Thirteenth studio album from legendary David Bowie. Lodger doesn’t contain any of the the brooding Eno instrumentals or krautrock grooves that made Low and Heroes such stunning works, but retains that same deconstructed cold war dread (hence its inclusion in the Berlin trilogy despite being recorded in Switzerland). It’s the sound of Bowie being lured back towards more accessible songwriting, but listening to “Yassassin,” it’s evident straight away that the playful Philly soul impressions of Young Americans are dead and gone. Bowie takes all the mechanic friction bottled up from his self-imposed Schöneberg squalor and channels it into pop; “DJ” and “Boys Keep Swinging” were actually pretty successful singles, and they’re up there with some of his most accessible songs of the 70s. But the weirder moments remain the most potent: “Fantastic Voyage,” “Move On,” and above all else, “African Night Flight.” It’s the most underrated of the trilogy, but still massively influential (Oasis named “Don’t Look Back In Anger” after Bowie’s “Look Back In Anger”). Remastered 180g pressing housed in glossy replica gatefold jacket with lyric insert.

• 180g vinyl pressing
• remastered sound
• housed in glossy replica gatefold jacket
• includes printed lyric insert
• limited edition
• music label: Parlophone 2018

reviewed by frau farbissina 03/2018