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David Bowie / Five Years 1969-1973: new CD and vinyl box sets

By Paul Sinclair

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187

fiveyears

In September, Parlophone Records will release Five Years, a 12CD or 13LP box set that will feature “all of the material officially released” by David Bowie between 1969 and 1973.

Bowie’s six studio albums of this period – David Bowie / Space Oddity*, The Man Who Sold The World*, Hunky Dory*, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, and PinUps* – are all included, and the asterisks indicate new 2015 remasters.

There will be no bonus tracks appended to the albums, instead Five Years comes with Re:Call 1 an exclusive two disc compilation of non-album singles, single versions and B-sides. Much of this material will be familiar to collectors who picked up the Rykodisc/EMI remasters back in 1990/91 although Re:Call 1 does include a previously unreleased single edit of All The Madmen, and the original single version of Holy Holy, which was only ever released on the original 1971 Mercury single and hasn’t been available on any official release since (the version on the Ryko edition of The Man Who Sold The World is mislabelled).

Another box set exclusive will be the inclusion of Ken Scott’s 2003 stereo remix of The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars – previously only available on DVD with the LP/DVD format of the 40th anniversary edition of the album. This is in addition to the standard version, which presumably uses the 2012 40th Anniversary remaster. The 2003 remix version comes with an alternate cover which features an outtake from the original Heddon Street photo session.

Finally, Five Years also includes the two live albums officially released: Live Santa Monica ‘72 and Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture Soundtrack.

fiveyears2

The vinyl version of Five Years has exactly the same content as the CD edition and is pressed on 180g ‘audiophile’ vinyl. Both CD and vinyl boxes come with an accompanying book (128 pages in the CD box and 84 in the vinyl set) which feature rare photos and technical notes about each album from producers Tony Visconti and Ken Scott.

Update 19:00 23/6: The label has confirmed to SDE that as far as the vinyl is concerned “everything is remastered from analogue except for a couple of tracks on Re:Call where we had no analogue source available.”

The CD box set will include “faithfully reproduced mini-vinyl versions” of the original albums and the CDs will be gold rather than the usual silver. It is not clear whether these will be high quality Japanese standard, Beatles-Mono-Box replicas, or the cheaper, smaller card sleeve CDs you get in most ‘complete album collection’ sets.

Update 19:00 23/6: SDE has been in touch with the label who have confirmed that these are high quality ‘Japanese-style’ packaging not simply card sleeves with CDs in them. To quote “a great deal of care, love and attention to detail has been taken on getting them right and looking beautiful.”

It should be noted that although this box is said to include all of the material “officially released” by David Bowie between ’69 and 1973 it doesn’t include all the material that wasn’t released at the time but subsequently ended up on reissues and box sets. For example, you won’t find the demos of Quicksand and Ziggy Stardust, unreleased songs such as London Bye Ta Ta, Bombers and Sweet Head, or the alternate versions of The Supermen and The Bewlay Brothers anywhere in this new box.

Five Years 1969-1973 is the first ‘in a series’ of Bowie boxes from Parlophone and will be released on 25 September 2015. Leave a comment and tell us what you think of it.

fiveyears
CD box set – click to enlarge

Five Years / 12CD Box Set

vinylfiveyears
Vinyl box – click to enlarge

Five Years / 13LP Vinyl Box Set

 In The Box:

  • • David Bowie AKA Space Oddity*
  • • The Man Who Sold The World*
  • • Hunky Dory*
  • • The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
  • • Aladdin Sane
  • • Pin Ups*
  • • Live Santa Monica ‘72
  • • Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture Soundtrack
  • • The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (2003 Ken Scott mix)
  • • Re:Call 1 (2CD set)

Re:Call 1 tracklisting

CD1

  1. Space Oddity (original UK mono single edit)*
  2. Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (original UK mono single version)*
  3. Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola
  4. The Prettiest Star (original mono single version)*
  5. Conversation Piece*
  6. Memory Of A Free Festival (Part 1)
  7. Memory Of A Free Festival (Part 2)
  8. All The Madmen (mono single edit)* previously unreleased
  9. Janine*
  10. Holy Holy (original mono single version)* only ever issued on original ‘71 Mercury single
  11. Moonage Daydream (The Arnold Corns single version)*
  12. Hang On To Yourself (The Arnold Corns single version)*

CD 2

  1. Changes (mono single version)*
  2. Andy Warhol (mono single version)*
  3. Starman (original single mix)
  4. John, I’m Only Dancing (original single version)
  5. The Jean Genie (original single mix)
  6. Drive-In Saturday (German single edit)
  7. Round And Round
  8. John, I’m Only Dancing (sax version)
  9. Time (U.S. single edit)
  10. Amsterdam
  11. Holy Holy (Spiders version)
  12. Velvet Goldmine

All tracks stereo except *mono.

fiveyears
CD box set – click to enlarge

Five Years / 12CD Box Set

vinylfiveyears
Vinyl box – click to enlarge

Five Years / 13LP Vinyl Box Set

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187 Comments

187 thoughts on “David Bowie / Five Years 1969-1973: new CD and vinyl box sets”

  1. Pingback: Deals: David Bowie Birthday Bonanza | superdeluxeedition

  2. Paul,
    I just picked up “5 Years”. Which of the two Ziggy cds would you recommend listening to primarily and why did they include the 2003 Ken Scott remix plus the other version of the more recent recording? I assume there must be some advantage to 2003 recording.

