History Music / Lodger

''Lodger'' is the thirteenth studio album by Music/DavidBowie, released in 1979. The third and final album of what critics and fans call the "[[ThematicSeries Berlin Trilogy]]" of his {{Krautrock}}[=/=]PostPunk albums (though most of the album was recorded in UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}} or UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity), it also marked the end of his working relationship with Music/BrianEno. The two reunited later for his 1995 album ''[[Music/{{Outside}} 1. Outside]]''.

** Bowie re-recorded "Look Back in Anger" in 1988 as his first collaboration with guitarist Reeves Gabrels, who sought to help Bowie break away from the pop sound that he'd leaned into throughout the decade. This re-recording, which is much longer and more avant-garde than the original, would later appear on the 1991 reissue of ''Lodger'' as a bonus track.

* UrExample: "African Night Flights" is an early example of speed rap, back when HipHop was still primarily associated with {{disco}}.

* RearrangeTheSong: "Red Money" is a rewrite of "Sister Midnight", from the Bowie-produced (and co-written) Music/IggyPop album ''Music/TheIdiot''.

* TheNotRemix: Received a fairly notable one in 2017 as an exclusive extra in the BoxedSet ''A New Career in a New Town [1977-1982]'', which Bowie approved shortly before his death. Unlike the ones from previous retrospective sets, this one was fairly controversial among fans and critics for the heavier changes producer Tony Visconti made to the album. For what it's worth, Visconti stated that the alterations were meant to reflect his intended vision for the album that simply wasn't possible in 1979 (due to scheduling constraints), and indeed the remix's production is more in-line with that of its predecessors.

* ProductPlacement: An Creator/{{EMI}} 7" is prominently displayed on one of Bowie's turntables in the "DJ" music video; the logo on it is large enough to not be muddied out by the videotape footage's low resolution. Coincidentally, Bowie would sign onto EMI a few years later due to his increasingly antagonistic relationship with Creator/RCARecords.

''Lodger'' is perhaps the most accessible entry in the Berlin Trilogy, to the point where an uninitiated listener wouldn't be able to tell that it had any relation with ''[[Music/LowDavidBowieAlbum Low]]'' and ''[[Music/HeroesDavidBowieAlbum "Heroes"]]''; there are no instrumentals on side two and the songs are lighter and more pop-oriented. Additionally, while its two predecessors are rooted more strongly in Krautrock, art rock, and avant-garde music, ''Lodger'' is more strongly based in a mix of post-punk and WorldMusic (though not without conspicuous art rock leanings), predating Music/PeterGabriel and Music/TalkingHeads' similar blend of genres on ''Music/{{Melt}}'' and ''Music/RemainInLight'' by roughly a year.

The album peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums chart, while in the US it outperformed its predecessor, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200. The album would later be certified gold in the UK and the Netherlands.

''Lodger'' is the thirteenth studio album by Music/DavidBowie, released in 1979. The third and final album of what critics and fans call the "[[ThematicSeries Berlin Trilogy]]" of his {{Krautrock}}[=/=]PostPunk albums (though most of the album was recorded in UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}} or UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity). It also marks the end of his working relationship with Music/BrianEno. The two reunited later for his 1995 album ''[[Music/{{Outside}} 1. Outside]]''.

* VariantCover:
** Most early CD releases of the album alter the cover to put Bowie's face on the front; the European RCA CD and Creator/{{Rykodisc}} CD simply flip it around, while the US RCA CD orients it vertically and turns it into a foldout poster (mixing it with the inner gatefold art and the inner sleeve). The 1999 remaster would eventually restore the LP configuration of the artwork, with the 2017 remaster following suit on physical releases.
** The 2017 remix and the standalone digital release of the 2017 remaster also flip around the cover art, but move the faux postcard from the legs half to the face half.

** The standalone digital release of the 2017 remaster places the faux postcard from the LP cover atop the portion of the photo depicting Bowie's face.

