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Be a hero and go back to the main DAVID BOWIE page where you can save the day in your short shorts Heroes! Like the Sandwich!
Overall Album Score: 9.5 out of 10 Wow! David and Brian are great together, aren't they? I was actually very happy to read George Starostin's review of this album and to find that he mostly agrees with my point-of-view. This album is much much more textured and significant than the previous Bowie/Eno collaboration: Low. In fact ... and I agree with Starostin one-hundred percent ... this is the second best album accredited to Bowie's name. And ... this album has my third favorite Bowie song on here! Which one may I ask? Why it's the title track, of course! (My favorite Bowie song is the untouchable "Space Oddity" and my second favorite, for some reason, is "China Girl," which I'm convinced nobody can touch with a STICK.) "Heroes" is also among only three soul-stirring songs he's ever done. (The other two are, of course, "The Space Oddity" as well as "God Knows I'm Good" from that same album.) Well ... enough with these ridiculous ramblings of a fan. Back to "Heroes"! This album is structured very much like Low is. The first half of the album are guitar based, pop music (with some very nice Eno oddities sprinkled throughout) and the last half are more Eno-inspired instrumentals with very little Bowie. Except whereas the instrumentals in Low were good but boring, these ones are great! I do get some specific images when listening to these songs. However, my initial images are a little bit different than what George Starostin said he gets. He thinks of Germany in pre-war (V-2 Schneider) through the post-war period. He's probably right, of course. But I'd rather think that it's about an explorer setting off (V-2 Schneider) going through a desert (Sense of Doubt) discovering something lush and beautiful (Moss Garden) and then stumbling upon a significant discovery that he's probably not supposed to (Neukoln). And then he goes to the discotheque (The Secret Life of Arabia). And perhaps you could come up with a special interpretation of your own! That's what this kind of music is for! Yup, these are among the most engaging instrumentals I've ever heard. If you want to know more, follow the track reviews! Overall Album Score: 9.5 starts out of 10 (This might have scored the same as Ziggy Stardust did, but Ziggy is actually better. Like this album, I had to keep that one at a 9.5 because I let the flaws glare out too brightly. Nevertheless, this is probably David's second-most significant output.) Average Song Score: 9.5 (This is a high and most deserved 9.5. This album is full of many songs that I deem FFFF-FANTASTIC!) Album Tilt: 9.5 (I also enjoy listening to this album! But there are about two downer tracks that keep this album from getting more of a perfect score. I also find the transition between the 'regular rock songs' and the 'avant-garde instrumentals' slightly unnatural. But it's all good!) Artist Tilt: 9.5 (Artist points all around! Again, the reason why I'm keeping this from being a 10 is due to the 'downer' songs and that unexplained transition. But this is a wonderfully artistic album just the same ... and besides, I can't let this overall album score higher than 'Ziggy.' I just won't allow it.) Track Reviews Beauty and the Beast 10/10 These first three songs rock like nothing else. This first one is a fast paced rocker that was clearly more of a brainchild of David Bowie than Brian Eno. It simply has energy dripping off of it ... and those Eno-esque electronic razor noises going all over the place! Cool! These oddities make the song special. About the lyrics ... I have no idea what it's got to do with Beauty and the Beast. It's certainly better than that stupid Disney song we used to hear all over the radio in the early 90's. ICK! Joe the Lion 10/10 Did I say the first three songs on this album rock or what? David does the same kind of thing on Let's Dance. He dazzles us with three great songs and the rest of the material is more spotty. Fortunately, on "Heroes", the rest of the material is quite good! But not as good. (He almost does this 'three song' phenomenon on Reality, but to a lesser extent.) This song is actually not a whole lot different from "Beauty and the Beast" except this one uses more prominent use of the electric guitar. It's quite suuuuuuuuuuper. "Heroes" 10plus/10 This is a *great* song! Not only does it sport one of Bowie's best vocal performances ... but among his most moving lyrics. It's about a couple who try to briefly overcome the guards and pursue in their tragic love affair, and it fails, of course. David's really hit the old bull's eye on this one! It's too bad he didn't come up with to many others like it. Sons of the Silent Age 7.5/10 Yeah ... this is where the album fizzles a little bit. This one is a slower song that relies more on its atmosphere than a killer bass-line or melodic hooks or anything like that. But, if I try my hardest and forget how much I loved the tracks that came before this, liking this one as well isn't too difficult. Blackout 8.5/10 And the album picks up a little bit! This is track has a beat ... but it's so weird! Ah ... I like weird, though. Unfortunately, this song needs a little bit less weirdness and more accessibility! But at least it has a good bass-line, and a few decent hooks. V-2 Schnieder 10/10 This is where Brian Eno really gets the chance to shine. With the exception of the words "V-2 Schneider" being sung every once in a while, this is an instrumental. And, out of all the instrumentals, this is the best. If you would call these instrumentals boring, this would be the exception. It has a central tune, it's a fast, sort of optimistic song, and it's just excellent to listen to. Brilliant! (You've read my special interpretation of these songs in the introduction, so I'm trying to illustrate these songs without that context!) Sense of Doubt 9.5/10 Like the title suggests, this song has a sense of doubt! It doesn't have a melody like "V-2 Schneider" does. But does it need one? NOPE! I don't think so. If the previous song was the song of optimism, perhaps this is where such optimism was shattered. It's really EERIE and wonderful. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better instrumental than this. Some young filmmaker ought to put this in their next low-budget sci-fi movie! It'd be wonderful! Moss Garden 9.5/10 The more lush and calm (but unsettling) instrumentals (including, most prominently, a lovely eastern-sounding stringed instrument that's being plucked) here lead one to think things are getting better. Again, as long as you don't mind that there's no central-melody here, so should enjoy this song. Just turn the volume up and let it all soak in! You won't be disappointed! (I don't think.) Neuklon 9/10 You can sense that something is HAPPENING by the mood of the instruments. Perhaps it's good. Perhaps it's not. Perhaps we aren't supposed to know. But it's SIGNIFICANT! That wild saxophone going off all over the place surely gives us a very scary and anticipatory feeling! Whoah! The Secret Life of Arabia 9.5/10 Okay ... everybody who thought these instrumentals were a little bit overbearing should get a little kick out of this SUPRISING disco number! (Well ... it's not like "Stayin' Alive" ... it's much, much weirder than that!) It's also extremely welcome. (Perhaps this song is why I get the impression that what was being illustrated in the instrumentals was an explorer. As "The Secret Life of Arabia" illustrates, it does say something about a secret place that no one's seen. And, I can picture this explorer dude leaving with a golden statuette or something with this happy song going off in the background as illustrating a little bit of relief. And then he gets attacked by Belloch and a bunch of short natives who, then, try to shoot him with poison arrows. And then, they all go looking for the Arc of the McCovenant. ... Actually, that seems like a good idea for a movie. Maybe, I should make it!) About the song ... it's pretty darn good and catchy! A nice, if a bit unexpected, album closer. I - I wish you would leave your comments here. slb23@shaw.ca (Simon B) received Sept. 28, 2004 This is my favourite David Bowie album from the 70's (so
far). The whole album (but especially the first side) has a very dark
Berlin 'industrial' (as in mechanical) electronic sound to it. Robert Fripp
of King Crimson contributes guitar to the album. "The Secret Life Of
Arabia" is a great song for the ending after four instrumental pieces. It
gives the 2nd side (and album) a cohesiveness that I find LOW didn't
have. Great Cover.
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All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence's "Hero:" Kobe Bryant. He wears short shorts.
