Customer Reviews

Best of Bowie

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4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I find it very depressing that Amazon still hasn't put up the tracklisting for this album (the double CD version "Best Of Bowie" for America) so I guess I'm gonna have to do it.

Disc 1
1. Space Oddity 2. The Man Who Sold The World 3. Changes 4. Life On Mars? 5. Moonage Daydream 6. Suffragette City 7. Ziggy Stardust 8. All The Young Dudes 9, The Jean Genie 10. Panic In Detroit 11. Rebel, Rebel 12. Diamond Dogs 13. Young Americans 14. Fame 15. Golden Years 16. TVC15 17. Sound and Vision 18. "Heroes" 19. D.J.
Disc 2
1.Ashes To Ashes 2. Fashion 3. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) 4. Under Pressure 5. Cat People (Putting Out Fire) 6. Let's Dance 7. China Girl 8. Modern Love 9. Blue Jean 10. This is Not America 11. Dancing In The Streets 12. Absolute Beginners 13. Time Will Crawl 14. Under The God 15. Jump They Say 16. The Heart's Filthy Lesson 17. I'm Afraid Of Americans 18. Thursday's Child 19. Slow Burn

This listing is very unique because it includes the big pop hits (the poppy R&B meets rock guitar "Let's Dance"), culturally significant songs (revolutionary singer-songwriter moments like "Changes" and "All The Young Dudes") and excellent singles that didn't get the attention they deserved the first time (the industrial rocker "Heart's Filthy Lesson"). The fact that "Best Of Bowie" takes songs form nearly every Bowie studio album (except for the cover packed "Pin Ups" and "Buddha Of Suburbia", which in all fairness was a soundtrack) shows all the levels that the man works on musically. The seventies are where Bowie shines with everything from the edgy alien hard rock of "Ziggy Stardust" to the glam rock perfection of "Rebel, Rebel". "Diamond Dogs" (only live track and the longest in length at over 6 minutes) should have been a shorter track, especially since they cut down the stellar cynical lyric with an R&B beat of "Young Americans" to a single edit. The Berlin tracks are a great way to end the first disc. "Low" is represented well by the dancy "Sound And Vision" while "Heroes" is tragic and wonderful. Then there is the eighties heyday from disco flavored new wave of "Fashion" to horn blasting "Modern Love" (which I viewed as a sardonic joke about yuppie culture, right?) to that poppy Motown cover "Dancing In The Streets" (with Mick Jagger adding his swagger). Then there was the nineties peak of creativity of the bleeping drum machine pop "Jump They Say" to the moody introspective AC of "Thursday's Child" to the techno rock dance of "I'm Afraid Of Americans" (the Trent mix) and closing with the passionate soul rock of "Soul Burn".

The unfortunate thing is that it misses with some track placement. I don't understand why "Time Will Crawl" represents "Never Let Me Down" and the obvious not "Day In, Day Out". Also, some tracks take getting used to like the collaboration with the Pat Methany Group with the world music with a dance groove "This is Not America". And now I understand why people dislike Tin Machine with the c-rocker blah bombast of "Under The God", but it shows an interesting side of Bowie. These very few questionable tracks (which I can live with) don't change my overall impression of the set being very strong. Slight omissions (why not "Rock And Roll Suicide" from "Ziggy Stardust..."?) and edits (or non-edits in some cases) doesn't change the fact that this album is filled with some of the greatest transformations from the rock chameleon that Bowie is. He has rocked us in a variety of ways and this album is needed for those who have adored him for years and is superb for those just starting out. Keep in mind that there are about 22 verisons of this CD, most single discs. This is the American double CD verison.

As a long time David Bowie fan, many of the titles I own are on vinyl or cassette--and my primary motive in purchasing this 2 CD "Best of Bowie" compilation was to have core favorites in a digital format. In some respects, I was very pleased with the collection--but I was annoyed to find several key recordings are given in the "single" versions that were popular on the radio rather than in the full length versions that appeared on the albums from which they are drawn.

The abbreviated selections are "Young Americans," "Golden Years," "TVC 15," and "Heroes"--ironically, four of Bowie's most significant releases. Even more annoying, this is not indicated anywhere on the visible CD notes; it wasn't until I had the thing at home and on my DVD player that I realized something was amiss, and a glance at the inside liner notes confirmed my fears.

That said, it would be easy to quibble over what should and should not be included in this collection. If I myself had been programming it, I would have likely included "Lady Stardust" and "Rock and Roll Suicide"--and dropped several other titles in order to present every selection at full length. But the collection does hit all the most obvious choices and then some, even including the full-length and hard-to-find original film version of "Cat People," one of Bowie's most seductive vocals.

