title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: In "", Piccolo, after training Pan and visiting Gohan, is ambushed by android Gamma 2, and is defeated, evading death and detection afterwards. He then discovers the resurrected Red Ribbon Army and its ulterior motives while disguised. Through a wish from the Dragon Balls, Shenlong unlocks Piccolo's potential, taking on an empowered state similar to that of his pupil's form, and has Pan play along with a plan to sabotage the army's ploy and put Gohan back to fighting spirit. He then ascends to his first true transformation as a "little extra" from the dragon, referred to as . He battles the monstrous Cell Max giant-to-giant, but is severely outmatched and injured, causing Gohan to awaken his power through fury. He then restrains the monster for Gohan to pierce his forehead with a "Makankōsappō."


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: Piccolo appears in nine non-canonical "Dragon Ball Z" films; in the , Piccolo aids in stopping Garlic Jr.'s plot after having been attacked by his minions, wanting revenge; in the , Piccolo is brainwashed by Dr. Wheelo and made to combat the others until Gohan frees him by destroying the machinery associated with his brainwashing; in the , Piccolo comes to save Gohan from Turles and succeeds by taking a blast for him; in the , Piccolo combats Lord Slug and discovers that Namekians are weak to whistling, allowing for his defeat; in the , Piccolo is able to defeat most of Cooler's squadron, only to be defeated by Cooler himself; in the , Piccolo fights Cooler's minions on Namek and saves the others after they are captured; in the , Piccolo saves Gohan from being attacked by Android 13 and battles the android in both his forms; in the , Piccolo travels to New Planet Vegeta and fights Broly, giving his energy to Goku which leads to the foe's defeat; in the , Piccolo comes to help the others fight Bojack and his crew.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: In filler episodes of "Dragon Ball Z", during the Saiyan arc, Piccolo strands Gohan on an island, losing his location in the process, and appears to Gohan after he turns down returning home, taking him back to his training. After the Namek arc, Piccolo appears to help Gohan and Krillin when they are attacked by their friends who are under the effects of the Black Water Mist. In battling the group, Piccolo seemingly falls victim and appears on Kami's Lookout, where Gohan and Krillin travel to stop Garlic Jr., to halt the pair. After appearing to infect Krillin too and he and Piccolo overwhelm Gohan, Piccolo reveals to Gohan that he had been pretending the entire time and battles Garlic Jr. until his defeat. Piccolo and Goku are later made to get driver's licenses by Chi-Chi. Following the Buu arc, Piccolo attends a gathering. Piccolo has appeared in other "Dragon Ball" animations barring the series and films; in "", Piccolo defeats Lord Slug and Hatchiyak and in "", Piccolo prevents Aka's "Wahaha no Ha" from destroying Satan Hotel.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: In the anime-only sequel "Dragon Ball GT", Piccolo arrives to recover Goten after Baby ceases possessing him and moves to Gohan. Piccolo confronts the Baby-possessed Gohan and is injured. After Baby is defeated, Piccolo sacrifices himself to put the Black Star Dragon Balls to rest and bring peace to the world. He goes to Heaven but then requests to be sent to Hell in order to free Goku when he is imprisoned there. He can be seen putting Hell in order and protecting the rulers there. Goku later stops in Hell to see Piccolo. He tells Piccolo that he will be leaving and that they are glad they met and teamed up. Goku also tells Piccolo that he had become a good friend and promised to get him out of Hell someday. They shake hands and Goku leaves while Piccolo stays behind.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: Piccolo has made multiple appearances in music. "I Lo~ve Mr. Piccolo" appears on the 1990 album "Dragon Ball Z Hit Song Collection III: Space Dancing", Gohan singing about his admiration for Piccolo and wondering what his species is. In the 1991 album "Dragon Ball Z Hit Song Collection 8: Character Special 2", the song "The Feeling of Whistling Piccolo Edit" features Piccolo complaining and begging for a whistler to stop exploiting his weakness before he departs. Piccolo is also mentioned in the song "Goku" by Soulja Boy, who brags about feeling like Piccolo and multiple other "Dragon Ball" characters, and in the song "Break Bread" by Bryson Tiller, with the verse "Got green like Piccolo".


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: In the 2006 "Dragon Ball" and "One Piece" crossover manga "Cross Epoch", Piccolo appears as a swordsman alongside Roronoa Zoro. In the 2013 special , Piccolo cheers on Goku in his match against Monkey D. Luffy and Toriko. In an episode of "Mad" parodying the film "Moneyball", Piccolo and other "Dragon Ball" characters are drafted by Billy Beane into the Oakland A baseball team.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: Piccolo has been in many "Dragon Ball"-related video games such as "Super Butōden", the "" and "" series of games, as well as "" and "". In several games, Piccolo has exclusive forms such as Majin or fusions with Maima, Tsumuri, Dende, Dr. Mashirito, and Piccolo Daimaō, which drastically increase his power.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: Piccolo appears in multiple story modes in the 2006 game ' robert e lee'Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2". In Gohan's story, Piccolo is turned evil by a blast from Babidi, and becomes the leader of Buu and Dabura. After fighting Gohan, he flees and absorbs Buu, increasing his power. Piccolo then announces via television his intent to take over the world, and partners with Cell and Frieza before being defeated by Gohan.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: In the 2011 game "", Piccolo is defeated by Baby, encountering and battling the player while training, causing the player's Super Saiyan transformation and their subsequent overpowering of him. After he is defeated, Piccolo resolves to train the player.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: In the 2015 game "", Piccolo appears as a mentor. Within the story mode, Piccolo fights the player while under the control of Demigra, and in the final battle against Demigra, Piccolo gives the player his energy.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: In the 2016 game "Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2", Piccolo and Android 16 are defeated by Villainous Mode Imperfect Cell, allowing him to absorb #17 and #18 at the same time. The player then comes to assist Piccolo in his fight against Cell.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: In the 2018 game "Dragon Ball FighterZ", Piccolo is found unconscious by Goku and Krillin, and agrees to help them fight off clones and discover their origins upon waking up. Piccolo joins the two in finding Gohan and Vegeta, and uses his "Makankōsappō" to participate in destroying Android 21.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: He is a playable character in some crossover games such as "Jump Super Stars", "Jump Ultimate Stars", and "Jump Force".


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: The character has influenced "Naruto" manga author Masashi Kishimoto; in order to give Sasuke Uchiha a central role in the film "", Kishimoto made him the teacher of the protagonist Boruto Uzumaki as his father, Naruto Uzumaki, was busy. This was inspired by how Piccolo starts training Gohan when Goku dies in "Dragon Ball".


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: Piccolo's attack "Special Beam Cannon" / "Makankōsappō" became a meme which started with Japanese schoolgirls photographing themselves apparently using, and being affected by, this attack in 2013. According to gaming blog "Kotaku", the trend took off after photos were posted on Japan's largest bulletin board 2channel, with photographs typically showing one person striking the ground or making a mystical gesture while others around them are photographically captured in mid-air.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: Piccolo is a popular character in the series. He placed fifth in both the 1993 and 1995 "Dragon Ball" character popularity polls voted on by "Weekly Shōnen Jump" readers. In 2004, fans of the series voted him the fifth most popular character for a poll in the book "Dragon Ball Forever". Piccolo has appeared in various Anime Grand Prix polls, taking high places in the category "best male character" in 1990, 1991 and 1992 polls.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: Piccolo's character has received praise and criticism by publications for various media. DVDTalk enjoyed Piccolo's malicious characterization which, in retrospect, makes a major contrast with his more mature portrayal from "Dragon Ball Z". During a review of the "Dragon Ball" anime, Chris Beveridge from Mania Entertainment noted Piccolo to be able to perform a large number of abilities in contrast to other characters such as Goku, making the fight between both of them unbalanced. However, he found the said battle to be very entertaining despite it lasting several episodes. Tim Jones from THEM Anime Reviews found Piccolo's differences from "Dragon Ball" to "Dragon Ball Z" as one of the reasons the former show is recommendable to viewers over the later anime. While reviewing the fourth "Dragon Ball Z" film, Anime News Network writer Allen Drivers found Piccolo's initial scenes peacefully enough to entertain viewers. In a later film, John Sinnott from DVD Talk criticized Piccolo's involvement saying he appears "from out of no where" in order to fight alongside his friends giving the film little reasoning. Chris Homer from The Fandom Post believed Piccolo's sacrifice in "Dragon Ball GT" "was a genuine touching moment" for fans of "Dragon Ball Z", but also viewed the death as relying "too much on previous ideas" in order for it to get sorted. Beveridge praised Piccolo's growth in "Dragon Ball Z" as one of the most important parts of the series, noting how he decides to train Gohan to fight Vegeta.


title: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

text: Although Katherine Luther from About.com noted Piccolo to be one of the strongest warriors from his planet, she mentioned he has several weaknesses that make him weaker than other characters from the series, with his most notable one being his affection for Gohan. Sam Leach from Anime News Network noted that some fans of the series tend to joke that Piccolo is a better paternal figure to Gohan than his actual father, Goku, and felt that "Dragon Ball Super" emphasized it more when Piccolo started training him again. Piccolo's return in "Super Hero" earned similar comments from "Polygon" due to how he continues his role as Gohan's guardian and takes a more civilized way of living to stay close to him and train. As a result of these events in the movie, "Polygon" claimed that he was the best father in the entire franchise and that Gohan honors him during the film, most notably in the climax. Anime News Network praised Piccolo's characterization from "Super Hero" as he comes across as a more appealing character. IGN also enjoyed the handling of Piccolo and his dynamic with Gohan as the duo are as entertaining as the previous protagonist they are replacing, Goku and Vegeta, and praise Piccolo's patnernal figure to Gohan as he works to make his disciple stronger and was also found charming. However, the fact that the new androids are able to rival Piccolo and Gohan so easily came across as forced and at the same time as common in the franchise due to how power levels are often exaggerated. Piccolo's relationship with Pan as he trains her well as his new Orange power up were praised by HobbyConsolas with the latter being linked with Western superheroes. In regards to the film's presentation, GameSpot claimed that Piccolo and Gohan are the best CGI designed characters contrasting with poor models used for Goku and Vegeta and also found charming the awkward way Piccolo interacts with the rest of the characters such as when he uses a cellphone in a strange position and noted that the film made him more attached with the rest of the cast.


