Bowie never stopped inventing

Published 7:01 am Sunday, January 17, 2016

David Bowie was on my mind last weekend.

His album “Black Star” had been released that Friday, and I picked it out at a record store but eventually put it back because I was feeling cheap, even though I was intrigued hearing the title track.

After passing on the album, my home Internet failed me that Sunday when I tried listening to the album on Spotify

Email newsletter signup

When I woke up Monday morning, the first headline I’d read broke the news that Bowie had died of cancer on Jan. 10.

I, like the thousands who shared on social media last week, was deeply saddened by the news. I’ve never been a Bowie super fan, but I’ve always loved his music and have a strong connection to some of his songs, especially “Life on Mars” and “Space Oddity.”

As is often the case, it’s hard to know what you’ve got until it’s gone. With his death, I devolved into Bowie’s music early last week and recalled how Bowie was truly a musical chameleon, changing with the era and times.

At times he seemed to channel and surpass his contemporaries, almost emulating the sounds of The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and countless others, but he always added his own unique flare.

But Bowie was one who always looked forward and helped drive music to where it is today by spanning a plethora of styles and genres — all the while exuding charisma, unique fashions and mysterious, intruding personas like Ziggy Stardust.

His final album, “Black Star,” serves as a reminder of creativity. Released just two days before his death, the already dark “anti pop” album takes on an even more haunting persona knowing that Bowie worked on it during his final years while suffering from cancer.

While many have made connections to the track and eerie video of “Lazarus” being a goodbye from Bowie, the entire album serves as a reminder of his skill and how he never stopped being relevant. Even in his last days, his music pushed the envelop and challenged the listeners.