Someone asked me if I thought it was possible to assemble a 21st Century Bowie album that could stand with his late-Seventies albums. This mix is how I answered yes.
In addition to album tracks (well-known & deep cuts), the mix includes b-sides, off-to-the-side recordings, and remixes that are currently unavailable for purchase or to stream. Some of these “lost” recordings are peak tracks to me – “Nature Boy,” “Bring Me the Disco King” (Lohner mix), “Sunday” (Visconti mix) – as are the deep cuts "5:15" and "She Will Drive the Big Car."
21st Century Bowie has two really interesting and pleasurable plots (within the whole of the period):
- Strange and ambitious compositions and vocal performances, rendered magically in the mix – my favorites of which are featured on this compilation.
- A charming, crooning David Jones throwback mode, initiated by the attitude of “Hours.” This angle featured here and there on album songs, but it was focused around the turn of the century and was supposed to be represented by an album named “Toy.” Bowie eventually leaked that album, and additional tracks showed up as b-sides. (Another good candidate for a future mix.)
I’m going out on a limb sharing commercially available tracks, but as there’s no official compilation that touches more than a few songs from Bowie’s final 15 years – and because most of the albums were greeted as returns-to-form, only to be mostly filed-and-forgotten again – consider me an earnest A&R man, arguing that the final 15 years deserve sustained love (purchases, streams, rarity-laden reissues, etc.).
I’ll be surprised if the mix doesn’t make you dig deeper into 21st Century Bowie.
Cover photo by Jimmy King, 2014.
One-hour proof-of-concept mp3 mix zipped up here
- Blackstar (2nd half, from Blackstar)
- 5:15 the Angels Have Come (from Heathen)
- We Shall Go to Town (b-side)
- Sunday (Visconti mix of Heathen track)
- Nature Boy (non-album track)
- Where Are We Now? (from The Next Day)
- Bring Me the Disco King (Lohner mix of Reality track)
- Slow Burn (from Heathen)
- The Stars (Are Out Tonight) (from The Next Day)
- Brilliant Adventure (from Hours)
- Heathen (The Rays) (from Heathen)
- She’ll Drive the Big Car (from Reality)
- Sue (Or in a Season of Crime) (from Blackstar)
- No One Calls (b-side)