David Bowie - Earthling

To many people David Bowie has turned into the alien that he would have us believe he was in the 70’s. Rock’s strangest and most influential personality has turned 50 whilst still appearing to remain a healthy 30.

However since Ziggy, Bowie has had a turbulent time; a fairly lengthy outing with the disastrous Tin-Machine and last years rambling ‘Outside’ with Brian ‘band-wrecker’ Eno have done nothing to improve his faltering reputation. It is a sad fact that the last musical gem offered up by Bowie was the theme tune to the London drama ‘The Buddha of Suburbia’, unfortunately even the rest of that album didn’t come up to scratch. Then, just as it seemed it couldn’t go any more wrong, last year with the aid of some white stilettos and a storming Phoenix set The Thin White Duke got his act together at last. Which finally brings us around to ‘Earthling’ a weird fusion of rock, techno and drum and bass. "Drum and bass?!" I hear you cry and yes it would be easy to criticise that the drum and bass band wagon is now so full it’s wheels are falling off, but silence those whining cries for originality and you are left with what is essentially a very good album indeed. It kicks off with the single ‘Little Wonder’; a jaunty jungle beat, a catchy, shouty chorus and Bowie’s characteristic cockney voice come together in an excellent dance track. Other outstanding tracks include the booming rock of ‘I’m afraid of Americans’, more drum and bass madness on ‘Telling Lies’ and the superb lyrics to ‘The Last Thing You Should Do’. This brilliant album really sees Bowie back on form at last. Newcomers and die-hard fans alike will love it. (9)

Alex Griffi