''Never Let Me Down'' is the 17th studio album by English musician
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, released on 20 April 1987 through
EMI America Records
EMI America Records was started in 1978 by EMI as a second United States, US label next to Capitol Records. It absorbed Liberty Records in 1984. In the late 1980s, EMI America was consolidated with Manhattan Records to form EMI Manhattan Records ...
. After a series of miscellaneous projects, Bowie hoped to make his next record differently following his disappointment with ''
Tonight
Tonight may refer to:
Television
* ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC
* ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...
'' (1984). It was recorded at
Mountain Studios
Mountain Studios was a commercial recording studio founded by American singer and composer Anita Kerr and husband Alex Grob in 1975 within the Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. The studio was under the ownership of Queen and then long ...
in
Montreux
Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approximat ...
, Switzerland and the
Power Station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many p ...
in New York City from September to November 1986. It was co-produced by Bowie and
David Richards and featured contributions from
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...
on guitar. Musically, ''Never Let Me Down'' has been characterised as
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
,
art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...
and
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
; Bowie himself considered the record a return to rock and roll music. The cover artwork features Bowie surrounded by numerous elements from the songs.
Released with different runtimes on
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
and
CD, ''Never Let Me Down'' was a commercial success, peaking at No. 6 in the UK. Three
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
were released, all of which reached the UK Top 40. Despite this, the album was poorly received by fans and critics, with its production singled out for criticism. Bowie supported it on the
Glass Spider Tour
The Glass Spider Tour was a 1987 worldwide concert tour by English musician David Bowie, launched in support of his album '' Never Let Me Down'' and named for that album's track "Glass Spider". It began in May 1987 and was preceded by a two-wee ...
, named after one of the tracks, a world tour that was at that point the biggest, most theatrical and elaborate tour he had undertaken in his career. The tour, like the album, was commercially successful but critically panned. The critical failure of the album and tour were factors that led Bowie to look for a new way to motivate himself creatively, leading him to create the rock band
Tin Machine
Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988, and fronted by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The band consisted of Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on bass ...
in 1989; he did not release another solo album until ''
Black Tie White Noise
''Black Tie White Noise'' is the 18th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 5 April 1993 through Savage Records in the United States and Arista Records in the United Kingdom. Conceived following the disbandment of Bowi ...
'' in 1993.
Retrospectively, ''Never Let Me Down'' is generally regarded as one of Bowie's weakest releases, although his biographers consider it superior to ''Tonight''. One track, "Too Dizzy", has been deleted from subsequent reissues due to Bowie's dislike of it. Throughout his lifetime, Bowie was critical of ''Never Let Me Down'', distancing himself from the arrangement and production of the finished album. He expressed a desire to remake it numerous times, eventually remixing "
Time Will Crawl
"Time Will Crawl" is a song recorded by English singer David Bowie, serving as the second single for his seventeenth album, '' Never Let Me Down'' (1987). It was written by Bowie and produced by him and David Richards. Released in 1987 by EM ...
" for inclusion on his career retrospective ''
iSelect'' (2008). Its remixer,
Mario J. McNulty
Mario J. McNulty (born December 1978) is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer and audio engineer based in New York City, United States. He has worked with David Bowie, Prince (musician), Prince, Nine Inch Nails, The B-52s, Julian Lenn ...
, brought Bowie's idea to remake the whole album to fruition in 2018. Released as part of the box set ''
Loving the Alien (1983–1988)
''Loving the Alien (1983–1988)'' is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 12 October 2018. A follow-up to the compilations ''Five Years (1969–1973)'', ''Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)'', and ''A New Career in a ...
'', ''
Never Let Me Down 2018'' features new production and instrumentation over Bowie's original vocals. Reviewers consider the new version an improvement over the original album.
Background and development
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
's rise in fame and success from ''
Let's Dance'' and the
Serious Moonlight Tour
The Serious Moonlight Tour was a worldwide concert tour by English musician David Bowie, launched in May 1983 in support of his album '' Let's Dance'' (1983). The tour opened at the Vorst Forest Nationaal, Brussels, on 18 May 1983 and ended in ...
in 1983 made him feel disconnected from his newfound fanbase. After the poor reception of 1984's ''
Tonight
Tonight may refer to:
Television
* ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC
* ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...
