Customer Reviews

Reality

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Amazon doesn't mention that this '07 Japan mini-sleeve edition carries a bonus disc containing some great non-album tracks & remixes. Here is the track list for the bonus disc:

12. Waterloo Sunset
13. Fly
14. Queen Of All The Tarts (Overture)
15. Rebel Rebel 2003 RE-RECORDING
16. Love Missle F1 Eleven
17. Rebel Never Gets Old RADIO MIX
18. Rebel Never Gets Old 7TH HEAVEN EDIT
19. Rebel Never Gets Old 7TH HEAVEN MIX

The audio on the main disc is the same '04 remaster. However, the mastering on the bonus disc is notably improved over many of the original singles' audio. Presumably, this is the same edition as the 2004 2CD jewel box re-release.

WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?

Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.

Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.

Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.

Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.

All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.

I own almost every Bowie album except for some of his soundtracks. This album ranks above the Scary Monsters album that other reviewers have compared it to because the sound quality and song writing has improved over the 20-30 year span since Scary Monsters came out. The quality of the sound production is more like his later Heathen or Hours. I highly recommend this album for David Bowie fans or fans of highly produced 90's style of music with crisp guitars mixed in with strong drum tracks and keyboards.

Enjoy

I've been a fan of David Bowie's music since the late 60's when his creative, unmistakable and unique sound first hit the music scene. Although I don't like all of his music, for the most part I think he's aged like a very fine bottle of wine. He is without a doubt a creative genius who has never been afraid to enter new areas of music and has never rested on his past successes. In my opinion his album Reality from 2003 (which I purchased about 1 year ago) is without a doubt one of his finest works, perhaps his best since Station to Station. I probably listen to this album more often than any other album or cd I own, and I own roughly 1,250 albums and cds including all of the Beatles and most of Bruce Springsteen's works. If you enjoy listening to David Bowie and for whatever reason you havn't listened to Reality yet you owe it to yourself to buy this marvelous cd. You will not be dissapointed!

Waterloo Sunset, an AMAZING Kinks cover, is on the Japan-only bonus disc, but available as an mp3 download on amazon.co.uk. Why not available to US customers???