David Bowie – Never Let Me Down (1987) Album Review
Released in April 1987, Never Let Me Down marks David Bowie’s seventeenth studio album and represents a return to a more rock-oriented, guitar-driven sound following his polished pop era of the mid-1980s. While the album achieved commercial success, reaching the top 10 in both the UK and U.S., it has historically received mixed critical reviews, with some critics citing production choices that clashed with Bowie’s artistry.
Despite this, Never Let Me Down contains memorable tracks, bold arrangements, and Bowie's signature charisma, reflecting his determination to experiment and remain relevant in a rapidly changing musical landscape.
Musical Style and Sound
Never Let Me Down combines rock, pop, and new wave elements, emphasizing electric guitars, synthesizers, and danceable rhythms. Produced by David Bowie and David Richards, the album features a polished, radio-friendly sound, but with edgier, guitar-driven tracks that hark back to Bowie’s Berlin-era experimentation.
The album also incorporates dramatic arrangements, including string sections, saxophones, and occasional worldbeat touches. Vocally, Bowie delivers a mix of confident, expressive performances and introspective passages, highlighting both his theatricality and pop sensibility.
Themes and Lyrical Concepts
Lyrically, Never Let Me Down explores themes of love, personal reflection, social observation, and the passage of time. Bowie examines both intimate relationships and broader societal issues, weaving narrative storytelling with poetic imagery. The album reflects Bowie’s mid-career perspective, balancing personal introspection with commercial accessibility.
Standout Tracks
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Day-In Day-Out – A socially conscious pop-rock single critiquing urban poverty, with a driving rhythm and Bowie’s impassioned vocals.
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Time Will Crawl – A politically charged, upbeat track addressing environmental destruction and human responsibility, considered one of the album’s highlights.
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Never Let Me Down – The title track combines melodic hooks with dramatic instrumentation, blending pop sensibility and rock energy.
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Beat of Your Drum – A collaboration with percussionist Yanni, featuring rhythmic complexity and danceable energy.
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Glass Spider – Inspired by Bowie’s theatrical stage persona, foreshadowing his Glass Spider Tour, blending art-rock flair with accessible pop.
Fun Facts & Trivia
🎸 Never Let Me Down features notable contributions from Peter Frampton (guitar) and a team of session musicians, adding polished rock textures to the album.
🕺 The album served as the musical foundation for Bowie’s Glass Spider Tour, a lavish stage production emphasizing theatricality and storytelling.
📀 The track Time Will Crawl was later re-recorded and remixed in 2008 for the Never Let Me Down 2018 project, reflecting Bowie’s dissatisfaction with the original production.
🎤 The album represents Bowie’s attempt to balance commercial appeal with artistic exploration, navigating the pressures of the late-1980s music industry.
🖼️ The cover, photographed by Greg Gorman, features Bowie in a dramatic, stylized pose, reflecting both his rock-star persona and the theatrical sensibility that defined the era.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Upon release, Never Let Me Down received mixed reviews, with critics praising Bowie’s songwriting and performance but criticizing the overproduction and commercialized sound. Over time, the album has been viewed as a flawed but fascinating snapshot of Bowie navigating the mid-1980s music landscape, with songs like Time Will Crawl and Day-In Day-Out standing out as enduring highlights.
The album’s 2018 reimagining (Never Let Me Down 2018) updated its production and instrumentation, offering a fresh perspective and helping to reintroduce the work to modern audiences.
While not considered one of Bowie’s greatest albums, Never Let Me Down reflects his resilience, creativity, and willingness to take risks, bridging the gap between his commercial pop era and the more experimental work of the 1990s.
Mini Biography: David Bowie
David Bowie (born David Robert Jones, January 8, 1947, Brixton, London) was a singer, songwriter, actor, and cultural icon renowned for his ability to reinvent himself across decades. Bowie achieved fame with Space Oddity (1969) and global superstardom with Ziggy Stardust (1972).
From the glam rock of the 1970s to the Berlin Trilogy, the 1980s pop era (Let’s Dance, Tonight), and into the experimental and electronic works of the 1990s, Bowie continually pushed artistic boundaries. Across 26 studio albums, he influenced generations of musicians, performers, and fashion innovators.
Bowie passed away on January 10, 2016, leaving behind a legacy of creativity, innovation, and fearless reinvention that continues to inspire artists worldwide.