* TakeThat: "DJ" and "Boys Keep Swinging" take swipes at the {{disco}} subculture of the era, Bowie having been a vocal critic of the genre for being, in his eyes, a watered-down gentrification of funk that rapidly became homogenized. "Boys Keep Swinging" in particular jabs at the hyper-masculine image of groups like Music/TheVillagePeople, who Bowie felt did more to reinforce harmful gender norms.[[note]]Bowie's dislike of disco was, for the most part, limited to the music rather than to the artists as people, and he went on to collaborate with disco giants Music/GiorgioMoroder and [[Music/{{Chic}} Nile Rodgers]] in the early '80s; he also openly admired Music/DonnaSummer's "I Feel Love", indicating that he did take a liking to acts who chose to innovate upon the disco formula rather than simply repeat it.[[/note]]

* VariantCover: Most early CD releases of the album alter the cover to put Bowie's face on the front; the European RCA CD and Creator/{{Rykodisc}} CD simply flip it around, while the US RCA CD orients it vertically and turns it into a foldout poster (mixing it with the inner gatefold art and the inner sleeve). The 1999 and 2017 remasters would eventually restore the LP configuration of the artwork.

* TheNotRemix: Received a fairly notable one in 2017 as an exclusive extra in the BoxedSet ''A New Career in a New Town [1977-1982]''; unlike the ones from previous retrospective sets, this one was fairly controversial among fans and critics for the heavier changes producer Tony Visconti made to the album. For what it's worth, Visconti stated that the alterations were meant to reflect his intended vision for the album that simply wasn't possible in 1979 (due to scheduling constraints), and indeed the remix's production is more in-line with that of its predecessors.

* ShoutOut: "Red Sails" uses a motorik rhythm lifted from Music/{{Neu}}.

->"David Bowie. Moving on once again. Explore a new quality of life."

* DoubleMeaningTitle: "DJ". Yes, the song is about a disk jockey, but when you remember that Bowie's real name was '''D'''avid '''J'''ones...

** A Music/TalkingHeads biography posits that "DJ" was Bowie's attempt at emulating the singing style of frontman Music/DavidByrne; not only was Bowie personally acquainted with Byrne, but Berlin Trilogy collaborator Music/BrianEno had also started working with Talking Heads during the interim between ''"Heroes"'' and ''Lodger'', with ''Music/MoreSongsAboutBuildingsAndFood'' and ''Music/FearOfMusic'' being recorded and released before and during the recording sessions for ''Lodger''.

* TakeThat: "DJ" and "Boys Keep Swinging" take swipes at the {{disco}} subculture of the era, Bowie having been a vocal critic of the genre for being, in his eyes, a watered-down gentrification of funk that rapidly became homogenized. "Boys Keep Swinging" in particular jabs at the hypermasculine image of groups like Music/TheVillagePeople, who Bowie felt did more to reinforce harmful gender norms.[[note]]Bowie's dislike of disco was, for the most part, limited to the music rather than to the artists as people, and he went on to collaborate with disco giants Music/GiorgioMoroder and [[Music/{{Chic}} Nile Rodgers]] in the early 80's; he also openly admired Music/DonnaSummer's "I Feel Love", indicating that he did take a liking to acts who chose to innovate upon the disco formula rather than simply repeat it.[[/note]]

''Lodger'' is perhaps the most accessible entry in the Berlin Trilogy, to the point where an uninitiated listener wouldn't be able to tell that it had any relation with ''Music/LowDavidBowieAlbum'' and ''[[Music/HeroesDavidBowieAlbum "Heroes"]]''; there are no instrumentals on side two and the songs are lighter and more pop-oriented. Additionally, while its two predecessors are rooted more strongly in Krautrock, art rock, and avant-garde music, ''Lodger'' is more strongly based in a mix of post-punk and WorldMusic (though not without conspicuous art rock leanings), predating Music/PeterGabriel and Music/TalkingHeads' similar blend of genres on ''Music/{{Melt}}'' and ''Music/RemainInLight'' by roughly a year.

