David Bowie - Best of David Bowie
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Artist: David BowieEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2002-10-22
Music Label: Virgin Records Us
Soundtracks:
- Space Oddity
- Changes
- Suffragette City
- Ziggy Stardust
- The Jean Genie
- Rebel, Rebel
- Young Americans
- Fame
- Golden Years
- Heroes
- Ashes To Ashes
- Fashion
- Under Pressure
- Let's Dance
- China Girl
- Modern Love
- Blue Jean
- Dancing In The Street
- This Is Not America
- I'm Afraid of Americans
Music reviews of Best of David Bowie
Music Review: Sturdy One-Disc Primer For Novices
Rating: 4 Stars
The chameleon of pop. Major Tom. Ziggy Stardust. The Thin White Duke. Folk, glam, soul, funk, dance, pop, drum & bass. David Bowie has gone through many pivotal phases in his illustrious career. But capturing the essence of his character for the sake of beginners is a tricky task. This one-disc compilation attempts to reconcile the many phases of Bowie's varied career within the 80 minute time limit imposed by the format. How well does it accomplish this task, and what material made the final cut?
Well:
1. Space Oddity- A folkie sort of tune about a man in space. Very well produced, with strings and other instruments occasionally adding flavour to this essentially acoustic song.
2. Changes- A classic pop tune. The "ch-ch-ch-changes" bit should be familiar to most, as should the "Time may change me/but I can't change time" refrain.
3. Suffragette City- "Hey Man" and "Wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am" are the choiciest bits of this glam rock track. This song signals Bowie's entry into glitter infamy as he takes up the persona of Ziggy Stardust.
4. Ziggy Stardust- Another classic. Very well produced: an acoustic on one stereo channel and an electric guitar on the other. Catchy, utterly senseless ("he could like 'em by smiling") and timeless.
5. The Jean Genie- Fantastic glam riff, so great it was later copped by the Sweet for "Blockbuster." The bass intro itself is great, and the lyrics are uber-bizarre.
6. Rebel, Rebel- One of Bowie's more well-known compositions. Take to guess what it's about?
7. Young Americans [Single Version]- Any bits of glam rock are gone by 1975. This track shows Bowie fully immerse himself into the Philly Soul sound, and the results are quite nice. Its a lively track, with back-up singers and the works, and there's a great frantic quality about the whole song. This compilation gives us the abridged single version. It's not a huge problem, though.
8. Fame- A funky masterpiece. It's got a street-wise minimalist strut that's hard to beat. Also from '75 and made with a little help from an ex-Beatle, this song is another instant Bowie classic. It's one of the highlights from the "Young Americans" album, and clearly a highlight of Bowie's career.
9. Golden Years [Single Version]- The funkyness of "Young Americans" is consolidated and plasticized on this track. The groove and the soul still there, but they've been molded into Bowie's framework. Again, this version is abridged.
10. Heroes [Single Version]- One of the best songs of all time. Heart-wrenching delivery, gripping lyrics that teem with a universal theme & unique production. This track was the one that most got my attention off the entire compilation. My misgiving? It's the abridged version. The original is over 6 minutes long and has Bowie's delivery evolved from aloof to extremely passionate. The edited version remains powerful, but a bit of the strength is sapped by cutting it down.
11. Ashes To Ashes [Single Version]- Remeber Major Tom? He's still around, but on this track, we find out he's actually a junkie "strung out in heaven's eye/hitting an all-time low." The song has a space-age production that still sounds fresh today, sort of like early Roxy Music taken to its logical extreme. Abridged, but that's no problem.
12. Fashion [Single Version]- Another abridged song? Yep. No problem, though. This slightly-veiled pastiche against fascism is remains great. Angular guitar work, dark neon production and goofy lyrics that counterpose fashion and authoritarianism all have a place in this song. Wonderful.
13. Under Pressure- Bowie and Queen. The bass line of the century. Universal subject. Excellent delivery. Classic all the way.
14. Let's Dance [Single Version]- The track that broke Bowie into our hearts. Moody, danceable, retro, modern... a set of contradictions embodied in a single track. Unbelievably fun, though. Abridged.