title: Chain smoking

text: Chain smoking is the practice of smoking several cigarettes in succession, sometimes using the ember of a finished cigarette to light the next. The term chain smoker often also refers to a person who smokes relatively constantly, though not necessarily "chaining" each cigarette. The term applies primarily to cigarettes, although it can be used to describe incessant cigar and pipe smoking as well as vaping. It is a common indicator of addiction.


title: Chain smoking

text: Many people chain-smoke when drinking alcoholic beverages, because alcohol potentiates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, leading to re-sensitization and hence inducing a craving.


title: Chain smoking

text: The extent to which chain smoking is driven by nicotine dependence has been studied. It does not seem that the amount of nicotine delivered is a significant factor, as the puff volume correlates poorly with the frequency of cigarette consumption.


title: Chain smoking

text: Chain smoking is given as an example of excessive addictive behaviour in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It may be used as a form of aversion therapy for smokers who are unused to such heavy smoking, inducing them to give up altogether.


title: Chain smoking

text: Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals claim that an airflow of about 30 cubic meters per minute per smoker is required to maintain satisfactory air quality when the smokers are chain smoking. However, research confirms that current HVAC systems, while important for general air quality, cannot control exposure to secondhand smoke.


title: Deena Nicole Cortese

text: Deena Nicole Buckner ("née" Cortese; born January 12, 1987) is an American reality television personality who appeared on the MTV reality show "Jersey Shore" from 2010 to 2012 and "".


title: Deena Nicole Cortese

text: Cortese was born in the New Egypt section of Plumsted Township, New Jersey to Italian-American parents John (1949–2016) and Joan Cortese. She graduated from New Egypt High School where she did both cheerleading and dance, and briefly attended Brookdale Community College. Cortese also has a sister, Joanie Maiorella, who was seen in multiple episodes throughout season five of "Jersey Shore".


title: Deena Nicole Cortese

text: Cortese was a cast member on the reality TV series "Jersey Shore". Deena had originally auditioned for season 1 but was rejected; however, she was cast by MTV when Angelina Pivarnick left the show after season two, and Snooki suggested her as a replacement. She joined the cast in season three, which filmed in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.


title: Deena Nicole Cortese

text: In November 2016, Cortese became engaged to Christopher Buckner. They were married on October 28, 2017. In 2018, Cortese revealed that she and her husband were expecting their first child, a son. Cortese gave birth to Christopher John "CJ" Buckner on January 5, 2019. They reside in Jackson Township, New Jersey. In October 2020, she revealed that she and her husband were expecting their second child in May 2021 and later revealed to be a boy. Cortese gave birth to Cameron Theo Buckner on May 1, 2021.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: Reckless is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Released on 5 November 1984 (Adams' 25th birthday) by A&M Records, the album was co-produced by Adams and Bob Clearmountain, and is considered Adams' most successful solo album. The album has reached 12 million album sales worldwide. It was the first Canadian album to sell more than a million copies within Canada. The album reached number 1 on the "Billboard" 200 and reached high positions on album charts worldwide.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: Six singles were released from the album: "Run to You", "Somebody", "Heaven", "Summer of '69", "One Night Love Affair", and "It's Only Love". All six singles made the top 15 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, which had been accomplished previously only by Michael Jackson's "Thriller " and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA". The album was ranked No. 49 on "Kerrang!"s "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time" in 1989, and 99th Greatest Rock Album of All Time by "Classic Rock" and was also named the number 12 Greatest Canadian Album of All Time by Bob Mersereau in his book "The Top 100 Canadian Albums". The album was recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver, Canada. On 12 December 2009 the syndicated radio program "In the Studio" celebrated the 25th anniversary of the album.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: A 30th Anniversary edition of the album, featuring previously unreleased material and a brand new 5.1 surround mix, was released on 10 November 2014 in both four and two-disc editions. The "Reckless 30th Anniversary Tour" also took place in November 2014, consisting of eleven exclusive arena shows in the UK.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: The first song recorded was "Heaven", which had been co-written by Adams and Jim Vallance for the film "A Night in Heaven". The song was recorded at the Power Station in New York on June 6–7, 1983 and was mixed on June 16, 1983 with Bob Clearmountain co-producing and engineering. Despite having been released on the film's soundtrack album, the song was initially not considered suitable for "Reckless", only being added to the album at the last minute.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: In March 1984, recording sessions for "Reckless" began after Adams completed an extensive concert tour promoting his previous album, "Cuts Like a Knife". However, unhappy with the recording process, Adams decided to take a month off from the sessions that summer. In August 1984, Adams returned to the studio to record the track "It's Only Love" with Tina Turner; he also had written new songs and began re-recording songs which would lead to the development of such tracks as "Run to You" and "Summer of '69".


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: "Run to You" was recorded after a tour in Asia. The recording for "Run to You" began on March 27, 1984 and continued through the summer at Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver. The track was first mixed in New York by Bob Clearmountain, with final mixing of the song completed on September 21, 1984. "Summer of '69" was written on January 25, 1984 with Jim Vallance. Sessions took place at Little Mountain Sound Studios where three different recordings of the song were made over the winter. The final version was mixed in New York by Bob Clearmountain on November 22, 1984.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: "Run to You" was released as the debut single from "Reckless" on October 18, 1984 in North America and became one of the most successful songs from the album on the American pop and rock charts; it would become one of Adams' most popular and recognizable songs. The song was Adams' first number one hit on the "Billboard" Top Rock Tracks chart, a position it held for four weeks, and reached number six on the "Billboard" Hot 100. The song entered the top 20 on the Canadian singles chart and remained in the top 20 for seven weeks, peaking at number 4. With "Run to You", Adams reached the highest Canadian chart position in his career to that time; it was his third top 20 hit single in Canada. "Run to You" was released in November 1984 in Europe where it peaked at number 8 in Ireland and reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart; it was his second single to chart in Europe.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: "Somebody" was issued as a single in January, 1985 and became one of the most successful songs from "Reckless" on the American rock charts. The song was Adams' second number one hit on the "Billboard" Top Rock Tracks chart and reached number 11 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. "Somebody" was in the top 20 on the Canadian singles chart for six weeks; it was Adams' fourth top 20 hit on the Canadian chart. "Somebody" was released in Europe during February, 1985 and peaked at number 20 in Ireland and reached the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart at number 35; it was Adams' third single to chart in Europe.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: "Heaven" was the third single issued from "Reckless". The record reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in June 1985; the song previously peaked at number 9 on the "Billboard" Top Tracks chart from the "A Night in Heaven" soundtrack album in February 1984. "Heaven" has appeared on all of Adams' compilation albums with the exception of "The Best of Me". The single was certified Gold in Canada in late 1985.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: Upon the release of "Reckless" in November 1984, "Summer of '69" received some airplay on album-oriented rock radio stations, but was mostly overshadowed by the tracks "Run to You" and "It's Only Love"; it managed only to reach number 40 on Billboard's Top Rock Tracks chart. After it was released as a single in June 1985, "Summer of '69" peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: "Summer of '69" was issued as a single in Australia, Europe and New Zealand in 1985. "Heaven" reached the UK top 40, while "Summer of '69" peaked at 42. "Summer of '69" continued the trend of higher-charting singles when it debuted and peaked at top 20 in most of the European countries it charted. Adams' previous singles had charted much weaker in Europe and "Summer of '69" would be Adams' second single to chart in mainland Europe.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: Although "Summer of '69" reached the top 10 in Norway and then the top 20 in the Austria, Ireland and Sweden, it was a moderate top 100 success in Germany, where it peaked at 62.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: "Summer of '69" co-writer Jim Vallance has always gone for the more conventional interpretation of the title being a reference to the year 1969. He notes Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty", which contains references to 1965 and 1969, as his own influence, and recalls that Adams cited the film "Summer of '42" as his own reference.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: Released in September 1985, "One Night Love Affair" was the fifth and final single drawn from "Reckless", peaking on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart at number 13 and at number 7 on the Top Rock Tracks chart. "One Night Love Affair" had been officially released to Canadian radio stations in February 1985. The song reached the top 20 on the Canadian Singles Chart and remained there for another month. "One Night Love Affair" was the lowest charting single from "Reckless".


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: While never issued as a single, "Kids Wanna Rock" received some airplay on album-oriented rock stations in the United States and Canada, enabling it to reach the "Billboard" Top Rock Tracks chart, where it peaked at number 42. Due to its popularity in concert, "Kids Wanna Rock" was included on Adams' 1993 greatest hits collection, "So Far So Good".