'', he worked on a series of miscellaneous projects that included collaborations with the
Pat Metheny Group
The Pat Metheny Group was an American jazz band founded in 1977. The core members of the group were guitarist, composer and bandleader Pat Metheny; and keyboardist and composer Lyle Mays, who was in the group at its inception. Other long-standi ...
for "
This Is Not America
"This Is Not America" is a song by English singer David Bowie and American jazz fusion band Pat Metheny Group, taken from the soundtrack to the 1985 film ''The Falcon and the Snowman''. It was released as a single in February 1985, reaching numb ...
" (from the soundtrack to the film ''
The Falcon and the Snowman
''The Falcon and the Snowman'' is a 1985 American spy drama film directed by John Schlesinger. The screenplay by Steven Zaillian is based on the 1979 book ''The Falcon and the Snowman: A True Story of Friendship and Espionage'' by Robert Lin ...
'') and
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
for "
Dancing in the Street
"Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...
". He also continued acting and composing for film soundtracks such as ''
Absolute Beginners'' (1985) and ''
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...
'' (1986).
Wanting another record,
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
compiled a compilation of 12" mixes from ''Let's Dance'' and ''Tonight'' following Bowie's successful performance at
Live Aid
Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...
in 1985. Titled ''Dance'', it reached the artwork stage before being shelved. In mid-1986, Bowie produced and co-wrote multiple tracks with his old friend
Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
for his solo album ''
Blah-Blah-Blah'', and recorded the
title song
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
of the 1986 film ''
When the Wind Blows'' with Turkish musician
Erdal Kızılçay
Erdal Kızılçay (born c. 1950) is a multi-instrumentalist musician of Turkish birth. He has worked with, among others, David Bowie. He plays bass guitar, oud, drums, keyboards, trumpet and violin. He lives in Aegerten, Switzerland.
Work with ...
, before commencing work on his next studio record.
Writing and recording
![Picswiss VD-45-24](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Picswiss_VD-45-24.jpg)
Bowie spent mid-1986 in his home in Switzerland writing songs with Iggy Pop.
He bought a Foster 16-track and AHB mixing console to record elaborate home
demos
Demos may refer to:
Computing
* DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system
* DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR
* Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems
* plural for Demo (computer programming)
...
, which he recorded with Kızılçay before regrouping with a full band.
Having worked together sporadically since 1982, Bowie greatly appreciated Kızılçay's musicianship, proclaiming, "He can switch from
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
to
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
to
French horn
The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...
, vibes, percussion, whatever... His knowledge of rock music begins and ends with
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
! His background is really
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
." During the sessions, Kızılçay played keyboards and
synthesiser
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
s and, according to biographer Chris O'Leary, "provided any sound" Bowie requested. Unlike the sessions for ''Tonight'',
Bowie encouraged collaboration for the new album's sessions, mainly wanting "better" versions of his home demos.
![Peter Frampton at the 2011 Ottawa Bluesfest (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Peter_Frampton_at_the_2011_Ottawa_Bluesfest_%28cropped%29.jpg)
''Never Let Me Down'' was recorded between September and November 1986, beginning at
Mountain Studios
Mountain Studios was a commercial recording studio founded by American singer and composer Anita Kerr and husband Alex Grob in 1975 within the Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. The studio was under the ownership of Queen and then long ...
in
Montreux
Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approximat ...
, Switzerland, and completing at the
Power Station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many p ...
in New York City.