15. China Girl [Single Version]- Originally recorded by Iggy Pop but written by Bowie and the ex-Stooge, this song takes the moodyness found in Let's Dance and allows it to become the core of the composition. Any song that can incorporate oriental cliches, Marlon Brando and swastikas just so happens to be crazy enough to work. "Oh baby, just you shut your mouth...shhhh...." Abridged.
16. Modern Love- Takes off where the poppy Let's Dance track left off. Dancey with a bit of retro-jukebox twist, yet still a product of the 80s. Catchy and bouncey, but not as creatively-driven as his 70s output.
17. Blue Jea- Like Modern Love, but with the occasional horns. Good fun, but increasingly hollow.
18. Dancing In The Street- Bowie and Jagger. Should've been genius, like Bowie and Queen. Alas, its anything but. This cover of a Martha & the Vendellas track is notable for its triteness and shoddy nature. This is where the Bowie's quality control department instinct fell asleep at the wheel. Somehow, people remember this aberration, hence its inclusion here.
19. This Is Not America- David Bowie and Pat Metheny Group make a song. World falls asleep.
20. I'm Afraid of Americans (V1) [Radio Edit]- V1? Radio Edit? Well, the version on the "Earthling" album is quite different from the one here. It's arranged a bit differently and it has a different mix. This version stems from the "I'm Afraid of Americans" single, which is essentially an EP where Trent Reznor gets to muck about and make noise. There are 6 versions of the songs on that single. This is version one, i.e., V1. It's also shortened by about a minute. All I can say is that its not the best track off "Earthling," but it did get attention because of the video.
So what are the pros of this collection? Well, it touches upon most eras of Bowie's work. Great songs are chosen throughout. Its everything you might ever want, and then some.
Cons? The edited songs are sure to miff many fans, but for the most part, nothing really major is cut out. Another misgiving one can have about the collection lies in the fact that its a one-CD set, and thus omits many hits, favourites and even entire periods (hardly any album tracks from 84-97, nothing from 97-02!). One can also argue that the last few songs could have been replaced by better choices.
So what I have to say about this compilation? For me, it was an excellent introduction to Bowie. It wasn't too cumbersome, and it gave a solid overview. The latter tracks are weak selections, but aside from that, nothing else ticked me off. In retrospect, one would have hoped for better tracks at the end and maybe less abridged versions. But that's about the only big faults I can name. If you want a sturdy introduction to Bowie, check out some of the multiple-disc collections. If you are looking for an affordable one-disc Bowie compilation, this is a great place to start.
Description of Best of David Bowie
20 great tracks from SPACE ODDITY to I'M AFRAID OF AMERICANS. Nice booklet.Though one of rock's most influential figures, David Bowie's accomplishments are pocked by some distinct ironies. His willful efforts at being a musical and visual chameleon spurred triumphs in genres as diverse as folk, glam, new wave, and electronica. Given the dizzying range and success of his '70s incarnations--from Ziggy to the Thin White Duke to the gaunt, goth-cypher of Low and Heroes--he seemed the artist most well-equipped to weather the changing tides of taste and trend, yet saw his career essentially shrink to cult status after scoring his biggest triumphs when he reshaped the soulless, dance-oriented club music of the early '80s into his own image. This 20-track compilation does little to address the Chinese puzzle that has been Bowie's post-'85 career, but it does deliver an artistically dizzying slate of hits as it skips from one early peak to the next, from evocative cabaret ("Space Oddity," "Changes") through muscular glam-rock ("Suffragette City," "The Jean Genie") to R&B ("Young Americans," "Fame") and post-punk flirtations ("Ashes to Ashes," "Fashion") to the dance-club hits ("Let's Dance," "China Girl," "Modern Love") and '80s one-off duets ("Under Pressure" with Queen, "Dancing in the Streets" with Mick Jagger) that essentially marked the end of his superstar reign. Whole eras and at least one classic '70s album (Low) go completely unaddressed, but all of Bowie's signature hits are here, as well as Earthling's powerful, underappreciated "I'm Afraid of Americans." --Jerry McCulley
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