29 Days of Bowie: Outside

Released on September 26, 1995 by Virgin Records, Outside is a concept album based on David Bowie’s short story The Diary of Nathan Adler that revolved around a murder mystery that included body parts used as art. Produced with Brian Eno and David Richards, the album marks a reunion between Bowie and Eno since their groundbreaking collaboration in the late 70s as the album would also feature other recurring collaborators in guitarists Carlos Alomar, Kevin Armstrong, and Reeves Gabrels, multi-instrumentalist Edral Kiziclay, pianist Mike Garson, and drummer Sterling Campbell along with several session musicians. While it was originally supposed to be a multi-part album with a second part called Contamination, the album would be considered one of Bowie’s most daring releases in his career.


With all of the songs and segues told in characters and through abstract, cut-up lyrics, the album is told through a unique narrative that blends elements of rock, industrial, jazz, electronic, and avant-garde such as the album’s opening track in the track Leon Takes Us Outside where it features guitar and piano flourishes along with ominous keyboards with Bowie reciting words as the character Leon Blank which serves as an intro to the album’s title track as it is this eerie, mid-tempo piece with driving guitars from Carlos Alomar and Reeves Gabrels, a steady rhythm from drummer Sterling Campbell and bassist Edral Kiziclay, and some electronic textures from Kiziclay and Brian Eno while Bowie sings haunting lyrics that relates to the world the story is set.


The album’s first single in The Hearts Filthy Lesson is mid-tempo piece that is part-industrial and part-art rock with its driving guitars, swirling keyboards, pulsating live and electronic beats, and Bowie’s eerie vocals with these chilling lyrics as the character of Nathan Adler where the track include these piano flourishes by Mike Garson. The narrative continues to introduce the characters and settings as the track A Small Plot of Land with its mixture of jazz-based pianos from Garson, Eno’s soothing ambient-based synthesizers, jazz-inspired rhythms, and Bowie’s haunting vocals play into the world of Oxford Town, New Jersey while its segue in Baby Grace (A Horrid Cassette) introduces the character of Baby Grace Blue as it is piece led by Gabrels’ swirling guitar, Garson’s piano, and the voice of a young girl by Bowie describing the events in the narrative.


The album’s third single in Hallo Spaceboy that is sung in the character of Paddy is this fast-paced, charging industrial track with crashing drums, driving guitars, warbling synthesizers, Garson’s intense piano, and Bowie’s haunting vocals as he sings these abstract lyrics filled with ambiguity and strange imagery. The haunting ballad The Motel that is sung from the perspective of Leon Blank as it includes Garson’s flourishing pianos, soothing bass lines, and very melancholic lyrics. The upbeat I Have Not Been to Oxford Town is a funk-based track led by Alomar’s rhythmic guitar work and some warbling electronic textures as Bowie sings some strange lyrics as Leon. The mid-tempo, electronic-driven No Control has Bowie singing as Adler with different vocal mixes as it plays into the intensity of the case that Adler is taking in as it includes throbbing bass lines.


A segue in Algeria Touchshriek introduces the character as Bowie speaks in a very creepy vocal with a background of ominous textures of guitars, pianos, and synthesizers as it leads to The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (as Beauty) with Bowie playing the character of The Artist/Minotaur as it feature these driving guitar melodies, pulsating beats, and warbling electronics that intensifies as the song continues where Bowie sings dark lyrics to the accompaniment of Garson’s piano. Another segue in Ramona A. Stone/I Am with Name that introduces the character and her acolytes is a track led by Campbell’s rhythmic fills, soothing synthesizers, and Bowie’s distorted vocals as Stone with these scary lyrics filled with a sense of terror.


