David Bowie’s passing — one of the many that represented the clusterfuck that was, arguably, the last Very Bad Year™, 2016 — affirmed something so many people had known all along: that the original glam rock icon was adored by millions around the world.
It also left us with the bittersweet realisation that new music and releases would be no more. At least, that was what we thought. Since his death, the Bowie estate has been handpicking the best recordings from his archive and releasing them out onto the world. His legacy, in their hands, continues to live on.
Next on that list is Something in the Air, a 15-track live album recorded at Bowie’s 1999 show at the Elysée Montmartre in Paris. The show was part of the tour in support of Hours, his album released in the latter half of 1999, and was performed the day after he was handed the greatest artistic honour France has to offer: the Commandeur rank of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
In the past, Bowie’s estate have released more live albums from his shows throughout the years. Earlier in 2020, in fact, they released LiveAndWell.com — one that was once only available to subscribers to Bowie’s website back in the day. Comprised of tracks from his two 1990s records, Earthling from 1997 and 1. Outside from 1995, it was recorded in different venues across the world. But Something in the Air is more consistent in that it was recorded in one night, in one venue, capturing the spirit of David Bowie at his peak. To remind you of that, you can listen to Something in the Air in full below.