It was co-produced by Bowie and
David Richards; both had co-produced ''Blah-Blah-Blah'' and the latter previously engineered ''
"Heroes"'' (1977). ''Let's Dance'' engineer
Bob Clearmountain
Bob Clearmountain (born January 15, 1953) is an American recording engineer, mixer and record producer. He has worked with many major acts, including Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Toto, Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, with whom he has a very ...
returned for ''Never Let Me Down''. According to Bowie, he was responsible for the album's "great, forceful sound". Returning from the ''Tonight'' sessions was regular collaborator
Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar (born 7 May 1951) is a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican guitarist. He is best known for his work with David Bowie from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, having played on more Bowie albums than any musician other than pianist Mike Garso ...
on guitar,
Carmine Rojas
Carmine Rojas (February 14, 1953) is an American bass guitarist, musical director and composer. His musical styles include rock, R&B/funk, and jazz.
Music career
Early years, as sideman
Born in Brooklyn, Rojas toured the world with David Bowie ...
on bass and a group of saxophonists known as the Borneo Horns. With Kızılçay, they were joined on lead guitar by Bowie's former classmate
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...
, whom Bowie hired after listening to his latest record ''
Premonition
A premonition is a feeling that some event will happen, typically a forewarning of something unwelcome.
Premonition(s) or The Premonition may also refer to:
Film and television
* "Premonition" (''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''), an episode of ' ...
'' (1986). He stated at the time, "I always thought it'd be good to work with him 'cause I was so impressed with him as a guitarist at school." Frampton played on all but three tracks; lead guitar duties for "
Day-In Day-Out
"Day-In Day-Out" is a song recorded by English singer David Bowie, serving as the opening track for his seventeenth studio album, '' Never Let Me Down'' (1987). It was issued as a single on 23 March 1987 ahead of the record's release. The reco ...
", "
Time Will Crawl
"Time Will Crawl" is a song recorded by English singer David Bowie, serving as the second single for his seventeenth album, '' Never Let Me Down'' (1987). It was written by Bowie and produced by him and David Richards. Released in 1987 by EM ...
" and a cover of Iggy Pop's "
Bang Bang
Bang Bang or Bang Bang Bang or similar may refer to:
Food
* Bang bang chicken, a Chinese dish
*Bang bang shrimp, a Chinese dish
People
* Abdul Razzaq (cricketer) (born 1979), nicknamed Bang Bang Razzaq
* Bang Bang (Dubliner) (1906–1981), ...
" were done by
Sid McGinnis
Sidney Foster "Sid" McGinnis (born October 6, 1949) is an American musician and guitarist, best known for his work on the CBS television show ''Late Show with David Letterman'', as part of the CBS Orchestra.
The Pittsburgh-born guitarist made hi ...
, a some-time member of
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...
's band. For the first time since 1980's ''
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)'', Bowie played instruments in addition to singing,
contributing keyboards, synthesiser and rhythm guitar on some tracks, and played lead guitar on "New York's in Love" and "87 and Cry".
The band worked from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.. Kızılçay recalled Bowie being "very disciplined" during the sessions and "always" trying new things.
Bowie, Richards and Kızılçay recorded backing tracks at Mountain for the first two weeks, after which Alomar and Frampton were flown in for guitar overdubs. Sessions then moved to the Power Station, where horns and backing vocalists were added, with additional percussion from Errol "Crusher" Bennett. According to Richards, these were elements that Bowie said "you can only get in New York". Regarding Bennett's contributions, Richards recalled: "
eet all his 'bangers' and 'scrapers' on a table, which I miked at each end. So whenever he moved around, the sounds would pan with him, creating some strange spatial effects." The majority of Bowie's vocals were taken from guide vocals recorded at Mountain, although some were later redone at the Power Station. Richards explained that most of
he guidevocals were so good and had such great spontaneity that they ended up on the record." "
Never Let Me Down
''Never Let Me Down'' is the 17th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 20 April 1987 through EMI America Records. After a series of miscellaneous projects, Bowie hoped to make his next record differently following his ...
" was a last-minute addition to the album, written and recorded in one day during the last week of mixing at the Power Station. Actor
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films.
During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...
also performed the mid-song
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
for "Shining Star (Makin' My Love)". The two had met in London where the actor was based while filming ''
A Prayer for the Dying
''A Prayer for the Dying'' is a 1987 thriller film about a former IRA member trying to escape his past. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Bob Hoskins, and Alan Bates. The film is based on the 1973 Jack ...
