Bowie, On Fire

Barely past a year from "Outside," Bowie switched outfits and came out clubbing. Gone was the dark and foreboding atmosphere of Detective Nathan Adler's diaries, in was a very British romp through Jungle and bass dance music. No concepts this time, just great single after great throbbing single. "Little Wonder" was the kind of song tailor made for dance clubs circa 1997, and the bass heavy sound made my apartment walls shake back then.

Keeping Reeves Gabriels back as a full time collaborator (from the Tin Machine days) certainly added to the glorious racket. His feedback laden leads and quirky rhythms elevated "Dead Man Walking," "Telling Lies" and "Law." The sole drawback to this album is that it has dated itself (Drum'n'bass lasted what? Two months?), but having songs as amazing as "Seven Years In Tibet" and the genuinely disconcerting "I'm Afraid Of Americans" (wherein Bowie mumbles "God is an American...") makes "Earthling" a Bowie disc still worth seeking out.

electronic juice for the soul.

this bowie album is by far one of my favorites by him, either you love it, or you hate it. each track uses the drum and bass format and elevates it to a whole new level. bowie takes elements of the electronica he helped invent and adds analog sounds over top: loud guitars, keyboards by brian eno, crazy piano solos (looking for a satellite), etc, with catchy bowie lyrics and melodies making it quite a journey. "i'm afraid of americans" is the standout, blending paranoia with the downright weird (nine inch nails version highly recommended). "7 years in tibet" is also a great song, with an explosive chorus that can only be done by the best. the rest of the album is great, instant bowie classics. why this thing is out of print i have no idea, it's a genius of melody and sound at his best. whenever i need a break from the eddie vedder sound-alikes and mediocre crap on the radio, earthlings is the first place i turn.

HOW THE F*** DID HE WRITE THIS?

WOW!



This isnt bowie's best album since SCARY MONSTERS.how cliche.i mean it's like he didnt make any good albums after monsters?i mean, come on get real.Lets dance was great.so was tin machine and even Never Let me Down has its moments...only Tonight was his lowest point....





This is really my 5th favourite bowie album and the reasons are plain to see.I dont know a lot of 50 year olds making this kind of music...HE'S A BLOODY MOVING TARGET STILL TODAY!



bowie top ten: 1.Scary Monsters (1980)

2."Heroes" (1977)

3.Ziggy Stardust (1972)

4.Hunky Dory (1971)

5.Earthling (1997)

6.Station To Station (1976)

7.Aladdin Sane (1973)

8.Low (1977)

9.Let's Dance (1983)

10.Tin Machine (1989)





buy this

Still Awesome After 50

This was one of those albums I had to listen to several times before I decided whether or not I even liked it. Although already a huge fan of Bowie's earlier work, I found it once again to be a little bit of a transition to acclimate myself to his new experimental stab at techno and industrial. For the record, I'm extremely glad that I gave this album a chance as it is entirely excellent.

This album is definitely a departure from the music that Bowie wrote before it, with the possible exception of a handfull of tracks on the gothic "Outside". In typical Bowie fashion, "Earthling" finds him experimenting with newer musical trends, which he then fuses with his own unique style and lyrics.

Although receiving mixed critical reviews, the album offers several great songs. "I'm afraid of americans" was both a radio and MTV hit... quite rare for a 50-something artist. "Little Wonder" gets the album off to a great start, "Satellite" has quirky lyrics, but a great beat, and my personal favorite "Seven Years in Tibet" is just plain haunting. Although several tracks are rather lengthy, there's no filler material on this album and the songs are as long as they need to be.

One of the biggest complaints I have heard about this album is that it is destined not to age well.... which I personally think is just silly. A great song is a great song, and this album's got 9 of them. Bowie delivers, and fans will not be disappointed.