THIS MAN IS OUTSTANDING!!!!! (Sound And Vision - David Bowie)

Member Name: weemam

Product:	Sound And Vision - David Bowie
Date:	15/03/04 (233 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: just brilliant

Disadvantages: see review

Sound and Vision
David Bowie

I thought Id review the new David Bowie boxed set “Sound and Vision. The box is a rectangle 4x16 inches with a clear plastic sheath and a purple picture of Bowie at the front with guitar. This box set was first released as a 3-disc box and has many rare tracks., but it now has an extra fourth disc

The actual box is silver with a plain white cardboard inlay. The package of the actual discs is very attractive, but very delicate. Plastic sleeves that could rip very easily hold the discs. Boxes in purple on the sleeves tell you the track listing.

4 postcards come with the box they are a fancy colourful one with pictures from the Ashes to Ashes video, A young bowie with guitar, Bowie from the time of the “Heroes” album and the modern looking bowie.

A very large poster also comes with the set and a large book with details of David’s Bowie

Disk 1 begins with

Space Oddity
This track is the original demo of David’s Bowie’s first hit. This was recorded in David’s bedroom to present to record companies. The sound of this is amazing. This song was written David after the moon landing of ‘69’. This later appeared on the album Space Oddity.

The Wild Eyed Boy From Free Cloud
This is the B-side version instead of the Space Oddity album version. I really can’t tell the difference. I don’t like this song it’s too slow and heavy.

The Prettiest Star

This is a single version of a song that appeared on Aladdin Sane 3 years later. Slower than the original but still brilliant,

London Bye Ta-Ta

This was recorded at th
e same time as The Prettiest Star. This was originally the first choice for the follow up single to Space Oddity. This is the previously unreleased stereo version of a song I have only heard on the Live at the BBC album. I like this is very sing-a-lon
g.

The next two songs are taken from The Man Who Sold the World album:

Black Country Rock

This is a song about madness. Mick Ronson's Guitar solo makes this song and is in the style of Marc Bolan


The Man Who Sold The World

This is the original eerie version of the title track. Fantastic. I don’t like lulu’s version although Nirvana did an excellent live version of it.

The Bewaly Brothers

Taken from the Hunky Dory album. It’s a slow song and not really song that represents the intelligence of the album. For all the Rachel Stevens fans, Hunky Dory is obviously an influence on her new single Funky Dory for two reasons. The first one, of course is the name, but also it is a complete copy of the rift from Andy Warhol. I often wonder if she asked permission for this and also what Bowie thinks of it.

Changes

The original version of the hit from Hunky Dory. This is the very first Bowie song I heard. Rick Wakeman from the group Yes plays piano. I like to do my walking to this song as it has a great beat.

Round and Round

This is the alternate vocal take of a song I've never heard before. It was the B-Side to Drive-In-Saturday. Quite a poor song, hit skip.

Moonage Daydream

This is taken from the excellent Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders fro
m Mars album. This is one of my favourite concept albums as it tells a story of earth’s invasion of aliens and our survival.

John, I’m Only Dancing

This is the fast version taken from the ChangesOneBowie album. Poor compared to the original.

Drive In Saturday

This is the album version, taken from Aladdin Sane. The song is about civilisation being dead and people working out how we used to do things, by watching videotapes. This is one of the best songs from Aladdin Sane.

Panic In Detroit

This song is about de
vastation and vandalism in Detroit. Aladdin Sane has an extremely dark and almost violent feel to it. Alluding to WW III in many of its lyrics. Even the song Aladdin Sane has (1913-1938-197?)

Ziggy Stardust

Taken from a live version of Ziggy taken from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – The Motion Picture. Not as good as the original album version.

White Light White Heat

This is a live version of Ziggy taken from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – The Motion Picture. Too heavy for my liking

Rock and Roll Suicide

This is a live version of Ziggy taken from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – The Motion Picture. This is the final destination for Ziggy Stardust.

Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere

This is cover of The Who’s song taken from the album Pinups. After the shock of Bowie “killing off” Ziggy he recorded an album of covers. It’s a really good album. And this is not the best song off the album.

<b
r>Sorrow

This IS the best song on the album. I LOVE his vocal on this along with his brilliant saxophone playing. This is a very mellow song and the first single from Pinups.

Don’t Bring Me Down

This is the last song from the first CD Taken from Pinups it has a fantastic beat.

And this is only the first disc! Its great now……….

Disk 2

1984/Dodo

This is an unreleased track from the proposed Stage album. This has a very theatrical feel to it but very heavy and a poor song to start the disc.

Big Brother

This is the original version from Diamond Dogs. I don’t like this much either.

Rebel Rebel

This is the U.S. single version of the song. What a load of c*** compared to the original.
Suffragette City

This is a live version of the song taken from the David Live album. It is a
slower version than normal but really good.

Watch That Man

This is a version from the David Live album. Not a patch on the studio take from Aladdin Sane.

Cracked Actor

From the David Live album, I always liked this on the Serious Moonlight tour. Great beat to it.

Young Americans

This is the original version from the album of the same name. This was a single in ’75. This was when David Bowie started using cocaine and its one of my least favourite period of Bowie. Young Americans is quite good but……….