'' (1987) and requested to contribute. Two tracks were recorded that ended up as
B-sides
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
, "
Julie
Julie may refer to:
* Julie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name
Film and television
* ''Julie'' (1956 film), an American film noir starring Doris Day
* ''Julie'' (1975 film), a Hindi film by K. S. Sethumadhava ...
" and "
Girls
A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...
", the latter of which was briefly considered for inclusion on ''Never Let Me Down'' in late 1986.
Songs
The music on ''Never Let Me Down'' has been characterised as
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
,
art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...
and
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
.
At the time, Bowie said the musical styles reflected the different styles he wrote with over the preceding years, and further stated the sound and style was reminiscent of ''Scary Monsters'' and less like its immediate predecessors,
calling it "an eclectic hybrid of long-standing influences and personal nostalgia." At the time, a writer for
the Canadian Press
The Canadian Press (CP; french: La Presse canadienne, ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Pre ...
considered the record "a basic serving of high-energy, guitar rock", representing a departure from his "adventurous" late 1970s works and the "
R&B-flavoured" ''Let's Dance''.
Biographer
Paul Trynka
Paul Trynka is a British rock journalist and author. He was the editor of the music magazine ''Mojo'' from 1999 to 2003, and has also worked as editorial director of '' Q'' and editor of ''International Musician''. In 2004, he edited publisher D ...
says the record contains mostly "conventional music, lyrics and sounds".
Side one
The opening track, "Day-In Day-Out", offers the artist's commentary on the treatment of the homeless in Los Angeles. Author James E. Perone states that the song is a good example of Bowie's experimentation with the R&B genre. "Time Will Crawl" was inspired by the
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is one of only two nuc ...
and the idea that someone from one's own neighborhood could be responsible for the end of the world. Compared to
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
's "
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
", Bowie said his vocals on the song were indebted to
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...
, and noted that the variety of voices he used on the album were a nod to the musicians who had influenced him in the past.
Bowie called "Beat of Your Drum" a
Lolita
''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humber ...
song, a "reflection on young girls... 'Christ, she's only 14 years old, but jail's worth it!'"
Biographer
Nicholas Pegg
Nicholas Pegg is a British actor, writer and director. Educated at Nottingham High School and graduating with a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Exeter, Pegg subsequently trained at the Guildford School of Acting.
Acti ...
, who called the song one of the album's better tracks, noted that it could be called a "direct ancestor", both lyrically and musically, to
Tin Machine
Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988, and fronted by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The band consisted of Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on bass ...
's "
You Belong in Rock n' Roll" (1991). Perone finds it resembles the contemporary
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
craze, while further exhibiting
punk rock influences.
The title track is about Bowie's long-time personal assistant, Coco Schwab. The song's direct reference to her acts as a counterpoint to the rest of the songs, which the artist felt were mostly allegorical.
Bowie attributed his vocal performance to
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
.
One reviewer later called it one of Bowie's "most underrated songs".
"Zeroes", which ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''s Steve Pond called the most heartening and successful track on the album,
is a nostalgia trip. Bowie explained: "I wanted to put in every 60s cliche I could think of! 'Stopping and preaching and letting love in,' all those things. I hope there's a humorous undertone to it. But the subtext is definitely that the trappings of rock are not what they're made out to be."
Musically, the track features a
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
reminiscent of
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
's work with the Beatles and references Bowie's earlier songs "
Diamond Dogs
''Diamond Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 24 May 1974 through RCA Records. Bowie produced the album and recorded it in early 1974 at Olympic and Island Studios in London and Ludolph Studios i ...
" (1974) and "
Heroes
Heroes or Héroes may refer to:
* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good
Film
* ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama
* ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film
Gaming
* ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
" (1977) in its music and title, respectively.
