Heathen (David Bowie album)

Did You Know?

• Bowie recorded Toy, a collection of remade 1960s songs, in 2000; it was shelved due to financial troubles at EMI/Virgin.
• The album's cover artwork was photographed by Markus Klinko and features an upside-down typeface designed by Jonathan Barnbrook, evoking the writings of Jacques Derrida.

Recording and production

Recording took place from August 2001 to January 2002 at Allaire Studios in Shokan, New York, a remote location in the Catskill Mountains chosen at the suggestion of guitarist David Torn. The isolation influenced tracks such as "Sunday" and "Heathen (The Rays)". The core lineup consisted of Bowie, Visconti, and drummer Matt Chamberlain, whom they met while scouting the studio; Torn contributed guitar parts in September. The trio completed 19 pieces in about two weeks, including a remake of the Toy track "Uncle Floyd" retitled "Slip Away". Bowie played more instruments on Heathen than on any studio album since Diamond Dogs or Low, including guitar, saxophone, stylophone, keyboards, drums, and the EMS AKS synthesiser he used on Low. Visconti revived the three-microphone vocal effect from "Heroes" for "Sunday" and "I Would Be Your Slave". Overdubs were contributed by Gerry Leonard, Kristeen Young, Jordan Rudess, and Carlos Alomar. Dave Grohl guested on a cover of Neil Young's "I've Been Waiting for You", and Pete Townshend played on "Slow Burn".

Music and lyrics

The standard edition contains nine original songs and three covers: "Cactus" by the Pixies, "I've Been Waiting for You" by Neil Young, and "I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship" by the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Musically, the album displays art rock and art pop sounds reminiscent of Bowie's 1970s work, with ties between melodies, harmonies, and arrangements on tracks like "Sunday", "Slip Away", and "Afraid". Bowie sought to capture the mood of Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind and based several songs on Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs. The lyrics depict a godless world and reflect on ageing and existential dread, with Bowie describing the protagonist as a lost 21st-century man. Commentators interpreted some tracks as responses to the September 11 attacks, though Bowie denied any influence. The album continues the spirituality of Bowie's previous albums Outside, Earthling, and Hours, but focuses more on anxiety and mortality.

Release and promotion

In December 2001, Bowie left Virgin and formed ISO Records, entering a licensing deal with Columbia Records in March 2002. The lead single "Slow Burn" was released in Japan and Europe on 3 June 2002; a planned UK release was cancelled. A television commercial featured a 60-second clip of Bowie and child actress Hayley Nicholas, but the full music video remained unreleased until 2016. The second single "Everyone Says 'Hi" reached number 20 in the UK on 16 September. "I've Been Waiting for You" was released as a single in Canada only. Heathen was released in Europe on 10 June 2002 and in America the following day in multiple CD formats, including a limited-edition digipack with bonus tracks and an online code for additional content. A Japanese release added the B-side "Wood Jackson". In December, the album appeared on SACD with a 5.1 surround sound remix, extended versions of four tracks, and outtakes.

Critical reception

Heathen was Bowie's best-received album in years, with reviewers declaring it a return to form and his best work since Scary Monsters. On Metacritic, it holds an average score of 68 out of 100 based on 20 reviews, indicating generally favourable reviews. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian found it "strident, confident" and "lush with melodies", achieving a balance lacking in Bowie's previous two decades. Chris Jones of BBC Music called it a continuation of Bowie's strengths rather than a return to form. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted a lack of innovation but praised the album as understated and satisfying. Many reviewers highlighted the return of producer Tony Visconti, with Paul Trynka arguing that Visconti helped shed the overproduction of earlier albums. Rolling Stone's David Fricke described the album as the sound of Bowie covering himself to splendid effect. The cover songs were also praised.