How would you rate "Reality" (2003) by David Bowie?

"Reality" is the twenty third studio album by David Bowie (twenty sixth when counting the Tin Machine albums and "The Buddha of Suburbia"). Released on September 16, 2003, the album includes cover versions that were originally slated to appear on a sequel to "Pin-Ups" and was Bowie's last album prior to his recording hiatus from 2004-2010.


Track listing:
-New Killer Star
-Pablo Picasso (originally recorded by the Modern Lovers)
-Never Get Old
-The Loneliest Guy
-Looking for Water
-She'll Drive the Big Car
-Days
-Fall Dog Bombs the Moon
-Try Some, Buy Some (originally recorded by George Harrison)
-Reality
-Bring Me the Disco King
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Here is a recap of the series so far:
"Heroes" poll Rating: 4.28/5
"Let's Dance" poll Rating: 3.58/5
"Hunky Dory" poll Rating: 4.79/5

 

Any rationale for the order of these polls? They neither seem to be the most acclaimed, nor the least, and it is not chronological.

Tim

 

For (long) years, I accepted the fact that it'd be the last album we'd have from him, and I finally became happy with that. Bring Me The Disco King felt like a fine closure.
Revisiting it after The Next Day and Blackstar, I still think it is pretty good and holds up well. Too bad about the compressed mastering, though, it gets in the way of the music.

 

Agreed about the mastering. I still have hope that a non-brickwalled version may emerge.

Tim

 

I hope too. I listened to the SACD stereo DSD layer on my pure-DSD capable player the other day, and it was not better than the CD layer, sadly.

 

I love the album. Part of that is probably because I saw Bowie on consecutive nights in Tokyo on this tour. I voted "essential" - but, I guess that's a personal viewpoint. I don't think it's as important or as good as Ziggy or Low, but for me it carries so many great memories, it might be the last Bowie album I would sell.

 

I'm choosing a random order to make it more interesting.

 

I enjoy this album a lot, though I don't see it as one of the best. As a whole however I am a huge fan of Bowie's 21st century output and I feel he kept a high standard during this period.

 

I listened to it a fair amount when it came out, but it's not something I reach for even now. Saw him on this tour too, first and only time.

I think the strongest stuff here are some of the ballads, like "The Loneliest Guy", and "Bring The Disco King" is an exquisite song.

"She'll Drive The Big Car" is a pretty good one. When he was letting people mashup these songs with multitracks in a contest, I combined that song with "Always Crashing In The Same Car" from Low and submitted it.

 

Pretty great, I love it. The tour was awesome, too.

 

Originally recorded by Ronnie Spector. Bowie played it when he hosted Radio 1's Star Special in 1979. It sounds like he didn't even know it was written by George Harrison.

"Here's a song that made me fall in love with the singer, absolutely incredible... my heart went straight out to her and it was produced by Phil Spector. I may be wrong but I think it's the last single he ever made because he was so depressed that it didn't do anything, that nobody bought it, erm, which is quite ironic really 'cos the title was 'Try Some, Buy Some' by his ex-wife Ronnie Spector."

 

I'd like to hear what you have done.

 

Here's a cover from the same period:

 

Until Blackstar came out, for a good 7-10 years I routinely said REALITY was my #1 all-time favorite David Bowie album. Either that, or sometimes I said Heathen instead, but is was always a close tie.

"Bring Me The Disco King" is probably my favorite single song on the album, and although I realize there aren't a ton of individually 'iconic' hits on Reality, but both it (and Heathen) are really incredible 'album'-experiences, where everything is really quite strong.

For my money, Bowie was never in better voice, than in the early 2000's. There are a number of specific songs from Outside and Earthling that I might like better than most of Reality (or Heathen) -- but I think both those early 2000's albums are super-solid, top to bottom. Few of the tracks are 10/10, but (for me), EVERYTHING is a 8/10 or 9/10.

My current ranking of all-time favorite Bowie albums (starting with my #1) is probably; Blackstar+"No Plan" EP, The Next Day (+Extra), Reality or Heathen (currently a toss-up), and finally Earthling (nearly always my #5) and then either Toy or Outside (also a toss-up for me).

 

Would have to see if I can find it--was on an old Mac computer I don't use anymore, but I probably have it somewhere!

 

I've only ever listened to it once, but I remember it being pretty dull. Maybe it was the brickwalling (which I did not consciously notice) making the recording seem flat, or maybe I just didn't expect much from it after all the 80's and 90's albums. I did like the albums that came immediately before and after, though.

 

Not one of his best.
After the almost return to form of Heathen it was a step in the wrong direction again for me after the blip called 'hours...'. I loved the '89 - '97 period so I guess I should be grateful for that.
I heard the album performed live in it's entirety before the record actually came out [Riverside Cinema Broadcast]. I thought it sounded a bit 'Diet-Tin Machine' and late 80s solo Bowie. I really liked Pablo Picasso, Disco King and the relegated Queen Of All The Tarts [Overture]. Some of the tracks sounded better live [Killer Star, Loneliest Guy] but most of the album is dull, IMO. It was an enjoyable live show. I managed 5 dates in total. The last being the final ever UK Bowie show at The Isle Of Wight Festival, 13 years ago tomorrow.

 

I like Reality a lot, probably a 4 out of 5. Though I skip Try Some, I find the album better than things like Hunky and Lodger.

Bring Me The Disco King was his epitaph for so long that it will always hold a special place with true Bowie fans.

If you are a casual fan it is not essential, but if you are a Bowie fan it is definitely essential and you should already own it because it was his last album.

NO excuses allowed!

 

I'm probably in the minority, but I think it's a pretty good album. Not as strong as Heathen, but nowhere near as bad Tonight or Never Let Me Down. I'd rank it ahead of Earthling, though.

"New Killer Star," "Never Get Old," "The Loneliest Guy," "Fall Dog Bombs the Moon," "Reality," and "Bring Me the Disco King" are the standouts for me, and I think "Pablo Picasso" is an enjoyable cover.

 

This for me, which unfortunately applies to most latter day Bowie titles.

Agree with this too, except that Blackstar was his last album.

Hopefully, we will see a reissue of Reality with more sympathetic mastering, which is my main excuse for not owning it, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

It's a very solid latter day album, better than most artists could put out by that point in their career. However, I wouldn't call it essential. I saw Bowie four times on this tour and was very glad I did, as IIRC it was he last tour he ever did.

 

Last album? Eh? What were The Next Day and Blackstar then? Anyway it is pretty good but not great. I like it as a middling one

 

Reality WAS David's last album, for a full and very long 10 years! How many of us thought it would be his very last album? -- or even had 'accepted' that it was his very last album? What reason did anyone have to ever think otherwise?

I'm not suggesting we all thought that continuously for 10 years, but after about 2009 or certainly by 2010/11, there was nothing but handwriting on the wall that Reality was it -- and that handwriting only got louder with every passing year.

 

Thank You Rooster for pointing out the obvious.
For a decade, Reality was Bowie's last album.
There was nothing on the horizon to make anyone believe he would make another.

So that means every Bowie fan had 10 years to buy his last album.

 

Well I thought that too but was so good we got 2 more albums, vastly superior ones at that.