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"Heroes" (the quotation marks are part of the title, for reasons of irony) is an album by David Bowie, released in 1977. The second installment of his 'Berlin Trilogy' with Brian Eno (the other releases being Low and Lodger) "Heroes" developed the sound of Low in a more positive direction. Of the three albums, it was the most befitting of the appellation "Berlin", being the only one wholly recorded there. The title track remains one of Bowie's best known, a classic story of two lovers who meet at the Berlin Wall. The album is considered one of his best by critics, notably for the contributions of guitarist Robert Fripp (who flew in from the U.S. to record his parts in one day). John Lennon was quoted as saying that when making Double Fantasy in 1980, his ambition was to "do something as good as "Heroes"." It was named NME Album of the Year.

Production and style

Recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in what was then West Berlin, "Heroes" reflected the zeitgeist of the Cold War, symbolised by the divided city. Co-producer Tony Visconti considered it "one of my last great adventures in making albums. The studio was about 500 yards from the wall. Red Guards would look into our control-room window with powerful binoculars." Bowie again paid tribute to his Krautrock influences: the title is a nod to the track "Hero" on the album NEU! '75 by the German band Neu!, while "V-2 Schneider" is inspired by and named after Kraftwerk's Florian Schneider. Earlier in 1977, Kraftwerk had name-checked Bowie on the title track of Trans-Europe Express. The cover photo was inspired by Erich Heckel's Roquairol, as was that of The Idiot, one of Bowie's collaborations with Iggy Pop that was released the same year.

Though "Heroes" included a number of dark and atmospheric instrumentals such as "Sense of Doubt" and "Neuköln", as well as the sprawling confessional "Blackout", after the melancholy and inward-looking Low it was regarded as a highly passionate and positive artistic statement. This was evident not only through "Heroes" the song but in the rocking opener "Beauty and the Beast" (released as the second single in January 1978), the raucous "Joe the Lion" and the light-hearted closer "The Secret Life of Arabia". The lyrics for "Joe the Lion", written and recorded at the microphone "in less than an hour" according to Visconti, typified the improvisational nature of the recording.

Release and aftermath

"Heroes" was marketed by RCA with the catch phrase, "There’s Old Wave. There’s New Wave. And there's David Bowie..." It enjoyed a positive critical reception on release in late 1977, Melody Maker and NME both naming it 'Album of the Year'. It made #3 in the UK and stayed in the charts for 26 weeks, but was less successful in the U.S. where it peaked at #35.

A number of the album's tracks were played live at Bowie's concerts the following year, captured on record as Stage (1978). Philip Glass adapted a classical suite, "Heroes" Symphony, based on this album, a companion to his earlier Low Symphony. The title track has been covered by numerous artists, and has been frequently used as an encore by recent incarnations of King Crimson, while "The Secret Life of Arabia" was sung by Billy Mackenzie in 1982 on the British Electric Foundation LP Music of Quality and Distinction.

Track listing

All lyrics written by David Bowie; all music written by David Bowie except where noted.

1. "Beauty and the Beast" – 3:32
2. "Joe the Lion" – 3:05
3. "Heroes" (Bowie, Brian Eno) – 6:07
4. "Sons of the Silent Age" – 3:15
5. "Blackout" – 3:50
6. "V-2 Schneider" – 3:10
7. "Sense of Doubt" – 3:57
8. "Moss Garden" (Bowie, Eno) – 5:03
9. "Neuköln" (Bowie, Eno) – 4:34
10. "The Secret Life of Arabia" (Bowie, Eno, Carlos Alomar) – 3:46

Reissues

"Heroes" has been rereleased on CD three times to date. The first CD issue was by RCA in 1984. It was reissued in 1991 by Rykodisc (with two bonus tracks) and again in 1999 by EMI (featuring 24-bit digitally remastered sound and no bonus tracks).

1991 reissue bonus tracks

1. "Abdulmajid" (previously unreleased track recorded 1976-79) – 3:40
2. "Joe the Lion" (remixed version 1991) – 5:18

Personnel

• David Bowie – vocals, keyboards, guitars, saxophone, koto, background vocals
• Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
• Dennis Davis – percussion
• George Murray – electric bass
• Brian Eno – synthesizers, keyboards, guitar treatments
• Robert Fripp – lead guitar
• Tony Visconti – background vocals
• Antonia Maass – background vocals

Charts

Album

Single

Notes

1. Shaar Murray, Charles (1977). "NME interview". Bowie: Golden Years. Retrieved 2007-08-20. I'd felt that the use of quotes indicate a dimension of irony about the word 'Heroes' or about the whole concept of heroism.
2. Pegg, Nicholas (2006). The Complete David Bowie (4th ed.). Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. p. 312. ISBN 1-905287-15-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |Location= ignored (|location= suggested) (help)
3. ^ Pegg, Nicholas (2000). The Complete David Bowie. pp. 307–309.
4. ^ Sandford, Christopher (1996, 1997). Loving the Alien. pp. 182–193. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
5. ^ Buckley, David (1999). Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story. pp. 320–325.
6. Snow, Mat (2007). MOJO 60 Years of Bowie, "Making Heroes". p. 69.
7. ^ Carr, Roy (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record. pp. 91–92. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
8. "UNCUT interview". Bowie: Golden Years. 1999. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
9. Pegg, Nicholas (2000). The Complete David Bowie. p. 112.
10. Gittens, Ian (2007). "Art Decade", MOJO 60 Years of Bowie. pp. 70–73.

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