Review: “Hours…” by David Bowie (CD, 1999)

Today’s Pop Rescue is the 1999 album Hours… – the 22nd album by the legendary British singer, musician, songwriter, and actor – the late David Bowie. Will this album see the Hours fly by, or will you be watching the clock? Read on…

David Bowie - Hours... (1999) album — David Bowie – Hours… (1999) album.

This 10 track CD opens with lead single Thursday’s Child which plunges straight in to shuffling beats and soft warm synth pads. David Bowie is soon on the mic with relaxed sharp key vocals that sit in great contrast to the backing track and the melody. Guitars and backing vocals join in to deliver us to the chorus, and the track evolves slowly. It’s a gentle and chilled out start to the album, and this soft start saw the track gave Bowie a moderate UK hit, reaching #16 in the singles chart.

Then we’re on to Something In The Air, which gives us a great boost of tempo thanks to the harder beat and bass, and it comes with an air of suspense thanks to Bowie’s vocals and the sense of urgency in the bass. Guitars roar here, with David’s vocal being a worthy opponent alongside them, occasionally distorted by effects.

Survive follows this, and this stood as the album’s fourth and final single, reaching #28 in the UK charts. In contrast to the previous track, this song is more tuneful, loaded with acoustic guitars alongside the synths and beats. An electric guitar bursts in, but it allows David to step back for a moment before its solo, and even when they are performing together, the contrast in their sound works a treat. This is a really nice mellow song, and you ge the bonus of hearing David say “razzle dazzle“.

Then it’s If I’m Dreaming My Life, which gives us some great big Bowie vocals, sometimes mournful, but perfectly placed in this drifting song as his voice is pitched against guitars. The beats are great here too, as is the break in the middle, as the track builds back up with a deliciously thick-as-treacle bass and haunting vocal harmonies. It’s a great track and reminds me a little of some of Nick Cave’s work.

That’s followed by Seven, and again we’re treated to a nice melodic track despite the track being about having “seven to live my life or seven ways to die“. David’s vocals are soft and reflective here, which fits the vocals and harmonies, and the song builds well with gentle introductions of percussion. Sadly this track stumbled at #32 in the UK singles chart when it was released as the album’s 3rd UK single.

What’s Really Happening? is next, and this gives as a growling contrast, as guitars chug and roar, and David gives a stylised voice that almost sounds like it was left over from a lost Beatles psychedelica recording session. The repeated vocal riffs and heavy bass guitar works a treat, giving it an almost hypnotic Ladytron feel.

Following that is The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell, which clearly took inspiration from the previous tracks’ growling guitar and then 10x’d them here, as the electric guitars are aptly chugging and growling giving the drummer a race to the end. was a single in Australia and Japan, but not in the UK, which is a shame as this track rocks.

By contrast the opening of New Angels Of Promise almost sounds like we’re going to get some kind of electro flute before it ushers the guitars back in. Here, we find David’s vocals heavily under effects. The track flows well, leading back to those ‘electro flutes’ at the start.

Then a Brilliant Adventure awaits, and it’s an instrumental, and it’s giving off some wonderful Japanese style with the choice of instruments. It is wonderful, but it sounds unlike Bowie and precisely like it belongs on a James Bond soundtrack.

The album closes with track The Dreamers, with chime bars lulling us into this dream state, where dramatic synth stabs are met by a drum machine. David arrives with big powerful vocals, enough to wake you from your sleep, and he’s chased by drums. It’s played somewhat like a haunting dark tale of ‘the dreamers’ and ‘shadow man’. David shines here with his vocal range and harmonies, leading towards the final moments of the album. It’s a nice finishing track.

David Bowie’s lead single ‘Thursday’s Child’ (1999).

Verdict

Over all, this album is a mixture of tuneful tracks and abstract Bowie-isms.

Reviewing a David Bowie album is a daunting task, given that he still is widely, and rightly, regarded as one of the greatest English-language performers in the world. So, getting one of his later albums and listening to it for the first time is a little terrifying. However, obviously there’s nothing to dislike here because it’s safely Bowie, but there are highs and lows in this album.

The highlights are certainly singles Survive and Seven, but also What’s Really Happening?, and The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell. Alongside this, Brilliant Adventure is a wonderful listen even thought it feels totally out of place here. At its weakest, we have Something In The Air, which struggles to find its melody and just leaves me with a stinkface.

The album seems to take a few tracks to get into itself, but by the time it’s 4 tracks in, then its pretty consistent with its sound and quality. The mixture of melodic acoustic, growling rock, and those twinges of Bowie quirkiness/experimental sounds continues to work.

It’s not his finest, but it’s worth a listen.