Battle for Britain (the Letter)

Battle for Britain (the Letter), David Bowie, Earthling, 1997

Somebody likes their big shiny new teeth, don’t they?

Earthling is not for everyone. When it came out in 1997, my mind was not sophisticated enough to appreciate it. It was too weird, too modern, too alien. I hated it. Now that I’ve matured en0ugh to appreciate more musical diversity, I love it. He may have alienated some of his crustier old fans by jumping into rave and techno, but he also brought in a new generation. Earthling is different from the typical techno record in that actual instruments played by live people were used to create the sound. The mid nineties were a good time for db, who kept busy collaborating with hip people like Trent Reznor, Florie Sigismondi and Brian Eno, hosting massive birthday parties and setting trends with his spiky new look.