Neglected to post about this yesterday, but: Damn! David Bowie! Sorry to see the man go! His influence ran deep for many, ourselves included.
What I can’t get over is the man’s dedication to his art. He was a performer who never stopped trying to innovate, never stopped seeking that next great sound, even as he grew into that age when most of his contemporaries had long since resigned themselves to nostalgia, or had lapsed into self-parody. Sick with cancer, and knowing the end was drawing near, he even recorded a final album — Blackstar — released on his 69th birthday, only three days before his death. And man, it’s some good, dense, forward-leaning stuff!
Man, only Bowie would see his own end coming, and embrace it as fodder for more art, race to complete just one more album before his death. I doubt there was any money on the line, or debts to settle. I just see an artist — an incomparable showman — ensuring himself a dramatic final-exit. Call it narcissism if you want, or call it commitment to one’s art. Whatever case, there’s no doubt about it: The man was the genuine article.
If you haven’t yet, check out the strange and awesome video for the strange and awesome title track, “Blackstar”: