David Bowie plotted his departure from this world. He designed his final album, blackstar, as a farewell, and he left his estate with blueprints for a reissue series that began with the release of Five Years (1969-1973)a box that appeared mere months prior to his death in January 2016.
Moonage Daydream wasn’t part of Bowie’s posthumous plans. A film by Brett Morgen, the director of the exceptional Robert Evans 2012 documentary The Kid Stays In The Picture and 2015’s Cobain: Montage Of Heck, Moonage Daydream Tell the Chameleon of Rock’s story through a kaleidoscopic mashup of sound and vision, all enhanced by rare footage from the official Bowie archives.
During his five-decade career, Bowie released 26 studio albums as well as seven official live albums plus a host of compilations. His discography has greatly increased in the years since his 2016 death, with archival live sets, box sets, and such scrapped albums as The Ghoster and Toy seeing the light of day. It’s a lot to sort through and there are pitfalls: the sparkling swagger of “Blue Jean” continues to convince listeners there may be something else of worth on 1984’s terrible Tonight. But here, just in time for the September 16 release of Moonage Daydream, The AV Club has selected 20 records that capture Bowie at his peak, whether he’s honing his craft, striving for a new sound, or mustering the full strength of his artistry.
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