2005, EMI
Grade: B
This generation knows more about David Bowie’s love affair with supermodel Iman than the epic career that preceded it. I say it’s time for those who know better to teach the uninformed: call him the Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust, Lord of the Labyrinth, he is the premier chameleon of his time. We, as mere mortals, can only do our best to keep up with him. With the re-release of his pinnacle concert album, David Live, we are again reminded why we still try.
David Live was recorded during Bowie’s 1974 American tour in support of Diamond Dogs. It was a strange year for the Duke; known for his ever-changing stage presence, he had surpassed his time as the deity known as Ziggy Stardust and fell into a sort of R&B-esque limbo as he quickly evolved into the Thin White Duke. The inconsistency caused by this pseudo-identity crisis is clearly heard during this set, recorded with primitive technology in Philadelphia at the legendary Tower Theatre.
As legend has it, Tony Visconti, Bowie’s longtime collaborator and producer, was on his way to the venue when he got stuck in traffic, arriving just in time to watch Bowie take his final bow. Whether the muddy, one-dimensional quality of the original release of this set is due to his absence or not, it is clear that his presence during the re-mastering process was nothing short of revolutionary. In addition to sound, improvements were also made to the set-list of the original compilation, now expanded to include a cover of “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” (which originally appeared on the Ohio Player’s 1968 album Observation in Time) and the Bowie staple “Space Oddity” (the song was first recorded by being sung into a telephone and was not included on the 1974 release because, as one might imagine, of poor sound quality). Visconti’s influence is also seen in the eloquent liner notes that are included in the re-mastered version.
Although many (re: all generations previous to ‘Y’) still feel nothing will ever compare to the mood set through vinyl records, a lot can be said for the warmth and depth now given to Bowie’s voice thanks to our modern technology. The production has been cleaned up, though not altered; the stereo separation is audible, individual instruments are more pronounced, and the audience’s appreciative cheers and applause still remain understated. But above all, it was Bowie’s voice that made the first release of this album a hit to true fans, and thirty years later, that sentiment still holds true.
Devout Bowie-ites are still out there, evidence of which can be found in the astronomical success of last summer’s Reality Tour. Therefore, I fully expect for those associated with the re-release of this project to make the money that they intended to. Honestly now, everyone knows there is always one reason packages of mediocre recordings are re-mastered and the answer begins and ends with one word: cash. But I did call this concert a pinnacle in Bowie’s career, and for good reason. It signaled a change in an already anomalous career. He stripped himself of his Stardust sparkles and allowed his fans to find out more about who he truly was, both in his music and stage presence. And, whether or not it is my American ego-centrism talking, his stint here had something to do with the ‘changes’ (pun intended) in his musical spectrum. This album is thankfully incomplete, hard to label, even harder to judge. David Live is still not a great recording, but then again, it never was. But re-mixed, re-mastered, and re-packaged, there is no doubt that this album is worth the second chance it’s been given.
Sam Spector
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