Black Tie White Noise [ENHANCED] [EXTRA TRACKS] [LIMITED EDITION] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

David Bowie

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 13, 2004)
• Original Release Date: January 2004
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Enhanced, Extra tracks, Limited Edition, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B00011V8CW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #163,841 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Wedding

2. You've Been Around

3. I Feel Free

4. Black Tie White Noise - David Bowie, Al B. Sure!

5. Jump They Say

6. Nite Flights

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Real Cool World

2. Lucy Can't Dance

3. Jump They Say [Rock Mix]

4. Black Tie White Noise [3rd Floor US Radio Mix] - David Bowie, Al B. Sure!

5. Miracle Goodnight [Make Believe Mix]

6. Don't Let Me Down & Down [Indonesian Vocal Mix]

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Introduction [Multimedia Track]

2. With Lester Bowie [Multimedia Track]

3. On Reeves Gabrels [Multimedia Track]

4. You've Been Around [Multimedia Track]

5. Expanding and Experimenting [Multimedia Track]

6. Nite Flights [Multimedia Track]

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Black Tie and Red Shoes Required, January 24, 2004

By	joe449 (Lakewood, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

It's good to see the re-emergence of 'Black Tie White Noise' after having been unavailable for years. The album itself seemed to get lost in the shuffle during the 90s, and after the radical 'Outside' and 'Earthling,' it was something of a distant memory.

In truth, BTWN deserves to be re-discovered. While it might not be a Bowie classic, anyone who enjoyed 'Young Americans' and 'Let's Dance' should check out this album. It's all about rhythm here, and along with the two above mentioned albums, you can dance to it! The production is very dense, with an emphasis on the groove and texture. Highlights include "Miracle Goodnight," the Tin Machine reject "You've Been Around," and the terrific "Nite Flights," originally penned by Scott Walker. There's also David's excellent cover of Morrissey's "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday," which sounds like it could have been straight off of 'Young Americans.'

The deluxe packaging also includes an excellent companion CD full of extra tracks and remixes, and a DVD of the 1993 documentary which was originally available on home video to support BTWN. This contains a revealing interview with David, promo clips, and studio performance shots of several tracks from the album. My only gripe about the DVD is the editing of the interview. David can't even finish a sentence before it cuts to him speaking about something else. This goes on back and forth throughout the entire interview. It would have been a nice touch to add an extra menu option to watch the interview unedited, without the annoying cuts.

Overall, it's good to see this album back on the shelves with the extra goodies. It still sounds great, and is recommended for anyone who might have missed it the first time.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good deal a decade later, February 18, 2004

By	Charles A. Miller (Baltimore, Maryland U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

I must take this opportunity to both praise this reissue and try to get the overall rating up due to a one-star review by a previous critic. Hey, if you don't like the packaging, complain about it in your review, but don't bash the music itself by giving the album a single star. This gives the reader the impression that the music is bad, which it isn't.

Yes, it is frustrating when artists reissue their older work with a couple of bonus tracks as the earlier reviewer pointed out. It is even more frustrating when they seem to intentionally do this by releasing the "deluxe" version only a few weeks after the "regular" edition. However, this is not the case here. The bonus material is not merely a few bonus tracks, but rather, a 74-minute CD with 12 previously unheard tracks. And, as if that wasn't enough, there's a pretty good DVD to boot. Finally, this reissue comes a decade after the original release, not just a few weeks later. After all this time, the additional material is certainly justified.

Are the remixes and the DVD individually as good as the original single CD release? Of course not, but the $30 price tag for all 3 discs is really not bad, even for those who already own the original release. There is 3 hours of material here. And, if you liked the original release to begin with, the remixes are certainly nothing to complain about. At the very worst, they are fun to listen to. At the best, they expand and enhance the original experience.

I certainly agree with another reviewer that packaging itself is unnecessarily bulky, but here, in the review, is where that should be mentioned, not in the overall rating. It would have been better if the two music discs were packaged in the two-pack slimline jewel case, giving the DVD its own jewel case, and thereby, more convenient to leave next to the DVD player, but that's a small quibble. I would not lower the rating over issues like these.

All that said, this album is a forgotten classic from Mr. Bowie. While very much unlike many of his releases (certainly unlike the magnificent "Outside" and "Earthling" that followed), it demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that David Bowie is a consummate artist, capable of exploring the realms of jazz as easily as his more edgy works. Actually, I was not crazy about this album when it originally was released as it seemed a bit slick and over-produced at the time. But hey, people mature, and being confronted with this flashy reissue demonstrated to me how valid this work was to begin with.

Buy it before it's gone folks... you'll kick yourself if you don't, or pay way too much for it on eBay after it's gone.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars overlooked early 90s record well worth big package, January 15, 2004

By A Customer

You may have missed this record first time around. The label collapsed near its release and there was very little promotion, although it received critical praise. If you enjoy Bowie for his expansiveness and you like funky, clean r&b delivered suave & British, then you should like this. I read Nile Rogers (who co-produced) say Bowie's a sax player like Bill Clinton's a sax player, which may not be the highest praise, but his style works very well on these tracks. (And of course there are technically better players, but Bowie's artistry is what shines.) If you did buy this record the first time around, you know he made it shortly after marrying Iman and that it feels smooth but edgy, confident, romantic, and soulful, and you probably like it very much, but may be wondering about buying it again for the extra CD and DVD. The second CD feels very familiar to the first, and for me that's a compliment. The bonus tracks from the original issue move to the second disc here, and included are numerous club style remixes and single versions--great for evening drives. The DVD is a great addition; always compelling visually, Bowie just looks really cool here & suited to his element. Full videos and entertaining, well-produced interviews throughout. This was a groovy period for an always interesting and usually brilliant artist. Recommend getting this edition while you can. I'm thankful that a record that deserved a wider audience is getting such lavish treatment 10 years later--it deserves it.