Fascination

I feel a lot of the songs from Young Americans are self-indulgent and Bowie could do a lot better…. Skip it.


5;fter Today

A good song in comparison to a lot of songs Bowie had at the time. Good stuff

It’s Hard to Be A Saint In The City

This was written by Bruce Springsteen and is an outtake from Station to Station. I like this; the lyrics are extremely like Springsteen.

TVC 15

Song from Station to Station. I hate Station to Station with a passion, however it does have one of my favourite Bowie songs……………..

Wild Is The Wind

This is one of my favourite David Bowie songs ever. His voice in it is so haunting. To me the song sounds very like Roy Orbison and I wonder if he was thinking of Roy’s vocal ability and writing method. Fantastic stuff.

Sound And Vision

One of the album Low’s, high point. Again great vocal from Bowie and producer Brian Eno.

Be My Wife

This is the second single from Low.

Speed of Life

Instrumental. I don’t understand why it’s on this boxed set.

Helden

German Version of “Heroes”. Nice rarity to have.

Joe The Lion

A song from Heroes but nearly as bad as Station to Station.
r>Sons of The Silent Age

Same as Joe


That was disc 2, not as good as disc 1 but still worth a listen to


Disc 3

Station To Station

8 mins of pure c***, hit next.

Warszawa

From the live album Stage. An instrumental piece that is quite dull.

Breaking Glass

Good song. Live version is take
n from Stage but I know it from the Low album.

Red Sails

A really upbeat song from Lodger. Theses songs are beginning to come back to good standards from David Bowie.

Look Back In Anger

This is a fantastic song from the Lodger album. Vocally Bowie is perfect and this is a relief that Bowie has gone back to his roots and not experimental music like he did with Low and Heroes.

Boys Keep Swinging

Great pop song that really livens you up and is really enjoyable. They are hidden meanings in this song and were a bit politically incorrect for 1978.

Up The Hill Backwards

Taken from the album Scary Monsters. Not a song I would have picked to represent this album.

Kingdom Come

This is a great song from the album Scary Monsters. A fantastic beat from one of David’s best albums from the 80s.

Ashes to Ashes

One of David’s biggest hits from the 80s taken from Scary Monsters. This is a follow up song to Space Oddity that explains what Space Oddity was really about. Single version.
I really love this song it has a very creepy feel to it.

Baal’s Hymn

This is from the Baal E.P. This is a theatrical song that shows Bowie’s talent for many types of music. Good song.

The Drowned Girl

Also from the Baal E.P. This is a companion piece to Baal’s Hymn.

Cat People (Putting out fire)

Taken from the soundtrack of the film Cat People. A great beat but not as good as the Best of Bowie version.
r>

China Girl

A fantastic s
ong from the dance album Lets Dance! This has a fantastic backbeat that you cant help tapping your feet to. His voice in this is impeccable and was an international hit back in 1983. This is the album version.

Ricochet

Lets Dance! has some fantastic tracks on it including Lets Dance, Without You, this is for me a bad representation of a first class album. It’s not a bad song but it’s not the best either.

Modern Love

This is one of the best songs from the Lets Dance album. Although this is taken from the B-side to the original Modern Love it is an excellent live version from the Serious Moonlight tours.

Loving The Alien

A creepy song about religion I think? A good read is a book on Bowie called Loving the Alien by Christopher Sanford. It is the first biography I read on David and was a really good book. Released on 1984’s Tonight album.

Dancing With The Big Boys

From Tonight and was the B-Side to Blue Jean, quite poor.


Disc 4

Blue Jean

A hit song from Tonight. An excellent upbeat track starts off disk 4 a treat.

Time Will Crawl

A song taken from Never Let Me Down. This is a standard song that’s ok but not a brilliant song.


Baby Can Dance

This is 1 of David’s Bowies band Tin Machine’s better songs. I don’t like Tin Machine, David’s experimental bands this however is one of their better songs.

Amazing

C*** Tin Machine song

I Can’t Read

Another good song from Tin Machine, but
remember this represents the ***best*** of Bowie.

Shopping for Girls

Nah this is rubbish, Bring back Ziggy pleaseeeeeee.

Goodbye Mr Ed
Amlapura
You’ve been Around
Same as all Tin machine. Rubbish. Tin Machine is a heavy metal type band.
<
br>Night Flights

Good Song from Black Tie White Noise.

You’ve Been Around

Song from White Tie Black Noise. Drum and Base type stuff. Ok if you like Drum & Base.

Nite Flights

Rubbish, Cant hear the words for drums.

Pallas Athena

This is an instrumental track, which is quite good. I like this a lot.

Jump They Say

This is a song about peer pressure. I like this song his voice again has changed throughout the years and he has a really strong voice.

Pallas Athena

A nice song from White Tie… A nice mellow song to round out the whole album.

And that’s the box set. I bought this for Ross on 101cd.com for £35.00+ £1.00 P+P He loves the set and plays it all time.

Just a wee bit of extra information
David Bowie and Elvis share the same birthday 8th Jan


Hope you enjoyed the read
Margaretxx