It is real or is it Ziggy? Before his time was up, the singer had any number of tricks up his sleeve. Never one to turn away from a challenge, the celebrated Thin White Duke just kept coming back stronger, despite that fact that he managed to churn out almost as much forgettable music as he has memorable. Heathen, released in 2002, was exceptional in its breadth and sparkle. Reality, released the following year, prolongs the energy and then some.
Bowie and producer Tony Visconti are once again rolling the dice with a modicum of design and sustenance. Right off the bat, the stunning tightness of “New Killer Star” sets the stage for the Jonathan Richman-penned “Pablo Picasso,” an exotic hip-shaker written with a wild Spanish guitar solo, and “Never Get Old,” which boasts a hypnotic refrain that manages to, uh, never get old.
Other numbers like “Looking For Water,” “She’ll Drive The Big Car” and “Fall Dog Bombs The Man” harken back to the singer’s 70s glamour days, while occasional deviations from the fray like the tasteful cover of George Harrison’s “Try Some, Buy Some,” and the lulling, mendacious “Bring Me The Disco King” give the CD a nice and sagacious stability. Clearly on Reality, Bowie and his band sound revitalized and ripe for what was supposed to a new phase in a dazzling career.
Unfortunately, the tour behind Reality would be Bowie’s last, and a follow-up wouldn’t come for another 10 years. Big sellers and incredible works in their own way, both 2013’s The Next Day and 2016’s Blackstar, the singer’s final studio released, didn’t quite pack the same gutsy, punch as Reality. Often lost in the shuffle of 26 albums, it’s definitely a lost gem worthy of another spin. And a reminder of the genius of David Bowie.
~ Shawn Perry
