In Defense of “Tonight”

Yesterday, September 24th, was the 40th anniversary of the release of Tonight, possibly Bowie’s most reviled album. Sheepishly, I feel compelled to admit…I like it. No, it isn’t one of my favorite Bowie albums, and no, I don’t think it’s one of his best. But yes, I listen to it once in a while…for…pleasure.

OK, OK. I write a daily blog about David Bowie. I must be in the tank, right? Well, there are a couple of Bowie albums I don’t like– namely his debut, David Bowie, and Toy. I don’t like Love You ‘Til Tuesday, which wasn’t an official studio album, and I don’t like much of the other music he put out in the late 60s, before the album we now know as Space Oddity. Some fans will take any of that over Tonight, but that’s not me. Those albums and songs keep it real for me. So, yes, I genuinely like Tonight.

I don’t remember Tonight being hated by fans when it came out. The short-movie-length video, Jazzin’ for Blue Jean, was an event. “Tonight” itself and Bowie’s collaboration with Tina Turner was a thing. “Loving the Alien” remains the one song that even people who don’t like the rest of the album still like. In fact, the album was a hit, and Bowie made the cover of Rolling Stone on the occasion of its release. The way I remember it, Bowie’s next studio album, Never Let Me Down, generated the type of opprobrium that today tends to be reserved for Tonight. I think it was in light of that next album that fans’ assessment of Tonight, and much of Bowie’s 80s output took a turn for the worst. But for a few years there, we were allowed to like Tonight. It’s an interesting mental exercise to imagine if, following Tonight, Bowie released Black Tie White Noise, left out what’s between the two albums, and went on from there. It’s at least imaginable that both albums would be better regarded today and 1. Outside, Earthling and everything thereafter might not have been thought of as comeback albums.

I happen to have two editions of Nicholas Pegg’s excellent The Complete David Bowie. Between the two editions he amended his assessment of Bowie’s cover of the Beach Boy’s “God Only Knows” (which appears on Tonight), declaring it to be “perhaps the worst track he ever recorded.” It seems like Tonight, or at least some of its elements, seem to get worse over time, at least to some ears. And maybe that’s just all about the music. Perhaps our collective taste has changed over time, or like chewing gum, this one loses its potency after use. I tend to think, though, that we’ve grown resentful of the album as a missed opportunity. Bowie’s voice was strong and, having achieved the status of a superstar, he could have done anything. And like I said, this certainly isn’t his best. Add to that, Bowie himself would later become critical of his own 80s work and would spend much of the rest of his career trying to make up for it.

Still, Bowie’s voice was strong. At least many of the songs are familiar and catchy. Plus, for me, there’s the nostalgia factor– I’m 55 years old– Tonight came out while my interest in Bowie was percolating. It evokes, for me, my youth, which is growing more distant with every passing year. And on top of that, I like the album cover!

So, happy 40th anniversary, Tonight— everything will be alright.