Customer Reviews

Station To Station [Deluxe Edition] (5CD /DVD/3LP)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am not commenting on the excellent music this set contains or the iconic artist who created it. There's no doubt in my mind that Station to Station is one of the most important and enjoyable albums from one of the top rock artists of all time, and fully deserves to be treasured as part of our cultural history and presented in the highest quality possible. So a super deluxe set like this is a compelling, and in my case, a necessary purchase.

And there is a lot about this set that was done right, from the inclusion of the highly regarded, original RCA CD mastering from the mid-80s, to an audiophile quality, 2 channel hi-resolution version of the album included on the DVD. Not to mention the vinyl and other goodies that make this set hard to resist for any fan.

But that makes it all the more maddening that EMI would deliberately sabotage the highly anticipated live concert CD included, as well as the (hard to get these days) 5.1 audio mix on the DVD with horrendous, over-compressed, brick-walled mastering that robs the music of it's natural dynamics and life. The continued insistence of the record companies to compress the life out of the music makes absolutely no sense on a super deluxe edition like this, and is driving away whatever discerning music purchasing buyers they have left.

We all need to complain to EMI for intentionally ruining the sound on the 5.1 mix, as well as the live tracks, if they are listening. At least they got the original 2 channel album right, so I'm still recommending this set despite some flaws.

I am NOT a fan of re-issues. I have bought very few re-issues, and don't have lots of cash for boxed sets. BUT... this is different. Aside from the fact that this album was perhaps the most significant "transformation" in a forty-year career of transformation, This package is truly, truly OUTSTANDING. First, from a sonic perspective, I just listened to the Harry Maslin (original producer / engineer) re-mastered 5.1 DVD audio: Holy crap, I am hearing sounds I've never heard before, and they are terrific! The clarity is amazing... it really sounds like you are in the studio, hearing the band right in front - and all around - you. (I listened to it on a $199.00 Sony Surround Sound system purchased about eight years ago, with one sub-woofer, one front center speaker and four directional / satellite speakers. Nothing fancy.) There are also a couple of remastered CD's - the original analogue remastered, plus the original CD remastered. But the big "prize" is the 1976 Nassau Colliseum gig. I was at the Garden gig the night before (or the night after?), and it was one of the most intense concerts I have ever seen and heard. The band was as tight as can be, Bowie was in top form, and the crowd was truly blown away! (And for good reason - the band and Bowie put on a rock concert which brought the crowd into another dimension for the entire night. Truly pulsating, and mesmerizing.) With the deluxe boxed set, you get the concert as an album, and on CD's. But here is the "bonus" - lots of little goodies, in the form of photo booklets, press packages, fan club replica material, a poster, and a couple of cute little photo pins. In the replica press kit, there is a replica four page bio. I was shocked at how impressively this was done. The four-page bio is on "authentic" RCA Victor stationery, and it is actually typeset to replicate the old style type, similar to an IBM Selectric! It is even stapled together with one staple, almost haphazardly, giving the true look of what it probably looked like... EXACTLY. This was obviously done in painstaking fashion, and could be interpreted as nothing less than a labor of love. They call this package the "ultimate fan experience". I never considered myself one of those types of fans... I was "above" that. But not this time. This package is worth every single penny! Well done, everyone. Kudos. WOW!!!

as another reviewer mentions there is no need to comment further on the album itself - this is surely one of Bowie's best and serves as the all important transition into the Berlin years - so I will stick to the package itself. It is fantastic in the amount of material provided to the purchaser, everything from all the versions of the album, the additional Nassau show, the singles CD and all the little goodies (pins, numbered ticket, press kits) and including the giant poster. In that respect my only complaint is the lack of video of the 1976 tour - no Dinah Shore video for instance, none of the video from the tour rehearsal that every Bowie fan knows exists and no live footage from any of the '76 shows - to me that is a HUGE omission - but given everything else in the set I'll still give it five stars. Obviously the variations in the current and future reviews are probably gonna center on how one perceives the various mixes of the album. I have always been a big fan of the original vinyl analog mix and it sounds awesome on the lp included in this set, probably the best it is ever going to sound for that matter - same goes for the Nassau vinyl - since there was no 'official' release to compare this to, I will just have to say it's probably the best Bowie live album I have (And I have plenty) - the band is awesome, the song selection is great and the STS songs here might be the best live versions of any Bowie tour. So, let me address what seems to be the biggest complaint by other reviews - the 5.1 mix. Yes, it IS different, especially on TVC15, which is almost a different song because of what the mix does to the sound (more reverb for instance, especially on the chorus); but, given the subject of the song, it works for me - Station To Station, I think, comes out best because there is just a plethora of new, previously unheard sounds - Golden Years suffers the most - it was kind of a sparse song to begin with and the 5.1 manages to separate the individual instruments SO much that it sounds tinny and distant compared to the analog version. I completely understand the complaints of others - however, I am paying the extra money specially for these all of the various versions and I am happy with what I got - yes, they are different, and some songs work, some songs don't but based on previous experiences with these types of rereleases I knew that going in - the huge variety of EVERYTHING included in the package and the pleasure (and some disappointments) of listening to this wonderful album in all of its iterations make it a worthy purchase. And this IS, to some degree, a cold and distant album, so the 5.1 mix compliments that (although sometimes to the extreme). Does it improve the analog mix? No. But it does give you a different way to experience it and that's what I wanted. If you are basing your purchase solely on the 5.1 mix then perhaps the 3-cd or single cd versions might be a better (and considerably cheaper) option. However, if you are more of a completist and willing to accept that not everything is going to meet your highest expectations then I recommend this package for the opportunity to hear Station To Station in so many different ways.

