Bowies “Ziggy Stardust”-tour started in Aylesbury in January 1972 and ended in London in July 1973. At the end of the tour the shows included several songs from the recently released “Aladdin Sane” but during 1972 the shows showcased many older songs, including several from the 1971 album “Hunky Dory”. “Live Santa Monica ‘72” is recorded in October ’72 and part of the “early phase”. So how does this album do?
Continue reading “David Bowie – Live Santa Monica ’72 (2008)”
“Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” is a documentary and concert film by D. A. Pennebaker that covers the last concert of the Ziggy era. It was the show where Bowie famously “retired”…
“Of all the shows on this tour, this particular show will remain with us the longest, because not only is it the last show of the tour, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do. Thank you.”
Continue reading “David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture (1983)”
I really dislike this album. Bowie at the height of his powers and he wastes it on a useless covers-album? It is so boring. Bowie wanted to celebrate the bands he listened to in the sixties. Maybe if you were around at the time you could appreciate it more, or if you like the music from the era very much. I am not one of those.
Covers can obviously be great, but quite often I am a bit disappointed. The artists want to celebrate their musical heroes themselves, sure, but is it as emotional for me? Not so often. The last album in the “Remastered in vinyl IV” box is Kate’s collection of songs not written by herself. Kate Bush being an artist that is defined by her writing skills, I find this at best a curiosity. All cats stay safe!
“The other side” are two LPs full of b-sides and odd tracks from Kate’s career. The LP-covers have two variants of the same photo and they are among her best album art ever. We see Kate’s bare back with her arms in a pose for a mysterious signal. Lyrics from “Running up that hill” on her arms. Can the great cover pictures be an indication of the content? Are there hidden treasures here?
I have never been a big fan of remixes. It was a very popular thing in the eighties, when I started to collect vinyl the first time, but I never got it. How many versions were there of Paul McCartney’s “No more lonely nights” really? Way too many I think… Tongue in cheek.
The first thing I think of is the great sound quality and the full and rich soundscape of this live recording. This is taken from Kate’s second ever tour, the “Before the dawn” show. 22 shows were performed at Hammersmith Odeon in London in the autumn of 2014. This was Kate’s second tour and the first one was in 1979! This lady is surely not giving us fans many opportunities to see her live. I regret I did not fly to London as it was the only stop of the 2014 “World” tour. Of course, I didn’t know about the shows when the tickets went up for sale, but I can feel regret anyway, can’t I?
