January 10, 2019

1,000,001 CDs 14: David Bowie ‎– ★ (Blackstar) by Barnbrook

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photos by Styrous®

This has started out to be a good year for me as far as music goes because of presents I got for Christmas (link below); this CD by David Bowie, ‎– ★ (Blackstar), given to me by my brother, Ken, was one of them.    






This article is not about David Bowie, who died two years ago today, nor the music on this album; there is PLENTY of information about both already out there (links below). As with my article about the Hawkwind album (link below), it is about the album itself, which was designed by Jonathan Barnbrook (links below).    
      
Barnbrook also designed the sleeves for Reality and The Next Day, both by Bowie. He has done covers for John Foxx, Tuxedomoon and Cult with No Name.        

The Blackstar album is an extraordinary study in black on black; hard to read and almost impossible to photograph as is the booklet, with amazing and beautiful but spooky photos by Jimmy King and Johan Renck, that accompany it. The photos perfectly reflect the bizarre and unnerving lyrics and foreboding of the music.

The videos for the songs, ‎– ★ (Blackstar) and Lazarus are REALLY bizarre, unnerving and even creepy (links below); they reflect the illness Bowie was suffering. They are not easy to watch.     



 




















Blackstar is the only album by David Bowie to top the Billboard 200 in the United States. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, the album won awards for Best Recording Package. The album was also awarded the British Album of the Year at the 2017 Brit Awards, and Metacritic named it the most critically acclaimed album of the year by music publications.             

       


The Booklet





















There have been other albums designed totally in black, Prince (link below), Murray Roman (link below), Metallica (link below) and Spın̈al Tap are a few that come to mind.      
     
Tony Visconti, who co-produced Blackstar with Bowie, described the album as Bowie's swan song and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death on January 10, 2016, two days after the album was released.             
  




Tracklist:

1 - ★ (Blackstar) - 9:57
2 - 'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore - 4:52
3 - Lazarus - 4:22
4 - Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) - 4:40
5 - Girl Loves Me - 4:51
6 - Dollar Days - 4:44
7 - I Can't Give Everything Away - 5:47

Companies, etc.

    Licensed To – Columbia Records
    Distributed By – Columbia Records
    Phonographic Copyright (p) – ISO Records
    Copyright (c) – ISO Records
    Published By – Nipple Music
    Published By – MSF Music
    Recorded At – The Magic Shop
    Recorded At – Human Worldwide Studios
    Mixed At – Electric Lady Studios
    Mastered At – Sterling Sound
    Pressed By – Sony DADC

Credits:

    Arranged By [String Arrangement] – David Bowie (tracks: 1)
    Backing Vocals – Erin Tonkon (tracks: 2)
    Bass – Tim Lefebvre
    Design – Barnbrook
    Drums, Percussion – Mark Guiliana
    Engineer – Erin Tonkon, Kabir Hermon, Kevin Killen, Tony Visconti
    Guitar – Ben Monder
    Guitar [Fender] – David Bowie (tracks: 3)
    Mastered By – Joe LaPorta
    Mixed By – Tom Elmhirst
    Music By – Bob Bharma* (tracks: 4), Maria Schneider (tracks: 4), Paul Bateman (7) (tracks: 4)
    Percussion – James Murphy (tracks: 4, 5)
    Photography By – Jimmy King (6), Johan Renck, NASA (10)
    Piano, Organ [Wurlitzer], Keyboards – Jason Lindner
    Producer, Mixed By – David Bowie, Tony Visconti
    Saxophone, Flute, Woodwind – Donny McCaslin
    Strings – Tony Visconti (tracks: 1)
    Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – David Bowie
    Words By, Music By – David Bowie
    Written-By – David Bowie

Notes:

Album title and track 1 title generally referred to as "Blackstar" but printed as "★"

Issued in a digipack.
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Barcode (Text): 8 88751 73862 1
    Barcode (Scanned): 888751738621
    Mastering SID Code: IFPI L327
    Mould SID Code (Variants 1, 2): IFPI 50BS
    Mould SID Code (Variant 3): IFPI 50BE
    Mould SID Code (Variant 4): IFPI 50BT
    Mould SID Code (Variant 5): IFPI 50BP
    Matrix / Runout (Variants 1, 5): DIDX-1078317 1
    Matrix / Runout (Variant 2): DIDX-1078317 2
    Matrix / Runout (Variant 3): DIDX-1078317 1 A08
    Matrix / Runout (Variant 4): DIDX-1078317 1 A05

David Bowie ‎– ★ (Blackstar)
Label: Columbia ‎– 88875173862, ISO Records ‎– 88875173862
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 08 Jan 2016
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock
    
        
     
Viewfinder links:     
   
Jonathan Barnbrook           
David Bowie           
Christmas for Styrous       
Hawkwind ~ Warrior on the Edge of Time       
Prince 
Murray Roman ~ A Blind Man's Movie             
Tony Visconti      
           
Net links:     
   
Jonathan Barnbrook website         
Blackstar Packaging
Billboard ~ ‘Blackstar’ Songs About Death and Doom review        
NPR ~ 'Blackstar' Is Adventurous To The End review        
NY Times ~ ‘Blackstar,’ Bowie’s Cryptic New Album review       
Rolling Stone ~ The arty, unsettling ‘Blackstarreview          
      
YouTube links:     
       
★ (Blackstar) complete album 
Blackstar (video)    
Lazarus (video)   
    
 
     
 
 
Styrous® ~ Thursday, January 10, 2019     
    
       














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