David Bowie - The Buddha of Suburbia
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Free Music Notes for The Buddha of Suburbia
Free Music Review: Bowie's Forgotten Album Repackaged
Hit: 4 Stars
Back in 1993, this album was originally conceived as a straight soundtrack for the BBC TV dramatisation of the Hanif Kureishi novel, 'The Buddha of Suburbia'. It eventually became more than a series of instrumental passages recorded for the film due to Bowie's refound creativity and was rebuilt into a bona fide 10-track solo album. Unfortunately the album was marketed at the time as a mere soundtrack and consequently it was unfairly overlooked as a "real" Bowie album, especially when it followed shortly after Bowie's first solo effort in 5 years; 1993's jazzy 'Black Tie, White Noise'.
'The Buddha of Suburbia' is performed mainly by Bowie and multi-instrumentalist Erdal Kizilcay and begins with the title track (incidently, the only song to appear in the film); a slow-tempo accoustic piece which slowly builds with further instrumentation. Listen for the riff from Space Oddity - 3 and a half minutes into the song and quotes from The Man Who Sold the World's 'All the Madmen'. Aside from the album's instrumental pieces, these are the only salutes to his past as Bowie was then to provide a glimpse into the future, particularly the next phase which was to be the remarkable alternative-rock of the 'Outside' album, along with the odd jazz number from 'Black Tie, White Noise'.
Track 2 'Sex and the Church' (a quasi-techno piece with computer-filtered vocals and soothing sax) and track 3, the instrumental 'South Horizon' wouldn't sound out of place during Bowie's late 70's Berlin period, but with Mike Garson's piano over the top of Vangelis' Blade Runner theme. Garson would go onto provide the motif for Outside - that strange, jangling piano. Track 4 'The Mysteries' is also instrumental and in the same vein.
Track 5 'Bleed Like a Craze, Dad' provides more 'Black Tie' funk while the standout track follows in 'Strangers When We Meet'. This, although the same tempo as the re-recorded version on Outside, is significantly different and well worth a listen. For those uninitiated, this is one of Bowie's best songs since the 80's - uplifting and compassionate.
Track 7 'Dead Against It' is a melodic up-tempo song which was to give an incite into the way Bowie would sing his vocals in later albums like 'Hours': that rasp in the higher register. Track 8 'Untitled' is straight out of the 'Black Tie' sessions, while Track 9 'Ian Fish, UK Heir' is another moody instrumental piece similar to 'Moss Garden' and 'Subterraneans'. The album concludes with a remix of the title track.
What is appealing is that the instrumental tracks fit neatly into the album mixed with the vocal tracks, showing that Bowie was reconnecting with his experimental spirit. This was to be the key to the layers and textures of his next album, 95's 'Outside' - which contains some of his best material ever. Buddha is definately the forerunner to Outside. But its beauty is that it is one of those linking albums, like Young Americans - in this case, a halfway house between the jazz inflections and club beats of 'Black Tie, White Noise' and the dark tension and jangly piano of 'Outside'. So it fits perfectly within the Bowie canon, and now is finally recognised as such.
Buy it if you are curious, you'll be rewarded, especially if you are a Bowie fan and you like the Outside, Low and Heroes albums. If you are thinking of buying this for someone else, do so; it is accessible enough that they won't be disappointed. After all, Buddha is not a soundtrack, but a real Bowie album. And now it has finally been recognised and remastered as such.
Free Music Review: The Buddha Of Suburbia
Hit: 4 Stars
David Bowie-The Buddha Of Suburbia ****
A long lost classic is a stretch, but a lost classic sounds about right. The Buddha Of Suburbia was written for a BBC mini-series as the soundtrack though only the title cut from the record appeared during the show. Released in 1993 to obscurity and re-released in 2007 (finally).
Comprised of mostly instrumental the album surprisingly never gets dull. Not that instrumentals are boring anyway but a Bowie album with little to no lyrics is like a Hendrix record with no guitar. But I am biased as I have always love Bowies' instrumental work.
The Title Track, 'Bleed Like A Craze, 'Sex And The Church,' 'Strangers When We Meet' which is it's best here' are the only real lyrical songs. They are all excellent.
But lets not for get the instrumentals. 'The Mysteries' was especially wonderful with the whole Miles Davis feel circa the Kind Of Blue era. 'South Horizon' is nothing short of epic.
The Buddha Of Suburbia isn't going to be for everyone, but if you liked his 1990's work than chances are you will like this. It is hist most personal record to date, as well as his most sincere.
Free Music Review: Bowie's Best Album from the Period - was this Lost Gem
Hit: 4 Stars
After the seventies, David Bowie became perversely better at working on other people's projects rather than his own albums. From his collaboration with Pat Methany ("This is Not America") to the Labyrinth soundtrack to Tin Machine to tracks with Adrian Belew ("Pretty Pink Rose") - Bowie seemed to return to artistic form effortlessly each time, slipping into different identities and musical styles.
"The Buddha of Suburbia" was probably the best of the lot. It reminded me a lot of David Bowie's Low period. Albeit more accessible and zen like, Bowie seems at absolute calm here and channels the inner Buddha in him.
This is indeed Bowie's forgotten album, and a quiet masterpiece. I think Mr Bowie should actually do more concept albums for other people and lose himself just a little more like this.
The Nineties saw Bowie trying to reclaim his blunted edge, and for a moment in time, he found this oasis.
Free Music Review: excellent
Hit: 4 Stars
Buddha Of Suburbia is an album even some hardcore David Bowie fans don't know about. This was done for a TV mini-series of the same name in 1993.
And is among Bowie's best: this has the gloss of his early 1990s work like Black Tie White Noise. Diverse as that album is, Buddha Of Suburbia may be even more so. The score is a mix of dance music, some Lodger-like pop, ambient, and even free jazz. But the smooth sound makes the album completely cohesive.
It is simple but true: David Bowie is a master musician that can make any music he sets mind to. This is pooff.
Free Music Review: pure David Bowie from beginning to end
Hit: 3 Stars
Released for the first time on CD, Buddha of Suburbia is a collection of music that Bowie composed for a famed British play around 1993. The title track is perhaps the most catchy and most memorable. Bowie experiments with effects heavy vocals on "Sex and the Church". Other vocal tracks range from mellow to emotional. There are a few instrumental tracks that take away from the concept of an album, but in the context of listening to it as a play, it all makes sense. You'd probably have a better appreciation for it if you saw the play, but either way, it's pure David Bowie from beginning to end.
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