Something in The Air David Bowie

Since David Bowie spent the '90s jumping from style to style, it comes as a shock that Hours, his final album of the decade, is a relatively straightforward affair. Not only that, but it feels unlike anything else in his catalog. Bowie's music has always been a product of artifice, intelligence, and synthesis. Hours is a relaxed, natural departure from this method. Arriving after two labored albums, the shift in tone is quite refreshing. "Thursday's Child," the album's engaging mid-tempo opener, is a good indication of what lays ahead. It feels like classic Bowie, yet recalls no specific era of his career. For the first time, Bowie has absorbed all the disparate strands of his music, from Hunky Dory through Earthling. That doesn't mean Hours is on par with his earlier masterworks; it never attempts to be that bold.

Since David Bowie spent the '90s jumping from style to style, it comes as a shock that Hours, his final album of the decade, is a relatively straightforward affair. Not only that, but it feels unlike anything else in his catalog. Bowie's music has always been a product of artifice, intelligence, and synthesis…

Since David Bowie spent the '90s jumping from style to style, it comes as a shock that Hours, his final album of the decade, is a relatively straightforward affair. Not only that, but it feels unlike anything else in his catalog. Bowie's music has always been a product of artifice, intelligence, and synthesis. Hours is a relaxed, natural departure from this method. Arriving after two labored albums, the shift in tone is quite refreshing. "Thursday's Child," the album's engaging mid-tempo opener, is a good indication of what lays ahead. It feels like classic Bowie, yet recalls no specific era of his career. For the first time, Bowie has absorbed all the disparate strands of his music, from Hunky Dory through Earthling. That doesn't mean Hours is on par with his earlier masterworks; it never attempts to be that bold.

Since David Bowie spent the '90s jumping from style to style, it comes as a shock that Hours, his final album of the decade, is a relatively straightforward affair. Not only that, but it feels unlike anything else in his catalog. Bowie's music has always been a product of artifice, intelligence, and synthesis. Hours is a relaxed, natural departure from this method…

David Bowie - Hours… (1999)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 336 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 106 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300dpi (jpg) -> 47 Mb
© 1999 Virgin Records | 7243 8 48157 2 1
Rock / Pop / Experimental Rock

Ranked #30 in Mojo Magazine's "Best of 1999"

"Thursday's Child" was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. After releasing the techno industrial, Trent Reznor-influenced EARTHLING in 1997, David Bowie came back down to Earth on HOURS. And although this album has an ambient feel and contains its share of loops and programming, it is organic overall. HOURS manages to be cutting edge and personal at the same time. "Thursday's Child," a commercial-sounding single, uses strings and synthesizers to create an atmospheric feel. Credible solo performer Holly Palmer lends her strong voice to the track. "Something in the Air" features the restrained yet effective guitar talents of Reeves Gabrels, who has previously worked with Bowie on his solo material and in Tin Machine. "Survive" is a beautiful tune that features both Mellotron and an acoustic intro and ending. "If I'm Dreaming My Life" features the formidable rhythm guitar of Chris Haskett, who has given the Rollins band its metallic crunch. The dark rocker "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell" is also another standout track. The subdued feel of HOURS shows a classic rocker who is at ease and introspective. Not one to rest on his laurels, David Bowie continues to put out vital material.

Triple CD box set that houses three studio albums from the Rock pioneer. From Bowie's more recent career this album collection features Outside 1995 (his reunion with Brian Eno), 1997s Earthling and Hours… from 1999. Includes the singles 'Hallo Spaceboy' and 'Little Wonder'.