David Bowie - Heathen [12x12 Special Package]

Title: Heathen [12x12 Special Package] Artist: David Bowie Release Date: 6/11/2002 Label: Iso UPCs: 696998665729, 766489098920 Genre: Rock Styles: Contemporary Pop/Rock, Album Rock, Art Rock Moods: Brooding, Clinical, Eccentric, Eerie, Stylish, Bravado, Cerebral, Complex, Detached, Dramatic, Elegant, Enigmatic, Exciting, Literate, Lush, Nocturnal, Playful, Provocative, Quirky, Rebellious, Sophisticated, Swaggering, Tense/Anxious, Theatrical, Urgent, Wry, Campy, Hypnotic, Intense, Ironic, Sexy, Yearning, Outrageous, Austere, Elaborate, Refined/Mannered Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 0 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. Sunday
2. Cactus
3. Slip Away
4. Slow Burn
5. Afraid
6. I've Been Waiting for You
7. I Would Be Your Slave
8. I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship
9. The Angels Have Gone
10. Everyone Says "Hi"
11. A Better Future
12. Heathen (The Rays)

Year Type Label Catalog # 2002 CD Iso 86657

No other editions were found for this album.

Heathen marks a new beginning for David Bowie in some ways -- it's his first record since leaving Virgin, his first for Columbia Records, his first for his new label, ISO -- yet it's hardly a new musical direction. Like Hours, this finds Bowie sifting through the sounds of his past, completely at ease with his legacy, crafting a colorful, satisfying album that feels like a classic Bowie album. That's not to say that Heathen recalls any particular album or any era in specific, yet there's a deliberate attempt to recapture the atmosphere, the tone of his '70s work -- there's a reason that Bowie decided to reteam with Tony Visconti, the co-producer of some of his best records, for this album -- even if direct comparisons are hard to come by. Which is exactly what's so impressive about this album. Bowie and Visconti never shy away from electronic instrumentations or modern production -- if anything, they embrace it -- but it's woven into Bowie's sound subtly, never drawing attention to the drum loops, guitar synths, and washes of electronica. For that matter, guest spots by Dave Grohl and Pete Townshend (both on guitar) don't stand out either; they're merely added texture to this an album that's intricately layered, but always plays smoothly and alluringly. And, make no mistake, this is an alluring, welcoming, friendly album -- there are some moody moments, but Bowie takes Neil Young's eerie "I've Been Waiting for You" and Pixies' elusively brutal, creepy "Cactus" and turns them sweet, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, either. In the end, that's the key to Heathen -- the undercurrent of happiness, not in the lyrics, but in the making of music, a realization by Bowie and Visconti alike that they are perfect collaborators. Unlike their previous albums together, this doesn't boldly break new ground, but that's because, 22 years after their last collaboration, Scary Monsters, both Bowie and Visconti don't need to try as hard, so they just focus on the craft. The result is an understated, utterly satisfying record, his best since Scary Monsters, simply because he'd never sounded as assured and consistent since. [The 12x12" box version was released in limited-edition during the original pressing of Heathen.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Brandon Mason Engineer Brian Rawling Producer Carlos Alomar Guitar Christian Rutledge Engineer Dave Grohl Guitar David Bowie Producer, Guitar, Vocals (Background), Drums, Keyboards, Stylophone, Saxophone David Clayton Keyboards David Torn Guitar, Guitar Loops Emily Lazar Mastering Engineer Gary Miller Programming, Mixing, Producer, Guitar Gerry Leonard Guitar Gregor Kitzis Violin Héctor Castillo Assistant Engineer, Engineer Indrani Post Production Jez Larder Assistant John Read Bass Kristeen Young Vocals, Piano Lenny Pickett Horn Lisa Germano Violin Mark Plati Engineer, Producer, Bass, Guitar Markus Klinko Photography Martha Mooke Viola Mary Wooten Cello Matt Chamberlain Percussion, Drums, Loop Programming Meg Okura Violin Pete Townshend Guitar Philip Sheppard Electric Cello Solá Akingbolá Percussion Stan Harrison Horn Sterling Campbell Drums, Percussion Steve Elson Horn Todd Vos Engineer Tony Levin Bass Tony Visconti Guitar, Vocal Engineer, Mixing, Guitar Producer, Bass, Vocal Producer, Guitar Engineer, String Arrangements, Producer, Vocals (Background), Recorder, Engineer