The Forgotten Bowie Album
5
By 31songs
Tis a pity Buddha seems to be relegated to obscurity. Buddha is actually a full-length studio recording and should really be considered a proper album. Like Blackstar only one track (the title) is used by the actual movie. So look past the label and you’ll have discovered a nearly-hidden gem.
Buddha of Suburbia mixes haunting instrumentals with lush vocals and poetic lyrics – everything a Bowie fan could want. The sound is somewhere between Young Americans and Low, which makes it an odd but warm mix. My favorite track is Strangers When We Meet, featuring an all-star Bowie backup band (Eno, Dorsey, Alomar, Garson, and many more). The instrumentals, like South Horizon, are hypnotic jazz/electronica fusions that are evocative and distinctly Bowie.
Having only recently emerged from the 80s haze Buddha represents Bowie returning to Bowie, making music that interests to him and not second-guessing the listeners desires. The result is pure magic and deserving high placement on any Best of Bowie list.
