2007-22-04 Never Let Me Down - David Bowie

A story how David Bowie let me down… maybe. Little backgrounds… I have been Bowie fan since 2002 (27/07/2002, yes I remember the day, it was sunny day) officially for me, I had found Starman song years earlier but at then I didn’t connect it with Bowie, I didn’t even know the name of the song. First I fell in love with his flamboyant voice the way he said “I was la continental”, the way he looked. I met the first disappointment quite soon after this… Tonight. But I’m not here to talk about Tonight. I’m facing my biggest fear Never Let Me Down. I didn’t own this album before last October when Jo kindly gave his cd to me. And for some reason I didn’t dare to listen to it until now. I had heard only negative opinions about it, so I had no expectations at all.

Well let’s make the first confession now… I have heard Day-In Day-Out earlier (it was in Best of Bowie (2cd), 2002). But the album. Already cover yells at me “Don’t listen to me, I suck!!! What were they thinking? Yes the cover is Letting Me Down (please don’t do it Again David). Day-In Day-Out is boring song, it’swhat 5 minuntes and 35 seconds long, that’s too much in this case. This is fucking pure boring pop shit, so try to keep song in 3 minutes*. It’s very 80’s and although I have a very soft spot in heart for those sounds… well the spot isn’t soft enough. Lyrics are stupid and same trouble is with the rest of the songs… I feel slight shame when I read the words. But the main problem with the first track is repeating.

So first song didn’t bring any good vibes. Scary part is that I like Time Will Crawl, it’s my 80’s soft spot and saxophones. I like the rhythm. But may I say second verse is stupid:

“I know a goverment man
He was as blind as the moon
He saw the sun in the night
He took a top-gun pilot
He made him fly thru the hole
Till he grew real old
And he never game down
He just flew till he burst”

– Time Will Crawl, Never Let Me Down, David Bowie, 1987

“Top-gun pilot”, yes… of course. Did somebody watch Tom Cruise film bit too many times. Overall lyrics are the weakest link in all songs. I don’t want to think “oh dear what he was thinking, was he sober or something”, while I listen to music.

I’m thinking first… “Omg, I was already thinking this might be good, well it’s not.” Seconds later. “Omg, I like this one too.” Still it’s the lyrics and length and boring repeating of chorus that are driving me nuts. But if those thing were different, oh it would be so much better. But it’s excatly the chorus of Beat of Your Drum, that has very catchy sound. Next is title song Never Let Me Down and it reminds me of Bowie’s lovely song Everyone Say ‘Hi’ (Heathen, 2002). Bowie’s voice is super cute, full of sugar, bit too much. I may get high from this. But I still like. And it’s the shortest song on album only 4 minutes and 4 seconds. I blush when I tell you that I have actually liked the album so far if we’re not counting Day-In Day-Out.

Zeroes drops me back on the ground (huh). It’s lame and completely meaningless song. I love the Bowie’s speech in the beginning of Glass Spider but that’s mainly because I adore his voice and have to admit even the lyrics aren’t making me blushing so much. Again I basicly like the rhythm but something is missing. And then it’s downhill. Shining Star (Makin’ My Love) is pointless pop song. I don’t know should I laugh or cry:

Eddie boy lit like paraffin spending two weeks in a crack house
Burns on his brain like Chernobyl

– Shining Star (Makin’ My Love), Never Let Me Down, David Bowie, 1987

I understand I understand, but still, Chernobyl?

I hate choir repeating after Bowie. New York may be in love, I’m not. New York’s In Love reminds me of something, I just don’t remember what it is, probably something pointless. 87’ And Cry, ah now this is a good song name. Though I’m unable to cry for you Bowie. Band Bang, I’m ready to shoot somebody.

In 87 I was probably mostly crying still, I was one year old after all. Bowie was suffering of middle age crise (can you describe this album in any other way). Thank goddess it’s not 87 anymore. I didn’t expect much and mostly my “expectations” were fulfilled, Never Let Me Down is something we need to forget. There was moments when I was enjoying the album (Time Will Crawl, Beat Of Your Drum and Never Let Me Down) but they were rare. I tried not to compare this to rest of Bowie’s discography, because I think every album is piece of art and comparing shouldn’t be the first priority. If we compare then, well it’s shit. Songs are too long, lyrics are embarrassing. What else? It’s too 80’s.

My next challenge, Tin Machine II, I’ve heard it sucks.

*As a side note David’s 9 minutes Station To Station is a masterpiece.