Personnel includes: David Bowie (vocals, guitar, saxophone, keyboards, stylophone, drums); Kristeen Young (vocals, piano); Tony Visconti (guitar, recorder, bass, background vocals); Mark Plati (guitar, bass); David Torn (guitar, omnichord, loops); Pete Townshend, Dave Grohl, Carlos Alomar, Gerry Leonard (guitar); Lisa Germano (violin); Jordan Ruddess (keyboards); Tony Levin (bass); Matt Chamberlain (drums, percussion, programming); Sterling Campbell (drums, percussion). The Scorchio Quartet: Greg Kitzis, Meg Okura (violin); Martha Mooke (viola); Mary Wooten (cello). The Borneo Horns: Lenny Pickett, Stan Harrison, Steve Elson. Recorded at Allaire Studios, Shokan, New York and Looking Glass Stuidos, New York, New York. There's more than a hint of things turning full circle in the 21st century's first original David Bowie full- length album. On HEATHEN, Bowie not only reunites with co-producer Tony Visconti, but within the first 15 minutes references his '70s hit Heroes in the suitably smoldering Slow Burn, and turns around late co-conspirator John Lennon's God in Afraid (I believe in Beatles). Bowie wisely gives himself the space to toy with old R&B; rhythms and weighty, pre-punk guitar riffs, juxtaposing Bjork-like string sections with looped rock drums and hissing synth backgrounds on I Would Be Your Slave, while coyly harking back to his Ziggy Stardust persona on I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship. A Better Future features a chirpy '60s arrangement underlying the sort of fallout-saturated pop ditty that might one day become a favorite of the protagonists of Drive-in Saturday. As you might expect from a Bowie/Visconti collaboration, the production is both high-tech and down-and-dirty--one minute all overloaded mics and booming drums, the next all chiming synths and breathy backing vocals. Featuring smartly chosen guests Pete Townshend and Dave Grohl, HEATHEN is a righteous return to form from an erratic but consistently intriguing pop master.