Rock icon and living legend David Bowie releases a new album, 'The Next Day,' 12th March after 10 years of artistic silence. It is an album that probably only David Bowie and those working with him on the album, was expecting. The records first single has many similarities with some of Bowie's older recordings.
History and the Berlin Wall ties the new album and its opening single, 'Where Are We Now?' together with Bowie's epic album and single 'Heroes.'
Berlin and the Berlin Wall are central topics on both songs, however in different ways. On 'Where Are We Now?,' David Bowie reflects on Berlin as it is today, and Berlin and the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. Listening to the 'Heroes' single from 1977, Bowie sings about two young lovers sitting on a bench by the Berlin Wall. Bowie later told in an interview that he couldn't understand why the couple had chosen such a grim place.
Bowie alters the story on 'Heroes,' now guns are firing over the couples heads: "I, I can remember standing by the wall, And the guns shot over our heads, And we kissed, as though nothing could fall." You wonder, whether the guns are real, and if the couple are trying to cross the Berlin Wall and escape the guards, or if the guns are a symbol of a dying relationship?
Thus, The Berlin Wall was already a central in Bowie's song universe in 1977, where the 'Heroes' album and single were released. Although, David Bowie sings about a relationship that seems to be ending, the couple pretends that it will last forever. They do this by living for the moment: 'kissing like nothing could fall,' not worrying about something else.
The story takes place in front of a wall that, during the Cold Wall, appeared as a 'permanent solution' to a permanent problem - that East- and West Berliners naturally wanted to be able to live, where they wanted, and that they risked being shot if they tried to cross the Wall.
David Bowie sings about the Berlin Wall again on 'Where Are We Now,' but this time from a historical perspective. He mentions locations that were important during the fall of the Berlin Wall, and which became important for our understanding of the Cold War. But, many of the places is also from his personal experiences during his time in Berlin in the 70s, were he lived for a period.
Looking at the two album covers, the connection between the albums become even more obvious. The front cover from the 'Heroes' album is used on the new album. However, Bowie's face have been replaced with a white square and the album title: 'The Next Day.' Is it the aftermath of the 'Heroes' single or the Fall of the Berlin Wall? We will know more 12th March, where David Bowie's new album is released.
History and the Berlin Wall ties the new album and its opening single, 'Where Are We Now?' together with Bowie's epic album and single 'Heroes.'
Berlin and the Berlin Wall are central topics on both songs, however in different ways. On 'Where Are We Now?,' David Bowie reflects on Berlin as it is today, and Berlin and the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. Listening to the 'Heroes' single from 1977, Bowie sings about two young lovers sitting on a bench by the Berlin Wall. Bowie later told in an interview that he couldn't understand why the couple had chosen such a grim place.
Bowie alters the story on 'Heroes,' now guns are firing over the couples heads: "I, I can remember standing by the wall, And the guns shot over our heads, And we kissed, as though nothing could fall." You wonder, whether the guns are real, and if the couple are trying to cross the Berlin Wall and escape the guards, or if the guns are a symbol of a dying relationship?
Thus, The Berlin Wall was already a central in Bowie's song universe in 1977, where the 'Heroes' album and single were released. Although, David Bowie sings about a relationship that seems to be ending, the couple pretends that it will last forever. They do this by living for the moment: 'kissing like nothing could fall,' not worrying about something else.
The story takes place in front of a wall that, during the Cold Wall, appeared as a 'permanent solution' to a permanent problem - that East- and West Berliners naturally wanted to be able to live, where they wanted, and that they risked being shot if they tried to cross the Wall.
David Bowie sings about the Berlin Wall again on 'Where Are We Now,' but this time from a historical perspective. He mentions locations that were important during the fall of the Berlin Wall, and which became important for our understanding of the Cold War. But, many of the places is also from his personal experiences during his time in Berlin in the 70s, were he lived for a period.
Looking at the two album covers, the connection between the albums become even more obvious. The front cover from the 'Heroes' album is used on the new album. However, Bowie's face have been replaced with a white square and the album title: 'The Next Day.' Is it the aftermath of the 'Heroes' single or the Fall of the Berlin Wall? We will know more 12th March, where David Bowie's new album is released.
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For an in-depth preview of David Bowie's new album 'The Next Day' + the latest news on the album, or read about this blog.'
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