09/17/07
Reviews by – Lindsay Planer
This week, let’s hear it for the Bowie … David, that is! We’re spinning a trifecta of recent multi-media arrivals that reassert David Bowie’s status as a visionary of sight and sound. We’ll take them chronologically, commencing with the remastered and expanded edition of Bowie’s foray into Philly-style blue-eyed soul.
David Bowie
— Young Americans – Special Edition CD+DVD
(Virgin/EMI)
After
considerable success under his ‘glam rock’ façade, David Bowie all but
abandoned that persona, searching instead for intelligent life in rock
‘n’ roll under his own recognizance. What surfaced was the artist’s
deep abiding love and respect for good ol’ American soul music. To mark
the 33&1/3 revolutions of the earth around the sun since the
project began, the entire effort has been given a well-deserved
overhaul.
Almost a year in the creation, Bowie’s hard work paid off as the LP
leapt into the Top Ten, yielding a pair of hits, including the project’s
title tune “Young Americans” and the number one single “Fame,” with
backing vocals and rhythm guitar by John Lennon. The former Beatle also
donated his talents to a stunning update of “Across The Universe”.
Lennon’s contributions are among those that come to life on the
larger-than-life 5.1 created by the project’s original producer
extraordinaire Tony Visconti.
Speaking of which, the Young Americans Special Edition houses
an upgraded stereo, as well as the aforementioned Dolby Digital and DTS
Surround Sound mixes. Plus, non-LP audio extras of “John, I’m Only
Dancing (Again),” “Who Can I Be Now?,” and a take of “It’s Gonna Be Me”
that is parenthetically denoted “With Strings”. In addition to the
hi-fi audio, the DVD contains video highlights from a rare Bowie TV
chat circa February ’75 with Dick Cavett, where he and his band unleash
wicked versions of two then-unreleased songs “1984” and “Young
Americans”.
David
Bowie — Glass Spider (DVD/CD Edition)
After
Bowie killed off characters such as Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and
the Thin White Duke, he never abandoned his penchant for creating a
spectacle. Along with his oft visual collaborator David Mallet and
choreographer Toni (“Hey Mickey”) Basil, the artist supported his Never Let Me Down (1987) long player with one of the most extravagant tours to be staged for a mere rock concert. The Glass Spider Tour
was a perpetually sold-out event of epic proportions. All told, it was
a feast for the eyes and ears, lasting over eight months and
travelling across several continents with a 50-foot spider in tow.
The project has never looked or sounded better as the DVD provides a bright and clean transfer of the original 105 minute Glass Spider (1988) home video. There is likewise a choice of a 2.0 stereo, Dolby Digital or DTS up-mixed 5.1 Surround Sound option.
The grandiose production unfurls with Bowie ascending from ‘on high’ bringing to life “Up The Hill Backwards,” and the Never Let Me Down
related sides “Glass Spider,” “Day-In, Day-Out” and “Bang Bang.”
Before diving headlong into selections from his vintage ’70s songbook,
the artist examines other recent entries such as “Absolute Beginners,”
“Loving The Alien” and “China Girl”. He also peppers a few additional
newer selections in-between high energy takes of “Rebel, Rebel,”
“Fashion,” “Heroes,” “Young Americans,” “The Jean Genie,” “Time,”
“Fame,” as well as covers of the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and the
Velvet Underground’s “White Light/White Heat”.
Hard-core Bowie-heads might recall the contents of the bonus double-CD set from being broadcast on the syndicated King Biscuit Flower Hour
radio program. Since then, it has also shown up on a number of
over-priced, low fidelity and usually incomplete bootlegs. Finally,
every note of the August 30th, 1987 concert at the Olympic Stadium in
Montreal, Quebec is being offered up as an extra in this ‘limited
edition’ box set. While the core performance remains the same, among
the goodies not repeated on the DVD are “Scary Monsters (And Super
Creeps)”, “All The Mad Men,” Big Brother,” “’87 And Cry,” “Time Will
Crawl,” and “Beat Of Your Drum”.
David Bowie — The Best of David Bowie: 1980-1987 (Virgin/EMI)
After being included as part of the triple-disc Platinum Collection some two years ago, The Best Of David Bowie 1980/1987
is now available a la carte. Better still, for those of us who waited
so patiently, this new configuration is being retrofitted as a Sight
and Sound set, containing a 15-track DVD that boasts a pair of ultra
rare music videos.
The 1980s were a period of renewed acclaim for David Bowie from both
critics and fans alike. In fact, he scored more hits during the decade
than he had before or has since. This Best Of … will prove to
be worthwhile to collectors or casual listeners as it houses
hard-to-find single edits of “Let’s Dance,” “Ashes To Ashes,”
“Fashion,” “Modern Love,” “China Girl,” “Scary Monsters (And Super
Creeps),” “Cat People (Putting Out Fire),” “Absolute Beginners,”
“Day-In Day-Out” and “Underground.”
The accompanying DVD is the icing on the cake with two clips that have
eluded collectors and up until now, were not available on any of the
artists retail video compilations. “The Drowned Girl” is from the BBC 1
TV broadcast of David Bowie in Bertolt Brecht’s Baal (1982),
while “When The Wind Blows” hails from the 1986 UK animated feature
film of the same name. Otherwise, the visual companions to “Ashes To
Ashes,” “Fashion,” “Under Pressure” with Queen, “Let’s Dance,” “China
Girl,” “Modern Love,” “Cat People (Putting Out Fire),” “Blue Jean,”
“Loving The Alien,” “Absolute Beginners,” “Underground,” “Day-In
Day-Out” and “Time Will Crawl” are all present and accounted for.
Lindsay Planer is a
freelance journalist based out of the Piedmont of North Carolina. He’s
a frequent contributor to All Music Guide, All Movie Guide,
CrutchfieldAdvisor.com and the Gaston Gazette.
All comments and questions are
encouraged and can be sent to <[email protected]>.