Ziggy Stardust and the midlife crises

Columbia Records has recently remastered a number of David Bowie albums from the '90s, a decade which saw two high points for the godfather of glam rock: the 1991 Cool World Soundtrack and 1997's Earthling. Extra tracks are included, though, they're mostly remixes and special versions used in movies, which is hardly worth the $45 needed to buy three slightly-enhanced records (out of which only one is better than average).\nOutside (1995) finds Bowie attempting an alter-ego concept album in an age marked by popular revulsion to such self-gratifying outings. There are definitely some strong tracks on this album -- "I Have Not Been to Oxford Town" will be familiar to anyone who heard its cannibalized version sung in "Starship Troopers" (that version is mercifully left out) as well as "I'm Deranged" (featured in David Lynch's "Lost Highway") and the stunning "Strangers When We Meet," which is this album's lynchpin and the only track which doesn't seem to awkwardly toe the line between interesting and preciously weird.\nThere is not much to say about 1997's legitimate comeback album Earthling. Rather than coming across as an old man flirting with this newfangled "electronica" thing, Bowie proves himself an ardent music futurist, throwing in elements of jungle and drum 'n' bass without seeming to try too hard. The first track "Little Wonder" has been played ad infinitum as MTV segue music, but the highly memorable "I'm Afraid of Americans" is included, as well as a Nine Inch Nails remix of the track thrown in as a bonus track. This album would have been perfect as David Bowie's swan song, but…\nHours (1999) just seems to be tired in every aspect of its being, from the production (a little too slick) to the lyrics ("what to do/what to say/what to do on a sunny day," on the bitterly-titled "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell"). Still, Reeves Gabrels' guitar work is phenomenal, and this is David Bowie we're talking about -- even his worst and most ill-conceived (read: Low) albums are still achievements in and of themselves, and interesting tracks like "Survive" make Hours listenable at least.\nThese are good albums, to be sure, but they're simply riding the famed coattails which Bowie earned with albums like Aladdin Sane, Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs. Those are significant artistic works, whereas Hours and Outside just come across as afterthoughts from a genius who's already made his mark and just can't bear to let go.