Side two
![Mickey Rourke Tribeca 2009 Shankbone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Mickey_Rourke_Tribeca_2009_Shankbone.jpg)
"Glass Spider" marks a return to the
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
of Bowie's late 1970s
Berlin Trilogy
The Berlin Trilogy consists of three studio albums by English musician David Bowie: '' Low'', '' "Heroes"'' (both 1977) and '' Lodger'' (1979). The trilogy originated following Bowie's move from Los Angeles, California, to Europe to rid himsel ...
, as well as influences of
psychedelic folk
Psychedelic folk (sometimes acid folk or freak folk) is a loosely defined form of psychedelia that originated in the 1960s. It retains the largely acoustic instrumentation of folk, but adds musical elements common to psychedelic music.
Chara ...
and
heavy metal. It presents a mythological story based on a documentary Bowie had seen about
black widow spiders, describing how they lay the skeletons of their prey out on their webs. Echoing the ''
Diamond Dogs
''Diamond Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 24 May 1974 through RCA Records. Bowie produced the album and recorded it in early 1974 at Olympic and Island Studios in London and Ludolph Studios i ...
'' track "
Future Legend" (1974), he thought that the Glass Spider's web would make a good enclosure for a
concert tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
, thus giving the
supporting tour its name and stage dressing. Bowie described "Shining Star (Makin' My Love)" as one that "reflects back-to-street situations, and how people are trying to get together in the face of so many disasters and catastrophes, socially around them, never knowing if they're going to survive it themselves. The one thing they have got to cling on to is each other; although it might resolve into something terrible, it's the only thing that they've got. It's just a little love song coming out of that environment."
He rejected the notion that his "high, little" voice (which he attributed to
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...
) in the song was a new character, instead saying it was just what the song needed, as he had tried the song in his regular voice and did not like the outcome: "That never bothered me, changing voices to suit a song. You can fool about with it."
"New York's in Love" is a
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
track that Bowie described as a sarcastic song about the vanity of big cities.
Pegg later called it "a strong contender for the...
wooden spoon Wooden Spoon may refer to:
* Wooden spoon, implement
* Wooden spoon (award)
A wooden spoon is an award that is given to an individual or team that has come last in a competition. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous e ...
" of the album.
"87 & Cry" was written as a statement about then-UK
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
, referring to the distinction between the authoritarian government and the citizens. Bowie acknowledged that the lyrics verged on the surreal, describing people "eating the energies of others to get to what they wanted."
"Too Dizzy" was the first song Bowie and Kızılçay wrote together for the album and was written in homage to the
1950s
The 1950s (pronounced nineteen-fifties; commonly abbreviated as the "Fifties" or the " '50s") (among other variants) was a decade that began on January 1, 1950, and ended on December 31, 1959.
Throughout the decade, the world continued its re ...
. The former said, "a real Fifties subject matter was either love or jealousy, so I thought I'd stick with jealousy because it's a lot more interesting". Bowie covered Iggy Pop's "Bang Bang", which originally flopped as a single, for ''Never Let Me Down'' as he felt it could be a hit. For his version, Bowie imitated Pop in his vocal performance, while lyrically, it contains themes present in other album tracks. Perone compares Bowie's version to the work of
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talkin ...](_blank)
'
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
.
Release
EMI America Records
EMI America Records was started in 1978 by EMI as a second United States, US label next to Capitol Records. It absorbed Liberty Records in 1984. In the late 1980s, EMI America was consolidated with Manhattan Records to form EMI Manhattan Records ...
released "Day-In Day-Out" as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
to the album on 23 March 1987, with "Julie" as the B-side. The single performed decently in both the UK and the US, peaking at Nos. 17 and 21, respectively. The song's
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
, directed by
Julien Temple
Julien Temple (born 26 November 1953) is a British film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll ...
, contained controversial content and was banned by some networks. A version of the song sung in Spanish, recorded to promote Bowie's first-ever concerts in Spain during the Glass Spider Tour, was released for the first time in 2007 when the "Day-In Day-Out"
EP was released digitally.