The Artist/Minotaur returns in Wishful Beginning as this very eerie track with these brooding textures of synthesizers, clanging percussions, and Bowie’s subdued yet mesmerizing vocals that play into a sense of death. We Prick You is this upbeat track with warbling synthesizers, pulsating beats, flourishing pianos, and driving guitars that has Bowie singing in different vocal pitches as Court Justice Members to play into the chaos of what is going on in the story. The first segue of Nathan Adler where Bowie speaks in a raspy, American accent to playful guitar melodies by Alomar as it’s one of the humorous tracks on the album that leads to the very intense I’m Deranged as it is this upbeat track with pulsating and hammering beats, driving guitars, flourishing pianos, and ominous keyboards with Bowie singing in a very haunting vocal as The Artist/Minotaur as it expresses the character’s mental state.


Thru’ These Architect’s Eyes from the perspective of Leon Blank is this bopping, guitar-driven track that features driving riffs from Kevin Armstrong as well as warbling textures from Gabrels that is followed by Garson’s piano as Bowie sings in a wailing vocal to these abstract lyrics. Following a second segue of the Adler character that is led by Adler’s deranged vocal to some pulsating beats, the track then leads to the album closer in a re-recorded version of Strangers When We Meet from The Buddha of Suburbia as it a somber and touching song with a more livelier sound from the band and piano flourishes from Garson as it is sung from Blank’s perspective.


From the 1996 re-release in Australia and Japan, the album features a second disc that includes an edited version of Strangers When We Meet, live versions of Under Pressure, The Man Who Sold the World in a new electronic arrangement, and Moonage Daydream and two remixes. The first is a drum n’ bass remix of Hallo Spaceboy by the Pet Shop Boys that features additional vocals from Pet Shop Boys vocalist Neil Tennant who sings lyrics from Space Oddity as well as sounds of swirling electronics. The second is a remix of The Hearts Filthy Lesson where it’s really the album mix but the Japanese version has a different remix known as the Rubber Mix as it’s a mix that breaks down some of the rhythm aspects of the album with more elements on the bass and multi-tracked vocals for something more slower and with a throbbing rhythm.


From the 2004 limited-edition two-disc version of the album that would also be part of a box set in 2007 that included deluxe editions of subsequent albums to follow are two B-sides, alternate versions of songs, and several remixes. Among them are five remixes of The Hearts Filthy Lesson as the first by Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor, along with then-NIN drummer Chris Vrenna and Dave “Rave” Ogilvie, for alternative radio as it emphasizes more on a slower, industrial-based beats with some rapid electro-beats in the background and charging guitars. Along with the Rubber Mix of the song from the Japanese bonus-disc edition of the album, the Simple Text mix of the song as it largely relies on swirling and driving synthesizer with some low-key bass groves and vocal mixes. The Filthy Mix relies largely relies on its industrial textures with its emphasis on its drums, Bowie’s vocal spurts, and warbling synthesizers while the Good Karma mix by Tim Simenon features many elements of the song while Simenon plays along with many of the textures by adding some scratches and bring in portions of the instruments and then not feature them as it’s one of the highlights of the second disc.


The four remixes of Hallo Spaceboy with the Pet Shop Boys include a twelve-inch mix that is essentially an expanded version of the remix with more dance rhythms in its beats. The Double Click mix features more throbbing click-beats and guitar spurts as well as scratchy and pulsating percussion rhythms in the background. The instrumental mix of the Pet Shop Boys remix is extended to play into its dance rhythms and synthesizers while the Lost in Space mix as it includes some warbling synthesizers, throbbing rhythm, and wavy keyboard textures to play into a sci-fi feel for the mix. A remix of A Small Plot of Land for the 1996 film Basquiat, that Bowie was in as Andy Warhol, as it just features Bowie’s vocals with ambient-based synthesizers as it adds a dramatic tone to the track. A jungle mix of I’m Deranged features an array of throbbing beats and ambient-based synthesizers to accompany Bowie’s vocals while retaining the elements of guitars and piano from the original track to go for something that is more groove-based.


The second disc features an alternate version of I Am a Name that features a different mix of its beats as well as two B-sides. The first in Get Real from the Strangers When We Meet single as it is this fast, upbeat rocker with bopping rhythms, wailing guitars, and Bowie’s low-baritone vocals as it features some abstract yet snarling lyrics as it is a real gem. The B-side for The Hearts Filthy Lesson in Nothing to Be Desired is this mid-tempo track with crashing piano flourishes, funky rhythms, and driving guitars as it has Bowie singing with backing vocalists in this playful song with some offbeat lyrics.


