Side One 1 Loving The Alien, 7:10 2 Don’t Look Down, 4:09 3 God Only Knows, 3:05 4 Tonight,
3:43 Side Two 5 Neighborhood Threat, 3:11 6 Blue Jean,
3:10 7 Tumble And Twirl, 4:58 8 I Keep Forgettin', 2:34 9 Dancing With The Big Boys, 3:34 Bonus Tracks (on Virgin
re-release 1995, Virgin CD VUS 97) 10 This Is Not America, 3:51 11 As The World Falls Down, 4:50 12 Absolute Beginners, 8:00 Recorded: Le Studio, Morin Heights,
Canada (May 1984) Musicians: David Bowie, vocals, keyboards Carlos Alomar, guitar Derek Bramble, bass, guitar,
synthesizer Carmine rojas, bass Sammy Figueroa, percussion Omar Hakim, drums Guy St Onge, marimba Robin Clark, backing vocals George Simms, backing vocals Curtis King, backing vocals Tina Turner, vocals (Tonight) Iggy Pop, vocals (Dancing With The
Big Boys) Mark Pender, trumpet, flugelhorn Stanley Harrison, alto sax, tenor
sax Steve Elson, baritone sax Lenny Pickett, tenor sax, clarinet Producers: David Bowie, Derek Bramble,
Hugh Padgham Released: 24 September 1984 Label: EMI America DB 1 His triumphant return on "Let's Dance"
found Bowie fusing the Thin White Duke's rhythmic drive with his post-disco
expatriate's sense of adventure. Here, the once and future Mr. Jones takes
yet another turn, saving more edgy, passionate dancerock for the second
side while throwing the spotlight on surprisingly restrained ballads and
midtempo rockers, replete with dreamy rhythms and even lush strings,
courtesy of Arif Mardin. As a result, the moody "Loving The
Alien" and Bowie's deep-dish baritone crooning on Brian Wilson's
"God Only Knows" could do at AC what "Blue Jean" and
other side two raveups will at AOR, new music and dance-oriented levels.
That multi-format potential mirrors and apparent willingness to tackle both
his new audience and his older, now adult fans on a single disk. Billboard Originally reviewed for
week ending 6 October 1984
Tonight