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: Soon after its release, "Reckless" peaked at number 6 on the "Billboard" 200 in January, 1985 before dropping out of the top 10. The success of the singles "Heaven" and "Summer of '69" later in the year renewed interest in the album and it began climbing back up the chart, eventually reaching number 1 in August, 1985. "Reckless" also reached number 1 in Canada and New Zealand, number 2 in Norway and Australia while reaching the top 10 in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden. In Canada, the album's chart pattern was somewhat similar to that in the US – it entered the top 10 shortly after its release peaking at number 1 in February the dropping out of the top 10 for three months between May and July, 1985. It re-entered the top 10 in August, 1985, where it remained until February, 1986 with the peak of its second top 10 run being at number 4; it dropped out of the top 10 in its 67th week on the Canadian chart|


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: "Reckless" included the hit singles "Run to You", "Somebody", "Heaven", "Summer of '69", "One Night Love Affair", and "It's Only Love". All the singles had accompanying music videos, and each one charted on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Run to You", "Summer of '69", and "Heaven" peaking in the top 10. "Heaven" would become the most successful single from "Reckless" in the United States at the time of its release, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 27 on the album rock chart, although "Run to You" was a larger hit at album-oriented rock radio peaking at number 1 on the Top Rock Tracks chart for four weeks, and spending an additional five weeks at number 2, while reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: The single "It's Only Love" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. In 1986, the song won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: In June 2008, the original master tape for "Reckless" was destroyed in a backlot fire at Universal Studios. In 2014, Adams planned on remastering "Reckless" for a boxed set commemorating the 30th anniversary of the album's release. He contacted Universal Music Group, owner of the A&M Records library, only to discover that Universal had lost the master tapes and original album artwork in the fire. Adams managed to find a copy of the master tape of "Reckless" at his home, which he used for the 2014 remaster. Many point to Adams' search for answers to being the first step in uncovering the scope of the loss of Universal Music's catalog due to the fire.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: In December 1984, Adams and his touring band which consists of Keith Scott, Dave Taylor, Pat Steward and Johnny Blitz played concerts in Chicago, Detroit, New York City and Philadelphia. In early 1985, Adams started a tour throughout the United States with opening act and Canadian musician Kim Mitchell and later in Japan, Australia, Europe and finally Canada after winning four Juno Awards. Later he headed south towards the American West Coast, culminating with two dates at the Palladium in Los Angeles.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: After the tour in the U.S. Adams traveled to Ethiopia to aid famine relief efforts there. Adams later went to Europe for a fifty-city concert tour with Tina Turner, culminating in April with his return to London to headline three sold-out shows at the Hammersmith Odeon. Adams began the first leg of his tour entitled "World Wide in 85" which started in Oklahoma. The tour ended in October. Adams would later visit Vancouver, and afterwards he returned to the American East Coast to play two sold-out concerts in New York.


title: Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

text: Notably, most of the outtakes on disc one were subsequently recorded and released by other artists – "Let Me Down Easy" by Roger Daltrey (featuring Adams on guitar) on his album "Under a Raging Moon"; "Teacher, Teacher" by 38 Special for the soundtrack to the film "Teachers"; "The Boys Night Out" (as "Boys Nite Out") by Krokus on their album "The Blitz"; "Draw the Line" (as "(Where Do You) Draw the Line") by Ted Nugent on his album "Penetrator"; "Play to Win" by Fast Forward on their album "Living in Fiction"; and "Reckless" (as "Dangerous", with slightly altered lyrics) by Loverboy on their album "Lovin' Every Minute of It".


title: Earthling (album)

text: Earthling (stylised as EART HL I NG) is the 21st studio album by English musician David Bowie. It was released on 3February 1997 through RCA Records in the United Kingdom, Virgin Records in the United States, and Arista Records/BMG in other territories. Mostly self-produced by Bowie, it was primarily recorded from August to October 1996 at New York City's Looking Glass Studios following the conclusion of the Outside Tour. Bowie composed the tracks with Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, who are credited as co-producers, with Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey and Zack Alford providing overdubs later.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Developing musical styles previously explored on "Outside" (1995), "Earthling" showcases an electronica-influenced sound partly inspired by the industrial and drum and bass culture of the 1990s, further exhibiting jungle and techno styles. Bowie himself compared its aggressive nature to "Scary Monsters" (1980). Lyrically, the tracks express themes of alienation and spirituality. One of the tracks, "I'm Afraid of Americans", originated during the "Outside" sessions, and was remixed for release as a single by Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, who appeared in its music video. The artwork depicts Bowie wearing a Union Jack coat co-designed by Alexander McQueen.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Upon release, music critics viewed "Earthling" positively. While many highlighted the music as innovative, others noted a lack of cohesiveness and felt Bowie was following current trends. Commercially, it performed better than its predecessor, reaching the top ten in several countries. Its accompanying singles featured numerous remixes and were supported with music videos. Bowie promoted the album through various television appearances and on the Earthling Tour later in the year, performances of which have been released on live albums. After maintaining a large media profile in 1997, Bowie retreated the following year before starting work with Gabrels on his next album "Hours" (1999).


title: Earthling (album)

text: In later decades, critics and biographers view "Earthling" with mixed assessments. Some criticise it for lacking innovation in a time when the drum and bass craze was already well-established; others consider it a worthwhile addition to an underrated decade. Gabrels later considered it his favourite collaboration with Bowie. In retrospective lists ranking Bowie's studio albums from worst to best, "Earthling" has placed in the middle to low tier. The album was reissued with bonus tracks in 2004 and remastered in 2021 for inclusion on the box set "Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001)".


title: Earthling (album)

text: David Bowie supported his 20th studio album "Outside" on the Outside Tour, which lasted from September 1995 to February 1996. The lineup for the tour included guitarists Reeves Gabrels and Carlos Alomar, pianist Mike Garson, and new additions drummer Zack Alford and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey. Bowie's positive relationship with the new band was the springboard for his next studio record. He told Alan Yentob in 1996: "They're probably the most enjoyable set of musicians I've worked with. It's the greatest fun and satisfaction I've had with a band since the Spiders."


title: Earthling (album)

text: A few months after the tour's conclusion, Bowie and the band—minus Alomar, who departed due to dissatisfaction—played a series of festivals during the summer from June to July. Gabrels later told biographer Paul Trynka:


title: Earthling (album)

text: In April 1996, Bowie began recording a new track, "Telling Lies", alone at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland; it was the last time he worked at Mountain. The song, which expanded on the jungle and drum and bass rhythms found on the "Outside" tracks "I'm Deranged" and "We Prick You", made its debut at the summer shows. Speaking with "Mojo" magazine in March 1997, Bowie stated: "[I] used it as a blueprint of where I wanted the "Earthling" album to go... We just kept re-moulding it throughout the tour." Also recorded around May was an untitled piece containing the lyric "dead men don't talk" that, like "Telling Lies", pre-dated the "Earthling" material.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Bowie and the band began recording "Earthling" in August 1996 shortly after the conclusion of the festival dates in late July. For the location, Bowie chose Looking Glass Studios in New York City, which was owned by composer Philip Glass. A new addition to the lineup was engineer Mark Plati, a New York native who had extensive experience at Looking Glass. Bowie himself mostly self-produced, making it his first self-produced record since "Diamond Dogs" (1974). He explained: "I knew exactly what I wanted. We didn't have any time to pull in a co-producer... so I just sort of went for it." Nevertheless, Plati and Gabrels were both credited as co-producers, while the former co-wrote several tracks.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Bowie and Gabrels commenced work on "Earthling" with Plati using demos the two had made on the road. The album was recorded entirely on hard disk, which allowed instruments and vocals to be cut and pasted at random. While Bowie focused on crafting the lyrics, using an improved version of the cut-up computer program used for "Outside", Gabrels and Plati focused on the music. Plati recalled: "We were cranking [songs] out one per day. Reeves would be coming up with guitar parts and sounds, I'd be at the computer recording him or working on the arrangement, and David would be on the couch, writing the lyric. At day's end, he'd do a vocal." According to Bowie, the concept of melody was not present at this point. Instead, they tinkered with the recordings to see which combinations worked and which did not: "Once we developed a kind of mattress, then I would go into the studio and just free-associate against that." Plati was impressed with Bowie's work ethic and recalled that most of his vocal tracks were done in one take. While the sessions were still underway, the band performed four shows on the US East Coast in September 1996, where they premiered "Little Wonder" and "Seven Years in Tibet".


title: Earthling (album)

text: The latter half of the sessions focused on overdubs by Garson, Dorsey and Alford. Their contributions were manipulated through various studio effects, such as sampling, looping and distorting; according to biographer Chris O'Leary, Alford is heard more through sped-up loops rather than live tracks. Gabrels also utilised a Roland processor on his guitar which allowed for digital manipulation and alteration. He and Bowie used a technique they previously utilised for "Outside": transferring bits of guitar to a sampling keyboard and constructing riffs from those pieces. Bowie stated: "It's real guitar, but constructed in a synthetic way. But Brian Eno got in the way – in the nicest possible way – so we didn't get to that until this album." Garson was not a fan of the material initially, as he was forced to work with set structures compared to his mostly improvisational role on "Outside". For the drum tracks, Alford began by working on his own snare patterns at 120 beats per minute (bpm) which were then sped up to 160 bpm, and afterwards improvised on a real kit against the sampled patterns. Bowie's primary goal during the sessions was to combine elements of the "technological" and "organic": "That's very much how we treat the album. We kept all sampling in-house and created our own soundscape in a way."


title: Earthling (album)

text: In comparison to "Outside", the majority of the tracks were written and recorded quickly, with the entire album recorded in about two and a half weeks; Bowie at one point stated it was recorded in exactly eight days. However, according to biographer Nicholas Pegg, recording lasted through October. In addition to a revamped versions of "Telling Lies" and the "Outside" outtake "I'm Afraid of Americans", seven new tracks appeared on the final album. Outtakes from the sessions included remakes of the Tin Machine tracks "Baby Universal", which was played on stage earlier in the year, and "I Can't Read", which was replaced by "The Last Thing You Should Do". The latter appeared on the soundtrack for the 1997 film "The Ice Storm", while "Baby Universal" and "I Can't Read" later appeared on the "Is It Any Wonder?" EP in 2020. According to O'Leary, "Earthling" was initially envisioned as an EP of new tracks sequenced with the remakes and covers, but by the end of the sessions, there was enough material for a full-length album of new content.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Compared to the 19 pieces found on "Outside", "Earthling" contains only nine tracks. Additionally, Bowie stated that he found "Earthling" "primitive" compared to the complexity of its predecessor. Musically, the album showcases an electronica-influenced sound partly inspired by the industrial and drum and bass culture of the 1990s. Bowie had previously explored these styles on "Outside", but fully embraced them for "Earthling". While reviewers generally consider "Earthling" Bowie's "drum and bass album", biographer Marc Spitz argues that "it's simply [a] case of a veteran artist pursuing a sound with which he or she has fallen in love." Buckley agrees, further noting that only three or four tracks contain a drum and bass element. Plati later contested:


title: Earthling (album)

text: Characterised by "rapid-fire bass, hailstorm percussion, flashes of distorted guitar, sampling [and] sudden dramatic pauses", drum and bass rhythms dominate "Little Wonder", "Battle for Britain (The Letter)", "Telling Lies" and "Dead Man Walking". Other reviewers have noted the presence of industrial rock, electronica, hard rock and alternative dance. Author James Perone found an emphasis on techno and jungle and considers "Earthling" more musically accessible than its predecessor, partially aided by "strong melodic hooks" throughout. Bowie initially compared the album's aggressive sound to 1980's "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)". Lyrically, Perone describes the album's overall theme as alienation. Furthermore, Pegg writes that the lyrics revisit the spiritual themes previously found on "Station to Station" (1976), a claim supported by Bowie himself.