Outside is a phenomenal album from David Bowie that features amazing contributions from his recurring host of collaborators in Brian Eno, Carlos Alomar, Reeves Gabrels, Edral Kiziclay, Mike Garson, and Sterling Campbell. While it is definitely the densest and most challenging album of his career, it is also one of the most uncompromising and fearless albums of his career where he goes all out in blending the concept of art and music into one though it is unfortunate that a sequel for the album will never see the light of day. In the end, Outside is a spectacular album from David Bowie.

Studio Releases: David Bowie (1967 album) - David Bowie (1969 album) - The Man Who Sold the World - Hunky Dory - The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - Aladdin Sane - Pin Ups - Diamond Dogs - Young Americans - Station to Station - Low - "Heroes" - Lodger - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - Let’s Dance - Tonight - Never Let Me Down - Tin Machine - Tin Machine II - Black Tie White Noise - Earthling - ‘Hours…’ - Heathen - Reality - The Next Day - *

Live Releases: David Live - Stage - Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars - Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby - Bowie at the Beeb - (Live at Fashion Rocks (w/ Arcade Fire)) - (Live Santa Monica ‘72) - (Glass Spider Live) - (VH1 Storytellers) - (A Reality Tour)

Soundtracks: Christiane F. - Labyrinth - The Buddha of Suburbia

Miscellaneous: Peter and the Wolf - Baal - Sound + Vision - (Early On (1964-1966)) - (All Saints) - Toy - (Nothing Has Changed)

© thevoid99 2016

Various Artists-Trainspotting OST

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/23/08.

The soundtrack to the 1996 film Trainspotting compiled by the film's director Danny Boyle is considered to be one of the best films soundtracks ever made. Released at the time Brit-pop was becoming the big thing in Britain. The soundtrack contained several Brit-pop luminaries like Blur, Pulp, Elastica, and Sleeper along with the British art-rock band Primal Scream. Electronic music is also explored with contributions from Bedrock, New Order, Leftfield, and Underworld while legends like Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Brian Eno also contribute to the film's soundtrack. The result is one of the best film soundtracks ever created.

The album opener is the Iggy Pop classic Lust For Life from the 1977 album of the same name. With its hard-hitting, loud-pounding drums, shaky rhythms and melodies, and Pop's nasally yet cool baritone vocals. Filled with lyrics about substances and an upbeat lifestyle, it's a great opener to the song and film despite its dark tone. Brian Eno's ambient piece Deep Blue Day from his 1983 Apollo: Atmosphere and Soundtracks album with Daniel Lanois and Roger Eno is a dreamy, swooning track led by Brian Eno's synthesizer arrangements and Lanois' pedal-slide work that flourishes throughout the track. Played during Mark Renton's swim to retrieve suppositories, it's one of the most beautiful cuts on the album. The ten-and-a-half minute instrumental title track by Primal Scream is another amazing track with a smooth rhythm, warbling beats, swirling synthesizers, and a guitar track. Produced by Andrew Weatherhall, the track marks a return to the band's experimental sound as it plays to the hazy conversation between Renton and Sick Boy.

Next is a cover of Blondie's Atomic by Sleeper. Led by Louise Werner's smooth, low-sounding vocals, the song is definitely faithful to Blondie's original version with its famed guitar melody, swift rhythms, and hypnotic electronic arrangements. The track plays up to the moment Renton meets Diane. New Order's electro-pop song Temptation with its chugging rhythms, flourishing synthesizer, Peter Hook's melodic bass lines, and Bernard Sumner's vocals is another famed track on the album. Mostly heard in the background and later sung by Diane in a weird dream sequence, it's one of the most endearing songs on the album. Nightclubbing is another Iggy Pop song that's from his 1977 solo debut album The Idiot produced by David Bowie. With its heartbeat-like rhythm, fuzzy synthesizers, droning guitars, Bowie's piano track and Pop's eerie vocals, it's easily one of the darkest tracks on the album. Played during Renton and his gang's rising addiction towards heroin, it's a track that works in its dark tone.

