Since September 2010, this blog has recorded the journey of this music junkie as I attempt to listen to all the music in my CD collection. CDs revisited in their entirety from start to finish - no skipping tracks, no shuffle. Compact Discs only - no vinyl, no tapes, no files.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

David Bowie - Heathen (2002)


Reuniting with producer Tony Visconti, Bowie wrestles with faith, doubt, aging, and general existential static (just like I do). Plus the album title is hardly subtle. Some fans and critics hailed it as a comeback and/or a return to form. Bowie probably just called it Tuesday. For me, it ranks at about the midpoint of Bowie's studio albums.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #14

Tracks: For me, it's a collection of "just okay" tracks, with the exceptions of Slow Burn, Afraid, A Better Future, and Everyone Says 'Hi' plus the covers of Cactus and I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship. 

My copy is an Enhanced CD with "a free multimedia portion."
Let's slip this thing into the ol' external DVD drive and see what happens. (...) The following screen pops up:
From left to right, a help button (no longer supported), a button that starts to play the CD, a star button to go to a now-defunct website where one can "get ConnecteD," and a quit button. Clicking on the words "David Bowie" takes you to the now-defunct Bowie website at Columbia Records (wallpapers! AOL IM icons!). Clicking on the Columbia logo takes you to their website. So the multimedia part is a dud but it was fun to revisit those turn-of-the-century websites for a nostalgic flashback.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
★ (2016)Changesbowie (1990)
The Next Day (2013)Fame 90 (1990)
Zeit! 77-79 (2013)Sound + Vision: CD Press Release (1989)
Reality (2003)Tonight (1984)
Black Tie White Noise (1993)Let's Dance (1983)

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2 comments:

  1. wardoMay 7, 2026 at 9:09 AM

    Probably because I wasn't expecting much, I very much liked this album and still do. After what he'd done for most of the '90s -- several albums where I had high hopes, mostly dashed -- it was nice to have him back.

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    1. MarkMay 7, 2026 at 9:52 AM

      I get it. I gave up on Bowie because of Never Let Me Down and didn't buy another album until The Next Day. So I'm late getting to this era. It's a shame, too, as this album would have fit perfectly with my life in 2002.

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