title: Earthling (album)

text: "Little Wonder" was one of the first tracks Bowie and Gabrels wrote for the album. Bowie called writing the track a "ridiculous" exercise in pure stream of consciousness: "I just picked "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" and made a line for each of the dwarves' names. And that's the song [laughs]. And then I ran out of dwarves' names, so there's new dwarves in it like 'Stinky'." Originally set to be a "nine-minute jungle electronic epic", the song was trimmed to six minutes for the album. Described by O'Leary as a combination of arena rock and electronica, it utilises percussion and power chords from the Prodigy's "Firestarter", a 1996 UK number one that assisted in bringing drum and bass rhythms to the mainstream. Pegg notes that it shifts to an almost conventional rock structure during the "so far away" chorus.


title: Earthling (album)

text: "Looking for Satellites" was the second track recorded for the album. In an interview with "Mojo", Bowie described the track as "A straight, rational piece about where we find ourselves at this particular point in this era: somewhere between religion and technology, and not quite sure where to go next. It's kind of a poignant feeling, standing alone on a beach at night looking for a satellite... but what you're really looking for is an answer." It features various cut-up lyrics that were influenced by the then-recent discovery of the possibility of life on Mars. Bowie considered the lyrics "measuring the distance between the crucifixion and flying saucers". The atmosphere is said by Pegg to contain "wistful uncertainty". Gabrels' guitar solo, pieced together from multiple takes, was added in the last minute at Bowie's insistence.


title: Earthling (album)

text: According to Plati, "Battle for Britain (The Letter)" was an "attempt to do a jazz-tinged jungle track". He believed the song brought focus to the album, wherein the structures would resemble "actual songs [instead of] intense atmospheres". Characterised by various loops and distortion, the lyrics discuss Bowie's uncertainty about his own British identity, as he had not lived in the UK for two decades. The music combines techno and the alternative rock of Tin Machine, with vocal melodies and harmonies reminiscent of, in Perone's words, "a 1966 or 1967 British rock band". For the piano solo, Bowie challenged Garson to play a part based on an Igor Stravinsky piece, which he interpreted after hearing it played on a CD.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Inspired by Heinrich Harrer's autobiography of the same name, the lyrics of "Seven Years in Tibet" reflect the Chinese takeover of Tibet. It began as a Gabrels' composition titled "Brussels" and was almost scrapped by Bowie before Gabrels intervened; Bowie later described it as his favourite track on the album. Musically, the song presents a mix of genres such as new wave, grunge and R&B. According to Pegg, it is characterised by saxophone riffs, shrieking guitars, various loops and treated vocals and synthesisers.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Bowie described "Dead Man Walking" as his homage "to rock and roll that is still young while we are all growing old". As such, the lyrics reflect his thoughts on aging at this point in his career. It initially began as a tribute to actress Susan Sarandon, but took additional influences from songwriter Neil Young after Bowie, Gabrels and Dorsey performed at a pair of benefit concerts for the artist in October 1996. The music is, in Perone's words, "largely conventional dance", featuring atonal piano, sequenced keyboards and electric guitar and containing elements of Latin dance music and jazz; Pegg describes the song as "modern rock". According to Plati, the song took five days to mix: "It [began] completely programmed and by the time it's finished it's completely live."


title: Earthling (album)

text: "Telling Lies" originated during the "Outside" sessions. While Bowie recorded most of the track alone in April, he polished the lyrics during the actual sessions, while the band added overdubs. Both the music and lyrics represent a hybridisation of the "Outside" and "Earthling" styles, with Pegg describing the final arrangement as a blend of "a very aggressive rock sound with drum and bass". Perone, meanwhile, finds a mix of dance and alternative rock styles that is less successful than other "Earthling" tracks. The lyrics also feature more rhyme than other tracks, delving into topics such as gossip, exaggerations and lying. On 11 September 1996, Plati's "Feelgood Mix" of the song was released on the internet, reportedly receiving 250,000 downloads. With this release, Bowie became the first artist to release a downloadable track through the internet. Additional remixes by A Guy Called Gerald (the "Paradox Mix") and Adam F were released the same month.


title: Earthling (album)

text: "The Last Thing You Should Do" was one of the final tracks recorded for the album, primarily built using, in O'Leary's words, "discarded overdub bits". Gabrels insisted on including it on the album over the Tin Machine remakes, explaining: "Because I co-wrote both of those T.M. songs, that meant I could stand on the higher moral ground, as I was fighting against my own offspring." He argued that the track turned "Earthling" "from a ten-song album pastiche... to a nine-song cohesive statement". The music is primarily jungle with bits of techno, while the lyrics discuss the lack of humour and self-love in the late 20th-century. Bowie himself compared the song's music to "Sound and Vision" from his 1977 album "Low". O'Leary considers it a "miniature" version of the remaining tracks and, in the context of the entire album, Perone argues the song is more successful as a standalone track.


title: Earthling (album)

text: "I'm Afraid of Americans" was originally recorded during the "Outside" sessions as "Dummy", featuring different lyrics; this version was released on the soundtrack for the 1995 film "Showgirls". Bowie stated: "That was something that Eno and I put together, and I just didn't feel it fit "Outside", so it didn't go on it. It just got left behind. So then we took just the embryo of it, and restructured it with this band." Described by Bowie as "one of those stereotypical 'Johnny' songs: Johnny does this, Johnny does that", the "Earthling" version contains revised lyrics, additional overdubs from the band and transposed verses. Plati explained: "We pulled things off several different reels to make this new composite. It as quite a clean-up job, not the most enjoyable." Musically, the song mixes techno styles of the 1980s and 1990s while lyrically, it presents a critique of America, in line with Bowie's 1975 track "Young Americans".


title: Earthling (album)

text: "Law (Earthlings on Fire)" was the first track recorded during the sessions. Musically, the song is unlike jungle and more, in O'Leary's words, "industrial trash-pop". Pegg describes it as a club track reminiscent of the "Black Tie White Noise" track "Pallas Athena" (1993), featuring various synthesiser effects with a dance-style bassline; Plati compared it to a sound collage. The lyrics convey existential concerns, using obscure references such as a quote from polymath Bertrand Russell. Pegg considers it the album's weakest track, while Perone believes it works best as commentary on the "end-of-the-millenium sense of malaise" rather than as a standalone Bowie track.


title: Earthling (album)

text: The album title was chosen by fans at a performance in Roseland, New York during the September 1996 tour; Bowie asked the audience if the upcoming album should be titled 'Earthling' or 'Earthlings'. Discussing the title, Bowie stated that "it was supposed to describe the Earth; man and his pure habitat on Earth. And I suppose the irony isn't lost on me that it's sort of me in maybe my most worldly kind of human guise to date."


title: Earthling (album)

text: The artwork was first conceptualised during the sessions. Plati told Buckley: "Every new idea or concept would be put up on the wall. By the end of recording, the walls of the studio were filled with the artwork that would become the album." The cover portrays Bowie, back-facing the camera, wearing a tattered Union Jack coat with his hands behind his back, looking out towards the green plains of England. The photograph was taken by Frank Ockenfels in New York, then was sent to computer designer Dave De Angelis in England, who created the final cover. The idea for the coat originated from Gavin Turk's 1995 exhibit "Indoor Flag". Bowie co-designed the coat with Alexander McQueen, which he wore for the summer festivals, the "Earthling" cover and later the VH1 Fashion Awards in 1997. He explained: "[It's] the ultimate anti-icon. A retelling of the British flag joke, again torn and stained... the tatty remains of a metaphysical empire." Pegg compares Bowie's Colossus of Rhodes-like stance in the cover to a "proud eighteenth-century landowner in a Gainsborough portrait" and, simultaneously, an alien-like visitor in an effect similar to the sleeve for "Ziggy Stardust" (1972). According to Gabrels, Bowie's intention for the cover was to realign himself with England.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Buckley writes that over the past thirty years in Britain, the Union Jack had gone from being symbols of confidence in the 1960s, oppression in the 1970s through the punk rock movement, and "rightist" through Morrissey's controversial use of it at Finsbury Park in the early 1990s. Pegg also notes that the 1990s Britpop era frequently saw the use of the Union Jack in advertisements, while numerous bands at the time posed with the flag for both "Melody Maker" and "NME". Nevertheless, following "Earthling"s release, the Union Jack became fashionable, being worn by artists from Eurythmics to the Spice Girls.


title: Earthling (album)

text: The "Earthling" CD package was presented with an elaborate, electronically manipulated photo collage of Bowie and the band members. Additional images included with the sleeve dated back to Bowie's Los Angeles period in the mid-1970s, such as a blurred flying saucer and a Kirlian photograph of his fingertip and crucifix, which also appeared on the "Little Wonder" CD single. Pegg attributes Bowie's desire for the photographs to his then-cocaine addiction.


title: Earthling (album)

text: "Earthling" was preceded by the release of two singles. The first, "Telling Lies" backed by three remixes, was released on 4November 1996. It peaked at number 76 and 79 in Britain and Scotland, respectively, although its distribution was limited to 3,500 copies. The second, "Little Wonder" backed by three remixes, was issued on 27January 1997. The single was a success, peaking at number 14 in the UK and topping the chart in Japan. The accompanying music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi and depicts Bowie at three different ages. Buckley considers it a dance-oriented video rather than a rock one, reminiscent of Orbital's "The Box" (1996).


