Black Tie White Noise (1993)

Ah, the power of reinvention. Bowie knows it better than anyone. After Tin Machine tanked, Bowie took a new tack, ditching rock and roll along with that ridiculous notion of being in an actual “band.” Black Tie White Noise dove back into the experimental, the arty, and the strange … and it worked. Setting the tone for much of his later career, the Bowie of Black Tie was dignified, reserved, and thoughtful — an elder statesman making a late-game appearance, ducking in to see what the kids are up to and realizing there’s still something left to say. The record itself is an odd mix of soulful dance, restrained hip-hop, and light funk wrapped up in an electronic dressing all its own — though it can’t quite avoid the dreaded adult-contemporary tag, either. It’s a dense, groove-based album that, while far from immediate, rewards repeat listens due to the complexity of the layered arrangements. Sure, the hooks of latter-day Bowie rarely equal those of his classics, but there’s plenty to enjoy here, such as this excellent Scott Walker cover, “Nite Flights.”