David Bowie - Earthling (LP)

Description

Earthling (stylised as EART HL I NG) is the 21st studio album by English musician David Bowie. It was released on 3 February 1997 through RCA Records in the United Kingdom, Virgin Records in the United States, and Arista Records/BMG in other territories. Mostly self-produced by Bowie, it was primarily recorded from August to October 1996 at New York City's Looking Glass Studios following the conclusion of the Outside Tour. Bowie composed the tracks with Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, who are credited as co-producers, with Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey and Zack Alford providing overdubs later. Developing musical styles previously explored on Outside (1995), Earthling showcases an electronica-influenced sound partly inspired by the industrial and drum and bass culture of the 1990s, further exhibiting jungle and techno styles. Bowie himself compared its aggressive nature to Scary Monsters (1980). Lyrically, the tracks express themes of alienation and spirituality. One of the tracks, "I'm Afraid of Americans", originated during the Outside sessions, and was remixed for release as a single by Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, who appeared in its music video. The artwork depicts Bowie wearing a Union Jack coat co-designed by Alexander McQueen. Upon release, music critics viewed Earthling positively. While many highlighted the music as innovative, others noted a lack of cohesiveness and felt Bowie was following current trends. Commercially, it performed better than its predecessor, reaching the top ten in several countries. Its accompanying singles featured numerous remixes and were supported with music videos. Bowie promoted the album through various television appearances and on the Earthling Tour later in the year, performances of which have been released on live albums. After maintaining a large media profile in 1997, Bowie retreated the following year before starting work with Gabrels on his next album Hours (1999). In later decades, critics and biographers view Earthling with mixed assessments. Some criticise it for lacking innovation in a time when the drum and bass craze was already well-established; others consider it a worthwhile addition to an underrated decade. Gabrels later considered it his favourite collaboration with Bowie. In retrospective lists ranking Bowie's studio albums from worst to best, Earthling has placed in the middle to low tier. The album was reissued with bonus tracks in 2004 and remastered in 2021 for inclusion on the box set Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001).

Release Info

Artist: David Bowie
Label: ISO Records
Format: LP
Country: Worldwide
Label: ISO Records
Released: 2022-08-05
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Drum n Bass, Pop Rock

Tracklist

A1 Little Wonder
A2 Looking For Satellites
A3 Battle For Britain (The Letter)
B1 Seven Years In Tibet
B2 Dead Man Walking
B3 Telling Lies
C1 The Last Thing You Should Do
C2 I'm Afraid Of Americans
C3 Law (Earthlings On Fire)