Heathen (stylised as uǝɥʇɐǝɥ) is the 23rd studio album by English musician David Bowie, originally released in Europe on 10 June 2002, and the following day in America. His first release through his own ISO label, it reunited Bowie with producer Tony Visconti for the two's first full-album collaboration since 1980. Recording took place at New York studios from August 2001 to January 2002 and featured guest musicians, including Dave Grohl and Pete Townshend. Two tracks, "Afraid" and "Slip Away", evolved from Bowie's shelved Toy project, while three were covers of songs by Pixies, Neil Young and the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Musically, Heathen displays an art rock and art pop sound reminiscent of Bowie's 1970s works. The spiritual lyrics, reflected in the artwork and packaging, were based on his accumulated feelings of dread, thoughts on ageing and hopes for a better future for his newborn daughter. Commentators interpreted some tracks, particularly "Sunday" and "Slow Burn", as partial responses to the September 11 attacks, although Bowie denied any influence. Boosted by a vast marketing campaign and promotional appearances, Heathen reached number five in the United Kingdom and became his highest charting album in the United States since 1984, reaching number 14. The single "Everyone Says 'Hi" reached number 20 in the UK. Bowie supported the album on the Heathen Tour throughout mid-2002, performing Heathen in its entirety at several shows. Heathen represented a creative and commercial resurgence for Bowie following a period of experimentation in the 1990s. It was his most well-received album in years, being praised as a return to form and his best since Scary Monsters. His biographers have commended Bowie's ability to update his older sound for a modern setting and recognise it as one of the finest of his later career. Background and writing In 2000, David Bowie recorded Toy, a collection of remade songs he wrote in the 1960s with a couple of new tracks. Originally slated for release in March 2001, the project was shelved due to financial troubles encumbering EMI/Virgin. In the meantime, Bowie began work on a new album with his former producer Tony Visconti, the duo's first full-length collaboration since Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980). After not speaking to each other for almost 20 years, the two reconciled in 1998 and recorded various one-off projects before reuniting for a full album. Both men were eager to work with each other again,