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David BowieStage/David Live EMI The only depressing things about EMI's whole thirtieth anniversary edition thing for Bowie's back catalogue are 1) that we're going to have to wait until 2010 for 'Scary Monsters', and 2) they only started in 2002 with '...Ziggy Stardust...', so we're still owed four albums or so (come on, how sweet would a deluxe 'The Man Who Sold The World' be?). Anyway, now we're in 1975 and getting 'David Live' and, breaking chronology, 1978's 'Stage': two double albums of Bowie in the middle of his decade-long run of creative genius. Let's start with 'David Live': a record of the 'Diamond Dogs' tour which, unsurprisingly, features of a fair slab of the album (Rebel Rebel, 1984, the title track and more, including a magnificent version of the little-performed Sweet Thing/Candidate medley) and features a superb band boasting several well-known Bowie sidemen (including pianist Mike Garson and guitarist Earl Slick, who are back in the touring band these days). It's not as frenetic as the excellent 'Ziggy Stardust' live CD - Moonage Daydream is slower, more theatrical, and Mick Ronson's absence is keenly felt on the '...Ziggy...' material, especially the somewhat gutless Suffragette City. Then again, Rock'n'Roll With Me is given new life, and the campy version of All The Young Dudes is also excellent (also note: the back cover is slightly wrong: Watch That Man closes disc one rather than opens disc two: instead we get a limp cover of Knock On Wood). Space Oddity goes down a storm, but Diamond Dogs seems muted. However, The Jean Genie has a brilliant new arrangement (courtesy of show-off bass maestro Herbie Flowers) and Rock'n'Roll Suicide closes the show with pure soul revue. 'Stage' comes three years later with a whole different band (although we do we get Carlos Alomar and Adrian Belew on guitars, which is sweet) and a weird mix of hits'n'memories (a somewhat soporific Fame, a five song slab of '...Ziggy...', 'Heroes' - which opens rather than closes the set) and Berlin-era synth weirdery (Warszawa, Art Decade, Speed Of Life). It's not amazing, although Be My Wife is superb, as is Breaking Glass, and the sassy take on Soul Love shows the influence of the 'Young Americans' tour, complete with the world's most awful synth solo; and the less said of the synthed-up Ziggy Stardust the better... Completists should note that both albums have been re-ordered to reflect the actual set list and boast a couple of bonus tracks each. OK, they're not exactly essential, but two handsomely-packaged collections of Bowie on stage at the height of his powers is pretty damned sweet. So let's see: 'Young Americans' next, and then the Berlin trilogy? Oh baby.  |
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