Bowie At The Beeb

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The BBC has gone ahead and wrecked a sizable chunk of the bootlegger's David Bowie section by releasing the best of ten sessions he did with the Beeb from 1968 - 72. Brilliant! It's been released as a two CD set with a supposedly limited edition third CD recorded in June earlier this year. Amazing! And it's all for the same price as a normal, every day, run of the mill one disc CD. Class and all!

This superb collection of songs, styles and influences, when put together monitors how the thin white hippy evolved into Ziggy Stardust. CD One opens with catchy pop brilliance, followed by a dabbling of free festival festivities, and ending with the grand unveiling of Mick Ronson's public debut with Bowie on a half-written "Width Of A Circle". Ronson then rocks out for the remainder of the disc whilst the other Spiders quickly take their positions. Then CD2...

This disc is worth the money alone, with many of the tracks perhaps better and definitely more personal than the 'original' versions. Opening (in stereo) with a Ronson/Bowie duet, the first session displays their close musical bond in a real intimate way. When the other Spiders join in (at full throttle) we see how Bowie immersed himself in the velvet New York underground during english BBC time with the covers of "Waiting For The Man" and "White Light/White Heat", along with the brilliant "Andy Warhol". These sit nicely in amongst a best of "Hunky Dory" and "Ziggy Stardust" compilation providing unique glimpses of the Stardust phenomenon. On a down note the same Ziggy track appears twice as a pressing error but you can easily obtain the other version as a one track CD by emailing your postal address and predicament to EMI. Worth it, along with the third CD...

Fresh off the Glastonbury 2000 stage Bowie with band, notably Mike Garson (Aladdin Sane mayhem) and Earl Slick (Station To Station ruthlessness) caress and destroy through a whole catalogue. Ranging from the tenderness of "Wild Is The Wind" to the slaptastic "Ashes To Ashes" and from the futuristic "Hallo Spaceboy" to the highly aroused "Cracked Actor", this session highlights an illustrious career of ever-changing influences, styles and songs. But Bowie being Bowie was not satisfied with this collection being enough for his audience. He then remixed "The Man Who Sold The World" and, using his website, chose the fans' favourite version which is on sale with these other 51 tracks. Cover art by Guy Peellaert of Diamond Dogs fame.