David Bowie - live Santa Monica '72

[Grant]

Comes out tomorrow.

David Bowie = Live Santa Monica '72: amazon.co.uk (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00166QJRU/ref=nosim?tag=mondoerotico05)

"...certainly one of the most important archive releases of the year." - Record Collector

"This is the sound of Bowie at his most original and exciting. Essential stuff." - Select

"This is the best live album ever recorded. Own it or suffer in purgatory for all time." - Melody Maker

"...David Bowie's classic concert broadcast with The Spiders From Mars....is finally available as SANTA MONICA '72. And you need it at least for the 10-minute wig out on "The Width of a Circle," a fat slice of the late Mick Ronson in his glitter blitzkrieg-guitar prime..." Rolling Stone

The first in a projected series of official archival concerts from Bowie (the '76 Nassau gig is up next and there are mutterings about a DVD/CD release for 'Cracked Actor') all in limited edition packaging. If you haven't heard this Ziggy concert it blows the soundtrack of the farewell gig out of the water.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NwY7wUd-L._SL500_AA240_.jpg (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00166QJRU/ref=nosim?tag=mondoerotico05)

[Buh]

I'm sure I already have this on CD. Not my favourite Bowie era but a great concert, and like you say much better than the Ziggy Motion Picture soundtrack.

[Vaughan]

This is the first time on official CD, and it apparently has been much improved soundwise.

I'd like some new Bowie, and hope they continue with the Special Editions of his back catalog.

[MarcMorris]

I've had this a couple of times - first as a red vinyl boot (in two parts) on the Trademark of Quality label, then as a CD release that was available in specialist shops around 10 years or so ago. It really is a great recording with David very much out of it most of the time.

[Vaughan]

Like I say, this is the first official release with remastered sound. It's done the rounds as a bootleg for years. They've also done a whole series of these for Bob Dylan (including the famous "Judas!" concert) and they're all worth picking up if you're a fan.

The next Special Edition would have been Station to Station, and I hope they continue. After listening to Young Americans in Surround Sound, it's something I know I'd love. The rumor was Bowie had recorded a new album, but it seems to have sunk without a trace.

[Cinedelica]

Just noticed this topic - I got the press release when it first got announced and complained to EMI that it was officially released by Mainman (Bowie's own short-lived independent label) about 10 years back, complete with replica ticket. They changed their release soon after. Some other albums came out around that time on same label - and all sold through chain record stores.

But I digress, a great album, much more 'real' than the Ziggy soundtrack (which was overdub central but still sounded rubbish). In fact, I'm off to listen to it now.

[Grant]

Mainman were actually Bowie's management company during 1971-1975 until he took them to court and broke free from his contract which gave them 50% of the profits from everything he did. The court ruled that they would still get a lesser percentage of royalties of all music releases between 1969-1982 but retain the masters of everything from 1969-1975.
The Golden Years/Mainman releases from the mid nineties were unauthorised by Bowie and through legal action he stopped them. The Bowie bonds deal in 1999 gave him the millions he needed to buy the masters back from Mainman so that he then owned all of his own back catalogue.
Apparently the head of Mainman, Tony De Fries is writing an autobiography which should be a fascinating read...

[Vaughan]

I got this, and think it's excellent. I've played it quite a few times since getting it, and think it's truly a must have.

The CD itself comes in a box. The CD is in a cardboard cover. Along with that you get three reproduction publicity shots on postcards, and a fold out poster. On the reverse side of the poster is a review from the time of the original release. Along side that, you get a decent booklet too with information and pictures.

All in then, a good release both musically as as a complete package. Recommended.

[Grant]

EMI will possibly release both 'hunky dory' and 'low' as special editions hopefully. Two of my favourite Bowie albums.

[Vaughan]

Station to Station is next in the discography for a special edition, so I'm hoping for that.

Have you gotten the Phillip Glass "Low" album?

[Grant]

Yes I found Glass' Low symphony quite interesting, the Heroes symphony less so.

[Cinedelica]

I've already bought most of the Bowie albums twice on CD (RCA and original EMI), not to mention the vinyl and the vinyl picture discs, Sound and Vision box and numerous bootlegs - managed to avoid the last round of reissues thankfully. Personally, I'd just like a collection/box of rarities rather than having to shell out again and again, nice packaging or not.

[Vaughan]

The Ryko discs were the best on CD, imo.

But I've rebought Aladdin Sane, Ziggy, and Young Americans in special editions because they were worth it. The first two for the extraordinary booklets, and the latter for the very good 5.1 surround mix.

If they keep doing interesting Bowie reissues I'll keep buying them. The last batch of EMI release were poor though. Basically, they took the Ryko discs, ripped out the extra tracks - and put them out.

[Grant]

Agreed about EMI, the '99 reissues were a complete waste of time. The live albums have been improved though. The Ziggy soundtrack benefited from a remix by Tony Visconti, David Live was expanded and Stage put back into original sequence as per the concert. All three feature some nice packaging too.

[MarcMorris]

I had the vinyl, then the RCA CDs and then I had a friend send me the American Ryko discs when they first came out, which I still have. I must say that I was a tad disappointed with the Ziggy mix as I'd been so used to the vinyl mix - particularly on Starman, which just sounded weak compared to the vinyl mix. I even remember running the two side by side and the vinyl had the best sound by far.

I wonder if we'll ever get a legit release of The 1980 Floor Show on DVD?

Or even David Hemmings' film of Stage?

[Grant]

The floor show is owned by NBC who want $250,000 to release it so I've read. Would be wonderful if Hemmings' Stage material could be assembled at some point. Also the filmed Hype concert at the Roundhouse from 1970 and a complete Diamond Dogs gig.

[Vaughan]

Agreed about EMI, the '99 reissues were a complete waste of time. The live albums have been improved though. The Ziggy soundtrack benefited from a remix by Tony Visconti, David Live was expanded and Stage put back into original sequence as per the concert. All three feature some nice packaging too.

Oops, I forgot those! Indeed, Stage in particular was a revelation with it's reissue. David Live is great too.

[Grant]

Here's a rare video of Bowie in Hansa studios in Berlin in '77 for 'Sense of Doubt'

YouTube: Sense Of Doubt (RARE HANSA STUDIOS FILM)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy3VvAIz5-c&feature=related)

[MarcMorris]

Wow - I'd love to see more of that! Fabulous stuff indeed. I just downloaded it too ;)

[Cinedelica]

On that subject, can anyone recommend a decent program for downloading clips from YouTube for the Mac? The one I used to use stopped working some time back...

[MarcMorris]

You don't need a programme to do this on a Mac. Just go into your activity viewer (in Safari) and look for the large file that's downloading as the video is playing. Double click on it and it will save to your desktop (or wherever else you have Safari downloads set to save) as "get_video". Then rename it with the file extension ".flv" Then you can open it up and convert to video using MPEG Streamclip.

[Cinedelica]

Thanks for that - I'll give it shot!