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  5. I just saw the Cd box set at Amoeba Records Hollywood and the US release is NOT Japanese style mini lp quality at all. Not sure if same for Europe. I compared it to the Beatles in mono box and the Bowie box half inch smaller in width and Height. I can only imagine how puny the sleeves are inside, less than 5 and 1/ 2 inches. Very disappointing. I will likely opt for HDtrack box download or wait to see if Japan will release their own, would rather pay the extra price.

  7. Also ordered mine from Wow HD – was on backorder at time of ordering but it arrived a week and a half later, a steal at £57 or so quid. Was worried there would be custom charges as despite the ‘.co.uk’ suffix on their website they are actually based in the UK but it arrived with no problems! This weekend will henceforth be known as ‘Five Years in Two and a Half Days’…

  8. A living legend. A musical pioneer able to transform his music and his image with each release. Not many artists can hold a candle to him.
    He has influenced many veteran artists and continues to do so to today’s artists. Deservedly getting all his releases compiled and boxed. Whether
    is Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, the Thin White Duke that touched you… no one has the impact that he has in music and a great actor and performer as well…. adding theatrics to his stage act and many movie appearances as well. Quite the chameleon if there ever was one. May he continue to dazzle us for many many more years to come.
    I order my boxset and cannot wait to receive it.

  9. A fantastic quality vinyl box set. I’ve listed to three of the albums and thought they all sounded great and very good quality pressing.
    The covers are also high quality reproductions of the originals. I am happy with the purchase and looking forward to the next set. I already owned the originals of 75% of the box but many were over played. These sound so much better.
    Still have to listen to the bonus material, I was going chronological with bonus material at the end.

  11. Vinyl boxset arrived safely from Italy yesterday. A beautiful package, worth every pound! “Hunky Dory” sounds sublime, the original “Ziggy Stardust” is far nicer than the 2003 mix but I wasn’t as impressed with “Aladdin Sane”. “Re:Call 1” is superb, sounded fantastic on the headphones late last night and is without doubt the best Bowie singles collection on vinyl. Today I’m going to delve into “Pin-Ups” and “The Man Who Sold The World”. Did anyone get an inner sleeve with TMWSTW by the way?

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  16. I haven’t even had an email saying it’s been shipped yet! Already I am hearing about people receiving their copy and am getting impatient.

  17. Anyone have any idea how long I will have to wait for the vinyl set from Amazon Italy? As the release date approaches I’m wishing I’d spent the extra cash and ordered from the UK site. I can imagine everyone getting their copies and me waiting and waiting…

  21. Press release states:

    “The ten album / twelve CD box, ten album / thirteen-piece vinyl set and digital download featurs all of the material officially released by Bowie during the nascent stage of his career from 1969 to 1973.”

    Since “Live Santa Monica ‘72” and “Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture Soundtrack” were not released in that time period but included here as a bonus along with the 2003 Ken Scott Mix of “Ziggy…” we should have the addition of “Bowie At The Beeb”… but here’s hoping Parlophone Records will issue a full BBC box set on CD and LP formats after they issue the next Bowie box, 1974-1979!

    1. I am also hoping that this is a pre-cursor to the Bowie catalogue being released on hi-def 24bit 96kHz or better download option, although there are a few items available StationToStation and Ziggy Stardust.

  23. Pingback: David Bowie / Alternate Ziggy cover | superdeluxeedition

  25. not sure anyone cares about this like I do, but I’ve learned from Dr. Rhino (emailed) that all of the vinyl for all regions will be presed by Optimal in Germany. This is one of the very best in the world (RTI wins the #1 honor). I bring this up in case anyone is on the fence about the big price tag. You won’t be paying for shoddy pressings by GZVinyl (see the Rod Stewart vinyl re-issues) or by United in the U.S. (horrible pressings for the new Madonna record, etc) – – -Optimal has great attention to detail and care and high-quality standards.

  27. For your information, Amazon Italy has currently best prices for the sets.
    Cd-set 119,99€ and vinyl-set is 201,14€. I had locked pretty good price from Amazon France, but decided to change it to Italy since it does not greatly matter from which Amazon you order from.
    I havent studied the prices and how they have gone on daily basis, but I believe that these 2 are now the best prices so far. Will have to look how the prices change near the release-date and then order it from there.

  30. I read many complains regarding this re-issues not pleasing the “loyal fans”. Same complains in every thread of this great forum.

    I’m sorry to remind you guys that this “artists” are in the music “business” and the record companies take care of those business.

    The business is to manufacture a product under a budget and make it attractive enough to sell it to costumers and make a profit, not to please “fans”.

    Maybe the artist, the producer, the re-mixer, the designer, the curator of the tracklist and everyone in the creative process wants to please the fans, not the record company, their job is to sell a product, a good product we all hope, but the executive of the company is in charge.

