David Bowie – Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)

A real curio, this. Bowie has sprung a new number upon us’

What is is about I have no idea – eerie guitar scraping over seemingly unrelated martial drumming gives may to a murmuring horn ensemble not a million light years from the wonderful Sun Ra Arkestra ( still touring the world under Marshall Allen some 20 years after the death of Herman Blount, Sun Ra his self) and then Bowie appears, crooning away in Scott Walker mode. No ‘Rebel Rebel’ this !

Bowie must be eternally applauded for never resting on his laurels, of course. His voice remains distinctive and is somewhat stealthy here, as though he has an important message to impart to us. But the effect is like standing in the hallway at a recording studio – crooner in one room, singing something poetic, a 50’s TV detective theme arrangement being worked out by a free jazz orchestra in the room opposite and drum’n’bass skinsman practising down the hall. It all ads up to a discordant experience I cannot fathom and as cymbals splash over flatulent baritone sax grunts I am all the more puzzled.

Step forward anyone articulate who can explain what is happening, please ???