title: Earthling (album)

text: "Earthling" was released on 3February 1997 on CD and LP formats through RCA Records in the UK, Virgin Records in the US, and Arista Records and its parent distributor BMG elsewhere. The Japanese CD included the 'Adam F Mix' of "Telling Lies" as a bonus track. RCA stressed the album's accessibility in their marketing campaign. The album sold modestly, but performed better than its predecessor, reaching number six on the UK Albums Chart and number 39 on the US "Billboard" 200. It also reached number five in Belgian Wallonia and Sweden, and the top ten in France and Scotland. It was nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in 1998, losing to Radiohead's "OK Computer" (1997). Bowie promoted "Earthling" with a string of television appearances from February to April 1997, including on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Tonight Show".


title: Earthling (album)

text: Following the album's release, three more singles followed suit. "Dead Man Walking" appeared in April 1997 on various single formats, some backed by remixes of the track and others featuring remixes of "Outside" tracks. One remix was done by musician Moby, which marked the beginning of Bowie's association with the artist. Its music video, again directed by Sigismondi, expanded on the themes of the "Little Wonder" video, featuring appearances from Bowie and Dorsey and, in Pegg's words, "flailing choreography". The band mimed the song on "Top of the Pops" on 25April. The single was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, losing to Bob Dylan's "Cold Irons Bound" (1997). A Mandarin version of "Seven Years in Tibet", with lyrics translated by Lin Xi, topped the Hong Kong chart in June, around the time of the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong. It marked Bowie as the first non-Asian artist to reach number one in that territory. Bowie later stated: "I thought what a perfect time to release a single in Hong Kong, just as the Chinese take over. It got super-popular but I'm not sure we'll be able to tour there now of course." The Mandarin version backed the album version upon release in August, which failed to reach the UK top 50.


title: Earthling (album)

text: "I'm Afraid of Americans" was issued in the US only on 14October 1997 as a maxi-single, where it was backed by six remixes, some of which featured Ice Cube and Photek. The project was instigated by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, continuing his and Bowie's association following the Outside Tour. Reznor, who stated that he "tried to make it a bit darker", stripped the production to its roots to create what Buckley calls "an eerie, psychotic track". Reznor also starred as the titular 'Johnny' in the Dom and Nic-directed music video, which reflected the song's theme of a frightened European in an American city and gave Bowie a nomination for Best Male Video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. The single reached number 66 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 16 weeks, becoming Bowie's biggest hit in the country since "Day-In Day-Out" ten years earlier. It also stayed in the Canadian top 50 for six months.


title: Earthling (album)

text: "Earthling" received largely positive reviews from music critics on release. Some considered it an improvement over its predecessor. Linda Laban of "The Seattle Times" found it a "richly textured return to excellence", while, in the words of "Chicago Tribune"s Greg Kot, it represented "some of [Bowie's] finest music in a decade". Mark Kemp of "Rolling Stone" considered the album Bowie's best since "Scary Monsters", although he felt the music lacked innovation. A "Q" writer similarly found "Earthling" "shot through with a gnarly atmospheric chill not encountered since "Scary Monsters"". Multiple reviewers praised the musical experimentation. A writer for "Billboard" called "Earthling" Bowie's "most inspired, most cutting-edge, and most promising effort since "Let's Dance" [1983]". They predicted it would have great chart and Internet success and ultimately considered it "a work of infinite possibilities". Peter Aspden of the "Financial Times" positively compared "Earthling" to the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers' concurrent releases "The Fat of the Land" and "Dig Your Own Hole", respectively, stating that they "were strong on aggression and aural attack, but lacked the variety and subtlety to last beyond twenty-odd interesting minutes".


title: Earthling (album)

text: Regarding the music, Andy Gill of "The Independent" praised it as innovative compared to other jungle and drum and bass acts of the time, stating: "What comes through most strongly on "Earthling" is the way Bowie retains an obsessional interest in the sheer variety and extremity of sound." He further highlighted Gabrels' and Garson's contributions on "Looking for Satellites" and "Battle for Britain", respectively. Furthermore, Gill commended Bowie for "offering refined mainstream applications of cutting-edge experimentation" in "Mojo". Dan Deluca of "The Philadelphia Inquirer" similarly wrote that the record succeeded in blending the electronic beats and rhythms with live instrumentation. He ultimately considered it "nervy and energetic" and Bowie's finest album "in a diamond dog's age". Nevertheless, he felt that Bowie was "jumping on the electronica bandwagon".


title: Earthling (album)

text: Other reviewers expressed more mixed assessments. Writing for "The Guardian", Caroline Sullivan concluded that the majority of the tracks lacked cohesiveness to elevate the album as one of Bowie's classics. In a more negative evaluation, Carol Clerk and Andre Paine, writers of "Melody Maker", included "Earthling" on their list of Bowie albums "best to avoid". In a particularly scathing review, "Select" magazine's Ian Harrison gave the album one star out of five, writing: ""Earthling" is splendidly coiffured and presented...but the selling point – Bowie goes original junglist nutty – is so negligible as to be non-existent. And what remains is not good."


title: Earthling (album)

text: Rehearsals for the Earthling Tour began in mid-April 1997. The band was composed of Bowie, Gabrels, Dorsey, Alford and Garson. When asked by "Q" about his thoughts regarding touring, Bowie stated: "Honestly, it would be a sin not playing live when I've got a band like this. They're the best group I've had in twenty years, right up there with the Spiders in terms of cohesive musicianship and attitude." After performing two shows at the Hanover Grand in London in early June, the tour commenced on 7 June and concluded on 7 November 1997.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Pegg describes the shows as "less stagey" than the Outside Tour, although elaborate light shows, costume designs and visual aids were present. The setlist throughout the tour included more well-known hits than its predecessor, while all tracks from "Earthling" except "Law (Earthlings on Fire)" were performed. Initially, the tracks were split into conventional "rock" and "drum and bass" sets. Later on, they were interspersed throughout the setlists. British reviewers, such as "Melody Maker" and "NME", praised the shows in general but were initially critical of the "Earthling" material, although the latter reversed its opinion by July. Chris Roberts of "Uncut" magazine praised Bowie's presence on stage, although he criticised the show's second half.


title: Earthling (album)

text: In July, the band appeared at the Phoenix Festival where they played as "Tao Jones Index" in the Radio 1 Dance tent. They later released remixed versions of "Pallas Athena" and the ""Heroes"" track "V-2 Schneider" (1977) as a single under the name in August. At the festival, Bowie approached electronic duo Orbital for a possible collaboration, although this never came to fruition; member Phil Hartnoll later considered it "the biggest disappointment of [his] career". The Phoenix Festival performance was later released as a live album in 2021 titled "Look at the Moon! (Live Phoenix Festival 97)", as part of the series "Brilliant Live Adventures" (2020–2021).


title: Earthling (album)

text: Changes were made to the setlist for the tour's American leg, which began in August. The band primarily played at small clubs rather than large venues for commercial reasons, according to Buckley. Performances during the leg were broadcast on various television stations throughout the rest of the year. Additionally, live performances from the entire year and other tracks were compiled for "Earthling in the City" (1997), a six-track promotional CD that was included with the November 1997 American issue of "GQ" magazine. While Bowie planned to release a live album from the tour, the idea was vetoed by Virgin. Tracks from the project were later released in 1999 to BowieNet subscribers as "LiveAndWell.com", which was officially issued in 2021 as part of the "Brilliant Live Adventures" series.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Throughout 1997, Bowie garnered attention when he earned substantial wealth through the sale of "Bowie Bonds", a celebrity bond that was issued against Bowie's future royalties from his back catalogue over the next ten years. Bowie was the first rock musician to engage in such a deal, predating future endeavors by artists such as Elton John, and it earned him $55 million. He also earned an additional $28.5 million upon selling his back catalogue to EMI, who subsequently began a "Best of..." reissue campaign. In November 1997, Bowie performed on the BBC's Children in Need charity single "Perfect Day 97", which became a UK number-one single. In 1998, Bowie retreated from the spotlight, but nevertheless continued recording and making film appearances. He also reconciled with his former collaborator Tony Visconti. In late 1998, Bowie and Gabrels spent time in Bermuda, composing tracks for his next album "Hours" (1999).


title: Earthling (album)

text: In 2018, Gabrels considered "Earthling" his favourite collaboration with Bowie, telling "Classic Rock" magazine: "We did have a sense while we were doing it that we were making something we hadn't heard." Other artists have spoken positively of the record. Robert Smith later stated: "I really liked "Earthling". I thought it was a really good album. The songs are great songs. They really stand up to be listened to AS songs and the fact that he worked in a particular genre and tried to capture a certain sound is neither here nor there. The songs are really well put together." Mark Guiliana cited Alford's drum work on "Earthling" as the primary inspiration for his drum patterns on Bowie's final album "Blackstar" (2016).


title: Earthling (album)

text: Retrospective reviews of "Earthling" have been mixed. Reviewing in 2000, "NME"s John Mulvey found "Earthling" rushed compared to its predecessor. Although he welcomed it as another addition to Bowie's catalogue, he concluded: "It's not the future, but it's pretty fine." AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine criticised the album's sound as "awkward", writing that "the record frequently sounds as if the beats were simply grafted on top of pre-existing songs". He further called the songs formulaic and the album itself as ultimately underwhelming. John Davidson of "PopMatters" wrote that "Earthling" was the result of Bowie trying to "play catch-up" with the drum and bass explosion of the late 1980s. He called the lyrics Bowie's "most obtuse" and, like Erlewine, believed that the drum beats were built around the songs instead of for them. Davidson ultimately states: ""Earthling" is essentially a conventional Bowie rock album (if such a thing be), dressed in baggy dance garb." "The Independent"s Ed Power considered the album a part of the "most underrated phase" of Bowie's career and worth a reevaluation among fans. Jason Josephes of "Pitchfork" considered it an artistic rebirth for the artist and a "classic". Another writer of "Pitchfork", Sean T. Collins positively compared "Earthling" to "Young Americans" (1975) and "Let's Dance", calling the record a "muscular collection" that "deserves a place in the pantheon alongside its predecessors."