Sing by Blur is an early song from the band with its droning guitars, haunting piano track, and Damon Albarn's vocals. The song refers to a tragic aftermath and famed chase scene as it plays up to the song's dramatic tone. Next is Lou Reed's ballad Perfect Day from 1972's Transformer album with Reed's somber vocals and a flourishing chorus led by Mick Ronson's string arrangements and Reed's poignant, melancholic lyrics. The song plays to Renton's overdose as he goes into a haze and near-death. Mile End by Pulp is a kooky song with smooth, swinging melodies, Jarvis Cocker's dark lyrics, and Candida Doyle's swooning keyboards. The song plays to Begbie being a nuisance to Renton's new lifestyle. For What You Dream Of by Bedrock featuring KYO is a techno number that plays up to the new, modern world of London that Renton seems to enjoy. With its shimmering synthesizers, breaking beats, and KYO's soulful vocals, it's another standout to reveal the world of electronic music in Britain.

Elastica's 2:1 from their 1995 landmark debut album is a minimalist rocker with mid-tempo, tapping beats, groove-laden guitars, and sturdy melodies with Justine Frischmann's smooth vocals. Played during Sick Boy's arrival to London and causing Renton more trouble, it's a fun, dark track that has a sense of humor. A Final Hit by Leftfield is an instrumental piece with eerie electronic arrangements and haunting bass line to play up to the drug deal meeting with Renton, Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie with a sense of foreboding. Born Slippy (NUXX) by Underworld is a wonderful nine-minute, forty-five second electronic track with flourishing pianos, eerie synthesizers, and loud, pounding break-beats. The track plays up to the drama where Renton makes a fateful decision. The album closer Closet Romantic by Blur's Damon Albarn is a smooth, electro-beat track with harmoniums and keyboards as Albarn sings and speaks about the James Bond films that starred Sean Connery that's played in the final credits.

When it was released shortly after the film came out, it became a major hit that a year later. A second soundtrack was released featuring songs that were in the film but didn't make it into the soundtrack along with music that inspired the film. Yet, the soundtrack was a major hit in the days of Brit-pop while often considered to be an essential record of that period. While the soundtrack also introduced American audiences to the burgeoning electronica music scene that would come a year later to little fanfare. Yet, the soundtrack remains one of the best of all-time as it's often put in lists for all-time great film soundtracks.

The soundtrack to Trainspotting is easily one of the best films soundtracks ever created. Thanks to its mix of Brit-pop, 70s art-rock, and electronic music, it's an album that is truly perfect from start to finish. Like many great film soundtracks before and since, it works because it put all the right songs from the film and into a record that is enjoyable to hear. In the end, the soundtrack to Trainspotting is a great companion to the film as well as for Brit-pop enthusiasts.

Related: Trainspotting - Favorite Films #10: Trainspotting

© thevoid99 2013

U2-No Line on the Horizon

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/17/09.

For more than 25 years, U2 has been one of rock's most beloved and premier rock bands. Led by lead singer, guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. U2 were the band that changed the face of rock in the 1980s with their songs about religion, love, politics, and the world in general. Since they emerged onto the music scene with their 1980 album Boy, the band were like no other as they broke through internationally with 1983's War while it's follow-up album The Unforgettable Fire in 1984 expanded their unique sound. 1987's The Joshua Tree made U2 rock superstars as the band that was the alternative to new wave and hair metal were now the mainstream. Yet, for all of the album's success in terms of album sales, Grammy awards, and sell-out concert attendances. The backlash would also come for the band as they would face it for many years to come.

