Where Are We Now?
By Frederick Byram: “Where are we now” is a great question that requires quite some personal thought, that must be asked with relative frequency, that levels us, that reveals who we are through what we have been; for many, a scary question.
“Where Are We Now?” is the title of David Bowie’s, a personal-favorite amongst the great modern musical “entrepreneurs”, first single of “The next Day”.
The album cover of “The Next Day”, David Bowie’s his latest album after more than a decade.
Since only one single has been released (US release date: march 12th, 2013), the cover seems like an interesting-enough topic to cover. Why is that? For Bowie fans, it is clear what lies behind the white square with the words “The Next Day” smack in the middle, in plain font, with not much to purvey.
The album cover of “Heroes”, the twelfth studio album by David Bowie released in 1977.
That’s right, it’s the cover of “Heroes”.
Why did British artists Jonathan Barnbrook decide to craft the cover in such a way? That can be found here.But here is my take, and a very similar one.
As you know, and if you don’t, please do find (listen) out, Bowie’s music morphs with the passing of time as much as his persona. This happens to all of us in a certain way.
What are we and why would such a combination of characters deserve to be perennial?
This question sounds deep, and it is. It reminds us of painters, sports legends, mythological heroes, astronauts, gods, of our fathers, of our mothers; it reminds us of ourselves.
But what if we were really able to obliterate the pinnacle of OUR lives, of our careers, we would have to look for another one, and if it does not exist? Then we must manufacture it, bis.
If we settle, obsess, for some point in time of our life, for the past, then we are no longer able to output quality. The cover reminds us to stop living there, to reinvent ourselves using what has been instead. Fine, you created “Heroes” Mr. Bowie (would not have chosen that particular album myself but does serve a purpose in that it is quite popular), now what’s up for “the next day”? The border remains though: it lets us peek, realize what was covered; it makes us remember the collection of memories that we are made of.
We are all artists fellow students, keep creating.
Frederick Byram, 2013 Babson MBA Candidate