THIS IS A TOTALLY DISAPPOINTING 5.1 SURROUND MIX! Compare this style of surround mixing to any of Tony Visconti's excellent Bowie surround work or other non-Bowie discs such as "Gaucho", "Dark Side Of The Moon", "A Night At The Opera" or "In The Court Of The Crimson King" and you'll understand how badly Harry Maslin blew it. If we only want tons of reverberation in the rear speakers for this release, we can do that with the DSP feature on our receivers using the stereo CD! That is essentially what has been done with this 5.1 mix, albeit with the new INFERIOR stereo remix.

The 5.1 surround injustice to this Bowie masterpiece needs to be rectified! It's not out of the question to have this remixed and re-released. I believe that "Gaucho" & "A Night At The Opera" were both mixed and released twice in surround before the "final" 5.1 versions were deemed optimum.

The only way to obtain the 5.1 surround mix of "Station To Station" is to buy this overly elaborate and expensive set. Why not let vinyl lovers buy the vinyl only and let the rest of us buy the CD/DVD discs only? There are two separate camps of music enthusiasts, don't force them to buy what they don't want! David Bowie and his millions of fans deserve much better than what was perpetrated upon us by this pompous maneuver!

As a long time (40 years) Bowie Fan, this package is a delight, both for its content, most of which I have, and for the extras, some of which I did not have. The package is great, although the CDs fit a little too tightly in the sleeves. The sound is great and every item from the Fan Club is reproduced beautifully. The Nassau live concert is absolutely great and took me back to the arena. The recent magazines spotlighting Bowie from this period fill in a lot of gaps. It's a hefty price tag, but an enjoyable piece of music and nostalgia.

Station to station Deluxe Box Set is a priceless reissue of one of the quintessential David Bowie albums. Not only it is a piece of ageless modern rock, but a milestone in Bowie's versatile career. The new remastered version sounds very polished, with different mixes and masters you can compare the differences between them. LiveNassau extra-live CD is a rare treat, probably the best live album David Bowie has ever released. Other memorabilia and picture booklet is a nice added bonus. Highly recommended.

After comparing the two CD versions included in this extravagant set against the 1999 remaster of STS, I've decided to keep the older CD as my "go to" version. Also, it's nice to have the LP back in my collection after losing the original to Hurricane Katrina 5 years ago. The live show is OK - I prefer the two previously released concert albums "David Live" and "Stage". But the best thing about this boxset is the DVD - not for the surround mix, but for Harry Maslin's new high-resolution stereo mix of the album - it's awesome! It features a completely different sounding mix with louder drums. If it wasn't for this exciting new mix (included only in the Super Deluxe package) I wouldn't recommend this set.

beautiful package beautiful music but my bowie friends how many copies do u need of the same thing i purchased this box purerly for the 5,1 version i feel worried about how they are going to handle the up and comming triolgy lodger low and heroes feels like r c a singles all over again fans will know what i mean

Forget the anal audiophiles here who just live to complain and be negative. This set is a true Bowie fan's dream. This brilliant album is presented in multiple, distinct mixes on the dvd, plus a transfer from the original analogue, so there's NO REASON for everyone not to find the version they enjoy most. The extras, and the incredible Nassau show are the icing on a gorgeous sonic cake!

This is what I would describe as DELICIOUS! "Absolutely fabulous" would be an understatment. I bought this for my son as a gift and he could not be happier! This is a veritable feast for the eyes and ears that any music lover would appreciate. Buy it.......you will not be disappointed!