title: Earthling (album)

text: In lists ranking Bowie's studio albums from worst to best, "Earthling" has placed in the middle to low tier. "Stereogum" placed it at number 17 (out of 25 at the time) in 2013. Aaron Lariviere stated: ""Earthling" is nowhere near Bowie's best, but it's a treat to see the old dog show his teeth after all these years." Three years later, Bryan Wawzenek of "Ultimate Classic Rock" placed "Earthling" at number 18 out of 26, criticised its emphasis on "sounds over songs" and, like Davidson, found "Bowie being late to yet another sub-genre party". Nevertheless, he highlighted Bowie's energetic performance and the "great soundscapes" on "Seven Years in Tibet" and "I'm Afraid of Americans". The writers of "Consequence of Sound" ranked "Earthling" number 22 in their 2018 list.


title: Earthling (album)

text: Bowie's biographers have given "Earthling" mixed assessments. Pegg and Spitz argue that, despite being recorded in America and with American musicians, "Earthling" was Bowie's most "British" release in twenty years. While Buckley considers it a "hard-hitting and single-minded album" and Christopher Sandford says that there is a lack of innovation but states that "it was a creditable enough bid for relevance by any fifty-year-old." He also calls "Little Wonder" Bowie's "most exciting and upbeat single since 'Blue Jean' [1984]". Meanwhile, Perone finds confusing themes throughout and opinions that the fusion of different musical styles are not always successful. O'Leary primarily criticises the production, particularly on "Little Wonder", as sounding dated within a couple of years. On the other hand, Trynka praises "Little Wonder" but criticises the album's repetitive nature. He concludes: "The album as a whole is conservative and formulaic. [...] Those faults would have been forgivable had the album been released two years earlier; its appearance just as the nineties drum and bass craze was subsiding suggested Bowie was content to surf on someone else's wave rather than make his own." Reviewing more positively, Pegg writes that its "furious broadside" makes "Earthling" a "very fine album". He calls it and its predecessor "essential purchases" of Bowie's "most underrated decade".


title: Earthling (album)

text: In 2003, Columbia Records reissued "Earthling" on CD, with another reissue following a year later that contained bonus tracks, including 13 remixes, B-sides, alternate takes and live performances from the Earthling Tour. In 2021, the album was remastered and included as part of the box set "Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001)".


title: Chris Wilder

text: Christopher John Wilder (born 23 September 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a right-back. He was most recently the manager of club Middlesbrough.


title: Chris Wilder

text: His extensive professional playing career saw spells at Sheffield United (twice), Rotherham United, Notts County, Bradford City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Halifax Town. He also had loan spells at five clubs.


title: Chris Wilder

text: After retiring, he became a manager and was in charge of Alfreton Town, Halifax Town (their last manager before liquidation), Oxford United and Northampton Town before his appointment at Sheffield United. He won promotion from the Conference Premier with Oxford via the play-offs in 2010, from League Two as champions with Northampton in 2016, from League One with Sheffield United as champions in 2017, and from the Championship with the same club two years later.


title: Chris Wilder

text: Wilder started his football career as a trainee at Southampton and was released without making it into the first team.


title: Chris Wilder

text: He moved on to Sheffield United in August 1986. In December 1987, defender Wilder was sent off for a crude tackle on Milwall's Jimmy Carter in a season which saw the Sheffield club relegated to the third division. The following season Wilder was on the receiving end, being elbowed in the face. Swansea's Bryan Wade received a three match ban for violent conduct as a result. Wilder was a regular in the team that finished second and therefore clinched promotion back to the second division at the first attempt in the 1988–89 season, and was also part of the squad that gained a further promotion the season after, this time back to the first division, after an absence of fourteen years. Wilder was a regular during the following season back in the first division, but thereafter found appearances harder to come by, hence Wilder left for nearby Rotherham United in 1992, staying for a further four years and amassing his largest number of games and goals for one club.


title: Chris Wilder

text: In 1998 Wilder returned to Sheffield United, and a year later he was brought to Brighton by Micky Adams before joining Halifax Town that same year.


title: Chris Wilder

text: Wilder began his career in management at Alfreton Town. He took over at the club in late October 2001 and in the 27 weeks he was in charge won four trophies: the Northern Counties (East) League Premier Division, the League Cup, the President's Cup and the Derbyshire Senior Cup.


title: Chris Wilder

text: Wilder returned to Halifax Town as manager on 2 July 2002. He replaced caretaker manager Neil Redfearn, who had in turn replaced Alan Little (who left on 8 April after falling ill with appendicitis in March). Halifax had been relegated to the Conference at the end of the season.


title: Chris Wilder

text: Wilder was in charge at Halifax for more than 300 games until the club went into liquidation on 30 June 2008, and he decided to join former Halifax defender Alan Knill, as the assistant manager of Bury.


title: Chris Wilder

text: After fewer than six months at Gigg Lane, Wilder was appointed as the manager of Conference National club Oxford United on 21 December 2008 (replacing Jim Smith who had been caretaker manager in the wake of Darren Patterson's sacking), where he only just missed out on a play-off place in his first season. Wilder's first full season in charge of Oxford began successfully and by mid-season they were top of the Conference table by five points with a game in hand. However, Oxford were overtaken by Stevenage, who would go on to win the title and take the automatic promotion place, consigning the Us to the playoffs with Luton Town, Rushden & Diamonds and York City. They defeated Rushden & Diamonds to reach the play-off final, and gained promotion to the Football League by beating York City 3–1.


title: Chris Wilder

text: In their first season back in the Football League in four years, Wilder guided Oxford to mid-table safety. The team finished 12th, in the top half of the table, their highest finish in seven years. The next season Oxford finished ninth, after poor form late in the season led to the team dropping out of the play-off position they had occupied for most of the year. Oxford's chairman Kelvin Thomas gave Wilder his backing, meaning he would remain manager for the 2012–13 season. Despite failing to achieve a play-off place again in Oxford's third season back in the League, and intense speculation about his future at the club, Wilder was offered and accepted a further one-year contract for the 2013–14 season.


title: Chris Wilder

text: On 26 January 2014 he resigned as Oxford manager with the intention of joining League Two rivals Northampton Town as their manager.


title: Chris Wilder

text: On 27 January 2014, Wilder was appointed manager of Northampton Town, signing a three-and-a-half year contract. Wilder successfully battled against relegation to the Conference, after taking over the club in the relegation zone in League 2. He led the side to a mid-table finish in the 2014–15 season, and then to the League Two title the following season with 99 points, despite significant financial difficulties at the club resulting in players and staff not being paid during October and November 2015.


title: Chris Wilder

text: On 12 May 2016, Wilder joined his boyhood club Sheffield United as their new manager on a three-year contract, following the parting of company with Nigel Adkins. In the pre-season, despite little financial backing, he was able to bring some new players in, many of which were free transfers. He then made Sheffield born Billy Sharp club captain. However, Wilder's League One managerial debut got off to a poor start, only gaining a single point from the first four games, which left Sheffield United at the bottom of League One. Despite this, the club pushed on and went on to become League One Champions, securing 100 points in the process, a club record.


title: Chris Wilder

text: His second season was full of highs and few lows. His managerial Championship debut against Brentford ended in a 1–0 win for Sheffield United. Then in September 2017, United beat city rivals Sheffield Wednesday 4–2 at Hillsborough, a record for goals scored by United against Wednesday at Hillsborough. By the end of October, after beating local rivals Leeds United 2–1 at Elland Road, Sheffield United were top of the Championship.


title: Chris Wilder

text: On 28 April 2019, it was confirmed that Wilder had led the Blades to the Premier League following nearest rival Leeds' 1–1 draw at home. This ensured his second promotion in just three years at the club. This achievement earned him the LMA Manager of the Year award.


title: Chris Wilder

text: In July 2019, Wilder signed a new three-year contract with the club. On 10 January 2020, Wilder signed a four-year contract extension with the club. Sheffield United went on to finish ninth in their first season back in the top flight, their best since 1991–92.


title: Chris Wilder

text: On 13 March 2021, Wilder left the club by mutual consent, with the club bottom of the Premier League, with 14 points from 28 games.


title: Chris Wilder

text: On 7 November 2021, Wilder was appointed manager of Middlesbrough after the club parted ways with Neil Warnock. After an unbeaten month which saw Boro win four out of their five matches, Wilder was awarded the EFL Championship Manager of the Month award for December 2021 with his wing-back Isaiah Jones winning the Player of the Month award.


title: Chris Wilder

text: Wilder was sacked on 3 October 2022 with the club in the bottom three of the Championship. They had won only two of 11 league games played in the 2022–23 season.


title: Puff adder

text: The puff adder (Bitis arietans) is a viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions. It is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution, frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and aggressive disposition. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.


title: Puff adder

text: German naturalist Blasius Merrem described the puff adder in 1820. The word "arietans" means "striking violently" and is derived from the Latin "arieto". The type locality given is ""Promontorio bonae spei"" (Cape of Good Hope), South Africa.


title: Puff adder

text: The snake's typical size is about 1.0 m (39.3 in) in total length (body and tail) and very stout. Large specimens of 190 cm (75 in) total length, weighing over 6.0 kg (13.2 lb) and with a girth of 40 cm (16 in) have been reported. Specimens from Saudi Arabia are not as large, usually no more than in total length. Males are usually larger than females and have relatively longer tails.