1988's Rattle & Hum, a double album of live material and new tracks from its accompanying documentary film marked a troubling period for the band as the film and album were both panned by critics despite the album's success. After deciding to take a break at the end of the 80s, U2 decided to reinvent themselves with 1991's Achtung Baby with electronic flourishes added to their sound. The album was supported by a massively successful stadium tour known as Zoo TV. 1993's Zootropa was a minor success in comparison to Achtung Baby but still helped raise U2's profile as the world's best band. Following another break came another set-back in 1997 when the band released Pop with a huge stadium tour known as PopMart. The album was considered a disappointment while the tour in its big staging drew comparisons to the film This is Spinal Tap where at one point, the band found themselves stuck inside a lemon they were supposed to come out of.

The band ultimately returned in 2000 with All That You Can Leave Behind as it was the album to announce that they're back and not willing to call it quits. The album's success and acclaim help restore their status as one of rock's great bands as their tours were selling out while Bono continued to be the world's greatest peace activist despite annoying some fans over his activism. 2004's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb helped continue the band's reign of success but some fans complained that the band is starting to show their age with its polished sound and production. At the same time, several artists and acts were starting to go for the same ambition as U2. Notably Coldplay with some in the press tagging them as the next U2 with critics grumbling about Coldplay. With U2 hoping to reclaim their throne as the world's best band once again, they return in 2009 with a new album entitled No Line on the Horizon.

Produced by longtime collaborators Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno with additional work from Steve Lillywhite and songs written by the band with Eno and Lanois. No Line on the Horizon is an album that continues U2's thematic quality of songs about love, God, and the world. Described as a gospel album of sorts while recalling the experiments of early 90s albums like Achtung Baby and Zootropa. The album is more in line with the band's past two albums in terms of its somber, lush production and performance. Yet, the result is what is truly the band's dullest album to date with no real sense of direction as they're starting to show their age.

The album opens with its title track, a shimmering, mid-tempo track with pulsating, tribal drumming from Larry Mullen Jr. With fuzz-driven, swooning guitars from the Edge and wobbly bass lines from Adam Clayton, it's Bono's wailing, raspy vocals filled with lyrics of love that drives the song. With its atmospheric, tingling production along with its smooth yet pulsating tempo, it's a song that proves U2 still has some juice in them as it mixes rock and Brian Eno's ambient-style presentation. The album's second single is the sweeping yet rhythmic Magnificent with its thumping back beat, growling and arpeggio-laden guitars, wobbly bass lines, and soft synthesizer flourishes. With Bono's calm vocals and dreamy lyrics, it's a song that shows the band delving into disco but with a great style and enthusiasm which includes an evocative slide-guitar solo from the Edge.

Moment Of Surrender is a seven-minute, twenty-second song with smooth, ambient-like flourishes courtesy of Brian Eno's keyboards and a slow, thumping drum track from Mullen. With Clayton's bass grooves and Bono's wailing vocals filled with reflective lyrics on love. It's a song that kind of drags in its time length and ambient presentation despite its performance along with the Edge's soft, ringing guitar. Unknown Caller is a track that starts off as a ballad with the Edge's arpeggio guitar flourishes and Clayton's wobbly bass lines. With Mullen's pulsating, sparse drumming that becomes a mid-tempo track of sorts along with Bono's calm vocals and gospel-like lyrics. The song is good though its production is too clean and calm in its performance along with Bono's lyrics which is a bit overbearing in its message.

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight is a mid-tempo ballad with the Edge's ringing guitar riffs, Mullen's thumping drums, Clayton's melodic bass lines, and Bono's swooning vocals about love and life. While it has a nice presentation despite some qualms in Bono's lyrics that are bit silly in its intentions. The album's first single is the upbeat, fuzzy Get On Your Boots led by pulsating rhythms, fuzzy guitars and bass riffs, it's a song that kind of goes well except for a bunch of things. The lyrics are very stupid as Bono tries to make a song that is sexy but fails while there's a section when the band sound for some reason, the British band Muse in the bridge of the song. The breaks get even more ridiculous during a point where Bono says "Let me in the sound" repeatedly with pulsating beats that just goes nowhere. Stand Up Comedy is an upbeat, mid-tempo rocker with driving guitar riffs, funky rhythms, and Bono's calm, wailing vocals. Yet, the song is not very memorable with its silly lyrics and polished production in some spots of the vocals and guitars along with its chorus as Bono wails in his vocals.