    And remember always that the record company will use any marketing tactic to sell you colorful carboard boxes with paper and plastic inside. (Not mentioning compressed data with attached colorful jpgs). That’s the product, if it comes with clicks, muffled sound, mis-labeled tracks, etc. … too bad. The selling point is “remaster” “200 grams” “bonus this” “exact replica of that” and we all get excited for those things, but be careful, its a silver bag of chips full of labels and flashy things outside… and the same potatoes inside, with maybe a useless bonus toy.

    So, a new Bowie product is coming, some fans are happy, some are not. I will wait for the quality reviews and see if those potatoes could make me happy again.

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  32. FYI: Available exclusively from the Official David Bowie Online Store free with your pre-order is The David Bowie Pin Ups Radio Show 10″ [with the vinyl version. or an additional CD with that version]. Previously only available on Spotify, this program was issued to mark the 40th Anniversary of the album ‘Pin Ups’ in 2013. This collectable, one-sided EP features snippets from the Pin Ups album interspersed with observations from David Bowie regarding the bands he covers on the album. Link here: http://davidbowie.parlophonestore.co.uk/en

  33. Thank you SDE for getting further info about this amazing box that no on else has been able to get.

    Can you please find out who did the mastering, and where the vinyl edition will be pressed?

    Thanks very much.

  34. I hope the packaging is actually MADE IN JAPAN like the Beatles Mono Box. or the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection…but somehow I doubt it….

  35. I would have liked the US promo edit of Space Oddity which has never been reissued, unlike the UK single, which has.

    Isn’t there an Arnold Corns single missing too?

  37. Considering all the amazing bootleg material available I would have thought some new official soundboard audio could have been included here. It was an amazing period and needs more coverage of the touring done at the time! Love Ziggy x

  38. This is all about a business transaction for Bowie. In my opinion this is another missed opportunity for the definitive reissue of these titles.

  40. “Remastered from analogue” does not necessarily mean “cut from analogue”. It’s very likely (unless the label confirms it) that there’s some kind of digital intermediary. Similar to the latest Bruce Springsteen vinyl releases.

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  42. Google play is taking pre orders for digital version at £51.49 so does this mean a price drop is probably on the horizon for the physical copies?

    1. It wouldn’t come as a total shock if it’s either £69.99 or £79.99 come release date.

      A lot depends on what deal HMV can negotiate.

      They quite often undercut Amazon and Amazon has responded sometimes. If it’s price neutral or cheaper (obviously) I prefer buying from a store.

  44. 1) This is a mass market product for those who want to pick up all those albums in one go in the same spirit as with Leonard Cohen, Nilsson, Cheap Trick etc. These sets sell signficiant numbers of units.

    2) Have these albums already? Don’t buy them.

    3) This is a mass market product for those who aren’t that interested in vast amounts of rare material. If you want such material, these sets aren’t actually aimed at you.

    4) Annoyed these sets don’t include outtakes or 5.1 mixes? Don’t buy them.

    5) Sure, I’d love expansive sets for these albums.

    1. Well I’m glad that’s cleared that up. “Mass market” products should be cheap and cheerful – as per the Leonard Cohen and Nilsson sets you refer to. Putting a two-CD “collectors” set exclusive to the box also doesn’t fit in with your “mass market” definition – that indicates that they are trying to engage collectors.

      If you are going to tease collectors with ‘previously unreleased material” you can’t turn around and say ‘this isn’t aimed at you”.

      Parlophone are trying to have their cake and eat it too. The set fails as a “mass market product” – too expensive – and it fails as a collectors set – virtually no rarities.

    2. @ATF

      Completely wrong. The mass market doesn’t shell out £100 for a box set. If they did then supermarkets would be stocking them. Instead they stock the “Greatest Hits” type of CDs for under £5 and the standard chart albums. That is catering to the mass market, not £100 box sets.

  45. I pre-ordered from amazon.co.uk since I figure we’ll have a price drop at some point between now and then and I can always cancel if it stays at 99.99. Comparing this to other box sets from Leonard Cohen, Roxy Music etc I’m quite astounded at the price. Why is it so expensive?

  47. If ever you needed proof this is simple a commercial exercise rather than a love letter to the fans – exclusive content from Bowie’s site, exclusive content from Japan….. so to get a “complete” set I need to spend at least £300. So cynical.

    What happened to Bowie? Why does he care less about his music than we do? And why does he milk his fans over and over again?

    1. @Dean

      You can only be exploited if you allow yourself to be exploited.
      Nobody is forcing you to buy any of it.

      I buy most of the Bowie releases, but only when they represent good value for money. This doesn’t, so I won’t be buying. Any so-called exclusive content will reappear repackaged at a later date. So they won’t be getting a penny out of me.

  48. Not sure if anyone else has noticed this but the Japanese edition will have exclusive content (on top of the mandatory Japanese booklet). No details as yet.

  49. I’ve cancelled my Amazon order and ordered from Palophone via Bowie’s official site to get the bonus disc of Pin Ups Radio Show.
    How come All the Madmen is described as previously unreleased edit while Janine is listed as mono – weren’t the two issued together as a US 7″
    And why include a mono Janine when they omit the mono Black Country Rock b side of Holy Holy….? I agree that a mono Janine is much rarer and so pleased to see it listed but you’d think they’d include BCR for completeness wouldn’t you?

    1. As far as I know, no dedicated mono mix was made of Black Country Rock. I don’t know if it’s mono or stereo on the single, but no dedicated mono exists. Janine was a dedicated mono mix.

