Celestial,
considered and compelling; Bowie enters the noughties as the elder statesman of
rock, presenting the finest album in his artistic renaissance.
It would seem only fitting that my first
review is for my all-time favourite album, from my all-time favourite artist. I
had always been aware of David Bowie’s work since I was a kid, and from about
2001 I began listening to his music properly, investing a lot of time and money
in his vast discography. His untimely death in January 2016 was devastating,
and testament to his influence and legacy it sparked what became effectively
days of global mourning.
Heathen has a special place in my heart for me. It is my Desert Island
Disc. Released on 11 June 2002, I can still recall the build up in the press
for Bowie’s “comeback album”, and after a fantastic performance of lead single
‘Slow Burn’ a fortnight earlier, I was there at my local Virgin Megastore when
the doors opened, picked up my copy (the deluxe edition of course) and went
home to listen to it, where it went on to become my soundtrack to that whole
year (and indeed many years after).
If the beautiful sepia-tinted artwork gives
you no indication of what’s in store, then the repetitive bleeps and
synthesized backing choir of ‘Sunday’ which greet you upon firing up the album,
set the tone: immediately forbidding and somewhat secular. Bowie’s groaning
vocal comes in, followed soon after by crackly Björk-esque electronic
percussion, gradually building to a crescendo at the end of the track.
Tony Visconti’s production is wonderful;
such a relief from the lovely but seemingly under-produced ‘Hours…’ three years earlier. Heathen
sounds expensive. Grungy guitars and
clean, precise drums are woven in with walls of layered backing vocals and strings,
with flourishes of brass and electronica thrown in. At the forefront is Bowie
in fine vocal fettle, with remarkable range for a 55-year-old man. What makes
each track so compelling to listen through is the fine detail however; from the
shifting drum beats frantically marking out each section of ‘Afraid’, to the
squealing cry of a Stylophone ringing out the final refrains of ‘Slip away’,
there is something for you to discover with every listen.
There are three cover versions on Heathen; all unique takes but they fit
in with the overall atmospherics of the album. ‘Cactus’ (a Pixies cover) is
more accessible than the original yet still off-kilter and edgy (I particularly
love the tongue-in-cheek sound of drumsticks falling to the ground at the end of the track).
Neil Young’s ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You’ (my pick of the three) has a confident
swagger and one of the harder rock moments on the album (Dave Grohl is the
guest guitarist here). Finally there is the pulsing eccentricity of The
Legendary Stardust Cowboy's ‘I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship’, which sees
Bowie’s breathy vocal swoop high and low through synth strings and frenetic drum
loops.
More importantly, the original material is
better than the covers. ‘Slow Burn’ is dark and brooding, showcasing Pete
Townshend’s aggressive and jittery guitar work. The wistful, melancholy ‘Slip
Away’ has Bowie reminiscing obscure TV show characters to a nursery-rhyme
melody. ‘5.15 The Angels Have Gone’ is a dramatic highlight, resplendent with more
layered vocals and plaintive guitar and piano figures, fading into the upbeat
but ultimately sad ‘Everyone Says ‘Hi’’, where it could be interpreted that Bowie
is talking to someone who has passed away.
The songwriting is excellent throughout. The
events of 9/11 (which happened around the time of recording and
post-production) are suggested to have been an influence, but considering most
of the compositions were already completed by this time, the connections are
scant at best. In fact, throughout the entire recording and writing process in
early 2001, Bowie would arrive early at Allaire Mountain Studios, looking out
at the sun rising over uptown New York City. He thought about religion, his
family (he had recently become a father for the second time), and eventual mortality,
and these influenced his compositions. The overall theme of the record is more
spiritual than religious. The final track ‘Heathen (The Rays)’ for example was,
as Bowie put it “about knowing
that you’re dying”; the last few moments of life ebbing away as the song fades
out. Of course with Bowie, nothing is entirely clear and everything is open to
interpretation.
There will be days where I don’t fancy
listening to this album, or if I do I may skip a couple of the tracks, but it is
an incredible set of songs.
Regardless of the critic’s comments that it is an “eclectic” choice in
the Bowie canon, I really can’t recommend this album enough. Listen through it.
Enjoy the delightful nuances it has to offer. All Bowie fans have one album
that towers above all others, and this is mine.
10/10.
