No Plan is an extended play, comprising songs written and recorded by English musician David Bowie, released posthumously on 8 January 2017.[1] The release coincided with what would have been Bowie's 70th birthday, almost a year after his death. No Plan compiles the original songs written for Bowie's Off-Broadway musical, Lazarus, including the titular "Lazarus", "No Plan", "Killing a Little Time", and "When I Met You". The songs were first recorded by the cast of the musical as part of its official soundtrack.[2] The recordings featured on No Plan come from the sessions for Bowie's twenty-sixth and final studio album Blackstar, with "Lazarus" appearing as the third track on the album. Upon release, No Plan debuted at #138 on the Billboard 200, selling more than 5,000 units in its first week there.[3] The music video for the title track was also released in accompaniment with the EP. It was directed by Tom Hingston.[1]
| No Plan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | 8 January 2017 | |||
| Recorded | January–May 2015 | |||
| Length | 17:59 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| David Bowie chronology | ||||
| ||||
| David Bowie EP chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
.jpg) Digital release cover | ||||
| Singles from No Plan | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[4] |
| The Independent | [5] |
The EP received positive reviews from music critics. Exclaim! critic Calum Slingerland wrote: "One would hope the plan for Bowie going forward would be for him to avoid falling into the category of "rock icon with innumerable posthumous releases," but thankfully for listeners, the music on No Plan holds up."[4] The Independent's Andy Gill stated: "Blackstar’s moods and musical modes are continued through these tracks, in which Thomas Jerome Newton's decline eerily reflects Bowie's own."[5]
AllMusic senior critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine thought that the tracks on the EP "provide a bittersweet coda to Bowie's 21st century comeback", even if "these songs don't feel like a surprise".[2] Alfred Soto of Spin stated: "Presenting listeners with two discrete but related musical adventures like ★ and No Plan, the survivors grasped that even the oblique tastes better with a dash of the obvious."[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by David Bowie
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lazarus" | 6:24 |
| 2. | "No Plan" | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Killing a Little Time" | 3:46 |
| 4. | "When I Met You" | 4:09 |
| Total length: | 17:59 | |
Personnel
editPersonnel adapted from No Plan liner notes.
Musicians
- David Bowie – vocals, acoustic & Fender guitars
- Donny McCaslin – saxophone, flute & woodwinds
- Jason Lindner – piano, Wurlitzer organ & keyboards
- Tim Lefebvre – bass
- Mark Guiliana – drums & percussion
- Ben Monder – guitar
Production
- David Bowie – production, mixing
- Tony Visconti – production, mixing, engineering
- Tom Elmhirst – final master mix
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
- Kevin Killen – engineering
- Kabir Hermon – engineering assistance
- Erin Tonkon – engineering assistance
- Joe Visciano – assistant to Tom Elmhirst
Design
- Barnbrook – cover design
- DSS – front cover star image
- Jimmy King – Bowie image
Charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[7] | 24 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[8] | 28 |
| UK Official Charts Singles | 92[9] |
| US Billboard 200[10] | 131 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[11] | 7 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[12] | 10 |
| Year-end Chart (2017) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Official Chart Singles (Vinyl) | 1[13] |
References
edit- ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (8 January 2017). "New David Bowie 'No Plan' EP and video released to mark his birthday". NME. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "No Plan – David Bowie : Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: 'No Plan' Marks David Bowie's 45th Charting Album". Billboard. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ a b Slingerland, Calum (8 January 2017). "David Bowie – No Plan". Exclaim!. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ a b Gill, Andy (11 January 2017). "Album reviews: The Flaming Lips – Oczy Mlody, David Bowie – No Plan, Sohn – Rennen, and more". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ Soto, Alfred (23 February 2017). "Review: David Bowie's No Plan Is a Fond, Final Glimpse at a Departed Master". Spin. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ "David Bowie – Chart history". Billboard Mexico Ingles Airplay for David Bowie. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – David Bowie – No Plan". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "no plan | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ "David Bowie Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ "David Bowie Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ "David Bowie Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "The UK's biggest selling vinyl albums and singles of 2017". Retrieved 22 January 2018.