The Russia Journal

Upright and tall as ever, David Bowie still has a vision of the future. However, now it's relaxed, even serene. Forever subjected to comparisons to his prime, Bowie's jubilee 25th album itself involuntarily goes into the past. The album takes us back through old-time Bowie collaborators - especially producer and musician extraordinaire Tony Visconti.

The jog down memory lane continues with the sounds and paradoxical poetics that pour out of Bowie's offbeat voice, which has mellowed with age. "Everyone Says Hi" and "I Would Be Your Slave" are as smooth and sentimental as an A-ha ballad and as straightforward as Bowie has ever gone. Space oddities and dimness still pop up in his and the backing vocals, in murky "Sunday," misty, slow "Slip Away" and mournful "Slow Burn" - which practically falls into Nick Cave's realm.

At times, this begins to be uninteresting. However, what conquers any desire to shun this album is the most important link to the past - the covers. Yes, they have somehow bound the album together, and demonstrate Bowie's pure taste. Neil Young's "I've Been Waiting For You" and the Stardust Cowboy's "I Took a Trip In a Gemini Spaceship" sound great in between Bowie's own compositions. Meanwhile, the main attraction is The Pixies' "Cactus" - which has long deserved a revival.