Let’s play…guess the record!

This album came out at a troubled time for its superstar singer. The singer had hit international fame with a provocative, ambiguously sexual image, and had then gone on to work with some of the hottest names in black music - though many critics derided the results as plastic and fake. But they were dogged by rumours of drug addiction and bisexual decadence - a lifestyle apparently spiralling out of control, despite the responsibility of a young family. Their recent public appearances ranged from worrying to bizarre - the singer looked ill and distanced, and one performance in particular had raised the press to fury leading to mutterings of “career suicide”. To make matters worse, this new record relies on slick, hyper-modern pop making heavy use of electronics and treated vocals - in fact on several tracks the singer seems hardly to be present, off at the margins of the music. Its fashionable production team, on the other hand, has a huge impact on the album’s sound and must surely take a great deal of the credit for the success of the record.

I am - of course - talking about Low by David Bowie. But Britney Spears’ Blackout is out next week and that’s a really good record too!

1. stevem on October 28th, 2007

   Britney should cover ‘Breaking Glass’ stat

2. DV on October 28th, 2007

   one performance in particular had raised the press to fury leading to mutterings of “career suicide”

   what performance is this, granddad?

3. FT's CarsmileSteve on October 28th, 2007

   i assume the “waving to a friend” from the staff car incident?

4. Marcello Carlin on October 29th, 2007

   Not the Duets album by Frank Sinatra then.

5. Tom on October 29th, 2007

   Yes the N4z1 salute one.

6. Marcello Carlin on October 29th, 2007

   Look at BritNey SPears’ name! WHAT IS THE SINISTER SUBTEXT?

7. FT's pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør on October 29th, 2007

   britler more like

8. Marcello Carlin on October 29th, 2007

   I cannot think of Banksy without visualising Sid James as “Banky” in Joe Macbeth and his daring word-by-word accent variation.

9. FT's Lena on October 29th, 2007

   Ah, but this one won’t get a 33 1/3 book about it.

10. Marcello Carlin on October 29th, 2007

    I wrote one last night anyway, just in case the publishers have a change of heart … ;-)

    (if only she had collaborated with Motley Crue it would already be on next spring’s schedule)

11. Tommy Mack on October 29th, 2007

    Don’t you think Britney is more like Iggy than Bowie though?

    Never liked Low that much, prefer “Heroes”.

12. Marcello Carlin on October 29th, 2007

    I don’t recall Britney offering any hilarious anecdotes about visiting the local Pakistani-run grocery store.