All of this said, since he first gained attention Bowie has been quite unlike any other recording artist--a true original whose recordings are still advanced even in comparison to those who followed in his wake. While the abbreviated selections will annoy purists like myself, the collection as a whole is an ideal choice for some one first coming to Bowie. Recommended, but with the stated reservations.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The musical chameleon, a rock and roll legend...we've heard it all. David Bowie has probably had one of the most exciting careers in rock history. A career that has been anthologized quite a few times, so did Mr. Bowie really need ANOTHER compilation to cover his 70s years? His 70s years alone require 2 discs (as there are two compilations for them 'Best Of 1969-1974' and 'Best Of 1974-1979').

Signature hits like 'Rock 'N Roll Suicide' from 'Ziggy Stardust' and 'Look Back In Anger' from his 'Lodger' album are left off of Disc 1. '"Heroes"' would've been a nice song to have in its entirety, as the single version does cut a lot out, but at least it is here. Besides the omissions; however, the songs on Disc 1 are deserving songs, and are admittedly among his best. The problem is that I already have these same songs on a compilation disc. Disc 2 has the same problem, its song selection. Four cuts from 'Let's Dance' is a little overboard, that is half of the album right there. It's good to have all three singles from 'Scary Monsters' on board, but it's not so good to have all those tracks from his mid-80's era. It would've been nice to have seen some of his later work get some recognition, like another song from 'Outside' or 'hours....' Even the 'Tin Machine' album is given a slot here, which some fans may find questionable. It is a plus that Virgin was able to license 'Slow Burn' from his new album which is on Sony (good job there). Overall, the song selection is spotty; however, catching most of his radio successes, but missing many of his more brilliant and lesser known songs (his Berlin trilogy material is under-represented, with only one cut from each album).

All in all though, this compilation is either for the avid collector or the relatively unacquainted with Bowie. Someone who hasn't heard too much David Bowie probably won't notice that a few lesser-appreciated fan favorites are missing, because just about all of the big radio hits are present. On a side note, the remastering is superb, and the packaging is fairly decent, despite not being too informative.

My advice to one who has an interest in David Bowie would be to get ahold of the 'Best Of 1969-1974' and 'Best Of 1974-1979' discs, as well as the 'Scary Monsters' album, but if you're hesitant to buy those three discs, then try this set out. The original albums, or at least most of them, are much more satisfying than this spotty collection (and you get the original, unedited songs).

As with any compilation of an artist with tons of material, people are bound to gripe about the song selection. Plenty of the reviews here illustrate that tendency. But if you are such a Bowie completist that you already have all or many of his original albums, you really have no reason to get this collection, and then to gripe about the song selection, except for a few rare soundtrack items. Meanwhile if you're just a casual fan looking for a few classic hit singles, you also don't need this big two-disc collection (I can't speak for the limited one-disc version of this particular set). If you're in between those two extremes, looking for both the Bowie classics and some less-known tracks from throughout his career to round out the collection, than this is the compilation for you. With a whopping 38 tracks there's room for all the different periods of Bowie's extensive career, from the very early "Space Oddity" to recent goodies like the great "I'm Afraid of Americans." There are no remixes and re-thinking like the problematic old compilation *ChangesOneBowie* (although there are a few single edits), plus you get some hard-to-find non-LP tracks like "Under Pressure" with Queen, and "Dancing in the Street" with Mick Jagger (even though that song is quite embarrassing for everyone involved). There's also one Tin Machine track, "Under the God." If you are more than a casual Bowie fan but not quite enthusiastic enough to tackle his dozens of original albums, then you can't go wrong with this set.

EMI has done it! Perhaps one of the first "Best Of" compilations to live up to its title. Is every hit here? No, of course not-that would require four CDs and this is only a 2-disc release. I mean we're talking about Bowie here, the guy's been making music for over three decades and has recorded more than 20 studio albums. But, this is also more than just a "pop essentials" or "very best of" album. Some of the more minor, yet significant hits are also here. More impressive, EMI hand-tailored about a dozen versions of this release for each market it was released in. For instance, the US double disc version (on which this review is written) differs from the UK version by ten songs. EMI has done its homework and crafted a unique listening experience for each country according to record sales and chart success on a country by country basis. When have you ever seen such dedication from a record label? Again, this is not a definitive collection and everyone will find a few favorites missing, but this is as close as it gets without pushing the length into "box collection" proportions. Anyone who likes rock (classic, glam, pop, new wave, disco, etc.) should own this album, because Bowie pioneered ALL of these genres and more. He is a largely under-appreciated musical genius, especially in America.

This anthology comes in two versions: 1-CD with 20-tracks and 2-CDs with 39 tracks. If you are only interested in a handful of Bowie's most popular tracks, the one-disc version should suffice. However, if you are looking for a career overview that goes a little deeper than just the obvious cuts, this two-disc collection is recommended. The additional tracks presented here are essential listening to better get a grasp of what Bowie's eclectic career has been all about. Even two discs omits some important tracks (and limits the number of tracks chosen to 2-3 per album at most). However, if you are that interested in Bowie's career then you probably should invest in the original albums, particularly if you want the full-length album versions of many tracks that are heard here in their edited, single versions. I find that the most popular, highest-exposed tracks better retain their freshness when placed among lesser-known, high-quality cuts...but if you disagree there's that one-disc option.