  50. Is anyone really interested in single edits as part of the bonus stuff? Urgh! For me, the most interesting stuff are live recordings.

  51. Presentation is always a key with me. The Visual aspect of any release these days far outshine their predecessors of early CD era. The Vinyl side is always just an attempt a making it look close to the original LPs. Never comes close to the feel of the paper cardboard and inner sleeves etc. The Japanese Mini LPs are by far the best visual value we ever have seen. Albeit there are inconsistencies with some artists and label screw ups. In the Bowie world The Japanese should most definitely consider doing the fans a serious justice and issue the Live Albums in a Box along with all the missing main collectable Variations in Sleeves. So, Empty Bonus Sleeves for The RCA versions of Space Oddity with the Poster as well as TMWSTW in all its variations from The US Cartoon Cover to the German Round Cover along with the original inner sleeves and Cardboard copies of the Labels for those releases! (and not forgetting the Man Of Words Man Of Music edition as well!) Why is it, this topic is not ever even talked about?
    Any serious fan would love to see those in fruition! The Music itself has become secondary over the years, but the Visually thrilling part will always please an eager eye with the youthfulness it brings to the table.
    More Eye Candy, Please!

  53. Yes, Paul. It would be great if you could ask the record company what they will tend to do with stuff that is left off? ‘The Supermen’, ‘Sweet Head’ etc…

  54. What “Berlin” extra’s will there be in the next box when they only use material that was released at the time… not a lot i’m afraid…
    “Heroes” in french en german, mixes for “Breaking Glas” and “Beauty and the Beast” and some single edits

  56. Yes Re:Call is the only real disc of interest here for fans. Not worth buying the whole set for that. I think this is a punt for the Christmas crowd. Like most box sets, to be fetishized more than listened to. In a few years it will be in high definition, just like the Roxy Music set.

  57. Bowie’s catalog has been reissued many times on CD. This was the time to do it right. Remastering them is a good start, but are they not paying attention to what other artists are doing? Are they ignored the things online fans have been loud and clear about when it comes to the Berlin Trilogy? It feel like they’re working in a vacuum, and just don’t give a damn about what fans are asking for.

    I mean, Japanese type covers? As a big fan, I’ve got them. Many others will have them too. Albums with no bonus tracks? We’ve had the EMI album out there for years.

    We’re has the same albums getting reissued over and over – Ziggy, Diamond Dogs, Diamond Dogs, Ziggy. We get the SAME discs in this set. Yes they sound good (albeit they ruined the Ziggy cover by adding a poor getefold) – why am I having to pay for them again? Space Oddity has a great double disc version out that I own – why am I buying that again – sans the bonus tracks?

    I live Bowie’s work – but he really doesn’t care too much about the products we’re given. This is a kick in the teeth for those who have been holding their breath for a reissue program. I’m gutted. There’s no chance of a pre-order on this. The price point to attract me would be very low, below production costs, no doubt. I’ll get the remasters I want from elsewhere – and Bowie will see no money from that. No because I want to, but because sometimes it’s the best signal to send to the labels and artists who care less about what they’re doing than the fans doing the buying. Shame.

  58. Prediction. Many , if not most of us will buy this. And in a couple of years we will be confronted with the next “must have” Bowie reissue. And we will all complain again. And then, many, if not most of us will buy that too. The cycle has been revolving for 25 years, and Bowie, his various record companies, and dear Paul :-) are getting richer and richer.

  59. Looking at the CDJapan listing for the individual CD’s, I’m assuming they’re neither SHM nor are they mini-LP packaging. I say this because neither “SHM” nor “cardboard” are mentioned anywhere in the listings – and the 1600 yen per disc price is well below whet they’d normally charge for SHM/mini-LP.
    Also notable that neither the live albums nor “Re:Call” (the most desired title) are being offered individually.

  60. Cool idea but half arsed at best effort. If this set only includes material released at the time, why the 2003 mix of Ziggy or even the Santa Monica show, as it was really only given an official commercial release about 10 years ago, sounds like like an arbitrary hodge podge of mostly easy to get stuff with Holy Holy thrown in there to get some hardcore fans. This is all stellar material, but a bit pointless to anyone who has been a Bowie fan for any time. If they were to stick to their own rules the promo mixes for Hunky Dory should be included. I also thought there was a stereo version of Holy Holy released in Spain as well. Hmm.

  61. As they progress through the years, a seperate “Berlin” box would be nice. Round up the single and bonus custs from elsewhere, and if possible include the two Iggy albums from that era whilst they’re at it. The five albums together make up a great collection of work.

  63. CDJapan have indicated that the Japanese box will feature exclusive material – so either the European box will be missing content, or the Japanese box will feature previously unreleased material (which supposedly goes against the intent of the box) Or CDJapan are wrong, of course.

  64. Other sites are now listing this for different prices.
    What records has CD £79.99/LP £175 both for £249.
    Spin CDs have £94.99/£189.99.
    Neither have the individual discs, which seem to be Japan only at the moment.

  65. Hello Paul, note you have been in contact with the label. Isn’t it possible to relay the comments in this thread with a view to persuading them to issue a third ‘rarities’ disc which mops up all the missing material?

