DISCUSSIONS: "THE BOWIE DISCUSSIONS"

Tim Johnstone (AKA Record Exchange Guru and DJ) uses his insider knowledge to tell you what the folks are listening to.

"THE BOWIE DISCUSSIONS"

ZIGGY PLAYED GUITAR: Thirty years ago this week David Bowie released one of rock and roll's classic albums. With The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, the man who sold the world with his different colored eyes and the haircut that launched a billion mullets and the glitter make-up and sparkling unitard, pretty much gave rock and roll the firm kick in the pants it needed at a time when the Beatles were moving on and the Carpenters were holding down the fort on middle-of-the-road radio stations across America. It has been a long strange trip since then (truth be told, it had been a weird adventure up to that point as well) and while it has been filled with moments high (the trilogy of albums that came out of his time spent in Berlin) low (the Labyrinth soundtrack anyone?), and in-between (too numerous to mention), it has never been boring.

EVERYONE SAYS HI: The once upon a Thin White Duke returns with a new album. Not just any album. Oh no. The marketing weenies at Columbia records have modestly branded Heathen "Classic Bowie, Circa 2002." And I guess I'm here to coax you back from the ledge. Before you heave into your red shoes and dance the blues let me assure you: They aren't far off the mark. This is the best thing he's released in forever. For one thing there isn't a toss-off track among the lot, which is something that couldn't be said about recent efforts Earthling and Outside. There is nothing here that qualifies as winceworthy (anyone remember the glass spiders number off Never let Me Down?). Truth be told, there are several great songs on Heathen. "Slow Burn" rates among Bowie's best four minutes, which is not a surprise considering the debt it owes to "Heroes" which is arguably the best of the best (Note the use of the disclaimer "arguably"). "Everyone Says Hi" is a smile-maker for a number of reasons, not the least of which being the "Aladdin Sane" backing vocals that wink at us mid-way through. And because Bowie has always had an ear for covers (I refer to "China Girl," "Across The Universe" and the entire Pin-Ups LP if anyone cares to ask) he smartly interprets songs from none other than Neil Young, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy and The Pixies. Congrats to a man who could simply rest on his considerable laurels, kick back and do the family thing. Instead, he's releasing a genius CD and headlining Moby's Area 2 tour this summer. Maybe there is something alien about him after all.

HOMETOWN HEROES PART THREE: When I haven't been listening to Bowie's latest, I've managed to spend enough time with a sampler I got from local boys The Peopleoids (a name snatched from a Bowie song no less) to know that I wish there was a full length CD to tell you about. Seriously.