Earthling (stylised as EART HL I NG) is the twenty-first studio album by the English musician David Bowie, 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. 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. Lyrically, the tracks express themes of alienation and spirituality. One of them, "I'm Afraid of Americans", 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.
Earthling charted better than its predecessor and reached the top ten in several countries. Its accompanying singles featured numerous remixes and were supported with music videos. Bowie promoted the album through television appearances and on the Earthling Tour in 1997. Although the album was mostly received positively on release, later reviews find Earthling lacked innovation in a time when the drum and bass craze was well-established; others consider it a worthwhile addition to an underrated decade for Bowie. It was reissued with bonus tracks in 2004 and remastered in 2021 for inclusion on the box set Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001).
Background and recording
thumb|left|upright=1.0|alt=An older man with a gray beard playing a red guitar against a green backlight|Guitarist [[Reeves Gabrels (pictured in 2012) was one of Bowie's primary collaborators for Earthling.]]
David Bowie supported his 20th studio album Outside on the Outside Tour, which ran from September 1995 to February 1996. The lineup for the tour included Reeves Gabrels (guitars), Mike Garson (piano), Zack Alford (drums), Gail Ann Dorsey (bass), Carlos Alomar (rhythm guitar), George Simms (vocals) and Pete Schwartz (keyboards). A few months after the tour's conclusion, Bowie and the band—minus Simms, Schwartz and Alomar Also recorded around May was an untitled piece containing the lyric "dead men don't talk" that, like "Telling Lies", pre-dated the Earthling material.
Initial sessions
Recording for Earthling began in August 1996 shortly after the conclusion of the festival dates. For the location, Bowie chose the composer Philip Glass's Looking Glass Studios in New York City. Joining the lineup was the engineer Mark Plati, a New York native who had extensive experience at Looking Glass. Bowie himself mostly self-produced, making it his first self-produced record since Diamond Dogs (1974). Bowie at one point stated it was recorded in eight days. According to O'Leary, Earthling was initially envisioned as an EP of new tracks sequenced with the remakes and covers, but by the end of the sessions, there was enough material for a full-length album of new content.
Music and lyrics
Compared to the nineteen pieces found on Outside, Earthling contains only nine tracks. Additionally, Bowie stated that he found Earthling "primitive" in contrast to the complexity of its predecessor. Musically, the album showcases an electronica-influenced sound partly inspired by the industrial and drum and bass culture of the 1990s. Bowie had previously explored these styles on Outside, but fully embraced them for Earthling. In a contemporary interview, Bowie said that "I thought that what we should do was develop our vocabulary of dance forms, but incorporate rock." While reviewers generally consider Earthling Bowie's "drum and bass album", the biographer Marc Spitz argues that "it's simply [a] case of a veteran artist pursuing a sound with which he or she has fallen in love." Buckley agrees, further noting that only three or four tracks contain a drum and bass element. Plati later contested:
Characterised by "rapid-fire bass, hailstorm percussion, flashes of distorted guitar, sampling [and] sudden dramatic pauses", drum and bass rhythms dominate "Little Wonder", "Battle for Britain (The Letter)", "Telling Lies" and "Dead Man Walking". Other reviewers have noted the presence of industrial rock, electronica, The author James E. Perone found an emphasis on techno and jungle and deems Earthling more musically accessible than its predecessor, partially aided by "strong melodic hooks" throughout. Bowie initially compared the album's aggressive sound to 1980's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Bowie called writing the track a "ridiculous" exercise in pure stream of consciousness: "I just picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and made a line for each of the dwarves' names. And that's the song [laughs]. And then I ran out of dwarves' names, so there's new dwarves in it like 'Stinky'." Originally set to be a "nine-minute jungle electronic epic", the song was trimmed to six minutes for the album. Described by O'Leary as a combination of arena rock and electronica, it utilises percussion and power chords from the Prodigy's "Firestarter", a 1996 UK number one that assisted in bringing drum and bass rhythms to the mainstream.
