David Bowie: Never Let Me Down - 1987

"Never Let Me Down had good songs that I mistreated" - David Bowie 

 

I have never quite understood the bad press this album gets. 

Yes, I accept that it is no Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane or Low, but I have to admit that I prefer listening to it to either of its two predecessors, Let’s Dance or Tonight. It brings back happy memories for me of 1987 and I guess that always helps, but I genuinely feel it is a more than acceptable album, given the paucity of classic material being produced at the time. 

Bowie's own reaction to it has been changeable, to say the least. Upon its release, he had this to say -

"...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 Me Down has been a pretty big seller for me. So I'm quite happy...."

By 1990, he had changed his mind a little -

"....Never Let Me Down had good songs that I mistreated. I didn't really apply myself. I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to be doing. I wish there had been someone around who could have told me...."

and by 1995 he was full-on against it -

"....The great public esteem at that time meant absolutely nothing to me. It didn't make me feel good. I felt dissatisfied with everything I was doing, and eventually it started showing in my work. Let's Dance was an excellent album in a certain genre, but the next two albums after that Tonight and Never Let Me Down showed that my lack of interest in my own work was really becoming transparent. My nadir was Never Let Me Down. It was such an awful album. I've gotten to a place now where I'm not very judgmental about myself. I put out what I do, whether it's in visual arts or in music, because I know that everything I do is really heartfelt. Even if it's a failure artistically, it doesn't bother me in the same way that Never Let Me Down bothers me. I really shouldn't have even bothered going into the studio to record it. In fact, when I play it, I wonder if I did sometimes....".

So, we have an album that its composer sometimes disowns, and the listening public also do to a great extent. Is there anything good about it? Personally, I have always liked it and feel that there is plenty of good material on there. 

As mid to late 80s music was dominated by synthesisers and synth drums and so on, it is welcome on this album to hear Peter "Frampton Comes Alive” Frampton’s guitar ring out, especially on the excellent opener Day-In Day-Out and its chunky rock attack. Make no mistake, this is a damn good Bowie track, - killer riffs, killer vocals, killer hooks - no arguments, please. 

Exactly the same compliment can be given to the memorable and very catchy Time Will Crawl, highlighting by piano and guitar riffs, along with a strong vocal. Bad song? My arse. Incidentally, I read someone say that this is one of those songs that sounds as if it means something really portentous - "until the 21st century lose" etc but, in true Bowie cut-and-paste songwriting style, it means nothing. 

Beat Of Your Drum is probably not as good as its two barnstorming predecessors, but this lively rocker is embellished by some searing Frampton guitar. It is another with a winning chorus. 

Now - one of the album's more criticised numbers. Granted, the slightly twee, frothy and lightweight Never Let Me Down is not quite as good as the opening three, but it is actually perfectly pleasant enough. It is certainly no more or no less pleasant than the highly-rated and popular Kooks on Hunky Dory, let's be honest. 

The punchy and enjoyable Zeroes is certainly as good as any other 1987 Bowie rocker too, or from anyone else at the time, for that matter. The lyrical reference to "my little red corvette has passed me by" is a reference to Prince, but I have never read too much into it, refusing to go down the appallingly clichéd 'handing over the baton of creativity' route that many have travelled. 

Glass Spider is in the territory of indulgence, I guess, but had it been put on Diamond Dogs it would have been labelled a work of genius. It is full of compelling, moving images. However, it is the spoken-word narration part that doesn't quite work (do such parts ever work?). When it finally breaks out, though, it is muscular, rocky and captivating. 

The breezy but maybe over-tinny Shining Star (Makin' My Love), with its attractive scratchy backbeat and poppy melody is perfectly enjoyable, in my opinion. I've always liked it. Actor Mickey Rourke performs the mid-song rap, strangely. The infectious late seventies-ish New York's In Love has real hints of The Velvet Underground's Rock And Roll about it, particularly the "everybody's waiting for the go-go boys" line. Once more, it is a much better track than many have said. 

87 And Cry is a really good, rousing and riffy rocker, one that I have liked right back to the first time I heard it. At the risk of repeating myself, I just can't see what problems people have with it. It rocks. The riff is just bloody great. There is a vibrancy to this, and indeed the whole album, that belies its many critics. 

The much-maligned Too Dizzy was eventually left off future releases by Bowie, who hated it (poor old co-writer Erdal Kizilcay). I have to disagree with the great man's decision and opinion. I really like it, so there you go. I'm alone here. It's simply a good eighties-style pop song, as far as I'm concerned. 

Bang Bang was an Iggy Pop/Ivan Kral song that isn't quite as good as some of the other material on the album, but, again, it is perfectly enjoyable. As I Keep saying, this is a good late 80s album of upbeat pop songs. It serves its purpose. Just enjoy it for what it is, and don’t compare it to Bowie’s best work. It has to be said that Time Will Crawl is a great track, and would grace any Bowie album. 

The nineties were where David Bowie changed quite considerably, musically, incorporating contemporary dance beats into his music and giving his sound a deeper, more dense production. Although it is not my favourite phase of his many phases, there is still plenty of material to enjoy. (It was strange how he looked like David Beckham for a while, though, wasn't it?).