Looking For Lester Outside the context of a David Bowie album, I enjoy this. It's sort of a jazz/smooth jazz/dance track hybrid that works fairly well. It's catchy and engaging. Some of the percussion elements make it sound like it was recorded in a construction zone, which make the track sound less light and airy. Within the context of a David Bowie album, why is he doing this? Instrumentals are fine, but this serves no useful purpose, except to entertain, I guess. But if that's what he was after, then cut loose and do a full album of this sort of thing, and do it right. I don't like to confine artists to a lane, as long as they're capable of operating outside that lane, which David certainly is. I enjoy "Looking For Lester", but it feels so directionless. It's a concession that David's wellspring of ideas is still leaning towards the empty side. 3/5
Welcome back Mike Garson! Looking For Lester is a nice enough interlude, it grooves away as LB gets to shine with his trumpet and DB tries to keep up on his saxophone. @eeglug hits the nail on the head by describing it as ‘amiable’. It just sort of pootles along, enjoying its own company and then it’s over. The overly processed percussion track is a bit too much at times. I’m surprised this made the album to be honest as it’s ideal bonus track material but perhaps a tad too weak for the album itself. 2/5
"Looking for Lester" Garson is back, and I'm glad, but this is absolute filler. Too long. Self indulgent. Sounds beat Machine demo. Or a brass fight over the theme to "Entertainment Tonight". 5 minutes of my life I can't get back. But nice to know these guys can play their horns. 1/5
Looking for Lester Seems like a track to appreciate Lester's skills, beyond that it for me is an unnecessary inclusion on the album 3/5
Looking For Lester Is fresh...Fresh Prince In Bel Air music. It has the r&b production hallmarks of that era...heavy handed percussion programming and synthesized bass. Quincy Jones. It might also have been inspired by Marcus Miller's more heavy-handed, mid/late 80s productions for Miles Davis, where you sometimes have Miles blowing over "cop show funk" as one critic put it. But this stuff lacks an interesting melody, goes on way too long, and yes what is it doing on a Bowie album? Very low on Bowie content. I suppose Lester is alright, but he’s no Miles. 1/5
Looking For Lester The solo, free-jazzish piano and horn bits are solid and engaging. The other layers of the track sound like a late night talk show in-house band. It's a combination that might be interesting theoretically, but fails to ignite here.
Looking For Lester 1.5/5 I’m really not keen. Neither funky nor cool, just sounds ponderous and badly dated. It’s as if Black Star never happened…..
I have to say, after Jump They Say, the rest of BTWN sort of loses my attention. There are some nice elements, but there's a sense that he hasn't fully committed to the idea of a "comeback", or to a new sound. Hence the smooth-jazz elements in Don't Let Me Down & Down, the kinda goofy Looking for Lester, etc. The comparisons to his 80's albums are apt--this may have some shiny new 90's production to it, but it's not far from NLMD.
Looking for Lester - Yeah, it's a bit naff. If you're looking to trim this album, look no further. 1.5/5
Looking For Lester Looking for Bowie....and not finding him, there's very little Bowie in this David Bowie song. I don't think it's terrible, its just pointless crap (as opposed to offensive crap) a shrug of the shoulders and a 2/5
Looking For Lester Yikes, that's a helluva horrible slamming 80s beat for 1992! It destroys any hope of this being listenable. What were they thnking? 0/5
Looking For Lester Albums/CD's I own by David Bowie: 150+ Albums/CD's I own by Lester Bowie: 0 If I wanted to hear Lester Bowie this much, I would have bought a Lester Bowie CD. I appreciate very much that David was always true and kind to his friends and heroes, from childhood on. I believe this is yet another instance of him wanting to give exposure to someone he admired and appreciated. And to be fair, the trumpet playing on this LP to my untrained and uneducated ear is superb. It's also nice to hear Mike Garson on keyboards again. 2/5
LFL Really like it and liked it then, always will. It bursts into life & still has that energy for me that I heard in 93. Then, it was enormously fresh & creative with those interesting LB phrases. I dig it as I listen now. Having only a musical diet of Nirvana and grunge bands at this point this album was my guilty pleasure. Agree it likely belonged on one of my cd singles or 12 inches. DB almost timidly unleashes M Garson after so long. He is buried in the melee. It's a long album of CD length, where much was extended or added tracks where it likely wasn't needed - who complained before when albums were shorter? When albums started being constructed to fit CDs we really lost something - less is so often more. 42 mins is just about perfect, right? 2.5/5
He'll make up for it in a few years. It's a shame that we won't cover The Leon Suites because he also has some seriously great moments there. There's also moments in general that were cut down or neutered for the final Outside album.
I agree about his later work on 1. Outside onwards and several tours, good to excellent. To be honest I didn't know he was on this album and added the "Oh blimey..." after posting and then reading it in our OP credits list for the track, so it was a crazy coincidence.
It will get a day for discussion towards the end of May, though it will share that day with a live album.
Looking For Lester 2.4/5 For those who don't know, L. Bowie is an avante garde jazz recording artist. This is not what I'm looking for on a DB album. And the drum machine is invasive.
What's in the planning for the 1. Outside segues (linked to the next music track's day ?) And for the BLA live albums ... one day after the respective studio album (+bonus tracks) ?