title: Puff adder

text: The color pattern varies geographically. The head has two well-marked dark bands - one on the crown and the other between the eyes. On the sides of the head, two oblique, dark bands or bars run from the eye to the supralabials. Below, the head is yellowish white with scattered dark blotches. Iris color ranges from gold to silver-gray. Dorsally, the ground color varies from straw yellow, to light brown, to orange or reddish brown. This is overlaid with a pattern of 18–22 backwardly directed, dark brown to black bands that extend down the back and tail. Usually, these bands are roughly chevron-shaped, but may be more U-shaped in some areas. They also form two to six light-and-dark cross-bands on the tail. Some populations are heavily flecked with brown and black, often obscuring other coloration, giving the animal a dusty-brown or blackish appearance. The belly is yellow or white, with a few scattered dark spots. Newborn young have golden head markings with pinkish to reddish ventral plates toward the lateral edges.<br>


title: Puff adder

text: One unusual specimen, described by Branch and Farrell (1988), from Summer Pride, East London, in South Africa, was striped. The pattern consisted of a narrow (one scale wide), pale yellowish stripe that ran from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail.<br>


title: Puff adder

text: Generally, though, these are relatively dull-looking snakes, except for male specimens from highland East Africa and the Western Cape province of South Africa, that usually have a striking yellow-and-black color pattern.


title: Puff adder

text: The head has a less than triangular shape with a blunt and rounded snout. Still, the head is much wider than the neck. The rostral scale is small. The circumorbital ring consists of 10–16 scales. Across the top of the head, there are 7–11 interocular scales; three or four scales separate the suboculars and the supralabials. It has 12 to 17 supralabials and 13–17 sublabials. The first three or four sublabials contact the chin shields, of which only one pair exists. Often, two fangs are on each maxilla, and both can be functional.


title: Puff adder

text: Midbody, the snake has 29–41 rows of dorsal scales. These are strongly keeled except for the outermost rows. The ventral scale count is 123–147, the subcaudals number 14–38. Females have no more than 24 subcaudals. The anal scale is single.


title: Puff adder

text: This species is probably the most common and widespread snake in Africa. It is found in most of sub-Saharan Africa south to the Cape of Good Hope, including southern Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, southern Algeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, northern, eastern, and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. It also occurs on the Arabian Peninsula, where it is found in southwestern Saudi Arabia and Yemen.


title: Puff adder

text: It is found in all habitats except true deserts, rainforests, and (tropical) alpine habitats. It is most often associated with rocky grasslands. It is not found in rainforest areas, such as along the coast of West Africa and in Central Africa (i.e., central DR Congo); it is also absent from the Mediterranean coastal region of North Africa. On the Arabian Peninsula, it is found as far north as Ta'if. It has been reported to be found in the Dhofar region of southern Oman.


title: Puff adder

text: Normally a sluggish species, the puff adder relies on camouflage for protection. Locomotion is primarily rectilinear, using the broad ventral scales in a caterpillar fashion and aided by its own weight for traction. When agitated, it can resort to a typical serpentine movement of surprising speed.


title: Puff adder

text: Although mainly terrestrial, these snakes are good swimmers and can also climb with ease; often they are found basking in low bushes. One specimen was found 4.6 m above the ground in a densely branched tree.


title: Puff adder

text: If disturbed, they hiss loudly and continuously, adopting a tightly coiled defensive posture with the forepart of their body held in a taut "S" shape. At the same time, they may attempt to back away from the threat towards cover. They may strike suddenly and fast, to the side as easily as forwards, before returning quickly to the defensive position, ready to strike again. During a strike, the force of the impact is so strong, and the long fangs penetrate so deeply, that prey items are often killed by the physical trauma alone. The fangs apparently can penetrate soft leather.


title: Puff adder

text: They can strike to a distance of about one-third of their body length, but juveniles can launch their entire bodies forwards in the process. These snakes rarely grip their victims, but instead release quickly to return to the striking position.


title: Puff adder

text: Mostly nocturnal, they rarely forage actively, preferring, instead, to ambush prey as it happens by. Their prey includes mammals, birds, amphibians, and lizards.


title: Puff adder

text: Females produce a pheromone to attract males, which engage in neck-wrestling combat dances. A female in Malindi was followed by seven males. They give birth to large numbers of offspring; litters over 80 have been reported, while 50–60 are not unusual. Newborns are 12.5–17.5 cm in length. Very large specimens, particularly those from East Africa, give birth to the highest numbers of offspring. A Kenyan female in a Czech zoo gave birth to 156 young, the largest litter for any species of snake.


title: Puff adder

text: These snakes do well in captivity, but gluttony has been reported. Kauffeld (1969) mentions that specimens can be maintained for years on only one meal per week, but that when offered all they can eat, the result is often death, or at best wholesale regurgitation. They are bad-tempered snakes, and some specimens never settle down in captivity, always hissing and puffing when approached.


title: Puff adder

text: This species is responsible for more snakebite fatalities than any other African snake, due to a combination of factors, including its wide distribution, common occurrence, large size, potent venom that is produced in large amounts, long fangs, and their habit of basking by footpaths and sitting quietly when approached.


title: Puff adder

text: The venom has cytotoxic effects and is one of the most toxic of any vipers based on LD. The values in mice vary: 0.4–2.0 mg/kg intravenously, 0.9–3.7 mg/kg peritoneally, and 4.4–7.7 mg/kg subcutaneously (SC). Mallow et al. (2003) give an LD range of 1.0–7.75 mg/kg SC. Venom yield is typically 150–350 mg, with a maximum of 750 mg. Brown (1973) mentions a venom yield of 180–750 mg. About 100 mg are thought to be enough to kill a healthy adult human male, with death occurring after 25 hours.


title: Puff adder

text: In humans, bites from this species can produce severe local and systemic symptoms. Based on the degree and type of local effect, bites can be divided into two symptomatic categories - those with little or no surface extravasation, and those with hemorrhages evident as ecchymosis, bleeding, and swelling. In both cases, severe pain and tenderness occur, but in the latter, widespread superficial or deep necrosis and compartment syndrome are seen. Serious bites cause limbs to become immovably flexed as a result of significant hemorrhage or coagulation in the affected muscles. Residual induration, however, is rare and usually these areas completely resolve.


title: Puff adder

text: Other bite symptoms that may occur in humans include edema, which may become extensive, shock, watery blood oozing from the puncture wounds, nausea and vomiting, subcutaneous bruising, blood blisters that may form rapidly, and painful swelling of the regional lymph nodes. Swelling usually decreases after a few days, except for the area immediately around the bite site. Hypotension, together with weakness, dizziness, and periods of semi- or unconsciousness is also reported.


title: Puff adder

text: If not treated carefully, necrosis will spread, causing skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscle to separate from healthy tissue and eventually slough with serous exudate. The slough may be superficial or deep, sometimes down to the bone. Gangrene and secondary infections commonly occur and can result in loss of digits and limbs.


title: Puff adder

text: The fatality rate highly depends on the severity of the bites and some other factors. Deaths can be exceptional and probably occur in less than 15% of all untreated cases (usually in 2–4 days from complications following blood volume deficit and disseminated intravascular coagulation), although some reports show that severe envenomations have a 52% mortality rate.


title: William McMahon

text: Sir William McMahon (23 February 190831 March 1988) was an Australian politician who served as the 20th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1971 to 1972 as leader of the Liberal Party. He was a government minister for over 21 years, the longest continuous ministerial service in Australian history.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon was born and raised in Sydney, and worked as a commercial lawyer before entering politics. He served in the Australian Army during World War II, reaching the rank of major. After the war's end he returned to university to complete an economics degree. McMahon was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1949 federal election. Robert Menzies promoted him to the ministry in 1951 and added him to cabinet in 1956. He held several different portfolios in the Menzies Government, most notably as Minister for Labour and National Service from 1958 to 1966. In that capacity, he oversaw the reintroduction of conscription in 1964.


title: William McMahon

text: In 1966, Menzies retired and was replaced as prime minister by Harold Holt. McMahon then succeeded Holt as deputy leader of the Liberal Party. He was appointed Treasurer in the Holt Government, and over the following three years oversaw a large reduction in the national deficit. After Holt's death in 1967, McMahon wished to contest the Liberal leadership but had his candidacy vetoed by John McEwen, the leader of the Country Party. The new prime minister was John Gorton. McMahon initially continued on as Treasurer in the Gorton Government, but in 1969 was demoted to Minister for External Affairs after an unsuccessful challenge for the leadership. He eventually forced Gorton's resignation in early 1971, winning a vote against Billy Snedden.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon became prime minister at the age of 63, and remains the oldest non-interim prime minister to take office. His government has been described by the "Australian Dictionary of Biography" as "a blend of cautious innovation and fundamental orthodoxy". It continued many of the policies of its immediate predecessors, such as the phased withdrawal of Australian troops from Vietnam. In its final year it faced high inflation and unemployment. Gough Whitlam's Labor Party defeated McMahon at the 1972 federal election, ending 23 consecutive years of Coalition rule. No other Australian prime minister has served for longer without winning a general election. He resigned the Liberal leadership, but remained in parliament until 1982 as a backbencher.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon has been described as one of Australia's worst prime ministers by Australian political scientists and historians, and after leaving office several of his former colleagues openly criticised his leadership style and personal character. Whitlam, his successor, acknowledged him as "an extraordinarily skilful, resourceful and tenacious politician", and credited him with having prevented a larger margin of defeat in 1972.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon was born in Redfern, Sydney, New South Wales, on 23 February 1908. He was the third of five children born to solicitor William Daniel McMahon and Mary (née Walder), daughter of a sailmaker; an older brother predeceased him. His father, a Catholic, had a reputation as a heavy drinker and habitual gambler; his mother, an Anglican, was of English and Irish descent. McMahon's paternal grandfather, James "Butty" McMahon, was born in County Clare, Munster, Ireland, and married Mary Coyle of County Fermanagh, Ulster, Ireland. He arrived in Australia as a child, and eventually founded his own freight company, which became one of the largest in Sydney. Upon his death in 1914 his estate was valued at almost £240,000, an immense sum at the time.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon spent his early life in Redfern. His mother died in 1917, when he was nine years old, and he was subsequently raised by her relatives. He moved home frequently as he was shifted between family members, living for periods in Kensington, Beecroft, Gordon, and Centennial Park. McMahon saw little of his father or his siblings, who were raised separately; his older brother James died of Spanish flu in 1919. His uncle Samuel Walder – a businessman who served as Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1932 – acted as a sort of surrogate father. McMahon began his education at Abbotsholme College, a short-lived private school in Killara. One of his schoolmates there was Harold Holt, another future prime minister. He was later sent to Sydney Grammar School, where he was an above-average student without excelling academically.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon's father died when he was 18, leaving him a substantial inheritance. He had failed the leaving certificate at Sydney Grammar, but by passing a matriculation exam was able to enter the University of Sydney in 1927. At the insistence of his uncle, he chose to study law, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 1930. McMahon, who lived at St Paul's College, was more interested in the social scene than his degree. He spent his inheritance freely, owning several racehorses, and was known for betting significant amounts on the races. According to Alan Reid, "his reputation was that he completed his university career on less actual work than anyone in the college". Despite his diminutive physique – he stood as an adult – McMahon did achieve some success as an athlete. He won his university's lightweight boxing title, and in his final year at Sydney Grammar rowed in the Head of the River race.


