By Keith Walsh
After his creative low point of the late 1980s and early 90s, David Bowie reemerged with 1995’s collaboration with Brian Eno, Outside. One of his most ambitious albums, Outside contains a loose narrative about art, death, madness and social fragmentation – themes that occupied Bowie’s imagination from his very beginning in the mid 1960s. Bowie had last worked with Eno on his so-called Berlin Trilogy of the 1970s – Low, Heroes, and Lodger.

Outside is the album that Gilles Snowcat calls Bowie’s best. It’s an arguable position. Outside features lots of creative synergy between Bowie, Eno, and a cast of brilliant musicians, including Mike Garson, the pianist who worked with Bowie on Aladdin Sane. Also involved are Reeves Gabrels from Tin Machine, and Erdal Kızılçay on bass and keyboards, and Sterling Campbell on drums. Not to forget Carlos Alomar on guitar.

Thanks to YouTube and DavidBowie.com, we have this just released, deep dive into the making of this highly underrated album, in which Bowie, who inhabited many characters across his career, said he most loves being in the ‘guise of the author.’  Maybe now this album will be recognized and heard. Outside may be one of the chameleon’s most challenging albums, but it doesn’t have to be forgotten.

David Bowie On YouTube
DavidBowie.com

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