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Liam Carey reviews
Heathen
ISO/Columbia
- Year: 2002
- Rating: 9/10
- Cat. No: 508222 9
Track listing:
- 1. Sunday
2. Cactus
3. Slip Away
4. Slow Down
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. 5.15 The Angels Have Gone
10. Everyone Says Hi
11. A Better Future
12. Heathen (The Rays)
In 1983, David Bowie emerged with the all-conquering Let’s Dance, and promptly found himself in a dilemma between maintaining his newly-acquired populist touch and keeping the arty, singular cool which had been his currency throughout the 70s and into the 80s with the Scary Monsters album. In some ways, Bowie has been trying to shake off the legacy of Let’s Dance ever since, with varying degrees of success.
Certainly, in the eyes of his harshest critics, there hasn’t been a completely convincing Bowie record since 1980, although such a view is not entirely accurate. Much is made of the general uselessness that characterised Tonight (1984), 1987’s Never Let Me Down (which took some particularly severe flak) and his over-earnest attempt to get back to basics with the cruelly ridiculed Tin Machine in 1989. Rather too much, in fact. Suffice to say each project had its moments, fleeting though they sometimes may have seemed.
As for the 90s, they were kinder to Bowie, especially from the music press. Black Tie White Noise hinted at a full artistic recovery, which the frankly obtuse 1.Outside did its best to scupper in a wave of wiful artiness. 1999’s ….hours came on like the beloved Bowie from 20 years earlier, except the tunes were significantly less immediate, to put it kindly.
Which brings us to Heathen. A new decade, yet another new label (heaven knows how many he’s had by this point), and… the best David Bowie album since 1980. No, really, this time it’s true.
For someone into their fifth decade as a recording artiste and with 25 studio albums already under their belt, Bowie sounds remarkably fresh and invigorated. Whereas 1993’s Black Tie White Noise seemed to be forcing the issue at times, driven by Nile Rodgers’ pristine, contemporary production, here the energy comes from the songs and arrangements themselves. Erstwhile Bowie producer Tony Visconti returns to oversee matters, adding some glacial touches here and there without taking attention away from a quite marvellous collection of original material.
Heathen offers few surprises in terms of style and format, so no potentially embarrassing forays into unchartered, faddish genres here. Just quality in a variety of familiar guises, shot through with an unexpected energy and clarity.
Opening track Sunday goes the Eno route, a hypnotic collage of esoteric bleeps and electronic synth washes. Cactus journeys back to 1974 in a blitz of gorgeous riffage and martial glamrock drums. Then, on the fragile Slip Away, Bowie takes on Suede at their own game and reminds everyone who’s still the master.
The epic, cascading Slow Down and gentler, playful Everyone Says Hi are singles to stand alongside the best from Bowie’s repertoire, but the real gems in Heathen’s crown are 5.15 The Angels Have Gone and near title-track Heathen (The Rays) …great, brooding slabs of austere yet beautiful art-pop.
On this showing, David Bowie has finally, comprehensively buried the ghost of Let’s Dance and that difficult phase that lasted far too long for everyone’s liking. He is, indeed, back at the peak of his game. Thank goodness for small mercies. Thank goodness for albums like this.
Review copyright © Liam Carey, 2002. E-mail Liam Carey
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.