The Next Day
Bowie's first studio album in a decade, recorded in secret.
David Bowie’s twenty-fifth studio album, The Next Day, arrived in March 2013, marking his first new record in a decade. The long silence followed his withdrawal from public life after a 2004 procedure to clear a blocked heart artery. Bowie co-produced the album with longtime collaborator Tony Visconti, recording it in New York City from May 2011 to October 2012. The music falls primarily under art rock, with nods to his earlier glam and funk work. Its lyrics, generally grim, were shaped by his reading of English and Russian history, focusing on tyranny and violence.
The album was recorded in strict secrecy, with every participant signing a non-disclosure agreement. Session musicians included past collaborators Gerry Leonard, Earl Slick, Gail Ann Dorsey, Steve Elson, Sterling Campbell, and Zachary Alford. The cover art, designed by Jonathan Barnbrook, adapts Bowie’s 1977 album “Heroes”: a white square bearing the album’s title covers Bowie’s face, and the word “Heroes” is crossed out. ISO Records, in partnership with Columbia Records, handled the release.
On 8 January 2013—Bowie’s 66th birthday—the lead single “Where Are We Now?” and the album’s announcement appeared online, stunning fans and media who had assumed he had retired. A viral marketing campaign preceded the album, which topped charts worldwide. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart—Bowie’s first UK number-one since 1993—and at number two on the US Billboard 200, his highest US chart position to that point. Several singles with music videos followed throughout 2013. Outtakes and remixes were collected on The Next Day Extra, released in November.
Critics hailed The Next Day as Bowie’s finest work in decades, with many ranking it among the best albums of 2013. Reviewers praised the vocal and instrumental performances and drew positive comparisons to his earlier records, though some found it lacking innovation and overly long. As one of the first surprise albums of the 2010s, it was later included in the 2014 revised edition of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Background Bowie’s final concert tour, A Reality Tour, ended abruptly in late June 2004 after he underwent angioplasty for a blocked heart artery. He largely retreated from public view, making his last live public performance in November 2006.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- David Bowie
- Released
- 8 March 2013
- Recorded
- May 2011 – October 2012
- Studio
- Magic Shop (New York City); Human Worldwide (New York City)
- Genre
- Rock; art rock
- Label
- ISO; Columbia
- Producer
- David Bowie; Tony Visconti
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
David Bowie underwent angioplasty for a blocked heart artery in late June 2004, leading to the abrupt end of his final live concert tour. He largely withdrew from public view, making his final live public performance in November 2006. His only studio recordings during this period were minor contributions for other artists. Rumours circulated that he was in poor health, particularly after he declined repeated invitations to perform at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Bowie sought out his longtime producer Tony Visconti in November 2010, leading to the recording of demos with guitarist Gerry Leonard and drummer Sterling Campbell. The sessions took place over several days at 6/8 Studios in Manhattan's East Village. After about a dozen demo tracks, Bowie returned home and spent four months rewriting and developing the material.
Recording began in secret at the Magic Shop in New York City on 2 May 2011. All personnel involved signed non-disclosure agreements. The sessions continued sporadically until October 2012 and involved several musicians and technicians Bowie had worked with before, including Gerry Leonard, Earl Slick, Gail Ann Dorsey, Steve Elson, Sterling Campbell and Zachary Alford. Bowie recorded vocals from September 2011 to January 2012 at Human Worldwide Studios. The album was announced on 8 January 2013, Bowie's 66th birthday, surprising fans and media who had assumed he had retired from music. The lead single 'Where Are We Now?' was posted online that same day.
Reader's Guide
The Next Day was praised by critics as Bowie's best work in decades and was ranked amongst the best albums of 2013 by several publications. Many reviewers highlighted the vocal and musical performances and made positive comparisons to his earlier works, though some felt the album lacked innovation and was overlong. The album topped charts worldwide and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the US Billboard 200. It was Bowie's first UK number-one album since 1993 and his highest-charting US album to that date. The cover art is an adapted version of Bowie's 1977 album 'Heroes' by designer Jonathan Barnbrook, who placed a white square with the album's title over Bowie's face and crossed out the 'Heroes' title. Among the first surprise albums of the 2010s, The Next Day was included in the 2014 revised edition of the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Outtakes and remixes appeared on The Next Day Extra, released in November 2013.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Next Day | 3:27 | |
| 2 | Dirty Boys | 2:58 | |
| 3 | The Stars (Are Out Tonight) | 3:56 | |
| 4 | Love Is Lost | 3:57 | |
| 5 | Where Are We Now? | 4:08 | |
| 6 | Valentine's Day | 3:01 | |
| 7 | If You Can See Me | 3:15 | |
| 8 | I'd Rather Be High | 3:53 | |
| 9 | Boss of Me | Bowie, Gerry Leonard | 4:09 |
| 10 | Dancing Out in Space | 3:24 | |
| 11 | How Does the Grass Grow? | Bowie, Jerry Lordan | 4:33 |
| 12 | (You Will) Set the World on Fire | 3:30 | |
| 13 | You Feel So Lonely You Could Die | 4:37 | |
| 14 | Heat | 4:25 | |
| Total length | 53:17 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
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