Fez-Being Born begins with distorted loops with ambient-like textures and repeated lyrics of "Let me in the sound" that is played throughout until it gets distorted into this ambient-flavored song of sorts. With shimmering guitars and throbbing rhythms, it's a song that has Bono delving into spiritual-laden lyrics with wailing vocals as it's a good song with great performance and musicianship despite a very misguided intro and polished production. White As Snow is a traditional song with new arrangements by the band, Eno, and Daniel Lanois with its somber, ambient flourishes with plucking guitar notes from the Edge. Bono sings cooly with the song though it's one of the least memorable songs on the record as it drags in its presentation despite some of guitar flourishes from the Edge and smooth rhythms from Clayton and Mullen.

Breathe is a mid-tempo song with Mullen's pulsating, hollow drums and the Edge's shimmering guitar that goes into driving power chords with Clayton's thumping bass and Bono's frenetic vocals. Featuring soft piano melodies in the background, it's a song that features inspiring lyrics as it's one of the album's best cuts due to its performance, production, and lyrical content. The album's closer is Cedars Of Lebanon is a smooth, ambient-inspired track with soft, pulsating drums from Mullen, Clayton's melodic bass, and the Edge's flourishing guitar. Yet, it's a track that is just dull in its musical presentation and production with Bono singing calmly but with the lyrics not carrying much depth as it comes out quite silly. With background voices in the song, it tries to be atmospheric but fails as it ends the album with a whimper.

Whenever U2 plans to release an album, it's always meant to be more than an album but rather than event as if they're claiming that the world's best band is back. Yet, there's some major problems with this record. It doesn't have a cohesive sense of direction with its emphasis on ambient music, rock songs, and dance-like tunes that makes the album feel uneven and also uninspiring. At the same time, the production feels very lazily as it tries to go for mood with a polished sound but it lacks a real sense of excitement and immediacy that worked in previous albums. Lyrically, U2 sticks to what they know and it seems like they had some ideas but some of it comes off either very silly or overbearing. Yet, in the case of the album's misguided first single Get Off Your Boots, it reaches the line of stupidity.

For all of U2's ambitions to maintain their status of the world's best band, that's the other problem. They're not the world's best band (that's Radiohead for 12 year running and without effort or care). The album seems to state that even though they still have a few great songs in them, they've become more of a band that is like a brand name than a real band. At the same time, for their sense of ambition and wanting to give audiences the kind of music and shows to put on. They risk themselves of becoming something that most bands don't want to be. Rock dinosaurs. With bands that want to be U2, there's definitely bands that don't want to be U2 because they don't want to make fools of themselves and make records that sounds very dull as the band is about to reach the age of 50.

No Line on the Horizon isn't really a bad album but not a great album that lives up to U2's standards. Audiences who have enjoyed some of the band's more pop-driven sounds of the past two albums might enjoy it, notably the song Magnificent which is one of their best singles. Audiences of more old-school U2 of the 80s and 90s will definitely be disappointed in its lack of direction and lazy production as they're now a band that has definitely lost its sense of focus. With plans for another album coming out later this year, it's clear that U2 aren't the same band they were in previous decades but rather a band that's gotten their ambitions over their head again. In the end, No Line on the Horizon is a sign that age is starting to creep into the mind of U2.

U2 Reviews: Studio Albums: (Boy) - (October) - (War) - (The Unforgettable Fire) - (The Joshua Tree) - (Rattle & Hum OST) - (Achtung Baby) - (Zooropa) - (Pop) - (All That You Can Leave Behind) - (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)

Compilations: (The Best of 1980-1990) - (The Best of 1990-2000) - (U218 Singles)

Live/Remix Albums: (Under the Blood Red Sky) - (Melon) - (Original Soundtracks 1) - (Hasta La Vista! Live from Mexico City) - (The Million Dollar Hotel OST)

Films: (Rattle & Hum) - From the Sky Down

(C) thevoid99 2011