"Looking for Satellites" was the second track recorded for the album. In an interview with Mojo, Bowie described the track as "A straight, rational piece about where we find ourselves at this particular point in this era: somewhere between religion and technology, and not quite sure where to go next. It's kind of a poignant feeling, standing alone on a beach at night looking for a satellite... but what you're really looking for is an answer." Bowie explained: "[It's] the ultimate anti-icon. A retelling of the British flag joke, again torn and stained... the tatty remains of a metaphysical empire." Pegg compares Bowie's Colossus of Rhodes-like stance in the cover to a "proud eighteenth-century landowner in a Gainsborough portrait" and, simultaneously, an alien-like visitor in an effect similar to the sleeve for Ziggy Stardust (1972). According to Gabrels, Bowie's intention for the cover was to realign himself with England.
The Union Jack's appearance on the cover has generated commentary from Bowie's biographers. Buckley writes that over the past thirty years in Britain, the Union Jack had gone from being symbols of confidence in the 1960s, oppression in the 1970s through the punk rock movement, and "rightist" through Morrissey's controversial use of it at Finsbury Park in the early 1990s. Pegg notes that the 1990s Britpop era frequently saw the use of the Union Jack in advertisements, while numerous bands at the time posed with the flag for both Melody Maker and NME. Following Earthlings release, the Union Jack became fashionable and was worn by artists including Eurythmics and the Spice Girls.
The Earthling CD package was presented with an elaborate, electronically manipulated photo collage of Bowie and the band members. Additional images included with the sleeve dated back to Bowie's Los Angeles period in the mid-1970s, such as a blurred flying saucer and a Kirlian photograph of his fingertip and crucifix, which also appeared on the "Little Wonder" CD single. Pegg attributes Bowie's desire for the photographs to his then-cocaine addiction.
Release and promotion
Earthling was preceded by the release of two singles. The first, "Telling Lies" backed by three remixes, was released on 4November 1996. It peaked at number 76 and 79 in Britain and Scotland, respectively, although its distribution was limited to 3,500 copies. The second, "Little Wonder" backed by three remixes, was issued on 27January 1997. The single was a success, peaking at number 14 in the UK and topping the chart in Japan. The accompanying music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi and depicts Bowie at three different ages. Buckley considers it a dance-oriented video rather than a rock one, reminiscent of Orbital's "The Box" (1996).
Earthling was released on 3February 1997 on CD and LP formats through RCA Records in the UK, Virgin Records in the US, and Arista Records and its parent distributor BMG elsewhere. The Japanese CD included the 'Adam F Mix' of "Telling Lies" as a bonus track. RCA stressed the album's accessibility in their marketing campaign; marketing director Kristina Kyriacou said: "It's a lot more commercial than [Bowie's] recent albums and we believe that it has a great deal of longevity. Earthling is a very dynamic, bold statement and we aim to reflect that." losing to Radiohead's OK Computer (1997). Bowie promoted Earthling with a string of television appearances from February to April 1997, including on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Three more singles followed the album's release. "Dead Man Walking" appeared on 14April 1997 on various single formats, some backed by remixes of the track and others featuring remixes of Outside tracks. One remix was done by musician Moby, which marked the beginning of Bowie's association with the artist. Its music video, again directed by Sigismondi, expanded on the themes of the "Little Wonder" video, featuring appearances from Bowie and Dorsey and, in Pegg's words, "flailing choreography". The band mimed the song on Top of the Pops on 25April. The single was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, "Seven Years in Tibet" was released on 18August, backed by a Mandarin version of the song, with lyrics translated by Lin Xi. It failed to reach the UK top 50.
"I'm Afraid of Americans" was issued in the US only on 14October 1997 as a maxi-single, where it was backed by six remixes, some of which featured Ice Cube and Photek. The project was instigated by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, continuing his and Bowie's association following the Outside Tour. Reznor, who said he "tried to make it a bit darker", stripped the production to its roots to create what Buckley calls "an eerie, psychotic track". Reznor also starred as the titular 'Johnny' in the Dom and Nic-directed music video, which reflected the song's theme of a frightened European in an American city and gave Bowie a nomination for Best Male Video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. The single reached number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 16 weeks, becoming Bowie's biggest hit in the country since "Day-In Day-Out" ten years earlier. It also stayed in the Canadian top 50 for six months.
Critical reception
Earthling received largely positive reviews from music critics on release. Some considered it an improvement over its predecessor. Peter Aspden of the Financial Times positively compared Earthling to the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers' concurrent releases The Fat of the Land and Dig Your Own Hole, respectively, stating that they "were strong on aggression and aural attack, but lacked the variety and subtlety to last beyond twenty-odd interesting minutes".