  66. Even through most of us Bowie collector’s have these many,many times,i have just put my order in at amazon.Missed versions/tracks there always will be,has for the price i’m sure it’ll come down.We’ll get Paul to demand it!!!!

  67. To Adam Shaw and Wayne Klein.
    I don’t know if the Ryko issues we completely remastered or remixed BUT the three letter codes found on old CDs do not indicate anything about this stage of production other than what equipment was used.
    Recording equipment – Analog or Digital
    Mixing/Mastering – Analog or Digital
    Delivery format – a CD by definition will always be D
    So the Ryko discs could have been completely remixed and remastered and still be coded AAD

    2. at least it’s encouraging that they’re available separately. this implies or seems to back up the impression that this is just a refresh of already-available material to bring it all in line and replace the last complete set of remasters where they were missing since 1999’s EMI round. i don’t think it necessarily precludes future super deluxe editions of albums with exclusive new material, though it seems it does at least push those back a bit.

    1. Not sure if we are talking about the same thing but certainly the Sound and Vision remix as included on the Rykodisc issue was an inappropriate addition to the Low reissue.
      I can’t remember who I thought it was by (I don’t have my copy in front of me) but I didn’t realise it was 808 State (assuming we are talking about the same thing).

      On this box set – I find pricing totally arbitrary these days so I think it is very much down to the individual to decide how much they are willing to pay. Perhaps it is a case of the artist not wanting to undervalue their work? I remember meeting Thomas Dolby and getting him to sign an album of his that I had picked up 1/2 price in a bargain bin. I had left the sticker on (which I tend to do) and he commented that he felt that the music was ‘worth’ much more than that, given the effort it had taken to create it. A point which I can understand and relate to.

      Anyway – this collection is not worth the asking price to me but a similar treatment covering Station to Station to Scary Monsters (as mentioned by someone earlier) would have me gagging to hand over my hard-earned.

  71. I think the best thing would have been when every album would be released as a 2CD or 2CD+DVD/BD set. Original album on the first disc. bonus stuff on the second one, and surround mixes and/or vide stuff on the dvd and bd, respectively.

    One thing I am also interested in is the sound quality of the 2015 remasters … you know … compression … loudness war … a lot lof interesting reissue stuff has been “killed” in the past by such stupid actions.

    The most period I am interested in is the Berlin period of Bowie and I do hope that Parlophone will create a real interesting package for 2nd box set!

  72. I’ve posted this response in a few other places – and I’ll repeat it here:
    1) Still no “1980 Floor Show” CD/DVD release? :-(
    2) I hope the “Re: Call” rarities set gets an individual release. I see no point in dipping on all of these again just to get that one.
    3) Yeah – gold CD’s in Japanese-style mini-LP packaging is a draw, but the only way I’d re-dip is if they’re SACD or hi-res download. To that end, I’m curious if “Digital download 0825646070602” means HDTracks or if it means iTunes…

  74. Guys – the thing is, what was the point of the recent reissue of Sound and Vision and Nothing Had Changed? Why didn’t they hold off on those, and made Deluxe Editions of the albums including the relevant tracks? The only reason is to milk us a little more.

    The abuse of the Bowie catalog continues. The only concern seems to be to sell as many different units as they can. In the mean time, other artists are doing it right. Bowie’s career is built on being progressive – but when it comes to selling his back catalog, it’s as cold and cynical as it gets.

    If it wasn’t an artist I care so much about I’d just laugh it off. I’ve been buying Bowie since 1973. I look at this and just see a money grab. It’s a disgrace, and the packages I’ve been waiting for for decades – a special edition of the Berlin Trilogy, appear to be a pipe dream that won’t happen in my life time. Who’d have thought the Ryko releases were going to be the best we were ever going to get in terms on special editions of some of these titles?!?!?

  75. I don’t like the jewel cases which is how I own these now. I really enjoy the box set presentation of several albums. I think a box set with 5 or 6 albums is good. Price is too high though but I’ll be buying it at some point regardless. Always wish we could get all the albums in one box but I know sometimes that’s not realistic. I wish every major artist would do a set like the Bob Dylan one.

  76. As mentioned above, it’s a real shame that a little more effort hadn’t been made in putting something a little rarer than having radio edits and mono mixes as bonus material. It seems it’s aimed at the new fans. Do us hard core fans ever get what we want?

  77. Dean has a great point.

    I would add that it is very transparent when record companies add one or two tiny variations to a package. I’m quite happy to pay £5-£10 to get a 7″ edit, remix or 12″ version I haven’t got (example: Donna Summer’s recent CD collection), because I look at it as not much more money than a CD single or two. But when those exclusives are put into a box set which is otherwise all the same stuff we have already got, then it is just a bloated package offering very little…. for £100

  78. As a big Bowie fan, I already own the Japanese Mini LP’s So the fact they’re included here isn’t a draw. They all easily available.

    We’re looking for something exciting musically, not nice covers. I only need the remasters of Hunky Dory and Man Who Sold the World really. So this is hefty to say the least.

    A warning to record labels. I “will” get those two remasters, but given they’re not available commercially for me to buy outside the box, I’ll be driven to other – nefarious – ways of getting them. Hate to do it, but there a limits to what I can spend, and Bowies’s catalog looks set to come out in a very fan unfriendly configuration. What did us fans do you deserve this?