* NewSoundAlbum: While still retaining the rough and abstract art rock style of ''Music/LowDavidBowieAlbum'' and ''[[Music/HeroesDavidBowieAlbum "Heroes"]]'', ''Lodger'' features much starker and stripped back production that lends a rawer sound to the album. Reportedly, this was due to Tony Visconti being unable to finish the mix in time; the 2017 remix attempts to amend this, bringing the album's sound closer in style to the elaborate and atmospheric ''"Heroes"''.

''Lodger'' is perhaps the most accessible entry in the Berlin Trilogy, to the point where an uninitiated listener wouldn't be able to tell that it had any relation with ''Music/LowDavidBowieAlbum'' and ''Music/HeroesDavidBowieAlbum''; there are no instrumentals on side two and the songs are lighter and more pop-oriented. Additionally, while its two predecessors are rooted more strongly in Krautrock, art rock, and avant-garde music, ''Lodger'' is more strongly based in a mix of post-punk and WorldMusic (though not without conspicuous art rock leanings), predating Music/PeterGabriel and Music/TalkingHeads' similar blend of genres on ''Music/{{Melt}}'' and ''Music/RemainInLight'' by roughly a year.

* NewSoundAlbum: While still retaining the rough and abstract art rock style of ''Music/LowDavidBowieAlbum'' and ''Music/HeroesDavidBowieAlbum'', ''Lodger'' features much starker and stripped back production that lends a rawer sound to the album. Reportedly, this was due to Tony Visconti being unable to finish the mix in time; the 2017 remix attempts to amend this, bringing the album's sound closer in style to the elaborate and atmospheric ''"Heroes"''.

* "Red Sails" is done in the style of Music/{{Neu}}. Bowie was very vocal about his love of KrautRock.

* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Invoked in the video for "D.J.", which features Bowie being mobbed by male and female fans alike on the street.

* RearrangeTheSong: "Red Money" is a rewrite of "Sister Midnight", from the Bowie-produced Music/IggyPop album ''Music/TheIdiot''.

As with ''Low'', critical reviews were indifferent to negative upon release, only to later be VindicatedByHistory; it is now considered one of his most underrated albums. As of 2020, it sits at No. 2685 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic compendium]] of the most critically praised albums of all time. Commercially-speaking, the album performed roughly on-par with ''"Heroes"'' in the UK, peaking at No. 4 on the UK Albums chart, while in the US it outperformed its predecessor, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200. The album would later be certified gold in the UK and the Netherlands.

As with ''Low'', critical reviews were indifferent to negative upon release, only to later be VindicatedByHistory; it is now considered one of his most underrated albums. As of 2020, it sits at No. 2685 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic compendium]] of the most critically praised albums of all time. Commercially-speaking, the album performed roughly on-par with ''"Heroes"'' in the UK, peaking at No. 4 on the UK Albums chart, while in the US it outperformed its predecessor, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200. The album would later be certified gold in the UK and the Netherlands.

As with ''Low'', critical reviews were indifferent to negative upon release, only to later be VindicatedByHistory; it is now considered one of his most underrated albums. As of 2020, it sits at No. 2685 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic compendium]] of the most critically praised albums of all time. Commercially-speaking, the album performed roughly on-par with ''"Heroes"'' in the UK, peaking at No. 4 on the UK Albums chart, while in the US it outperformed its predecessor, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200. The album would later be certified gold in the UK and the Netherlands.

* LighterAndSofter: By far the most accessible and pop-oriented of the Berlin Trilogy.

* VariantCover: Most early CD releases of the album alter the cover to put Bowie's face on the front; the European RCA CD and Creator/{{Rykodisc}} CD simply flips it around, while the US RCA CD orients it vertically and turns it into a foldout poster (mixing it with the inner gatefold art and the inner sleeve). The 1999 and 2017 remasters would eventually restore the LP configuration of the artwork.

* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Invoked in the video for "D.J."

* VariantCovers: Most early CD releases of the album alter the cover to put Bowie's face on the front; the European RCA CD and Creator/{{Rykodisc}} CD simply flips it around, while the US RCA CD orients it vertically and turns it into a foldout poster (mixing it with the inner gatefold art and the inner sleeve). The 1999 and 2017 remasters would eventually restore the LP configuration of the artwork.