Search - David Bowie :: Stage (Spec)

Outrageously Great!

Talking Wall | Queen Creek, AZ | 04/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a recently converted Bowie fan. Back in the days of Ziggy and Aladdin Sane I didn't listen. I was too caught up in bands like King Crimson and jazz musicians like Miles Davis. Besides, my strict church upbringing caused me to cringe at Bowie's personas. Fast forward about 40 years and suddenly I'm out snapping up every Bowie release I can find (including Stage). It all started when I picked up a copy of "Heroes" because I wanted to hear more of the sessions with Eno and Robert Fripp (never a miss). I'd heard "DJ", "Boys" and "Fashion" and was blown away back in the day, but when those came out I was a brand new father who had transplanted the family from the US to Rugby England where I worked at the local GEC. There wasn't enough in my weekly pay-packet to spend on records (the CD was not around back then, my how the world has changed, even CDs are headed for extinction). But I digress:



I've read where some have written this was the finest band Bowie ever put on a stage. I always become suspect when I read things like that. Well, my copy of Stage was awaiting me on the dining room table when I got home from work yesterday. The Mrs is back in England for a visit with family so, being all alone, I popped disc 1 in the home entertainment system. I now have joined all those fans and critics who provided all those accolades. This band is blazing hot. Adrian Belew and Simon House were the perfect additions to Bowie's constant rhythm section of that day. When I first considered ordering this and saw that selections from "Heroes" and Low were included I just couldn't envision any one, even Bowie, pulling that off. House and Belew made this possible and credible.



I've read where some critics felt this live CD didn't offer anything new, i.e., it was just a live exercise in memorization. That is complete rubbish. There are new takes on many of these pieces including those that were recorded in the Low and "Heroes" sessions.



I'm really a hard guy to "impress" musically. I do love music from just about any genre as long as it is from the heart. But I am also a musician (jazz guitar and vocal) so generally I'm a little more critical about live performances. All I can convey to you is this is a superb set, I was not disappointed and Stage will get heavy rotation (along with my new copies of Lodger and Scary Monsters) in my CD players. Stage just blows me away. oh, and the special edition packaging is unusual and makes for a great presentation. I do wish Bowie had included some pix of the band. When you see Bowie in interviews, he seems like such a humble guy, but when he releases a record it's clear that this is HIS show and presentation. I guess that's ok.



oh, and a bit of trivia. For those who own Stage and wonder just what a "Chamberlain" is (Bowie is credited on this disk set as playing a "Chamberlain"), go and look it up on the Wikipedia. The Chamberlain was the first "sampling" device that worked using strips of magnetic tape (on which there was a recorded sound such as a violin). A key is pressed on the keyboard and the tape is released, gravity pulls the tape over a tape head and amplified. Presto, a violin sound is heard. The Chamberlain was the fore-runner of the Mellotron, in fact, the Chamberlain salesman, fed up with slow sales, spirited his demonstration device away to England where it was tweaked and produced as the wonderful Mellotron heard played in bands like Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, etc.



Bowie really is one amazing "cat" and I hope he finds just one more tour in him so that I can see it all first-hand."

Liked this one better than ziggy live

David A. Wilson | 01/23/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"fantastic,fantastic sound&preformanses,brian eno contributes greatly to this live c.d.worth it alone just for the live version of "warzawa"but everything else on this c.d. is also brilliantly preformed"