    Perhaps not the right place to say it – but I’ll find other ways of getting this content. If they ever get around to doing multi-disc Deluxe Editions I’ll gladly reach into my pocket again.

    I’m going to cry – probably literally – when they put out the Berlin trilogy in this format. It’s a crime against music – commerce over art. A lifelong Bowie fan has been turned into an angry follower. Why don’t they care half as much as the fans who adore Bowie and his music? It deserves so much more than this. So much more.

  79. I still don’t know how any of these can be better than the Ryko Au20 releases that had even better outtakes like The Supermen, Quicksand etc. unless you are lucky enough to have it 5.1 on SACD.

  80. Pricey but i will definitely pre-order it. I only hope they get the remastering right this time especially for The Man Who Sold The World & Hunky Dory.

  81. If the box would hold a unique piece, like the german round cover for TMWSTW, or the BBC John Peel concert from 1971 in stereo. And what about the acetate tracks of Hunky Dory? Looks like there will be more deluxe editions to come afterwards …

  82. I think a lot of the moaning comes from the distinct possibility, implied by this release, that those missing albums, and future ones, won’t get a proper deluxe treatment with unreleased material, 5.1 mixes, etc. – which is what people have really been wanting rather than a convenient round-up type series. if this is the only reissue project in the pipeline, then that significantly delays hopes of much else.

  85. Why are so many people moaning?

    If you own it already or don’t want to buy it then don’t!

    As far as I am concerned if they sort out the sound quality then I am in.

    1. Get Real – Stanley. This is a discussion thread, a place where people get to express their opinions. What’s so surprising about that? If the set in underwhelming, then there’s nothing wrong with saying so.

      Many of the people here – myself included – are avid Bowie Fans. I have the the Vinyl, The RCA CD’s, the Rkyo CD’s, the EMI CD’s, and the Japanese Mini LP’s. And even I’m looking at this and saying it’s not enough.

      If they put out Hunky Dory and Man Who Sold the World as single discs, then I’ll buy them. If they keep them in th set then I’ll settle for digital files from a friend.

      Bowie is entering a phase where he should be looking to make definitive releases of all his work. There’ll never be a better time. Instead we get this half-assed effort that is part recyled.

      There’s nothing wrong with saying so.

      1. Although the McCartney deluxe editions haven’t exactly been over generous in the bonus track department, the relative consistency and the sheer lavish nature of those sets are something that has been lacking from Bowie reissues. Consistency is the main bugbear – jewel case for “Young Americans” CD+DVD, digipack for “David Bowie” 2CD, lift-off lid box for “Station To Station” 3CD, the hardback books for 30th anniversary “Aladdin Sane” & “…Ziggy Stardust…” and the 30th anniversary Diamond Dogs was different to ALL of those – That’s FIVE different presentations for SIX albums. That’s before you get on to general ‘approach’. EMI should be hanging their heads in shame. They did exactly this for Duran Duran. Must be different product managers for each album just randomly doing what they think is appropriate. No one person, with one vision acting as an authority with a remit to look at the catalogue from the top down and not with the the one-album-at-a-time tunnel vision.

        Parlophone/Warners might say that they are doing this now, but the reality is that they are reissuing the catalogue AGAIN for what amounts to at least the fifth time in 30 years. The bonus material on Re:Call 1 is just a rehash of 25 year old Ryko material. I share everyone’s disappointment really.

      2. You tell me to get real.

        Go to a record shop in the UK & try to purchase an early 70s Bowie album in Mint (not vg etc) repeat mint condition. It’s gonna cost a lot of money.

        Very true it would be nice for these to come out individually but the recent Nothing Has Changed compilation proved to me that the Bowie back catalogue could be was worth restoring properly . The RCA CDs were hissy, the Ryko/EMI were thin & the 1999 Peter Mew were rubbish …so yeah I am all for this . Beatles, Floyd , Zep have all done it why not Bowie?

  87. This post has now been updated because the label has confirmed to this blog that as far as the vinyl records are concerned “everything is remastered from analogue except for a couple of tracks on Re:Call where we had no analogue source available”.

    Also the CD vinyl replicas are indeed ‘Japanese-style’ – not simply card sleeves with CD in them. “A great deal of care, love and attention to detail has been taken on getting them right and looking beautiful.” is what the label are saying.

    Hope this helps

    1. The record label says, “everything is remastered from analogue except for a couple of tracks on Re:Call where we had no analogue source available”. Good to know.
      But what about pressing? All the mastering in the world cannot save a badly pressed record (cf. Universal’s catalogue). It’s a painful waste of money and diminishes the consumer’s trust in purchasing a quality product.

  88. If its not definitive then whats the point?( £100 I think)
    Great if you haven’t collected Bowie before this release,but the way the market is its bound to come down in price.SDE deals on vinyl are almost a daily occurrence.Fools rush in ( now theres an idea for a song title ).

  90. Oops! Just noticed it’s 12 discs not 10. Still works out at £8.33 per disc, which these days is way overpriced for a box set.

    Roxy Music box set is £40 for 10 discs.
    Madonna is £20 for 11 discs.
    Earth Wind & Fire is £28 for 16 discs (mega value!)
    ELO is £20 for 11 discs (mega value!)

