Highkey gave me the heebie jeebies. I couldn't get all the way through any of the songs cuz to me they just sounded so creepy... also kinda freaked me out since he died days after releasing it. But he was a legend, and I appreciate this album as his final word of sorts.

Pity She Was a Whore: Pity this song sucks more balls than she did, just 5 minutes of noise Maybe his other works are good, but this album does not show me why David Bowie is worshipped like some sort of musical god. This is some degenerate with an above average voice making weird nonsense.

The writing is good, the percussion is good, but the reality is Bowie just cannot perform vocally on this album, which means too much is just using instruments to fill time. I understand that theres reasons for why he cant perform. But it just makes the album unlistenable for me, also Blackstar the song is just terrible.

Rock. Jazz. Bastante aburrido.

It was only a few days ago that we got a Bowie album and I said I was about done with his catalog. Well here's another. I know this one's special and acclaimed because it's his last, but still there's not much for me. The opening track, particularly the instrumental before Bowie comes in, is great. Once he starts singing (moaning?), the rest of the album slips away from me without issue. I can't say that it's bad but it's certainly not for me. Favorite tracks: Blackstar. Album cover: Black star. 2.5/5

kinda shit, some half decent parts parts but thats all

Dont get me wrong, I love Bowie. He was an amazing artist and brought new ideas and life to music in a way that rivals Mozart. However, this album is not his best. Its self indulgent and not up to his self set standard. I know, I KNOW, its his last work and should be celebrated, but not in a way where we tell everyone that they HAVE to hear this album. Thats not fair to Bowie, either. 2/5

ok… bit boring… cool sax stuff