Andy Gill of The Independent praised the music as innovative compared to other jungle and drum and bass acts of the time, stating: "What comes through most strongly on Earthling is the way Bowie retains an obsessional interest in the sheer variety and extremity of sound." He further highlighted Gabrels' and Garson's contributions on "Looking for Satellites" and "Battle for Britain", respectively. Gill commended Bowie for "offering refined mainstream applications of cutting-edge experimentation" in Mojo. Dan Deluca of The Philadelphia Inquirer similarly wrote that the record succeeded in blending the electronic beats and rhythms with live instrumentation. He ultimately considered it "nervy and energetic" and Bowie's finest album "in a diamond dog's age". In a particularly scathing review, Selects Ian Harrison wrote: "Earthling is splendidly coiffured and presented...but the selling point – Bowie goes original junglist nutty – is so negligible as to be non-existent. And what remains is not good."
Tour
thumb|left|upright=0.8|alt=A middle-aged man with spiked hair and a red shirt singing next to a microphone|Bowie performing in Finland in June 1997
Rehearsals for the Earthling Tour began in mid-April 1997. The band was composed of Bowie, Gabrels, Dorsey, Alford and Garson. When asked by Q about his thoughts regarding touring, Bowie stated: "Honestly, it would be a sin not playing live when I've got a band like this. They're the best group I've had in twenty years, right up there with the Spiders in terms of cohesive musicianship and attitude." After performing two shows at the Hanover Grand in London in early June, the tour commenced on 7 June and concluded on 7 November 1997.
Pegg says the shows were "less stagey" than the Outside Tour, although elaborate light shows, costume designs and visual aids were present. The setlist throughout the tour included more well-known hits than its predecessor, while all tracks from Earthling except "Law (Earthlings on Fire)" were performed. Initially, the tracks were split into conventional "rock" and "drum and bass" sets. Later on, they were interspersed throughout the setlists. British reviewers, such as Melody Maker and NME, praised the shows in general but were initially critical of the Earthling material, although the latter reversed its opinion by July. Chris Roberts of Uncut magazine praised Bowie's presence on stage, although he criticised the show's second half.
In July, the band appeared at the Phoenix Festival where they played as "Tao Jones Index" in the Radio 1 Dance tent. They later released remixed versions of "Pallas Athena" and the "Heroes" track "V-2 Schneider" (1977) as a single under the name in August. At the festival, Bowie approached electronic duo Orbital for a possible collaboration, although this never came to fruition; member Phil Hartnoll later considered it "the biggest disappointment of [his] career". The Phoenix Festival performance was later released as a live album in 2021 titled Look at the Moon! (Live Phoenix Festival 97), as part of the series Brilliant Live Adventures (2020–2021).
Changes were made to the setlist for the tour's American leg, which began in August. The band primarily played at small clubs rather than large venues for commercial reasons, according to Buckley. Performances during the leg were broadcast on various television stations throughout the rest of the year. Additionally, live performances from the entire year and other tracks were compiled for Earthling in the City (1997), a six-track promotional CD that was included with the November 1997 American issue of GQ magazine. While Bowie planned to release a live album from the tour, the idea was vetoed by Virgin. Tracks from the project were later released in 1999 to BowieNet subscribers as LiveAndWell.com, which was officially issued in 2021 as part of the Brilliant Live Adventures series.
Aftermath and legacy
Throughout 1997, Bowie garnered attention when he earned substantial wealth through the sale of "Bowie Bonds", a celebrity bond that was issued against Bowie's future royalties from his back catalogue over the next ten years. Bowie was the first rock musician to engage in such a deal, predating future endeavors by artists such as Elton John, and it earned him $55 million. He also earned an additional $28.5 million upon selling his back catalogue to EMI, who subsequently began a Best of... reissue campaign. In November 1997, Bowie performed on the BBC's Children in Need charity single "Perfect Day 97", which became a UK number-one single. In 1998, Bowie retreated from the spotlight; nevertheless, he continued recording and making film appearances. He also reconciled with his former collaborator Tony Visconti. In late 1998, Bowie and Gabrels spent time in Bermuda, composing tracks for his next album Hours (1999).