    So 100 for 12 discs, I think not.

    1. And yet, from some of the comments, you can see that some people who never bought one of his albums (for £10) are more than willing to suddenly throw £100 for 8 of his discs (and a bunch of obscure/mono versions).

  91. £10 per disc. No chance.

    I usually buy most vintage Bowie stuff, but this is disappointing. Considering it’s mostly just the same as what is already available, it’s not great value at all.

    Maybe people who haven’t got anything of Bowie will buy it, but at £10 per disc you would be better off buying individual CDs because some are available with bonus tracks.

  92. A diamond dog’s dinner! Great for noobs but absolutely nothing for the faithful. New remasters next to old remasters next to original masters. Not even a full complement of era-specific odds & sods. Are both mixes of Ziggy absolutely necessary? This is such a waste of both time and opportunity.

  93. Hmm…yeah, this is underwhelming. I would however like to see individual releases of 2015 remasters of TMWSTW and Hunky Dory, though. The 40th Ann. remasters of Ziggy and Aladdin were much improved.

  94. Well thanks a lot Paul! ;-) Another £200 to find! Just hope it goes down a bit on Amazon….

    Actually Bowie is an artist whose stuff I’ve not got much of on vinyl, so I had to go for it. Very excited about it! Not that interested in extra stuff however, just the 180g vinyls of the original LPs would have done, but hey ho, can’t complain!

  95. Wow, another missed opportunity. Give me a complete box already, or you won’t be seeing another penny from this fan, Mr. Bowie… Disappointing, to say the least :(

    1. For me, it’s the opposite sentiment. This set contains all of the only Bowie albums I’m interested in, mainly Hunky Dory through Pin Ups. I’d gladly buy those four alone, if only I could, but I’m glad to have the first two as well. I would certainly be unhappy if I had to buy all his albums, (that would be a huge box set!), just to get those few I want. Besides, I believe the plan is to get around to the rest. Even if you want them all, it’s a little easier on the wallet to divide his work up a bit, don’t you think?

  96. Is there a website anywhere which lists all the unreleased Bowie recordings that we know of (did he demo much in his heyday? Doubt he had time…) ?
    As this missing stuff (I know, this release is explicitly a previously-released set) always trumps concerns aesthetic and sonic concerns for me.

    1. We’re still waiting on Jeff Rougvie of Rykodisc to write his next blog entry – http://www.jeffrougvie.com/bowie-blog/ – about what he found in Bowie’s vaults besides what Ryko was allowed to release, so we cannot say for sure that there is nothing new that could have been included in this new set from Parlophone. But, I’d be surprised if there was truly nothing.

  97. Only interested in the vinyl boxset as I already have all the cds as Japanese mini lp cd replicas. However, I’m not really into Bowie, Ziggy period so apart from The Man Who Sold the World and Hunky Dory, there is very little for me in that first box… Why keeping remastering? I think if there was to be versions made available once deleted it should how they was intended in the first place whenever the material was released.
    I’ll have a dilemna with the next box too as I’m not a fan of Diamond Dogs or Young Americans.

    My ideal (vinyl) box would be Station to Station, Low, Heroes, Stage, Lodger, Scary Monsters + a 12″ single with the Moroder version of Cat People backed by Abdulmajihd and Crystal Japan.

  98. As anyone with the last Ziggy and aladdin Sane release will tell you – they used a different size profile for both, so they don’t sit well side by side.

  99. This is sooooooo disappointing. I’ve enjoyed the individual deluxe versions that Bowie has released so much. I’d have been much happier to see individual deluxe versions of the ones still outstanding: Hunky Dory, The Man Who Sold the World, Pin Ups. :(

    1. Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture would likely be (barely) two CDs as well, that makes 12.

      The promo shots are almost certainly mockups, but if they’re true to scale it looks like the cardstock sleeves will be on the larger side.

      The set is clearly aimed at people whose collections contain nothing from this period but a beat-up copy of the Ryko “Ziggy” reissue, and as one of those people I’ll definitely pick it up once the price gets a little saner.

      1. Hang On To Yourselves ! Didn’t Ziggys 40th release come out on vinyl with the 2003 mix on vinyl already? At least that package came in vinyl,cd and dvd 5.1 packages. It was also sold in Australia for 32 dollars ( about 20 U.S. Dollars current rates).

        The Station to Station boxes were fantastic value. The vinyl versus versions of the actual album and the Nassau concert, rare mixes, DVD 5.1 and stereo mixes , replica press releases ,pictures, post cards, notes, tour details. I paid as little as 100 Australian.

        Why can’t that be the standard ? The only people buying this are REAL fans . The ones who have stuck with Bowie for 40 plus years. Why not give us the value for our loyalty? There is no word whether Aladdin Sane will be the original gatefold design. Unless the first version of Ziggy on vinyl ( in this set) comes with the consistent audio fault in Suffragette City then it’s not the original mix. In Australia Starman and Suffragette City were released on single in mono mixes yet on the Nothing Has Changed version has Starman in stereo.
        My point is there are lots of nice bits out there. But please Bowie give us value for money. We buy your reissues for the artwork don’t make us bleed.
        I agree with others, I have bought every Jethro Tull box . So cheap for what you get. C’mon David , give us a break.

