History Music / Heathen

''Heathen'' is also notable for being one of only four albums in Bowie's discography (alongside ''Music/{{Reality}}'' and reissues of ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars'' and ''Music/ScaryMonstersAndSuperCreeps'') to see release on the Super Audio CD format, with slightly longer versions of several songs plus four bonus tracks. Unlike the other three albums, this one only features a single Scarlet Book audio layer, with no Redbook audio layer, and as a result is the only one of the four Bowie [=SACDs=] to not be compatible with a standard CD player. To this day, the extended version of ''Heathen'' remains exclusive to the SACD release, with the extended songs and most of the bonus tracks not seeing further release on any reissues (despite the whole SACD version of the album being long enough to fit on a single Redbook-compliant UsefulNotes/CompactDisc uncut) or even compilations. The ''Toy'' album would eventually see the light of day in November 2021.

''Heathen'' is also notable for being one of only four albums in Bowie's discography (alongside ''Music/{{Reality}}'' and reissues of ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars'' and ''Music/ScaryMonstersAndSuperCreeps'') to see release on the Super Audio CD format, with slightly longer versions of several songs plus four bonus tracks. Unlike the other three albums, this one only features a single Scarlet Book audio layer, with no Redbook audio layer, and as a result is the only one of the four Bowie [=SACDs=] to not be compatible with a standard CD player. To this day, the extended version of ''Heathen'' remains exclusive to the SACD release, with the extended songs and most of the bonus tracks not seeing further release on any reissues (despite the whole SACD version of the album being long enough to fit on a single Redbook-compliant UsefulNotes/CompactDisc uncut) or even compilations.

Sound-wise, the album continues the neoclassical brand of synth-heavy art rock that first appeared on ''[[Music/{{Hours}} 'hours...']]'', but turns it in a more darker, brooding direction influenced not only by the September 11 attacks, but also Bowie's general anxieties about living in America as well as the success of Music/{{Radiohead}}'s similarly moody and electronic ''Music/KidA'' and ''Music/{{Amnesiac}}'' earlier in the decade (Bowie himself was a big-name fan of Radiohead).

* CreatorProvincialism: "Slip Away" is deeply rooted in Bowie's adopted home of New York City. The main characters of Bones and Oogie were puppets on the Uncle Floyd Vivino show, which was a huge deal in the tri-state area but fell apart when it attempted to go national. There's also a reference to the New York Yankees, although this is more accessible to the general public.

-->"Said you took a big trip. They said you moved away
-->Happened oh, so quietly. They say"

-->"Down in space, it's always 1982."

* RearrangeTheSong: "Slip Away" (formerly "Uncle Floyd") and "Afraid" were initially going to be released on the aforementioned ''Toy'' album; they were both re-recorded for ''Heathen''. While the two versions of each song sound fairly similar enough to one-another, "Slip Away" removes "Uncle Floyd"[='s=] lengthy intro consisting of sampled audio from ''The Uncle Floyd Show'', presumably due to copyright issues.

Initially, Bowie had planned on releasing an album called ''Toy'', which consisted mostly of re-recordings of his pre-''Music/SpaceOddity'' material. However, the plan to release the album didn't come to fruition and the sessions led into the recording of ''Heathen'' instead. Although it's claimed that all songs featured on the album were written before the attacks of September 11 2001, it is widely agreed the events had an influence on the album.

''Heathen'' is generally associated with ''Music/{{Outside}}'', ''Music/TheNextDay'' and ''Music/BlackstarAlbum'' as his best albums post-''Music/LetsDance'', selling over two million copies. ''Heathen'' also marked Bowie's commercial comeback in the US; peaking at 14 on the Billboard charts, it was his highest-selling album in the country since ''Music/{{Tonight}}'' in 1984. The singles from this album are "Slow Burn", "Everyone Says 'Hi'" and "I've Been Waiting for You". Notably, none of these singles were released with a music video; Bowie, who was 55 at the time of the album's release, came to feel as if he had become too old to remain relevant on television, and decided to refrain from the music video format as a result. A video for "Slow Burn" ''was'' shot in August of 2002 however, and eventually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23IdK0yZMvE saw release]] in 2011. Bowie would ultimately walk back on his statements and return to releasing music videos-- all but two of which starred himself (and in the case of the second of those two he was only absent on account of being [[AuthorExistenceFailure dead]])-- for his next (and last) three albums[[note]]that said, the music videos for ''Music/TheNextDay'' and ''Music/BlackstarAlbum'' were primarily intended for viewing on WebSite/YouTube rather than television; the music videos for ''Music/{{Reality}}'' did indeed air on TV, though[[/note]].

