Friday, 19 February 2016
Hello and welcome back to the Hot List. This week we will turn our attention to videogames, previewing for you our loyal readers the most exciting videogames set for release in 2016.
In 2015 PC was king. Between Steam Machines, a burgeoning indie scene, and crowdfunded games including Kerbal Space Program and the still in development Star Citizen (which has now raised over $100 million in donations), this was the year where PC fought back against the presumption that consoles are the inevitable home of gaming. At the same time, 2015 saw some huge releases including the long awaited Fallout 4, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Just Cause 3 among several others.
For the year ahead the theme is "you ain't seen nothing yet". Let's preface the 2016 preview by acknowledging that many of this year's entries were on our list this time last year. Chalk this up to one of optimistic forecasting, the increasingly long development time in gaming, or the hype of such exciting sounding games, but these are all now set for release in 2016. If 2015 managed to be a good year for gaming despite many of its key titles slipping to 2016, then this year might just be even better.
So behold, the top 15 key videogames to keep an eye on in the coming year (trailers linked in the title where available), starting with number 15:
15. Doom (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Mac)
Doom is of course one of the most famous videogames series of all time, known as the grandfather of the entire first person shooter genre, and in many ways, 3D perspective gaming as a whole.
Revealed in full at last year's E3 conference, Bethesda have slowly been showing off more and more footage, and sure enough Doom will run on the new idTech6 engine, and feature many of the somewhat old fashioned gameplay features that were characteristic of the original games.
Our concern is whether the attributes that made Doom so successful back in the early 1990s are still relevant in today's much changed gaming culture. Back then, gamers were mostly kids and teenagers, the perfect demographic for Doom's gratuitous violence and tastelessness, but if Duke Nukem Forever showed us anything it's that these kinds of thrills haven't aged well.
Release Date: May 13, 2016
14. Hearts of Iron IV (PC, Mac)
For newcomers, Paradox specialise in sandbox style grand strategy games. What makes a Paradox title stand out from say Civilisation or Total War is the dedication to meaningful complexity. These simulations are about more than just armies fighting one another, and fully model diplomacy, personal politics, culture, economy, and countless other variables which ensure that each game world is utterly unique to the player, and completely engrossing, while allowing a staggering array of gameplay options to pursue. The Hearts of Iron series specifically applies this ethos to a 20th Century, World War I and II setting.
If Paradox can make Hearts of Iron as accessible as they have their other series, then this will be another golden strategy title for players to sink their teeth and time into. Release date has not been confirmed but is believed to be late in the second quarter of this year.
Release Date: TBA 2016
13. Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Mac)
That's the idea behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance. A roleplaying game set in 15th Century Bohemia, with period-accurate clothing, technology, culture, and even going so far as to bring in medieval experts and historians to program realistic tactics and fighting styles. But this is not just a period combat simulator, it is a truly sandbox world in which players can pursue their goals as a warrior, a trader, or take a more diplomatic approach.
Depending on how these different gameplay elements come together this could be a very unique experience. There aren't enough games that display an interest in real history and show the kind of attention to truly bring alive such a setting. All the signs so far are that Warhorse Studios are very committed to this vision, and judging by the millions of dollars raised there are a lot of gamers who are too. The title is set for release by this autumn.
Release Date: Fall 2016
12. RollerCoaster Tycoon World (PC)
As with the other games in the series, players design and manage a theme park, with the ability to place shops, rides, scenery and most notably design roller coasters down to the very small details. The game will be from a 3D perspective much like RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, as opposed to the 2D isometric view of the first two games, while new features include the ability to ride your rides from a first person perspective.
Atari have somewhat dug a hole for themselves on this one, with the now infamous mobile-only version of the game, titled as RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 being announced before the full PC version. This much maligned turd of a game was rammed full of absurd microtransactions, becoming pretty much a parody of the worst examples of the cliche of manipulative mobile games that are such a blight on the platform. Such was the outcry and critical panning of this title that Atari had to announce the full PC version ahead of schedule and rebrand it as RollerCoaster Tycoon World in order to avoid association with the previous debacle.
Things only went from bad to worse, as the reveal of early footage was met with decidedly mixed reception, prompting a series of behind the scenes changes that sees this game now on its fourth developer. From what we've seen more recently though, the new blood does seem to be turning things around. We shall have to wait and see.
Release Date: Early 2016
11. Starbound (PC, Mac)
Starbound is essentially a block-building game in the mold of Minecraft or Terraria, featuring a procedurally generated universe with a near infinite number of planets, each of which is the size of Terraria's entire world. Each planet has its own environment and it's own procedurally generated plant and animal life, making each one completely unique. Players explore these planets, mine for materials, and can build whatever they can imagine. Starbound additionally adds structure and narrative that we typically haven't seen from other games in the genre. There's a quest system, a colonization system, and a fully crafted backstory. Every planet is full of secrets to discover and NPC characters to meet.
The scale of universe that this design creates is unparalleled in gaming, and allows players to play in pretty much any manner they choose. A player can assemble a team (either singleplayer with NPCs or multiplayer) and explore the universe hopping from planet to planet, or build huge houses, military bases, farms, shops, cities, theme parks, anything they can imagine (and the creativity seen in the work the community has produced so far during the alpha testing is remarkable), the possibilities are limited only by the player's imagination. This is something no game has ever fully achieved, and if Starbound manages to pull it of, the result will be something very memorable indeed.
Starbound is available in it's alpha state on PC and Mac, but the full version is expected by the end of this year.
Release Date: Late 2016
10. Star Fox Zero (Wii U)
According to franchise (and indeed most other Nintendo franchise) creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the reason has been difficulty to nail down the best way to take advantage of the unique Wii hardware in the context of a Star Fox game. But now, with the Wii U's unique gamepad, inspiration has finally struck, and a new Star Fox game is on the way sometime this year.
As with the classic entries in the series the game will be focused on aerial combat, using the new gamepad's gyroscopic controls and second-screen functionality to shake up the way players target enemies. Additional gameplay will include other vehicles including the Landmaster tank, and a two-legged walker robot.
The key addition here appears to be the use of the gamepad as a second screen, but it comes at a cost, with the game's graphics severely limited by the necessity to render fully on two displays at once. Indeed early footage has been met with a glut of criticism over its very basic appearance, low resolution textures, and sharp corners. We will have to see if the design choice was worth it.
Release Date: April 22, 2016
9. Dishonored 2 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
On its surface Dishonored may have looked like your standard stealth/action game, but between its spectacularly intricate open level design, and the admirably immersive world-building, the end product was something much more special.
The sequel looks to be more of the same, with new locations, and a new character to bolster the strong core gameplay. If they can build on the foundations of what they have created then this could be one of the top releases of 2016.
Release Date: TBA 2016
8. Star Citizen (PC)
Star Citizen is the brainchild of Chris Roberts, a game design legend from the early days of PC gaming most famous for his space-based combat simulations such as Wing Commander and Freelancer. Star Citizen is Roberts' big comeback to gaming following years in Hollywood with a number of producer credits to his name.
Unapologetically PC exclusive, Star Citizen's mission statement is simple: to be the ultimate space epic, the game that Roberts has always wanted to make. It takes Roberts' trademark quality combat simulation gaming, adds detailed economy and trading elements, and throws it all into one massively multiplayer online persistent universe. A massive online universe populated with thousands of players, in which players can essentially do what they want: they can trade or start a business, they can be a combat pilot, they can become a diplomat, or they can engage in a bit of in-game sports (racing for example).
The sheer variety of gameplay being thrown into this game is matched by the vast efforts that are going into creating a believable, fully fleshed out universe. The official website now is chock-full of literature and back-story for the world they are creating, and even if reading into all that depth is not your kind of thing, that kind of love and detail makes a game world truly engaging, even for the most casual of players. It's this kind of effort that turns a good game into a great game.
Can an independent developer really deliver on such high ambition? So far the signs are good. The modules that have been rolled out so far show promise, and with the single player campaign set to begin this year, with the online persistent universe soon to follow, we are excited.
Release Date: TBA 2016
7. Fire Emblem Fates (3DS)
Indeed the franchise, while always moderately successful in Japan, had fared so badly with western audiences that Nintendo were on the verge of telling the development team to give up and put the franchise on the scrap heap. With one chance remaining, Fire Emblem Awakening blew away every expectation that Nintendo had, earning critical and commercial success in every territory, with sales outstripping those of any earlier iteration by many orders of magnitude. Awakening not only saved the franchise, but propelled it to the status of one of Nintendo's biggest properties.
Now comes the difficult follow up, Fire Emblem Fates. For the first time the series carries a weight of expectation. Was Awakening just lightning in a bottle, or will those new fans stick around? The game is due for release on the 3DS this fall, so we shall soon find out.
Release Date: February 2016
6. Hitman (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
The idea behind the Hitman series is simple. You are a hitman, you get contracts to kill various unsavoury characters, and how you go about doing it is largely left up to you. You can use disguises, various weapons, and can manipulate others to assist you in various ways.
This newest iteration takes the concept to a whole new peak. These levels are so expansive, so full of activity and potential strategies that they really need to be seen to be believed.
Add to this a new, open-ended approach to game structure, with procedurally generated missions set among the same open settings, and this could have some serious longevity. We await with interest.
Release Date: March 11, 2016
5. The Legend of Zelda (Wii U)
Little is known about the game so far, except that it will be the first original Zelda to be designed in HD, and that it will take heavy inspiration from The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, specifically with regards to adopting a grand, open, freely explorable sandbox overworld.
The new Zelda is being designed with the idea to allow players real freedom in how they explore and complete quests. Just how that translates into the Zelda format is anyone's guess at the moment, but Nintendo's demo footage makes a point of showing us a vast, rolling mountainscape and telling us that any point we can see, we can visit. Zelda is truly one of the grandest of classic games franchises, and if they can combine the magic of older games with the technical marvels of open-world games like Skyrim, then the result could be something special.
No release date set in stone, except that it will be in 2016.
Release Date: TBA 2016
4. XCOM 2 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Set 20 years after the last game, XCOM 2 takes the somewhat original approach of assuming you lost the last time out. So whatever ending you got by winning the game never happened, and aliens now rule the world.
It actually makes for a pretty interesting setting, with the XCOM project now playing the role of resistance movement in a world under enemy control. This completely turns the dynamic of XCOM on its head, with you now the scary monster creeping through the dark to sneak up on them for a change.
Other additions include procedurally generated maps, and more dynamic events throughout the campaign, which could make this even better than its predecessor.
Release Date: February 5, 2016 (Out Now)
3. Final Fantasy XV (Xbox One, PS4)
Final Fantasy XV looks like it might single handedly turn the franchise around. Originally starting life as Final Fantasy XIII Versus, this has been in development for many years now, quite extraordinary as far as game development goes. But from what we've seen so far, it looks like it was time well spent.
Visually the game looks as stunning as one would expect from Final Fantasy, but it's everything else, from the new, more realistic aesthetic to the vast open-ended world full of spectacle and life. The characters have a decidedly more relatable, human tone behind them, and the writing looks to be as compelling as it's been in years. This looks like it is going to get everything right that the last few entries in the series have been getting hopelessly wrong, and craft a setting and story that people will actually care about.
Release Date: TBA 2016
2. Mass Effect: Andromeda (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
This of course means that Shepard is gone, as are all the characters you know and love. More than that though, it seems the galaxy and locations you know and love are gone too, and Andromeda sees you travel to a whole new galaxy. Quite why that was necessary when game lore tells us that the Milky Way is 98% unexplored in Mass Effect is besides the point, surely not as a convenient way to avoid having to deal with the array of different endings one could have chosen for the original trilogy? But lets not quibble over poor writing.
A new galaxy means a focus on exploration, hence the whole "western" frontier style in the trailer above. Beyond this not a whole lot is known. It's speculated that you've arrived through a wormhole, an expedition intended to chart and colonise unknown space. It can be presumed that your ship is staffed by a menagerie of well-written characters with daddy issues. All sounds good, though we hope this isn't the last we've seen of the Milky Way we know and love.
Release Date: Winter 2016
1. Stellaris (PC, Mac, Linux)
Stellaris is another Paradox title (see Hearts of Iron IV above). Stellaris is their first foray into the science fiction genre, ostensibly a mix between the 4x genre of games like Master of Orion and Galactic Civilizations, and the grand strategy genre of which Paradox are the undisputed masters.
It is undoubtedly exciting news that such strong designers are stepping into a genre that arguably has never bettered 1996's Master of Orion 2, but no one could have expected just how spot on they would get it.
Procedurally generated species, dynamic events, and extensive customization and modding point to the technical excellence on offer here, but it's the extra detail that shows the real love and attention that's being poured into this game. Star systems rendered right down to the moon and dwarf planet level, societies consisting of complex ideological factions that evolve over time, a spectrum of species from primitive to spacefaring, and even ancient fallen empires. Exploration, federations, individual science, political and military leaders whose skills and personalities will determine the path your empire follows.
In an genre of astoundingly ambitious intergalactic scale, Paradox really seem to have thought of every possible detail, in every aspect of both immersive world-building and compelling gameplay. This could well be the best Paradox game yet, and the absolutely definitive space game.
Release Date: TBA 2015
So there you have it folks: 2016 in videogames. Tune in next week for the essential theatrical productions set for release this year!
Friday, 12 February 2016
Welcome back to The Ephemeric's 2016 Hot List. We hope you enjoyed last week's entry covering the essential television in 2016. This week we will be having a look at the most exciting new music due for release in the coming year.
A very fine year for music fans of the indie persuasion in 2015, with big breakthroughs for the likes of Chvrches, Grimes, and a solid debut for Jamie xx of The xx fame. Plenty of the big guns came out too, with the newest solo album of The Killers' Brandon Flowers, Adele, and a largely forgettable effort from Coldplay. Elsewhere the Jay-Z/Daft Punk backed music service Tidal came and already went with barely a whimper, while Apple introduced their own Spotify rival streaming service, notable mostly for not being as good a service as Spotify.
At the start of 2016, the music industry is abuzz about one thing and one thing only, the tragic passing of David Bowie and the shockwaves it has sent through the music landscape for the year so far. But once the dust settles, there are some exciting new projects on the horizon, including some major big-name comebacks. So here's our list of the top albums to keep an eye on in 2016, starting with number 15:
15. Patawawa (New band)
Red and White is the track that has most been doing the rounds on the internet so far, and indeed it is a supremely catchy piece of pop music, but we would also direct your attention to the breezy Strange, a top track indeed.
The buzz has been building for this one, and having now featured on many pundits' hot for 2016 lists the speculation is that a full length untitled debut album is due in the next 12 months, supposedly in time for the fall.
Release Date: TBA 2016
14. The Killers
At the same time, frontman Brandon Flowers is fresh from his successful sophomore solo album in 2015, prompting speculation as to whether the group would even return at all, or if he would spend more time pursuing his own career.
The band will hope to set this right in 2016 with their fifth studio album now confirmed to be in production, and a release date tentatively set for late 2016. Despite the mediocrity of their last album, Battleborn, this is news that should excite fans everywhere. Flowers remains one of the most creative songwriters in the business, and despite his efforts is always at his best when contrasted by the more grounded notes of his band.
We're looking forward to this one. So why so low down the list? Considering there hasn't even been a hint of new material in a single or at any live concert, we are skeptical that this will really see the light of day in 2016. Fingers crossed.
Release Date: Winter 2016
13. "Moth" by Chairlift
This year they return with new album Moth. As one would expect it's full of shiny, immensely enjoyable pop with whip-smart lyrics, but taken in a more discordant direction, certainly an interesting new sound. Crying in Public has been the stand out from the early previews, if the rest of the album is as good as this track then we could be in for a treat.
We won't have to wait long to see whether it's any good, as the album launches at the start of 2016. Reviews might already be in by the time this post goes live.
Release Date: January 2016
12. "Painting With" by Animal Collective
Another year, another entry in the Hot List from either Panda Bear or in this case, his band Animal Collective. Masterful purveyors of the weird and wonderful in music, there can be no denying that they rank among the most original song writers in music today. You're not always sure what to expect with them. sometimes it doesn't work, but when it does, it's often genius.
In the past they have been known for singles Fireworks, My Girls, and Winter's Love, while Panda Bear on his own has such songs as Boys Latin and Comfy in Nautica to his name. FloriDada, the lead single from new album Painting With, is... well it's not a classic. We'll wait to hear more from the album before making conclusions, have the band run out of ideas? We shall see.
In the mean time the album drops in February this year.
Release Date: February 2016
11. "Milk Bath" by Petite Meller (New band)
In reality, Meller fashions herself as a mix between the extravagant theatricality and solid-gold pop hooks of Lady Gaga, with the more sultry art-rock of a Lana del Rey. Key single Baby Love is just a ready made radio hit right out of the box, while Backpack demonstrates some of her more subversive qualities.
After a series of singles and EPs, debut album Milk Bath is due for release in 2016, supposedly around the summer time. Superstardom most likely awaits.
Release Date: Summer 2016
10. Cash+David (New band)
Cash+David specialise in soulful electropop, and with Funn and Bones in particular they already have a couple of fairly excellent songs to their name. It was speculated that 2015 would see the release of their first studio album, but that never materialised, giving us instead just another EP in Triptych.
Many pundits are expecting big things for this duo, and with a full album supposedly imminent, 2016 could be the year that they get their breakthrough. Expect to hear a lot about this one when it drops.
Release Date: TBA 2016
9. "Hymns" by Bloc Party
Things started to change as the band's creative output slowed and frontman Kele Okereke in particular veered off into radically different genres, not to mention his own solo career. The three albums since then have been very short on memorable songs. Still there is hope with every new album may mark a comeback. This year they release their latest, Hymns.
Lead single The Love Within is a great example of where Bloc Party have gone wrong in recent years. A good idea, with a truly great hook in the chorus, ruined by overproduction and ridiculously tasteless electronic sound effects over the verses. It's a sad waste, one hopes that the rest of the album shows better judgement.
The album launches in January, and may even be out by the time this post is complete.
Release Date: January 2016
8. Frances (New band)
A mononym for Sophie Frances Cooke, Frances is a classically trained singer/songwriter from Berkshire, specialising in delicate, multi-instrumental pop. The key song to check out is Borrowed Time, which if a sign of things to come bodes very well indeed.
Frances has recently been signed up by Sam Smith's management company, indicating great expectation among the industry cognoscenti. A full as yet untitled debut album is tipped for release sometime this year, Amazon reckons the summer, we reckon they made that up. Nevertheless this is one to keep an eye on.
Release Date: Summer 2016
7. The xx
This comes fresh off the back of frontman Jamie xx's award winning solo debut last year, with hits such as Loud Places and Stranger in a Room. The xx themselves have a solid track record of excellent music including Islands and VCR.
Very little else is known about this new album except that it has been in production for a little over a year now. The band has a fairly well established sound that we don't expect them to stray far from, though if Jamie xx's solo album is anything to go by, they clearly have the capacity to mix things up creatively. Whatever happens, no doubt this will be one of the big releases of 2016.
Release Date: Autumn 2016
6. "Leave me Alone" by Hinds (New band)
Garden makes for a breezy sunny-days-in-California infused lead single, while the gleeful San Diego and Bamboo are also well worth listening to. The tracks we've heard so far are extremely promising.
The debut album Leave me Alone is due early in 2016, so we won't have to wait long to see if Hinds can live up to the billing, but many are tipping them to be one of the breakthrough acts of the year.
Release Date: January 2016
5. "Chaleur Humaine" by Christine and the Queens (New band)
In 2016 the rest of the world will finally hear Christine and the Queens as their striking debut album sees a full release, translated into English, released simultaneously in the UK and US, along with the rest of the world.
This is very good news indeed. The reviews from over on the continent for this album have been strong, and the first few singles we've heard are pretty special, from the glowing, ethereal No Harm is Done, to the dark and soulful Jonathan. The new translated versions of the songs sound gorgeous, and there's a great deal of excitement about what they can accomplish.
The English version of Chaleur Humaine will be released in late February, and it could be a big one.
Release Date: February 2016
4. "Everything You've Come to Expect" by The Last Shadow Puppets
Now for some very special news for those who, like The Ephemeric, were huge fans of The Last Shadow Puppets and their debut album The Age of Understatement, released some eight years ago in 2008. A follow up is long overdue.
For those who don't know, TLSP is the supergroup side project of Alex Turner, better known as the frontman of The Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of The Rascals, and produced by James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco.
That first album was something of a cult classic, with great tunes including Standing Next to Me and My Mistakes Were Made for You. The hook was to take Turner's distinctive voice and mix it with some golden late 1960s/70s retro musical style. The album itself is full of classic influences from The Beatles to Bowie (and a cover of Bowie's song In the Heat of the Morning even features on the album as a single). That Turner's primary band The Arctic Monkeys has seemingly shifted more to adopt this retro style in recent years just goes to show how strong was the acclaim.
The long awaited follow up Everything You've Come to Expect releases this Spring. The first single released, Bad Habits, is well, disappointing in all honesty. It seems to ditch the classic style that made the debut such a success and adopt something more closely resembling the punky early Arctic Monkeys material, and not one of their better songs either. One can only hope that the rest of the album is an improvement.
Release Date: April 2016
3. Gorillaz
Damon Albarn is undoubtedly music royalty for his work he has done solo and with Blur, but it's arguably his side project Gorillaz which has garnered the most widespread success.
This time last year Gorillaz announced their return, and their plans for a new album, now expected to be released in 2016. "Phase 4" of the Gorillaz project as it were. Beyond this, details are thin at the moment (read: non-existent), but if it's half as good as the group's previous album Plastic Beach then we're in for a treat.
Gorillaz of course are known for their eclectic mix of styles, from hip hop to dance, and plenty more besides. Best known for tracks like 19-2000, Feel Good Inc, and On Melancholy Hill. But this is only the tip of the iceberg, and we await with real interest to see what crazy machinations Albarn and co come up with this time.
Release Date: TBA 2016
2. "Blackstar" by David Bowie
Blackstar is number 1 all over the world, including Bowie's first ever number 1 album in the United States. And looks likely to be among the most listened to records of 2016.
So is it any good? Blackstar will undoubtedly go down as one of the weirdest pieces of work in a career that is already famous for pushing the envelope artistically. Part art-rock, part experimental jazz, Blackstar follows classic Bowie style by being like absolutely nothing the man has ever done before.
Ten minute odyssey and title track Blackstar is more like an art installation than a song, but elsewhere there is more radio-friendly fare. Most notably in Lazarus a song which has gained much greater prominence in the wake of his death, appearing now to clearly be a quite literal goodbye note from Bowie. Wherever music takes us in 2016, there is no doubt that the spirit of Bowie will hang over everything.
Release Date: January 2016
1. M83
The french art-rock band's last album Hurry up We're Dreaming stands as one of the best albums of the decade, a surreal, mesmerising journey with music to match.
Long time fans will remember hits like Kim & Jessie, Midnight City, and Wait. Since we last heard from them, Gonzalez/M83 have taken a much acclaimed turn into film scores, including the soundtrack for Oblivion and You and the Night. They have produced songs for big names including The Killers (The Killers' best song in years) and Haim. Everything they touch turns to gold, but still a new album has been a long time coming, with their own output limited to the odd song here and there like I Need You.
There is no doubt that frontman Anthony Gonzalez is one of the very finest artists and producers in music today. The thought that a new album is due this year is very exciting for music lovers everywhere.
Release Date: TBA 2016
So there you have it folks: 2016 in music. Tune in next week for the essential new videogames of the year!
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Welcome back to The Ephemeric's 2016 Hot List. We hope you enjoyed our first entry in this year's Hot List covering the essential new films in 2016. This week we will be turning our attention to the year's line-up of television shows, in particular the brand new series starting in the next 12 months.
2015 has served as another reminder that television is increasingly becoming the medium of choice for complex storytelling. The year gone by has seen some of the best visual drama in years with the continuation of House of Cards and Fargo and the addition of the phenomenally successful Mr. Robot. In 2016 we can look forward to yet more of the Hollywood A-list getting in on the act, including one of the industry's most celebrated directors.
In the meantime, Amazon has had it's first bona fide hit in Man in the High Castle, staking a claim for the first time as a true competitor to Netflix. With Hulu also set to move deeper into original programming, the online streaming landscape is starting to take on the multi-faceted appearance of early television. It remains to be seen just what the final form of all this will be.
In spite of this progress, we're starting to see some of the ongoing threats that the medium will face in the years ahead. From antagonistic ISPs to onerous copyright laws, the consumer interest continues to be held back by the archaic remnants of the industry old boys' club. History tells us that these elements will eventually lose out to the march of technology, but for now sadly it looks as though this game of political football will continue.
Nevertheless, we continue to be positive that there is much to be excited about in the current era of television; the quality of programming has progressed by leaps and bounds, while the technology is finally on the verge of bringing the medium into the 21st Century. The year ahead looks to be a continuation of this. So without further ado here are the top 10 essential television shows, both new and returning, that will hit the airwaves in 2016:
10. Archer - FX
Arguably the wittiest show on television right now, Archer is that rare TV show that's big on belly laughs and chock full of references and subtext for more sophisticated humour. Now entering its seventh season, the series shows no sign of slowing down.
Very little is yet known about the plot for the upcoming year, but showrunners have confirmed that the spy agency "ISIS" is being written out of the show for obvious reasons. With last season's plotline seeing the main cast cut ties with the CIA it will be interesting to see what new setting they come up with.
Regardless, the show's trademark wit and satirical humour remain. The new season starts in March.
Release Date: March 2016
9. Billions - Showtime (New TV Show)
The cast is excellent, featuring the well worn TV talents of Damian Lewis as our corrupt hedge fund manager, alongside the always excellent Paul Giamatti as the District Attorney investigating him.
Showtime and Lewis have excellent prior history with Homeland, and we're pretty excited to see that combination flourish again. Billions debuts in late January.
Release Date: January 2016
8. American Gods - Starz (New TV Show)
Now this one is promising. American Gods is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by the inimitable Neil Gaiman (author of, Stardust, Coraline, among others), and produced by Bryan Fuller, a man with an enviable track record of smart, wonderful television.
The plot is classic Gaiman weirdness: gods are real and live among humans, and a conflict is shaping up between the old gods of mythology and the new gods of money and technology. Otherwise precious little is known about the show, no news on cast, and it's only just been announced to being picked up by the Starz network. Still, with this production team and source material, we are very hopeful.
Fuller has gone on record as saying that he expects this show to debut late 2016. We aren't so certain but we'll go along with that. Don't be surprised if this shows up on the 2017 list though.
Release Date: Fall 2016
7. The X-Files - Fox
In one of the biggest surprise moves of recent TV history, The X-Files is making a comeback, albeit a short one in the form of a six episode miniseries.
The main duo of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return, along with the usual supporting cast. It will be interesting to see how the conspiracy-laden mythos of the series slots into the modern setting, after all a lot has changed since the show's heyday in the 90s. Indeed according to X-Files mythology the world was supposed to end in 2012. Presumably they've come up with a good explanation for why it has not!
Nevertheless, The X-Files was hugely influential on popular culture during its original run, so any return is a cause for excitement. The new miniseries starts at the end of January.
Release Date: January 2016
6. House of Cards - Netflix
Kevin Spacey and the usual cast return. There had been much speculation as to whether this season would even happen, but House of Cards has become a flagship of sorts, not only for this new wave of high quality, A-list drama, but for television streaming as a whole. It speaks volumes that the talent on this project are so keen to keep working on the show, they realise that they're involved in something special.
Once again all thirteen episodes will be released simultaneously, in March.
Release Date: March 2016
5. Mystery Science Theatre 3000 - Webseries
Speaking of iconic shows from the 1990s, and if The X-Files is no longer above this one in the list then let's pretend it is so that sentence makes sense, here's another making a comeback: Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
The award winning cult classic MST3K was one of those shows that you either never heard of, or you've heard of it and pity those who haven't. The premise is simple: they put on a really bad sci-fi or horror movie, and make fun of it the entire time. The result was something that was far funnier than it had any right to be, especially if you're the type who enjoys watching these cheesy movies and laughing at them.
So imagine the joy of fans everywhere this past November when series creator Joel Hodgson launched a Kickstarter to bring the show back as an online webseries. Initially asking for $2 million, they raised $5.8 million, becoming the most crowdfunded television series of all time. Now we wait. The new episodes are expected to start filming in January, with the first available for viewing in the summer.
Release Date: Summer 2016
4. Vinyl - HBO (New TV Show)
We're extremely excited about this one. The legendary Martin Scorsese directs/produces Vinyl, a new show about the seedier side of 1970s rock and roll. It's other producers include none other than Mick Jagger and Terrence Winter, who created the hit show Boardwalk Empire.
HBO have a pretty exceptional record for good TV drama, and with a cast starring the underrated Bobby Cannavale, and including the likes of Olivia Wilde, Ray Roman and Andrew Dice Clay, Vinyl looks to have the talent to add to the long track record of success.
Originally mooted for a 2015 release, Vinyl ultimately had a last minute rescheduling to February 2016. This could be one of the real highlights of this year's TV.
3. Fargo - FX
Unsurprisingly, the televised adaptation of the classic Coen Brothers film has been confirmed for a third season. Few details have arisen as of yet, no cast has been announced. All we know is that it will return to the present day setting of the first season.
If the first two seasons are anything to go by, whatever they come up with will be brilliant. A start date has yet to be announced, but we look forward to it.
Release Date: TBA 2016
2. Westworld - HBO (New TV Show)
This new adaptation will be scripted by Jonathan Nolan, quite the hot property in Hollywood now after writing the scripts for most of his brother Chris' films, as well as his own hit TV show Person of Interest. It's being developed by HBO, a network renowned for its high quality, with another big name JJ Abrams attached as producer. Meanwhile the impressive cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, and a number of other recognisable faces.
There's a lot of talent attached and a lot of buzz hyping this as one of the big television events of 2016.
Release Date: TBA 2016
1. Mr. Robot - USA
Coming seemingly out of nowhere, Mr Robot's first season was a critically acclaimed triumph, and won unanimous plaudits from fans and pundits alike.
Unsurprisingly, a second season is due to come out in 2016. It remains to be seen in what direction they intend to take the series, or who among the original cast may return, but showrunner Sam Esmail recently took to Twitter to promise "big twists" in the year ahead. If you haven't started watching this yet, you should be, and you have until season 2 starts to get caught up!
Release Date: TBA 2016
So there you have it folks: 2016 in television. Tune in next week for the essential new music of the year!
Friday, 15 January 2016
Happy New Year everyone and welcome back to The Ephemeric. This week's tragic passing of music legend David Bowie has delayed the roll-out of our 2016 Hot List, but now we are pleased to resume regular service. Over the next few weeks we will be rolling out The Hot List, the essential guide to your year ahead. This week we begin with a look at the most exciting new movies set to hit the big screen in 2016 from February onwards, after the cutoff point for this year's Oscars.
2015 will go down as one of the more diverse years in cinema, with hugely successful releases ranging from small-scale intellectual sci-fi to historical dramas, journalism thrillers, frontier adventures in the wild, and biographical films. As a result we have a particularly open field as far as the various awards go. As it stands there really are a good dozen or so films up for the major prizes, and The Ephemeric is pleased to be able to say that a solid nine or ten picks from last year's Hot List have found themselves in the mix, and a further two which only missed out by being delayed into 2016.
Let's be honest, 2016 has been shit so far. David Bowie is dead, Alan Rickman is dead, both were killed by Aaron Ramsey, it's cold out, and I'm fairly confident the stock market is about to collapse. Nevertheless, let's do this. Looking ahead, 2016 cinema has much on the horizon about which to be excited, hot new directors, long anticipated sequels, several adaptations of excellent novels. We really feel that this year's list has a little something for everyone.
So behold, the key films to keep an eye on in the coming year (trailers linked in the title where available), starting with number 15:
15. Billy Lynn's Long Half Time Walk
Making this even more exciting is a script penned by the phenomenally talented Oscar winning Simon Beaufoy. With a release set for November of this year, Billy Lynn must surely have its sights set on Oscar gold right?
Two oddities give me pause. First there's the cast, a mixed bag which includes the unknown Jow Alwyn, Steve Martin, Chris Tucker, and Vin Diesel. Second is the production by TriStar Pictures, a studio which hasn't really had a whole lot of critical success in recent years. In the 2010s only Looper stands out as a really good film from their back catalogue.
Still you never know, USA network didn't have any good TV shows until they came up with Mr. Robot, and certainly there have been plenty of films in recent years who managed to rehabilitate maligned actors, including Tucker himself in The Silver Linings Playbook. We'll keep an eye on this one, there's a lot of buzz.
Release Date: November 11, 2016
14. The Zookeeper's Wife
The film version stars Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, and the underrated Daniel Bruhl. New Zealand director Niki Caro may not be a household name over here, but she has a fair few accolades to her name, including a couple of Oscar nominations.
No release date yet, but we would expect it sometime in the Fall based on the current gossip. Watch this one closely, especially if you are fans of the book, it is a great story after all and with able talent behind it.
Release Date: TBA 2016
13. Independence Day: Resurgence
Mixing things up a bit, here's the often rumoured, now actually happening sequel to the 1990s' mega blockbuster, Independence Day: Resurgence. Can it possibly not suck? Was it at all necessary? These are all valid questions, but either way it's done, let's all try and keep an open mind.
For what it's worth, the premise is interesting. Aliens return twenty years after the original invasion, during that time humanity has reverse engineered their technology, leading to a much more even fight than last time, with guaranteed laser and space battles. Fans of the X-COM videogame series will feel right at home with the concept.
Director Ronald Emmerich returns, as does previous film's stars Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman. The big hold out? No Will Smith, money issues apparently. It's a shame they couldn't reunite the whole team, but Smith will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth, and Maika Monroe rounds out the cast.
ID5 launches in June this year. Could be fun. Might suck.
Release Date: June 24, 2016
12. Nocturnal Animals
Based, like so many others on this list, on a successful novel, Nocturnal Animals stars the always underrated Jake Gyllenhaal, and Academy favourite Amy Adams. An extremely strong supporting cast includes Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kim Basinger, Isla Fisher and Armie Hammer.
Release date is currently unknown, but there's a lot of buzz about this one in 2016. Still, the latest news is that principal photography only started this past October, so there's every chance that this one will slip into 2017.
Release Date: TBA 2016
11. The Light Between Oceans
The Light Between Oceans is a film that has had a lot of buzz about it for a few years now. Based on the book of the same name, Michael Fassbender and the so-hot-right-now Alicia Vikander star as a lighthouse keeper and his wife off the coast of Australia who find a baby washed up on their shore one day in a lifeboat. Rachel Weisz finishes up the main cast.
There's no doubt that this is a watershed film for writer/director Derek Cianfrance, who's received high critical praise in the past for Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, and yet has still flown mostly under the radar. This release is his big opportunity to move his career to the next level. We're very curious to see how it goes.
Release Date: Late 2016
10. Passengers
The insanely likable duo of Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence star, with Michael Sheen lending his voice talent. Elsewhere they've enlisted Rodrigo Pietro for cinematography, whose past credits include a long list of excellent movies from The Wolf of Wall Street, to Argo and Biutiful. Most exciting of all is the signing on of director Morten Tyldum, who directed The Imitation Game as his first major Hollywood film. We're very excited to see what he can do next.
Columbia Pictures are clearly quite confident about this one, they've booked in a release date just before Christmas in late December. Other than that though, not much is known at this stage. Slightly worrying is production company Village Roadshow Productions who have as many flops as successes in their CV, but still we await this one with interest.
Release Date: December 21, 2016
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
So when JJ Abram's mysterious new project was revealed to be a sequel, titled 10 Cloverfield Lane, we were understandably excited. Even more so having seen the very intriguing looking trailer.
So what we know is that the film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and John Goodman, who appear to be the last survivors of some catastrophe that has taken place. And oddly enough this isn't actually being directed by JJ Abrams, merely produced. Dan Trachtenberg is taking on directorial duties. Other than that, it's a complete mystery, which is just the way we like our JJ Abrams movies.
Release Date: March 11, 2016
8. Lion
It's good solid movie-fare, and it stars the competent trio of Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, and Dev Patel. Slightly more interestingly, Lion is scripted by Luke Davies, a man mostly known for his limited career in indie films, and directed by Garth Davis, who so far has a fairly highly acclaimed career in television, but nothin in feature films.
An interesting prospect then, and the Weinstein Company certainly seem to think so too, having purchased distribution rights and partnered with the producers of awards smash The King's Speech. Weinstein usually picks a winner, lets see if they'll do it again. No release date set as of yet, but Lion is widely expected to release late in 2016.
Release Date: TBA 2016
7. La La Land
For Damien Chazelle the choice, after the unexpected success of Whiplash, was to fulfill a lifelong ambition and produce a big, bombastic, classic Hollywood style musical. Welcome to La La Land.
La La Land stars Ryan Gosling and the up-and-coming talent of Emma Stone, with JK Simmons and John Legend in support. It's an old fashioned Hollywood fable of a jazz pianist falling in love with an ambitious young actress, and then shit happens which can only really be explained through the medium of song.
This one will hit the big screen in July. Should be a bit of good fun.
Release Date: July 15, 2016
6. Genius
Grandage has certainly broken out the old rolodex from his time at the Donmar, as the cast of Genius includes the hugely impressive lineup of Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Dominic West, Laura Linney, and Guy Pearce.
A release date of summer 2016 is a slightly unusual one for a film like this, but as fans of Grandage's work we are pretty excited to see what he can do in this new medium, and particularly with such a talented array of actors. Definitely one to watch.
Release Date: July 29, 2016
5. Hail, Caesar!
Their newest, Hail, Caesar! is a classic farce set against golden age Hollywood in the 1950s. The cast includes a lineup of Coen Brothers favourites and newcomers alike, including George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Channing Tatum. It's a formidable cast of talent, and the addition of legendary cinematographer and longtime Coen Brothers collaborator Roger Deakins only sweetens the deal.
It's a film that has absolutely everything right on paper, so why isn't it higher up the list? Scoff if you will, but the early February release date seems a bit of a red flag. The Coen Brothers haven't released a film so early in the year for decades, one has to ask why they've been given such a bad release date this year... perhaps the studio isn't happy with the product? We shall see; worst case scenario this film will be on a par with Burn After Reading, best case we'll have another classic on the level of Fargo. Either way it'll be worth seeing, we're excited for this one.
Release Date: February 5, 2016
4. Star Trek Beyond
The good news is that the main cast, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg and Zoe Saldana return, and they have brought with them the excellent Idris Elba. The bad news is... well just about everything else.
Director of the past two films, JJ Abrams, is out due to commitments with a different film you may have heard of which also begins with "Star", he stays on as producer. Originally screenwriter Roberto Orci was set to replace him, which was mildly controversial seeing as he has never directed anything before, and the fact that his scripts were probably the weakest point of the past two films, Into Darkness especially. So Orci promptly got the boot, which left us with barely a year until release and not even a script let alone a film. Cue Simon Pegg to come along and throw together a script at the last minute, and incoming director Justin Lin of, err... Fast and Furious fame.
So to recap: the entire movie was rushed together in a year, and we have the director of the Fast and Furious series. This film is going to be terrible probably. But if Pegg somehow manages to pull this off, he will no doubt be hailed as a hero to Trekkies everywhere.
Release Date: July 22, 2016
3. Sully
Clint Eastwood directs, Tom Hanks stars as Sully. Do we really need to say more? You'll be hearing about this one a lot come the next awards season. But since you insist, the supporting cast includes Aaron Eckhart, Entourage's Jerry Ferrara, and Laura Linney. Long time Eastwood collaborator Tom Stern is on board for cinematography.
I suppose the question is how do they make a movie out of this, when the event itself was probably not all that interesting in real time, and probably shorter than the running time of a film? Well it's based off his autobiography, so presumably looks a great deal at the life that made him the man he was leading up to that day.
Sully releases this September.
Release Date: September 9, 2016
2. The Founder
An old fashioned business drama, with Michael Keaton as Kroc, and a supporting cast which includes Laura Dern, Nick Offerman, and Patrick Wilson. The director, John Lee Hancock previously did Saving Mr. Banks and The Blind Side, so he has previous in the biographical genre, and a track record of producing very good films. Script by Robert D. Siegel, who wrote The Wrestler and The Onion Movie. Cinematography by the Oscar nominated John Schwartzman who worked on Saving Mr. Banks and Seabiscuit.
A lot of talent invovled then, and produced by the Weinstein Company, who as we already may have mentioned, usually have pretty serious clout when it comes to awards season. The Founder releases in November.
Release Date: November 25, 2016
1. Silence
There is not one detail about Silence which doesn't suggest that it's going to be a very big deal. An adaptation of the acclaimed 1966 Japanese novel of the same name, a historical drama dealing with religious persecution in 17th Century Japan, screenplay by two time Academy Award nominee Jay Cocks, and directed by one of the greatest of all time, Martin Scorsese.
Originally the film had been mooted for one Daniel Day Lewis and Benicio del Toro when it first surfaced in 2009, but following a recent script rewrite the cast now includes two highly regarded young up and comers in Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver, as well as veteran Liam Neeson.
It all sounds great so far, so it's just as well that the film is lined up for a late 2016 release, right around when the awards season really gets going. Put this one on your list, it's going to be big.
Release Date: Late 2016
So there you have it folks: 2016 in movies. Tune in next week for the essential new television shows on the air in 2016!
Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Welcome to 2016. The Ephemeric is sorry to be starting this new year not with the traditional Hot List, but with the very sad news that has just broken this morning.
On the 10th of January, 2016, just two days after he turned 69 and released what will ultimately be his final album, Blackstar, David Bowie has passed away as a result of cancer. The world is in shock, particularly as his illness had not previously been disclosed to anyone outside of immediate family, but as details come in it is becoming clear that Bowie was diagnosed some 18 months ago, and that it was clear for some time that he would not be able to delay the inevitable for much longer.
Bowie will be remembered as one of history's greatest artists, not just for his music, which has spanned 6 decades, but for his accomplished career as an actor, writer, producer, and his unique influence on pop-culture all over the world. Bowie has released 27 albums, 9 of which have reached number 1 on the charts, soon to be 10 going by early sales reports of Blackstar. Hit single Let's Dance is one of the greatest selling songs of all time. Bowie has written chart topping hits for a host prominent artists including Arcade Fire, The Arctic Monkeys, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Mott the Hoople, and Queen, and collaborated with the likes of John Lennon, Brian Eno, Mick Jagger, and Tina Turner. He has been covered by the likes of Nirvana and Dario G, and been remixed by countless others.
He is a household name all over the world, from Europe to USA, to Japan, and even reaching into outer space. Following his death, shrines have appeared as far apart as hometown Brixton, Berlin where he famously recorded his Berlin trilogy with Brian Eno, and Russia where he was one of the top selling western artists during the Cold War era. It is no overstatement to say that he has influenced just about every contemporary musician in some way, but more than that today's outpouring of love from politicians, business leaders, scientists and artists illustrates the inspiration he has given us all over the decades.
And yet these facts only scratch the surface of the true extent of his legacy in pop culture history. No doubt there will be more coherent and comprehensive tributes written than anything I could hope to deliver in this heat of the moment stream of consciousness, but earlier today no less transformative a figure than Madonna described David Bowie in one word: "gamechanger".
Arriving at a time when popular music was much more about conformity, identifying with peers, and belonging, Bowie gave people something they had never seen before. He brought trail-blazing spectacle at a time when other pop bands all had short haircuts and tidy matching suits, adopting a series of outlandish personae and wildly varying musical styles, from the glam alien rock star Ziggy Stardust, to the Weimar-era lounge-crooning of Aryan aristocrat The Thin White Duke, or the sinister Pierrot of Bowie's 1980s new romance phase.
No one had ever seen such theatricality from a musician, a thematic combination of music and narrative to create conceptual albums that were almost a new genre to themselves. Bowie's ability to continually reinvent his image and experiment in all genres of music displays an artistic depth that few have ever matched, and earned him the nickname of the "rock and roll chameleon".
But though the style changed, the message did not. For Bowie it wasn't just the the high quality of the music, so much as the formidably intellectual thoughts they contained. Dense and complex lyrics with allusions to politics, philosophy and society. Through his bizarre alien appearance, his androgyny and ambiguous sexuality, his flamboyance, and distinct sense of "otherness", Bowie appealed to the pariahs and the misfits of society. Bowie's famously homoerotic top of the pops appearance may seem like nothing today, but it shocked audiences at the time.
Rather than harness the contemporary ideal of "cool", these were songs which embraced being different, which told young people all over the world that it was ok to be gay, ethnically diverse, or otherwise unaccepted in society. Bowie became an idol to anyone who has ever felt alone or disaffected from the world.
This lies at the core of his enduring mystique, which by the end of his life had reached near mythical status. So it is fitting, for an artist every aspect of whose life appeared to consist some form of artistic expression, that his illness permitted him the foresight to even write his own curtain call. Indeed his final album Blackstar can now only be interpreted as a farewell to the world, a message intended to be heard posthumously with its thematic focus on death, time, and legacy. Millions of fans all over the world will be looking back at new single Lazarus, released in recent weeks, which would appear to take on a whole new meaning in this additional bit of context.
As an artist, Bowie never stopped innovating, never stopped experimenting, even after decades in music. For every new trend in music, Bowie was always at the forefront even in his final days. That one of the biggest stars music has ever known was able to maintain his ability to surprise for so many years is truly remarkable. But through all the myth and spectacle, we're reminded that Bowie was still just a human being, and one who will be sorely missed by a lot of people.
So first and foremost, thank you Major Tom for your contribution to the universe. For the rest of us, here are The Ephemeric's top 5 David Bowie albums, to help you get through this:
5. Aladdin Sane
A spiritual successor to Bowie's defining album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, conceptualised as "Ziggy goes to America", but the result more than stands up on its own.
First there is the iconic cover art, that Bowie lightning bolt that has become such a ubiquitous symbol of rock and roll and pop culture in general. In all honesty, more people recognise the lightning bolt than know from where it comes. Teenagers all over the world wear it on t-shirts to this day, unaware what it really means as a symbol of teenage drama and glamour.
The music is most notable for it's avant-garde jazz influences, dominated by the astonishing piano work of Mike Garson, much of which was ad-libbed in the studio. Ultimately Aladdin Sane serves as a great summary of the disparate stylings of Bowie, from Brechtian odyssey Time to rock and roll classic The Jean Genie, and jazz piano masterpiece Aladdin Sane.
4. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
For some, the epitome of Bowie at his strangest, most extravagant self. Scary Monsters formed part of Bowie's transition from 1970s glam rock provocateur to 1980s worldwide superstar.
Here Bowie embraced, and indeed became the face of a whole new musical movement in the new romantic period of the 1980s, contrasting strongly with his rock and roll roots, and utterly confounding all those who had followed his career so far. This radical reinvention would become a characteristic feature of Bowie's evolution through the years.
Scary Monsters would see the debut of Bowie's creepy Pierrot character, his first since 1976's Thin White Duke, and with it an equally creepy lead single, Ashes to Ashes, most well known for its utterly groundbreaking music video, which still stands as one of the all time greatest. Follow up single Fashion would go on to become one of Bowie's most definitive tracks.
3. Low
Under appreciated and perhaps not as well known as some of Bowie's other work; Low was the first album of the so-called "Berlin Trilogy", marking a turning point in Bowie's life which saw him relocate to Germany in the hopes of cleaning up his various addictions and reinvent himself from a creative perspective. Low also marks his first collaboration with Brian Eno.
Aficionados will tell you that Low remains one of Bowie's most influential works, the one of the first of his albums to truly break away from the Ziggy/Aladdin Sane rock and roll mould that made him a star.
Characterised by instrumental and heavily synthesised tracks, most notably Sound and Vision, the album stands as one of Bowie's most adventurous, and truly wouldn't sound at all out of place were it released today. Bowie was decades ahead of his time here, and the shift in critical opinion between 1976 and today serves as a great case study.
2. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Very difficult to choose between the top 2. Most people would describe Ziggy Stardust as not only the pivotal David Bowie album, but also one of the most influential concept albums of all time.
Ziggy is the embodiment of the David Bowie story; an otherworldly rockstar as described in the song Ziggy Stardust, whose sheer celebrity and charisma forms a powerful following, and whose life ultimately derails into self-indulgence, egotism, and self-destruction, a Rock and Roll Suicide. Ziggy is the best cautionary tale ever written on the cult of celebrity, and thankfully one which Bowie himself heeded in time.
An album of such high concept had never been attempted before, and rarely accomplished so successfully even in the years hence. Ziggy also offers a very fine collection of individual songs, from Starman to Suffragette City.
1. Hunky Dory
Hunky Dory may not have the heavyweight concept of Ziggy Stardust, but it is without a doubt, one of the finest collections of songs ever written.
Releasing before Ziggy, it was this album that first brought Bowie to prominence, the album that made him an up and coming star and a household name.
The track list is just one classic after another. Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life on Mars, and Queen Bitch. These all rank among the finest pop songs ever written, and even in these early days it's the sophistication in the writing that shines through the sublime melodies. Hunky Dory is the pivotal David Bowie album, shaping what was to come, first hinting at his potential as a formidable wordsmith as well as a musical shapeshifter.