        1. Can’t disagree with your overall sentiment. In 2012 it was a new (highly regarded) remaster on the vinyl and the 2003 remix was only on the DVD.

        2. By the way, you Brits are getting the box for 100 pounds , in Australia the price is 499 dollars or 245 pounds ! Blatant rip off

  102. It’s a definite problem. Three of these albums are already out there in great versions – Space Oddity, Ziggy, and Aladdin. The other three need a revamp, but £100 for three new remasters is steep in the extreme.

    Then repeating my last post – my hope for a special treatment for the Berlin trilogy is looking a very long way off now.

    The next 6 in the discography are: Diamond Dogs,
    Young Americans, Station to Station, Low, Heroes, and Lodger.

    Of those – both Young Americans and Station to Station have great remasters out there already. These boxes are patchy at best, it seems.

    It’s infuriating. Dylan put out all of his studio work in one box, and it’s the same price as for six Bowie albums. Jethro Tull are getting a reissue program in book format that just p**s all over what Bowie is doing here, it’s not funny. Hell, even Emerson Lake and Palmer are getting a better reissue program than this.

    What in the world….. obviously my initial excitement at seeing a new Bowie package has waned already. What was that, an exciting hour? Missing bonus tracks, no surround sound – even the ones we know are done – and a premium price tag. It’s not good is it?

  103. I’m losing track…..
    There was a remastered “Ziggy” as recently as 2012, correct? Which came with a 5.1 DVD. Properly done.
    So, has his entire catalogue passed on to another record label now, or….. ??

    As always for the vinyl enthusiasts – really doesn’t matter how much budget the label has portioned to remastering the albums at half-speed, in Abbey Road, etc; etc; [UMG with the Roxy and Grace Jones, for example] – unless they’ve improved the entire production chain. ie. Not having GZ Media press the vinyl as atrociously as they do. [eg. Grace Jones’ “Nightclubbing” monstrosity]

    My starting point for Bowie is fairly predictable/ age-related… Aladdin Sane onto the Hollywood era and then Berlin. A box set covering all that, vinyl pressed at a quality plant (Pallas, ideally), and with accurate replicas of the artwork would prise the ££s out of my wallet.
    Astonishing how the record companies still manage to get these ‘minor’ details so badly wrong. [Referring to the manufacturing/ production process, not choice of preferred albums here]. At least they’re consistent in that !

    The “Station to Station” box-set remains one of my favourites for quality and generosity of content. Something of an exemplar which few have bettered, imo. One recently sold on eBay for £150.
    Would gladly welcome similar treatments with “Aladdin”, “Diamond Dogs” and “Young Americans”.

    I was surprised when they released the 40th anniversary of “Aladdin” on CD-only. Maybe this is why. In which case, would be good to make each album individually available. Subject to my quality concerns above.

    1. Yes, as part of the settlement for Universal buying EMI, Universal had to sell off part of the previous EMI empire. This included labels Parlophone (not the Beatles catalogue) and Chrysalis. They are now part of the Warner Music Group.

      David Bowie’s EMI catalogue transferred to Parlophone. Some of the recent pressings of the current 1999 remasters are now on Parlophone.

      I’ve been quite impressed with some of Parlophone’s recent reissues. So much so, I wish that the whole of EMI had been sold to Warners rather than Universal. Some of Universal’s recent reissues have either suffered from poor (brickwalled sound) or quality control issues.

      If it’s down to price, I appreciated both recent Bowie 4CD Sound & Vision (£17.99) and Nothing Has Changed 3CD (£12.99) packages.

      I’m a Bowie completest, so I’ll almost definitely get the CD set, maybe the vinyl too?

      I agree with others on here, I thought the Station To Station CD box set showed how it could be done, quality and soundwise.

      I actually like both the Rykodisc and 1999 remasters. For a remastered set, they also included lyrics in the booklets. Many modern reissues don’t!

      As others have said, each to their own!

  105. My worry here is that it looks like Deluxe Editions of the Berlin Trilogy aren’t close at all. The next box would sweep them up, and if it follows the format of this box, they’re be plain-jane releases.

    Also, can you see these getting single disc releases? I can’t believe the likes of a remastered Hunky Dory will only be available in a box.

    I agree with others – double disc Deluxe Editions would have been better overall.

  107. “No one seems to mention that some of the Rykodisc versions were not remastered .
    Ive got most of them and the original Sound And Vision box set (with the Laser Disc) . They all had great extras but some of the sound was appalling and quiet , if you look at the discs they have AAD printed on them .”

    Adam Shaw, regardless of what you think of the sound* , you’ve got it wrong about the Ryko issues not being remastered.

    In that little set of 3 boxes, A stands for analog and D stands for digital.

    Box #1 represents the recording. None of the RCA-era records were recorded with digital technology because it didn’t exist.

    Box #2 represents mixing. Yes, Virginia, you can remix analog tapes in a digital realm, provided you transfer them. For instance, ABC did this on “How To Be A Millionaire” with spectacular results and at a huge cost savings by ditching the high (at the time) expense of digital recording.

    Box #3 represents MASTERING. You cannot make a CD from an analog source without mastering it in Digital which is why every CD ever made has a D in the last box. