"... his best album since Scary Monsters"

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... a cliché hauled out every time Bowie puts out a new record. So what actually is his best album since Scary Monsters? Personally, I think Earthling is his most accomplished - at the time touted as 'Bowie does drum 'n' bass" but six years on you can discount all that and see through to the strong, memorable songwriting on this album, something that's perhaps a little lacking on his last two efforts.

― Jonathan Z., Tuesday, 25 November 2003 09:44 (twenty-two years ago)

'Hours...' was OK. (TS: 'Some Nice Things I've Missed' vs 'Watertown')

― dave q, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 09:52 (twenty-two years ago)

i quite like parts of the new one

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 10:08 (twenty-two years ago)

From "Earthling" onwards, every album David Bowie has released has been his best since "Scary Monsters". So no wonder it has become a cliche :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

"Let's Dance" was the first "best album since Scary Monsters"

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

In fact' I'd even stretch the line to "1.Outside". I consider "Let's Dance" a better album than "Black Tie White Noise" though, and everything that was released by him in the ten year space between those two was pretty much below par.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"Let's Dance" wasn't too shabby. I'm sure it'll eventually be critically reappraised. Bowie did do some good songs in the eighties, but he didn't do any really good albums.

― Jonathan Z., Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd have said 1.Outside. Earthling was just too "look, I like drum'n'bass, me!" ...hours is disqualified due to the cover art alone. I'm afraid I'm just not as well versed in Heathan as I should be. Did that one measure up?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"Let's Dance" is OK, but really no more than that. Most great David Bowie albums grow on you with every listen. "Let's Dance" doesn't really. Some nice songs in there (and the extended versions of the title track and "China Girl" are better than the 7 inch ones), but it lacks the "magic" of his 70s output (save for the overrated "Young Americans")

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

1.Outside is very, very underrated. It seems no one got the jokes...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"1.Outside" is a good idea that only partly worked. Was still his best album since "Scary Monsters" though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

oh Geir you'd like "Young Americans" just fine if it weren't for those pesky funk walk-ups. Melodically it's more sophisticated that most of Bowie's '70s output.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm quite smitten with Heathen and, to a slightly lesser degree, Reality. I'd be willing to label either of those the best since Scary Monsters.

But, there remains a string of Bowie releases I've never heard (Never Let Me Down thru 1.Outside).

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Side question (new thread maybe) - what other artists exist in this perpetual state of returning to form? The Fall certainly do.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Almost every positive Guided By Voices record claims that whatever record is being reviewed is the best since Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

that should read "positive GBV record review claims"

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I think 1.Outside would've worked a lot better had their been 2... anything. I mean, there's a story there (and a pretty clever one at that) that's only 1/3 told...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Do the Fall have a Scary Monsters though, a clear Last Great Album before (ahem) the fall?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd say Hex Enduction Hour might be the de facto choice.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Hex Enduction Hour goes back very far, though - it seems like the default post-Hex classic is This Nation's Saving Grace. Even still, it seems like the Fall have so many "return to forms" that the era of greatness they are 'returning' to is vague and constantly shifting depending on the age of the reviewer.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

They are all disappointing things to all people?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Hex is a full two years more recent than Scary Monsters, though.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Tricky keep making a comeback as well, doesn't he?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Tricky has one good record.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

yes yes, but each new one is (touted as) a return to the form of that album. And like Bowie, I'd still be interested in each new album.

Also Prince, though the drop-off point is unclear there as well - some people really rate Diamond & Pearls and the Symbol album.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

"....his best since Blood On The Tracks" (or Desire) used to be Bob's curse, but now the stakes have been raised by actually good records, so it's "...fit to stand next to his 60s work".

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Lou Reed "His best since... what do we pay you for again?"

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Spy (RIP) once did a very funny bit about this particular trope in re Dylan. It was a timeline spackled with quotes culled from a string of critics who insisted that, according tp their assembled wisdom, pretty much EVERY SINGLE ALBUM DYLAN HAD RELEASED SINCE BLOOD ON THE TRACKS was his best album since Blood on the Tracks. Bowie gets this a lot too, as does Elvis C..

― Lee G (Lee G), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

tp = to. I'm sick as a dog and trying to get a paper out. So why am I posting to ILM again?

― Lee G (Lee G), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

You love us.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

That must be it.

― Lee G (Lee G), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I for one prefer Premillenium Tension to Maxinquaye, but the perpetual comeback thing is definitely true of Tricky. If only it were actually true...

The Wu-Tang Clan are trapped in this cycle as well.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

In the case of Prince, I am convinced that there will be a return to form before or since.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:25 (twenty-two years ago)

what other artists exist in this perpetual state of returning to form?

Nas (lately anyway)

Geir, Prince is never going to be good again.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Bowie's albums have been steadily getting better since Outside. In fact I listen to all of them more often now than I do his 70s stuff. I really underrated them along with everyone else, but now I see them as standing along my old favorites. It got harder to see maybe, since he did put out a few duds, and when he came back it was in a bit of a cerebral way, not in a way that immediately grabs or shocks you. I've been listening to Reality lots since it came out, and get a lot of pleasure out of it. If people are listening to it and still thinking 'when's he gonna make a comeback?', maybe they're not such Bowie fans to begin with.

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 04:40 (twenty-two years ago)

1. Outside is his best album since Scary Monsters I believe, followed closely by Heathen and Reality. Heathen is quite good, but unassuming as well. It goes back past Scary Monsters into his Berlin period, which makes it a less obvious listen than Outside or Earthling. That said, Outside kicks major ass in the music department, and it was the last time I believe he really gave an album everything he had. Hopefully some day he will get around to doing the follow-up, Contamination.

― Nathan Eddy, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 07:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Hm, don't hold your breath. As it is, I love that there Bowie and that he keeps trying (as opposed to, say, the Stones, who do not).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I kind of agree with Ned here. Rolling Stones have run dry as far as new material goes - still excellent as a live band (which alone justifies their continuing as a band), but there is really nothing much to check out in terms of new material and I think even the band themselves relealise that their heyday is mainly mid 70s and before.

Bowie was about to become Mick Jagger in the mid 80s, with pointless AOR albums such as "Tonight" and "Never Let Me Down Again" (although I would argue those were at least better than most AOR). After that he has sort of tried to do the stuff he did in the 70s, which was constantly renew himself. Tin Machine was a disastrous failure, ending in his two worst albums ever, but even then he was at least trying. Then afterwards, his attempts have only partly succeeded, while the two last albums may well be considered quite decent attempts to continue where was musically around 79-80.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

twelve years pass...

So?

― hardcore dilettante, Saturday, 30 January 2016 04:40 (ten years ago)

That was Peter Gabriel.

― StanM, Saturday, 30 January 2016 05:43 (ten years ago)

Ok ok I'm sorry.

I don't know how it will be in a couple of years, but for now, Blackstar, obv.

― StanM, Saturday, 30 January 2016 05:46 (ten years ago)

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