In 2018, Gabrels considered Earthling his favourite collaboration with Bowie, telling Classic Rock magazine: "We did have a sense while we were doing it that we were making something we hadn't heard." Other artists have spoken positively of the record. Robert Smith later stated: "I really liked Earthling. I thought it was a really good album. The songs are great songs. They really stand up to be listened to AS songs and the fact that he worked in a particular genre and tried to capture a certain sound is neither here nor there. The songs are really well put together." Mark Guiliana cited Alford's drum work on Earthling as the primary inspiration for his drum patterns on Bowie's final album Blackstar (2016).
Retrospective appraisal
Retrospective reviews of Earthling have been mixed. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine criticised the album's sound as "awkward", writing that "the record frequently sounds as if the beats were simply grafted on top of pre-existing songs". He further called the songs formulaic and the album itself as ultimately underwhelming. The Independents Ed Power considered the album a part of the "most underrated phase" of Bowie's career and worth a reevaluation among fans.
In lists ranking Bowie's studio albums from worst to best, Earthling has placed in the middle to low tier. Stereogum placed it at number 17 (out of 25 at the time) in 2013. Aaron Lariviere stated: "Earthling is nowhere near Bowie's best, but it's a treat to see the old dog show his teeth after all these years." Three years later, Bryan Wawzenek of Ultimate Classic Rock placed Earthling at number 18 out of 26, criticised its emphasis on "sounds over songs" and, like Davidson, found "Bowie being late to yet another sub-genre party". Nevertheless, he highlighted Bowie's energetic performance and the "great soundscapes" on "Seven Years in Tibet" and "I'm Afraid of Americans". The writers of Consequence of Sound ranked Earthling number 22 in their 2018 list.
Bowie's biographers have given Earthling mixed assessments. Pegg and Spitz argue that, despite being recorded in America and with American musicians, Earthling was Bowie's most "British" release in twenty years. While Buckley considers it a "hard-hitting and single-minded album" and Christopher Sandford says that there is a lack of innovation but states that "it was a creditable enough bid for relevance by any fifty-year-old." He also calls "Little Wonder" Bowie's "most exciting and upbeat single since 'Blue Jean' [1984]". Perone finds confusing themes throughout and opinions that the fusion of different musical styles are not always successful. O'Leary primarily criticises the production, particularly on "Little Wonder", as sounding dated within a couple of years. On the other hand, Trynka praises "Little Wonder" but criticises the album's repetitive nature. He concludes: "The album as a whole is conservative and formulaic. [...] Those faults would have been forgivable had the album been released two years earlier; its appearance just as the nineties drum and bass craze was subsiding suggested Bowie was content to surf on someone else's wave rather than make his own." Reviewing more positively, Pegg writes that its "furious broadside" makes Earthling a "very fine album". He calls it and its predecessor "essential purchases" of Bowie's "most underrated decade".
Reissues
In 2003, Columbia Records reissued Earthling on CD, with another reissue following a year later that contained bonus tracks, including 13 remixes, B-sides, alternate takes and live performances from the Earthling Tour. In 2021, the album was remastered and included as part of the box set Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001).
Track listing
Personnel
According to the liner notes and the biographer Nicholas Pegg.
- David Bowie – vocals; guitar; alto saxophone; samples; keyboards
- Reeves Gabrels – programming; synthesisers; real and sampled guitars; vocals
- Mark Plati – programming; loops; samples; keyboards
- Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar; vocals
- Zack Alford – drum loops; acoustic drums; electronic percussion
- Mike Garson – keyboards; piano
Production
- David Bowie – producer
- Reeves Gabrels – producer
- Mark Plati – producer; engineer; mixing
- Bob Ludwig – mastering engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+1997 weekly chart performance for Earthling
!scope="col"|Chart (1997)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)
|45
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
|15
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Flanders)
|13
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Wallonia)
|5
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Albums (RPM)
|21
|-
!scope="row"|Danish Albums (Hitlisten)
|18
|-
!scope="row"|Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)
|19
|-
!scope="row"|Finnish Albums
|12
|-
!scope="row"|French Albums (SNEP)
|9
|-
!scope="row"|German Albums (Media Control)
|11
|-
! scope="row" | Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)
| 8
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)
|20
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand Albums (RIANZ)
|15
|-
!scope="row"|Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)
|13
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Spanish Albums (Promusicae)
|40
|-
!scope="row"|Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)
|5
|-
!scope="row"|Swiss Albums
|20
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+1997 year-end chart performance for Earthling
!scope="col"|Chart (1997)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop)
|100
|}