****ing A.

Dude kept changing and evolving. Enjoy the journey.

David Bowie - Blackstar (album review ) | Sputnikmusic

I agree with this bit:

If there is a better album this year, it'll be pretty fucking good.

The RYM rating is rapidly rising. Won't be surprised if it's over 4 soon.
Oh and the star ratings in reviews are now black.
Pretty sure that's a tribute and not the new design.

Think so, it's a really nice, subtle tribute. Also, all of the front page reviews are Bowie albums.

You think when Robert Christgau dies, the rating system would change to his temporarily? THat would be really confusing. Mentioning that since he uses black stars.

I never understood his system too awfully well. That'd be hell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqW-kvU5cLg

tbh.

This album is definitely one of the best of his career imo.

I can't believe I'm saying this, becuase I didn't expect to. But the album was a great way to... end... his career.

That hurt.

This albums has been growing on me rapidly. At first I wasn't too sure but that was mostly due to the low quality of the files I was listening to. Blackstar improved immensely once I heard my friend's CD. I am now in awe of the first four tracks.....and the last 3 have grown on me. I fully expext this album to not only make my best of 2016 list but still be in my top ten by years end.

I'm pretty certain that the album will be getting a spot on those Rolling Stone best albums lists.

This will be the first time Rolling Stone and I agree on any modern music other Mastodon.

It's a 4.00 on RYM now. Wonder how far it'll rise.

Jean Genie, Major Tom, Satellite of Love, Ziggy... that's four Bowie references in one song.

If that. There hasn't been a single album from the 2010's on RYM that's kept a 4.00 average unless you count live albums which don't get as many ratings.

Let's not infect this thread with Def Leppard, it's disrespectful.

Leave Pride Rock and never return

Huh... Never noticed that.

Sort of implies that the only way an album gets a 4 or above is through rose-colored nostalgia goggles

Might be.
But probably also because fanbases aren't as big and monolithic nowadays, since music is much more diversified.

To be fair, the album is elevated in context. I increased my rating after hearing it again because suddenly the lyrical/musical content was so much more meaningful.

^

Not to mention, the classic albums have been around longer to get that kind of "classic" notoriety. And most of the modern live albums are classic bands, anyway.

I'm so glad I can prove through notarized screenshots from this thread that I liked Blackstar before it was cool.

:cool:

Rated 4.4 on Sputnik, only Ziggy is rated higher.

It's also got one of the highest ever user scores on Metacritic with 9.3.

I like Blackstar. I've heard it maybe 3 or 4 times and it's a comfortable 4/5 for me. Definitely the best thing since Scary Monsters.

A more likely explanation is that newer albums have more breadth of exposure once they become highly rated or popular enough (i.e. trending), often to people who wouldn't normally listen to that kind of music. Consider the number of metalheads who have given recent Kanye and Kendrick albums a spin (maybe because they saw them mentioned on Pitchfork or whatever)... their evaluations probably lower the average, on average. Meanwhile, someone who listens predominantly to indie or soul has little incentive to check out a 70s Blue Oyster Cult album, leaving it to be rated by people who are more likely to be partial towards that kind of music (or people who already like it)

In a similar vein, people have more reason to react negatively to things which are injected into their spheres. Using RYM as an example, think of the number of people who give 0.5 star ratings to bands/artists perceived as shitty (Limp Bizkit, Disturbed, Shakira etc.), often in a knee jerk fit of rage after being reminded of their existence (via radio perhaps), igniting repressed and deep seated hatred originally caused by being subjected to their music when it first came out. Or the kvlt metalheads who reflexively slam Opeth for being 'fag metal' on principle. Or the people who downrate a trending Arcade Fire or Fleet Foxes album, on principle on account of it being indie. I suspect older albums are less susceptible to the sphere effect and clique treatment.

Then there's the consideration that many of the mediocre/crap albums of the past have been weeded out by the sands of time, such that the albums of the past which are talked about are effectively the better than average subset of albums from the era.

And I suppose seniority leads to positive bias too. Older bands/artists can enjoy a golden status, established by virtue of how long they've been around. A conservative rater will feel that they can more safely dish out a higher rating to an established band and be convinced of its fairness, given that it's already been curated by hordes of others.

Ok, that was far more than I intended to say.

Apparently Bowie's death led to RYM's highest ever daily traffic.

Same. :laughing:

Speaking of which, did anyone else look at the Amazon music charts on January 11-12? Bowie had the top three spots and about fifteen of the top twenty. I'm kinda regretting not taking a screenshot.

Listening to Blackstar on my speakers for the first time now. That's one amazingly well produced album.


Bowie exploded pretty much all possible charts.
Blackstar is expected to become the number one in Germany as well when the charts are announced later today.
Feels surprisingly good to be part of the musical mainstream again after almost 15 years of listening to unpopular stuff.

I wonder if my local rock station is playing any Bowie. They'd never have touched him in a million years, but considering the tragedy/potential for ratings, there's a fair chance they might replace one of the five Metallica songs an hour with a Bowie track or two.

David Bowie albums make up 25% of top 40 - BBC News

Official Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company

#js

Hope it's not just old people being nostalgic, but also younger people finding out about him and exploring his music. Especially women. Liking Bowie is hot.

I'm seeing a lot of new Bowie fans on my facebook feed so I'd say it's probably both.

I don't.
Need new friends.

23 year old here...been a Bowie fan ever since I can remember.

Blackstar is...epic.

Apparently, if you leave the album out in the sun, the star becomes a galaxy.

http://i.imgur.com/DWfh36Jl.jpg

Genius.

I'm guessing that's vinyl only.

I only have the CD.

Still cool.

Yeah, please don't leave your CDs laying out in the sun.

Favourite tracks on this would be Sue, Lazarus and Girl Loves Me.

Now that the smoke has settled, I believe that the title track is a top 5 Bowie track.