title: William McMahon

text: According to Don Whitington, McMahon's life before entering politics was "the aimless, indolent existence of a wealthy young man with a position in a big city's smart set, no positive ambition or even interests, except in enjoying himself, and no family ties to give him a feeling of responsibility or even consideration for others". After graduating from university, he secured a position as a solicitor with Allen, Allen & Hemsley, a major Sydney law firm; he was made a junior partner in 1939. He was assigned to the Commonwealth Bank and the Bank of New South Wales for periods, which helped spark his interest in economics. McMahon had hoped to practise as a barrister, but his partial deafness made this impractical. His hearing remained an issue throughout his life, making parliamentary debates hard to follow, but did improve somewhat through surgery and the use of hearing aids.


title: William McMahon

text: In April 1940, McMahon was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Citizens Military Force. He transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (the regular army) in October 1940, and was promoted to captain in 1942 and to major in 1943. McMahon was turned down for overseas service due to his hearing loss and a knee injury. In the early part of the war he was attached to coastal defence units in Sydney. He later served on the headquarters staff of the II Corps (1942–1943) and the Second Army (1943–1945). He was formally discharged in October 1945.


title: William McMahon

text: After leaving the military, McMahon travelled overseas for 18 months, visiting Europe and North America. His experience of post-war Europe was said to have been one of the primary influences on his subsequent decision to enter politics. In 1947, McMahon returned to the University of Sydney to study economics and public administration. He graduated with a Bachelor of Economics degree in 1948, completing the course two years early due to his previous studies. He topped his economics class and won two prizes for proficiency in his final year.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1949 federal election, winning the newly created Division of Lowe for the Liberal Party. His candidacy was endorsed by Billy Hughes, who had known his grandfather. McMahon soon developed a reputation as "a deadly earnest, dogged, enormously hardworking and dedicated member". In 1950, he successfully proposed an amendment to the Menzies Government's Communist Party Dissolution Bill, reversing the effect of a clause so that the burden of proof was on the government rather than an accused person. However, the bill was subsequently struck down by the High Court. In July 1951, McMahon replaced Philip McBride as Minister for the Navy and Minister for Air. He subsequently approved and oversaw Donald Hardman's proposal to reorganise the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) along functional command lines (rather than the previous area command system).


title: William McMahon

text: After the 1954 election, McMahon was appointed Minister for Social Services in place of Athol Townley. In January 1956, he was instead made Minister for Primary Industry, an appointment that was seen as a surprise given his lack of experience in agriculture. He effectively became the junior minister to John McEwen, the deputy leader of the Country Party and Minister for Trade. It was hoped by the Country Party (and tacitly accepted by Menzies) that McMahon would simply be a proxy for McEwen on policy matters. However, he managed to preserve the influence and independence of his department, and in fact made a number of cabinet submissions that were contrary to McEwen's wishes. This impressed his colleagues in the Liberal Party, but laid the foundations for the poor relations with the Country Party that would prove challenging later in his career.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon was promoted to Minister for Labour and National Service after the 1958 election, in place of Harold Holt. This brought him firmly into the inner ranks of the Liberal Party, and in terms of cabinet rank placed him among the party's most senior figures in New South Wales. McMahon oversaw the creation and administration of what became the "National Service Act 1964", which re-introduced compulsory conscription for 20-year-old males in anticipation of further Australian involvement in South-East Asia. On the labour side of his portfolio, he frequently came into conflict with the leadership of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), though there was no major industrial action during his tenure. He attempted to reduce the influence of trade unions known to be controlled by the Communist Party, particularly the Waterside Workers' Federation. In 1964, McMahon was made Vice-President of the Executive Council, further confirming his status within the government.


title: William McMahon

text: In 1966, McMahon was elected the Liberal Party of Australia's deputy leader under Harold Holt. During his tenure, he became the Treasurer of Australia and held executive roles with the International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank.


title: William McMahon

text: When Holt disappeared in December 1967, McMahon was assumed to be his probable successor. However, John McEwen, interim Prime Minister and leader of the Country Party, announced that he and his party would not serve in a government led by McMahon. McEwen did not state his reasons publicly, but privately he told McMahon he did not trust him. McEwen, an arch-protectionist, correctly suspected that McMahon favoured policies of free trade and deregulation.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon therefore withdrew, and Senator John Gorton won the subsequent party room ballot for party leader and therefore Prime Minister. McMahon remained Treasurer and waited for his chance at a comeback. The Coalition was nearly defeated at the 1969 federal election. After the election, McMahon unsuccessfully challenged for the leadership, but was nonetheless re-elected as deputy leader. He was subsequently demoted from Treasurer to Minister for External Affairs. John McEwen had announced in the lead-up to the spill that he would lift his party's veto on McMahon as prime minister.


title: William McMahon

text: In March 1971, the Defence Minister, Malcolm Fraser, resigned from Cabinet and denounced Gorton, who then announced a leadership spill. The ensuing party room vote was tied, and under the party rules of the time this meant the motion was lost and Gorton could have theoretically remained as leader and Prime Minister. Nevertheless, Gorton declared that a tie vote meant he no longer had the confidence of the party, and voluntarily resigned the leadership. McMahon was then elected leader (and thus prime minister), and Gorton was elected deputy leader.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon came into office at a bad time for the Coalition, which was increasingly seen as tired and unfocused after 22 years in power. His first problem was Gorton. Since Gorton had been elected as Liberal deputy leader, McMahon was all but forced to name him Defence Minister. This farcical situation came to a head when Gorton published two articles detailing the problems he had with ministers leaking information from cabinet. McMahon forced Gorton's resignation. Billy Snedden was chosen as the new deputy Liberal leader.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon found himself dealing with a resurgent Labor Party under Gough Whitlam. Labor had come within four seats of winning government in 1969, and since then had positioned itself as a credible government-in-waiting. Over the next year-and-a-half, McMahon was unable to get the better of Whitlam. McMahon was no match in parliamentary debates for Whitlam, a witty and powerful orator. He frequently found himself on the defensive as Whitlam attacked the increasingly unpopular Vietnam War and advocated radical new policies such as universal health insurance. In a typical instance, McMahon attacked Whitlam for his demands that Australia recognise the People's Republic of China, only to have to back down when U.S President Richard Nixon announced his visit to China. He was not helped by rising inflation, which hurt his reputation as a sound economic manager. Additionally, the Liberal Party was showing severe schisms, which came at an especially bad time since McMahon had, at most, two years before the next election. His voice and appearance also came across badly on television.


title: William McMahon

text: In June 1971, McMahon cancelled Gorton's planned nuclear power program, which had included a reactor capable of generating weapons-grade plutonium. He considered it inconsistent with the goals of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, signed under Gorton in 1970 and ratified under Whitlam in 1973.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon went into 1972 facing a statutory general election. By then, Labor had established a clear lead in the polls and McMahon's approval ratings had dwindled to 28 percent. The press had turned on him so violently that the British psephologist David Butler recalled on a visit to Australia that he could not recall a prime minister in any country being "so comprehensively panned" as McMahon. By then, it was widely perceived that McMahon simply "did not look or sound like a Prime Minister". He waited for as long as he could, but finally called a federal election for 2 December. During the campaign, McMahon was abandoned by some of his own ministers, unheard of in a Westminster system. The Coalition was swept from power on an eight-seat swing. Late on election night, with the result beyond doubt, McMahon conceded defeat, ending the longest unbroken run in government in Australian history.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon had been a minister continuously for 21 years and 6 months, a record in the Australian Government that has never been threatened. Only Sir George Pearce and Sir John McEwen had longer overall ministerial service, but their terms were not continuous.


title: William McMahon

text: Political journalist Laurie Oakes described McMahon as "devious, nasty, dishonest - he lied all the time and stole things" before describing an incident where McMahon attempted to steal a tape recorder from his radio station by claiming ownership of the device despite it having the radio station's name engraved on it. He concludes by saying that McMahon was a "totally unworthy individual and the fact that he was Prime Minister of this country was a disgrace".


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon's term as prime minister ended on 5 December 1972. He did not immediately resign as Liberal leader, but it soon became clear that there was no support for him to continue.


title: William McMahon

text: McMahon became the first Prime Minister to have lost an election and had retained his seat who did not then serve as Leader of the Opposition.


title: William McMahon

text: On 20 December, the Liberal Party elected Billy Snedden as his successor. As a mark of respect for his past service, McMahon was included in Snedden's new shadow cabinet (as was John Gorton). However, at his own request he was not allocated a specific portfolio. In an interview with HSV7 in June 1973, McMahon stated that "disloyalty within our own party" was the main reason the Liberals had lost the election. He also said that he had three regrets from his time as prime minister – that he failed to abolish national service, that he had mishandled the 1971 budget, and that he had been a poor communicator.