Artist: DAVID BOWIE
Album: HEATHEN (CD)

Year: 2002
Media type: CD

Heathen was considered something of a comeback for Bowie in the U.S. market; it was his highest charting album (#14) since Tonight (1984), and earned some of his strongest reviews since Scary Monsters (1980). Worldwide, it sold over two million copies and experienced a four-month run on the UK charts.

Heathen marked the return of record producer Tony Visconti, who co-produced (with Bowie himself) several of Bowie's classic albums. The last album Visconti co-produced was Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) from 1980.

Originally, Bowie had recorded the album Toy for release in 2000 or 2001. This album was meant to feature some new songs and remakes of some his lesser-known songs from the 1960s. Although Toy remains unreleased, a few tracks - including "Afraid" and "Slip Away" (then titled "Uncle Floyd") - appeared on Heathen. Some other re-recorded songs were included as B-sides to the singles from Heathen.

The album features guest appearances from Who guitarist Pete Townshend (who had played guitar on an earlier Bowie track, "Because You're Young" from Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)), Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, Dream Theater veteran keyboardist Jordan Rudess, pianist Kristeen Young and prolific bassist Tony Levin of King Crimson.

All songs written by David Bowie except as noted.

TRACKLIST:

1."Sunday" – 4:45
2."Cactus" (Black Francis) – 2:54
3."Slip Away" – 6:05
4."Slow Burn" – 4:41
5."Afraid" – 3:28
6."I've Been Waiting for You" (Neil Young) – 3:00
7."I Would Be Your Slave" – 5:14
8."I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship" (Norman Carl Odam) – 4:04
9."5:15 The Angels Have Gone" – 5:00
10."Everyone Says 'Hi'" – 3:59
11."A Better Future" – 4:11
12."Heathen (The Rays)" – 4:16

LINE-UP:

David Bowie – vocals, keyboards, guitars, saxophone, Stylophone, backing vocals, drums
Tony Visconti – bass, guitars, Recorders, string arrangements, backing vocals
Matt Chamberlain drums, drum loop programming, percussion
David Torn: guitars, guitar loops, Omnichord

The Scorchio Quartet:
Greg Kitzis – 1st violin
Meg Okura – 2nd violin
Martha Mooke – viola
Mary Wooten – cello

Additional personnel:

Carlos Alomar - guitar
Sterling Campbell - drums and percussion
Lisa Germano - violin
Gerry Leonard - guitar
Tony Levin - bass
Mark Plati - guitar, Bass
Jordan Rudess - keyboards

The Borneo Horns:
Lenny Pickett
Stan Harrison
Steve Elson

Kristeen Young – vocals, piano
Pete Townshend – guitar on "Slow Burn"
Dave Grohl – guitar on "I've Been Waiting for You"