Yesterday the musical chameleon himself, David Bowie turned 66 years old, and to celebrate his birthday the icon had a very special present for the music world, the news of his first album in a decade along with the first taste of his long-awaited record.
Entitled The Next Day, Bowie’s 30th(!) studio album will be released on March 8 in Australia (ahead of the rest of the world on March 11th) and is already available for pre-order through Bowie’s website as well as on iTunes.
Along with the excellent news of his return to the music world, the first taste of the new album is already available in the video for lead single, ‘Where Are We Now?’.
Recorded in New York under the auspices of long-term producer Tony Visconti, the sombre, downtrodden number is accompanied by an eerie video directed by Tony Oursler. Featuring Bowie and a silent partner as dolls, the video projects archival images of Berlin as Bowie sings of himself “walking the dead” in the German capital, name checking the city’s many landmark locations in the lyrics.Bowie sings of himself “walking the dead” in the German capital, name checking the city’s many landmark locations in the lyrics.
The song is a clear tribute to Bowie’s time in the city, which spawned his infamous Berlin Trilogy (Low/”Heroes”/The Lodger), with a stark, almost funereal tone that’s reminiscent of the darker corners Bowie tread on ‘Bring Me The Disco King’, the closing track from his last album, 2003’s Reality.
A press release for the new single and album reads that the recent years of “radio silence has been broken only by endless speculation, rumour and wishful thinking,” while championing Bowie as an artist known for “throwing shadows and avoiding the industry treadmill.” Also emphasising his “massive in the area of art, fashion, style, sexual exploration and social commentary,” as well as a very healthy excess of 130 million in album sales.
Despite the release of his latest magnum opus, The Guardian indicates that there are no touring plans (or even interviews) for The Next Day, but considering it’s been ten long years since we had anything new from the great master (aside from a handful of guest spots and collaborations with the likes of TV On The Radio and Danish rock band Kashmir), a new Bowie album already makes March an important month in the 2013 calendar.
The Next Day is out March 8 through Sony Australia and is available for pre-order now through DavidBowie.com where you can also view/listen to lead single ‘Where Are We Now?’. You can view the artwork and tracklisting for the album, along with the bonus tracks available on the deluxe edition below:
The Next Day tracklisting
01. The Next Day 3:51
02. Dirty Boys 2:58
03. The Stars (Are Out Tonight) 3:56
04. Love Is Lost 3:57
05. Where Are We Now? 4:08
06. Valentine’s Day 3:01
07. If You Can See Me 3:16
08. I’d Rather Be High 3:53
09. Boss Of Me 4:09
10. Dancing Out In Space 3:24
11. How Does The Grass Grow 4:33
12. (You Will) Set The World On Fire 3:30
13. You Feel So Lonely You Could Die 4:41
14. Heat 4:25
Bonus tracks:
15. So She 2:31
16. I’ll Take You There 2:44
17. Plan 2:34
