David Bowie
Where are we now?
Columbia
The papers stopped, the news were
sent into a frenzy and Twitter was ablaze with one phrase: Bowie's Back! After
suffering a heart attack in 2004, turning down singing at the Olympics in 2012,
and no new releases for 10 years, it was presumed the David Bowie had slipped
silently into retirement to become a reclusive living legend.
But, to the surprise of everyone (literally everyone) Bowie released new single Where Are We Now? on his 66th birthday. No fanfares, no countdowns and no gimmicks. Just silently released onto his website and dropped onto iTunes. But then there didn't need to be any modern pop gimmicks. Every radio station, rolling news network and social media site were alight with excitement. Followed by the news that David will release a new album too, The Next Day, (due March) the rumour mill started up and fired off what Bowie’s next move would be: Would he tour again? Would he headline Glastonbury? Would Ziggy Stardust make a spectacular return? But one thing was overlooked, would he be any good?
But, to the surprise of everyone (literally everyone) Bowie released new single Where Are We Now? on his 66th birthday. No fanfares, no countdowns and no gimmicks. Just silently released onto his website and dropped onto iTunes. But then there didn't need to be any modern pop gimmicks. Every radio station, rolling news network and social media site were alight with excitement. Followed by the news that David will release a new album too, The Next Day, (due March) the rumour mill started up and fired off what Bowie’s next move would be: Would he tour again? Would he headline Glastonbury? Would Ziggy Stardust make a spectacular return? But one thing was overlooked, would he be any good?
And that's where Where Are We Now? comes in. The lyrics tell a tale of the time from
David’s “Berlin era” of 1976-79, where he lived and breathed the German music, arts
and cultural scene, whilst writing some of his best-known hits including Sound and Vision and Heroes. However, Where Are We Now? features a different side to Bowie than on these
tracks. He sounds older, more restrained, but ultimately more human. His vocals
are beautifully subdued, haunting almost, and suit this melancholic ballad
perfectly as he intertwines himself with simple piano chords and 80s synths. The
repetition of “Where Are We Now?” questions both Bowie’s life and career but
also the listener’s. The track builds into a brilliant crescendo of high
pitched soaring guitars and simplistic drumbeats with Bowie’s poignant last
words being “as long as there’s me, as long as there’s you”.
Happy birthday Bowie, and welcome
back Starman.