The singles from this album are "Slow Burn", "Everyone Says 'Hi'" and "I've Been Waiting for You". Notably, none of these singles were released with a music video; Bowie, who was 55 at the time of the album's release, came to feel as if he had become too old to remain relevant on television, and decided to refrain from the music video format as a result. A video for "Slow Burn" ''was'' shot in August of 2002 however, and eventually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23IdK0yZMvE saw release]] in 2011. Bowie would ultimately walk back on his statements and return to releasing music videos-- all but two of which starred himself (and in the case of the second of those two he was only absent on account of being [[AuthorExistenceFailure dead]])-- for his next (and last) three albums[[note]]that said, the music videos for ''Music/TheNextDay'' and ''Music/BlackstarAlbum'' were primarily intended for viewing on WebSite/YouTube rather than television; the music videos for ''Music/{{Reality}}'' did indeed air on TV, though[[/note]].

''Heathen'' is generally associated with ''Music/{{Outside}}'', ''Music/TheNextDay'' and ''Music/BlackstarAlbum'' as his best albums post-''Music/LetsDance'', selling over two million copies. ''Heathen'' also marked Bowie's commercial comeback in the US; peaking at 14 on the Billboard charts, it was his highest-selling album in the country since ''Music/{{Tonight}}'' in 1984. The singles from this album are "Slow Burn", "Everyone Says 'Hi'" and "I've Been Waiting for You". Notably, none of these singles were released with a music video; Bowie, who was 55 at the time of the album's release, came to feel as if he had become too old to remain relevant on television, and decided to refrain from the music video format as a result. A video for "Slow Burn" ''was'' shot in August of 2002 however, and eventually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23IdK0yZMvE saw release]] in 2011. Bowie would ultimately walk back on his statements and return to releasing music videos-- all but two of which starred himself (and in the case of the second of those two he was only absent on account of being [[AuthorExistenceFailure dead]])-- for his next (and last) three albums[[note]]that said, the music videos for ''Music/TheNextDay'' and ''Music/BlackstarAlbum'' were primarily intended for viewing on WebSite/YouTube rather than television; the music videos for ''Music/{{Reality}}'' did indeed air on TV, though[[/note]].

** Dave Grohl of Music/{{Nirvana}} and Music/FooFighters plays guitar on "I've Been Waiting for You".

* SpecialGuest: Dave Grohl of Music/{{Nirvana}} and Music/FooFighters plays guitar on "I've Been Waiting for You".

* ReligionRantSong: "A Better Future" is a Type 1.

** "I Would Be Your Slave" does this for ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}''

* TitleDrop: Subverted with "I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship" - the lyric in the song is "I Took a Trip on a Gemini Space'''craft'''"

Sound-wise, the album continues the neoclassical brand of synth-heavy art rock that first appeared on ''[[Music/{{Hours}} 'hours...']]'', but turns it in a more darker, brooding direction influenced not only by the September 11 attacks, but also Bowie's general anxieties about living in America as well as the success of Music/{{Radiohead}}'s similarly moody and electronic ''Music/KidA'' and ''Music/{{Amnesiac}}'' earlier in the decade (Bowie himself was a BigNameFan of Radiohead).

[[caption-width-right:350:''"And nothing has changed, and everything has changed "'']]

* NostalgiaFilter: The primary theme of "Slip Away"

* SharpDressedMan: The album cover portrays him as this - although the MonochromaticEyes do put him into UncannyValley territory.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to ''[[Music/{{Hours}} 'hours...']]'', ''Heathen'' is much more dour in both lyrical and musical tone, widely believed to stem from the emotions felt worldwide following 9/11.

''Heathen'' is also notable for being only one of four albums in Bowie's discography (alongside ''Music/{{Reality}}'' and reissues of ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars'' and ''Music/ScaryMonstersAndSuperCreeps'') to see release on the Super Audio CD format, with slightly longer versions of several songs plus four bonus tracks. Unlike the other three albums, this one only features a single Scarlet Book audio layer, with no Redbook audio layer, and as a result is the only one of the four Bowie [=SACDs=] to not be compatible with a standard CD player. To this day, the extended version of ''Heathen'' remains exclusive to the SACD release, with the extended songs and most of the bonus tracks not seeing further release on any reissues (despite the whole SACD version of the album being long enough to fit on a single Redbook-compliant UsefulNotes/CompactDisc uncut) or even compilations.

