I'm listening/watching his performance of this on the CBS Early Show from 2003 right now, I so absolutely love this song. It's so amazing, I cannot believe it...how can he come up with such beauty after 40 years of doing music?
Everything about this song is dead on perfect to me. The vocals, the music, the lyrics. A song seemingly about nothing but a kids show (like he said in concert, it really isn't anything more.... yeah, RIGHT!), conveying such emotions about being younger, the good ol' days.... I think I could I be the fly on the wall in any Bowie moment, I'd like to watch the Heathen sessions.

Enough from me, please tell me what you think of it. Any favorite performances of it?



[BTW, I did this mainly to prepare you for the Heathen Sourvivor threads]

Oops. I don't know how that happened.

But anyway, I could go on and on about that entire album. Maybe I'll write a review.

You were propably just speechless because of the song!

And go on with your review, I'd be very interested in reading it.

The entire album kicks my ass. That is not an album where you have to skip tracks. Every song is brilliant in it's own way. "Slip Away" is beautiful. Talking about the "Heathen" sessions, I think the original intention was to release a CD called "Toy" with Bowie rerecording early tracks. The result was "Heathen", with new songs and several great covers. I think one track that made it out of the sessions were "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving", which is a great soulful rerecording of a forgettable pop song before he was famous (prehaps recorded when he was Davey Jones?).
[Edited 8/1/05 7:02am]

AFAIK, the Toy sessions were done sometime in 2000 but Virgin had problems releasing their albums and so Toy got lost somewhere in their schedule. Bowie was disappointed, left Virgin and then decided to do something new instead. Some of the Toy tracks were then released as b-sides or bonus tracks.
Which reminds of the Toy version of Shadow Man, which I still haven't heard.

VinnyM27 said:

The only minor complaint I can find is the drum track on "Everyone says Hi". The album is brilliantly produced but those sound very weak and cheap. Compare those to the drums on 5:15, for example.

No, wait....

Shadow Man I have, Conversation Piece is the one I'm missing.
[Edited 8/1/05 8:10am]

calldapplwondery83 said:

Ooh, it's wonderful. I know a lot of folks aren't fond of the remake, but I think it's one of Bowie's most interesting lyrically and his grown up take on it is perfect. His voice is much lower and the music is less country and more I don't know - Heathen-ish. You must find it.

GangstaFam said:

Hmmmm...
The only official release is on what exactly? A b-side to a single release or a bonus track on a Heathen release?
[Edited 8/1/05 15:18pm]

I have found a Heathen 2CD on Amazon. Would you say it's worth it buying again? What about the other bonus tracks (especially "4.Panic In Detroit (Outtake from a 1979 Recording)")? What is this exactly, a new recording of Panic in Detroit?

calldapplwondery83 said:

Yes, it was part of the 2-disc version of "Heathen" that came out. For me, it was worth it to spend the extra money just for that track alone. The "Panic in Detroit" remix is interesting, but nowhere near as good as the original. The remixes are okay, but nothing special. You'd basically be buying it just for that one song. I'd see if you can find it on iTunes or somesuch first.

Wanted to check iTunes, but I'd need Windows 2000 or Windows XP to use it. And I have Windows Me!

I think I'll get it from ebay.

calldapplwondery83 said:

Panic In Detroit and Space Oddity were re-recorded in 1979 for Saturday Night Live. Both were released as bonus tracks on the Ryko reissue of "Scary Monsters". Both versions are inferior to the originals.

calldapplwondery83 said:

I think they didn't release Toy because it was weaker than " ... hours", which, let's face it, was weaker than fish piss.

calldapplwondery83 said:

Can't wait to vote them all off.

Shapeshifter said:

I don't what kind of fish swims in your water but I like most of "...hours". And not only because it was my first Bowie album.

calldapplwondery83 said:

"... Hours" was your first Bowie album? You poor thing! I had no idea. Explains everything.
[Edited 8/2/05 5:42am]

Yeah!

At least I don't own Never Let Me Down and Tonight, like you propably do.

calldapplwondery83 said:

I own all his albums. I'm a huge fan. One day, when you get your first job, you will own them all too ... and only then will you appreciate what half-baked, drooling, semi-senile dreck "... hours" was.

Shapeshifter said:

It is a sleepy, cranky little album, but I like it quite a lot.

"Heathen" is already a classic Bowie album for me!!!

Songs like "Slip Away", "Slow Burn" and "A Better Future" make me feel this way...

Shapeshifter said:

What about a little at the end of your post?

calldapplwondery83 said:

What, like this?

I just want you to understand my liking of "...hours".
What about "Something in the air? Don't you like it just a tiny bit? Maybe a live performance of it?

calldapplwondery83 said:

Ok, yes, I thought "... hours" started superbly with Thursday's Child and Something In The Air. Unfortunately all the insincere, cod-confessional, semi-acoustic waffle that followed was a huge disappointment.

Funny you trashing Tonight - it was the "... hours" of the 80s - two great songs (Blue Jean and Loving The Alien) floating in a sea of dreck, although I must concede that " ... hours" was slightly better.

If you must know, my favourite five Bowie albums go like this: Outside, Station To Station, Young Americans, Scary Monsters, Diamond Dogs.

You know, to be honest, I haven't even heard anything from NLMD and Tonight...
I just heard so much bad about it and I have the Best of DVD. Once one of those videos starts and I hear this gloomy, glossy 80s-production, I have to turn it off.
I know he did two or three bad albums, but I DON'T want to hear them.
"Loving the Alien" on the Reality Tour was killer, though.
And you're right of course, there is quite a lot of mediocre stuff on "...hours". I like maybe 4 songs quite a bit, but this instrumental for example is just

Great list of your favorites! I think mine would be Station to Station. Only perfect songs on that one. Nice to hear Station to Station on the last tour.