Black Tie White Noise (1993)

Over the years, David Bowie has assumed many musical personae -- glam-rocker Ziggy Stardust, disco-rocker The Thin White Duke, regular-joe hard-rocker as lead singer of Tin Machine. On the stultifying yet annoying Black Tie White Noise, he seems to be trying out a new one: nonrocking Smug Dullard. Working once again with producer Nile Rodgers, Bowie essays endless, listless dance grooves, moaning tiredly over frilly ornamentation such as Lester Bowie's bleating jazz horn-playing. There are exactly two good songs: the dreamy ''Miracle Goodnight'' and a witty cover of Morrissey's ''I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday.'' Throughout, Bowie sounds knowing, glum, and -- above all -- hipper than thee and me. So instead of ''Black Tie,'' buy the CD of 1976's ''Station to Station,'' on which he really was.

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