* [[NotChristianRock Not Christian Album]]

!!"Like a slow trope, leading us on and on and on..."

''Heathen'' is generally associated with ''Music/{{Outside}}'', ''Music/TheNextDay'' and ''Music/BlackstarAlbum'' as his best albums post-''Music/LetsDance'', selling over two million copies. ''Heathen'' also marked Bowie's commercial comeback in the US; peaking at 14 on the Billboard charts, it was his highest-selling album in the country since ''Music/{{Tonight}}'' in 1984. The singles from this album are "Slow Burn", "Everyone Says 'Hi'" and "I've Been Waiting for You". Notably, none of these singles were released with a music video; Bowie, who was 55 at the time of the album's release, came to feel as if he had become too old to remain relevant on television, and decided to refrain from the music video format as a result. A video for "Slow Burn" ''was'' shot in August of 2002 however, and eventually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23IdK0yZMvE saw release]] in 2011. Bowie would ultimately walk back on his statements and return to releasing music videos-- all but two of which starred himself (and in the case of the second of those two he was only absent on account of being [[AuthorExistenceFailure dead]])-- for his next (and last) three albums[[note]]that said, the music videos for ''Music/TheNextDay'' and ''Music/BlackstarAlbum'' were primarily intended for viewing on WebVideo/YouTube rather than television; the music videos for ''Music/{{Reality}}'' did indeed air on TV, though[[/note]].

''Heathen'' is generally associated with ''Music/{{Outside}}'', ''Music/TheNextDay'' and ''Music/BlackstarAlbum'' as his best albums post-''Music/LetsDance'', selling over two million copies. ''Heathen'' also marked Bowie's commercial comeback in the US; peaking at 14 on the Billboard charts, it was his highest-selling album in the country since ''Music/{{Tonight}}'' in 1984. The singles from this album are "Slow Burn", "Everyone Says 'Hi'" and "I've Been Waiting for You". Notably, none of these singles were released with a music video; Bowie, who was 55 at the time of the album's release, came to feel as if he had become too old to remain relevant on television, and decided to refrain from the music video format as a result. A video for "Slow Burn" ''was'' shot in August of 2002 however, and eventually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23IdK0yZMvE saw release]] in 2011.

* EpicRocking: The 6 minute "Slip Away".

* ReCut: The SACD release features slightly longer versions of "Sunday", "Slip Away", "Slow Burn", and "5:15 The Angels Have Gone", which combined with the added bonus tracks pushes the album up to a total runtime of 71:08 (compared to the standard edition's 52:08).

''Heathen'' is also notable for being only one of four albums in Bowie's discography (alongside ''Music/{{Reality}}'' and reissues of ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars'' and ''Music/ScaryMonstersAndSuperCreeps'') to see release on the Super Audio CD format, with slightly longer versions of several songs plus four bonus tracks. Unlike the other three albums, this one only features a single Scarlet Book audio layer, with no Redbook audio layer, and as a result is the only one of the four Bowie [=SACDs=] to not be compatible with a standard CD player. To this day, the extended songs and bonus tracks remain exclusive to the SACD release of ''Heathen'', not seeing further release on any reissues of ''Heathen'' (despite being long enough to fit on a single Redbook-compliant UsefulNotes/CompactDisc unaltered) or even compilations.

''Heathen'' is also notable for being only one of four albums in Bowie's discography (alongside ''Music/{{Reality}}'' and reissues of ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars'' and ''Music/ScaryMonstersAndSuperCreeps'') to see release on the Super Audio CD format, with slightly longer versions of several songs plus four bonus tracks. Unlike the other three albums, this one only features a single Scarlet Book audio layer, with no Redbook audio layer, and as a result is the only one of the four Bowie [=SACDs=] to not be compatible with a standard CD player.

Initially, Bowie had planned on releasing an album called ''Toy'', which consisted mostly of re-recordings of his pre-''Music/SpaceOddity'' material. However, the plan to release the album didn't come to fruition and the sessions led into the recording of ''Heathen'' instead. Although claimed that all songs written on the album occurred before the attacks of September 11 2001, it is widely agreed the events had an influence on the album.