Some of the lesser-known, later-period tracks (e.g., JUMP THEY SAY) hold up very well when packaged with such famous Bowie tracks as FAME and LET'S DANCE). One notable aspect of Bowie's career that often is overlooked is the quality of collaborators: such distinctive artists as Lester Bowie, Mick Ronson, Robert Fripp, Brian Eno, Nile Rodgers, etc. demonstrate that Bowie has never been wary of working with strong musical personalities...he may be the rock equivalent of Miles Davis in that regard. I would say this factor--and of course the enduring quality of his tunes--enable Bowie's music to stand the test of time arguably as well or better than any of his peers from rock's earlier eras. Overall, BEST OF BOWIE (2-CDs) manages to present an excellent overview of his career for those who don't have enough time or money to check out Bowie's many studio albums (some of which are all-time rock classics).

RCA Records, David Bowie's original label, released "Changesonebowie" in 1976 to capture in a bottle the stylistic ch-ch-changes David Bowie had taken his audience through in the first, more prolific years of his career. A master of synthesis, arguably music's most cosmpolitan personality, Bowie pulled from stage, cabaret, and music hall and poured it into some of the 1970s steel-coldest yet most beloved music . Only Bowie's mercurial personality and theatrical sense kept it from sounding derivative.

Similar in scope to the Rolling Stones' top-selling "Forty Licks," this "Best of Bowie" 2CD collection from Virgin records top-heavily puts most of that heady 70s era on one disc, sweeping the following 20 years' hits and misses on the second. Still, this is preferable to the similarly-packaged single Bowie best-of version: you get Bowie's signature songs ("Fame," "Suffragette City," tragically truncated versions of "Heroes" and "Young Americans"). You also get scattershot but popular early 80s hits from Bowie's reign as a stadium rocker ("China Girl," the disposable "Blue Jean" and "Dancing in The Street"). Finally, after chasing modern rock and pop figures from Trent Renzor to Moby to Puff Daddy (?!) for his next hit, Bowie had his renaissance upon turning 50 with the swirling "I'm Afraid Of Americans" and "Heathen's" superb "Slow Burn." As expected, some essential songs get missed: would have loved hearing "Stay," "Boys Keep Swinging," the original or disco versions of "John, I'm Only Dancing" somewhere on Disc One, or even more live tracks from "Stage" or "David Live." But the original LPs will do for those.

David Bowie managed to have hit songs and parlay them into a multi-million dollar fortune. He has a solid (if not always financially successful) acting career, is married to one of the world's most beautiful women and with her is raising a beautiful daughter. Yet this successful businessman and artist has managed after 30 years to link his music and himself to America's young, dispossessed teenage wildlife. "Best of Bowie" is the most complete snapshot of this still-alternative artist's career dichotomies since "Changesone," essential as an introduction and a worthy addition for longtime fans. From here, check out any of Bowie's legendary 1970s LPs, preferably Rykodisc's 90s versions which feature rare live and alternate tracks.

Let me tell you my story. Originally I purchased the single CD version of greates hits and found it just too inadequate. How could I have a collection of Bowie hits and not have "Life on Mars"?! Not only is it simply worth it for the economy to purchase the two-disc version, it's just smart to have another disc full of Bowie treasures. In a perfect world every Bowie fan would possess every album he put out, but if you can't go that route, check out this wonderful compilation of hits! Great for the neophyte, or the hard-core Bowie fan! I strongly recommend the reader to purchase this great collection. Cheers and Hails!

I finally decided to replace my ChangesOneBowie "LP" with this CD. I now have many more Bowie songs to listen to but the version of "Young Americans" included on this CD makes me feel I got ripped off. Right around the 2-minute mark it makes a rough transition to the more up-tempo ending, skipping the build-up the normal version has. At first I thought the cd skipped but that doesn't seem to be the case. So, if you're not attached to the "normal" version of "Young Americans" you should not be disappointed with this CD.

Absolutely get this over the single disc version. Why wouldn't you want another 19 tracks for 4-5 bucks. This is your best Bowie option besides getting all his albums. So much is here, even more than the big hits. The early classics, "Space Oddity", "Moonage Daydream", and "Rebel Rebel". You get "Heroes" and "Ashes to Ashes" and the four big hits from the "Let's Dance" album. Also included are the songs he did with Queen and Mick Jagger. I'm very happy to see "Time will crawl" from the "Never let me Down" album, as well as "Thursday's Child" from "Hours...", and "I'm Afraid of Americans" which he did with Trent Reznor. Even his recent "Heathen" album is included with the last track. If I was missing anything, it would probably be "Magic Dance" from the Labyrinth soundtrack. But even superb collections like this can't have everything. You know Bowie is possibly the coolest person in rock after Elvis, (they do share the same birthday). Replace your "Changes" hits collection from 1990 right now.