New Bowie

I've been listening to David Bowie since 8th grade. Let's call it the mid eighties. The first album I ever owned by Bowie was called "ChangesOneBowie." It was on cassette and I remember that the song "John, I'm only dancing" confused me like nothing else had before.

I ordered the new Bowie album called 'Reality' from my favorite website for CD purchasing, Cheap CD's. I got it a few days ago and I've played it once a day since then.

When I initially listened to it on the sound system here at home I wasn't crazy about it. Bowie is like Tom Waits. Each album I buy by Waits or Bowie I initially don't like. My expectations are too high, I imagine.

I'm a headphone guy. I firmly believe you can't fully appreciate a piece of music unless you play it in your headphones. I've been playing new Bowie album while waiting for and riding the bus and on my ten-minute walk from the bus stop to work. And I like it. I like it a lot. It's not a great album. It's almost unfortunate that so much of Bowie's previous work is great because even a really really really really really really really really really really good album like this one pales when compated to "Ziggy Stardust," "Alladin Sane" and "Hunky Dory." Not many recording artists have had runs like that.

If you don't already enjoy Bowie you probably won't like this album because you won't give it the time it deserves to wrap itself around you. But if you dig Bowie, like me, you'll start to love it after a few days.