''Never Let Me Down'' followed a month later on 20 April 1987, with the catalogue number and . It was released in a variety of different formats, and was the first Bowie record to feature simultaneous releases on
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
and
CD. Both of these formats had different lengths in the runtime, with four tracks on the CD release up to a minute longer. In Australia, the album appeared on blue vinyl and in Japan, a Japanese vocal version of the outtake "Girls" was included. The cover artwork was designed by Mike Haggerty, who designed the artworks for ''Let's Dance'' and ''Tonight'',
and taken by photographer
Greg Gorman
Greg Gorman (born 1949) is an American portrait photographer of Hollywood celebrities. His work has been seen in national magazine features and covers, including ''Esquire'', '' GQ'', ''Interview'', ''Life'', ''Vogue'', ''Newsweek'', ''Rolling Ston ...
. It was described by Bowie as being in a "vaudevillian" style. It depicts the long-haired Bowie jumping through a circus ring surrounded by elements from the album's songs, including a drum, a skyscraper, a "candyfloss" cloud, and an angel from the "Day-In Day-Out" music video.
Initial sales of the album were strong, peaking at No. 6 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, but dropped off disappointingly. Bowie was not concerned with the album's relative poor performance in the charts, saying "I've made about 20 albums during my career, and so far this is my third biggest seller. So I can't be that disappointed, yet, it is a letdown that it hasn't been as buoyant as it should be.... But I don’t really feel that negative about it. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the better albums I've made. As I've said, ''Never Let Down'' has been a pretty big seller for me. So I'm quite happy."
"Time Will Crawl" was released as the second single from the album in June 1987, backed by "Girls". It stalled on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, peaking at No. 33. Bowie pre-recorded a performance of the song for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
'', although it was not aired at the time, as the single subsequently fell down the charts. Its accompanying music video was directed by
and previewed some of the choreography of the upcoming tour.
The title track was released as the album's third single in August 1987, with "'87 and Cry" as the B-side. It peaked at No. 34 in the UK and No. 7 in the US. Its accompanying music video was directed by
and was described by Bowie as "experimental". "Shining Star" was one of Bowie's early choices to be a single, but the idea was rejected by EMI.
when the "Never Let Me Down" EP was released digitally in 2007. EMI briefly considered "Too Dizzy" for release as a fourth single, instead appearing as a promo release in the US.
Contemporary reviews of the album were mixed. In ''
'', Ira Robbins wrote, "although this casual loud-rock outing... seems on first blush to be slapdash and slight, the first side is actually quite good, offering provocative
lyrics delivered with first-take enthusiasm and carefree backing." The Canadian Press's Tim O'Connor praised ''Never Let Me Down'' as an improvement over the "unfocused disaster" ''Tonight'', finding the musical styles "suit
him well" and concluded: "It's not so dazzling or powerful an album that it will set any styles, but it's good to hear Bowie kicking out the jams again."
'', Steve Gett hailed the record as "unquestionably" Bowie's finest work up to that point, highlighting "Day-In Day-Out", "Time Will Crawl", the title track and "Shining Star". Another reviewer called it "a welcome return to form for the ever-ambitious Bowie". The magazine's year-retrospective issue called it "arguably the year's most underrated release" and considered the album a "Critic's Choice" for the year.
Other reviews were more negative. Chris William of the ''
'' primarily criticised the lack of innovation, finding elements from Bowie's entire career. He further stated that none of the tracks are among Bowie's best—calling "Day-In Day-Out" "the most useless single of Bowie's career"—and ultimately expected more from the artist.
'', Tom Hibbert deemed the album dull and full of "contrived studio jams", giving sole praise to "Bang Bang".
'' magazine called the album "an inspired and brilliantly crafted work. It's charged with a positive spirit that makes art soul food; imbued with the contagious energy that gives ideas a leg to dance on",
but two years later a different reviewer from the same magazine called it "disappointing".
''Rolling Stone'' Steve Pond called the work an "odd, freewheeling pastiche of elements from all the previous Bowies", "unfocused", and possibly "the noisiest, sloppiest Bowie album ever.... Being noisy and sloppy isn't necessarily a bad thing, but sad to say, ''Never Let Me Down'' is also something of a mess."