Let's Dance

I realized that I haven't listened to a Bowie album in nearly a year at this point and I want to fix that. So let's see ol David turn into a dancing blonde to New Wave Dance Pop. And because I usually handicap my listening experience by ignoring lyrics I will actually pay closer attention for this album.
So let's not dilly dally and get right into it!

Modern Love:
Just to get it out of the way the production and the way it sounds is fine but doesn't really grab me in any way.

Man the lyrics are pretty non contextual and abstract aren't they? I can't really capture what Bowie is telling me here. I could analyze each lyric and ruminate interpretation but I don't want to be here til three AM doing that if every song is just as non direct. Plus as I mentioned before the song doesn't grab me sonically. So I'll just dismiss it and leave the heavy work to others. I just want to enjoy the music and appreciate a clear message and story. (50)

China Girl:
Ok this one is immediately more interesting to listen to. This one highlights Bowie's rich distinct voice that I fell in love with when I first heard it oh so many years ago when I first heard the collaboration tune with Queen that I forget the name of but is a great song. Anyways this song is a whole lot more dynamic and interesting than the opener so thumbs up on that.

As for what the words be saying, it looks like little David is infatuated with a Chinese girl. Then he says he got swastikas on his mind which is a sudden shift in tone. And when he encounters the girl of his obsession he threatens her then wants to give her these white American commercial items and even powerful men. Like WHAT? The Chinese girl just hushes poor confused and excited David that gets all riled up in his delusions. And that's about everything this song offers. It's more direct than the opener but is just as strange. There's probably a hidden message or symbolism that's flying over my head here, but like I said I don't usually pay attention anyways.
Good song tho. (70)

Let's Dance:
Ah, one of Bowie's most iconic singles. I have heard bits of it but never the whole thing so it's going to be interesting to see the tune with the full context of what it offers.

The song has this flowing momentum that over time becomes pretty infectious as you start moving a bit to the continuous groove. Nothing crazy the song only asks you to dance nonspecifically or even just sway if you're not in the mood. Cause us white folk sure don't know how to dance without fear of embarrassment or judgement so you ain't going to see us break dancing or whatever. The tune is ok, generally likable, nothing too crazy happening.

Other than instructing us to dance and sway along, David talks about well dancing with his date to the fun music. He doesn't want anything to go wrong with this date so he's letting his partner take the lead wether they dance, run, hide whatever. Just don't fall into his arms and crumble cause that would just break his poor brittle heart. His special person wouldn't be as perfect as he perceived them to be. So let's just numbly dance and sway the night away without any second thoughts and enjoy this evening as much as we can. Please stay perfect, he has a reputation to uphold! ( He's very insecure!) (60)

Without You:
This track further exemplifies his insecurities and how he's putting his self worth into this partner of his in case you did not catch it in the last track. It's not really interesting to listen to, and I already got the message. So, I am just meh on this track. (50)

Ricochet:
David paints an interesting abstract picture lyrically with the themes of slavery, religion, control, greed. Looks to be a guy working the mineshafts where they are literally risking their lives to mine crap from dawn til dusk that they will see zero profit of other than the pennies that the bosses begrudgingly give him. And when they get home they make promises that they will provide empty promises to keep them happy when they all know that it's never going to happen. Also there's the fear of having an empty legacy and being quickly forgotten after death finally takes you. But the endless work is the priority, or death is going to take you even sooner. Other than that I find the song pretty forgettable. (55)

Criminal World:
This is another tune that I am not getting lyrically. Thankfully it's the best song to listen to yet since there's a lot of fun stuff for your ears to enjoy. So maybe on a future listen, the message may suddenly click for me but for now let's move on. (75)

Cat People:
Ugh I just got the image of the recent cat movie. No thanks.

I-...is he burning someone alive?!!! That's what I am seeing between the lines and Bowie sounds like a straight up lunatic. It's a pretty dramatic new wave tune that other than the possible murder going on doesn't grab me. It's ok sonically, got some wild implications happening though so watch out for the pretty white blonde dancing freak. One wrong move and he will SNAP!
(50)

Shake it:
The last track falls pretty flat sonically. The lyrics look abstract and I don't feel all that inspired to interpret them logically. It's whatever. I don't really care. (50)

460/8= 57.5 round down to 55.

Overall this album could be a bit more straightforward lyrically and engaging musically. There's a couple tracks that we're good but it's mostly stuff that I am indifferent to. David had a LEGENDARY streak of fantastic albums throughout the seventies but this release is his first stumble since his first steps of his illustrious career.