NEVER LET ME DOWN

"Never Let Me Down" is just one of many Bowie albums that have been hated in retrospect. David Bowie described the album as his worst, and many fans are disappointed. But though this album may not be pioneering, it is a pleasant listening experience with some great pop tunes.

The album starts with the first single "Day-In, Day-Out", a great track which deals with the struggles of life in American cites at the time. The next tracks is "Time Will Crawl", the second single from the album. This is one of the best tracks on the album, with a great beat and interesting lyrics. "Beat Of Your Drum" is not great, a cliche 80s track with a similar feel to Cat People from Let's Dance, revived only by the intro. "Never Let Me Down" is a very pleasant track, but the lyrics are pretty cheesy and the chorus is somewhat insensitive to the rest of the song. "Zeroes" is one of my all time favourite Bowie tracks, and definitely my favourite on the album. It is a great summary of 80's Bowie, the heavy drum beat, great guitar, and that feeling that only Bowie can achieve in his music.

The second side begins with "Glass Spider", a typical "creepy Bowie" track. Is an excellent track, a wash of atmospheric synths, great guitar and of course Bowie's menacing voice. The song reminiscent of something from Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason. "Shining Star" is an incredibly melancholic song, which I believe to be a song about being in love with a drug addict. "New York's In love" is a good track, with a disco feeling that lasts throughout the rest of the album. "87 And Cry" is a boring disco tune that drags a little. "Too Dizzy" is a nice track, though it stands as little more than a good David Bowie pop tune. The album ends with "Bang Bang", a boring and weird end to the album. The album is another Iggy Pop cover, but it is truly unnecessary and leaves us with a feeling of dissatisfaction.

This album is a great listen with some excellent tracks such as "Time Will Crawl" and "Zeroes", but as far as prog, it is not essential. 3 stars. Peace!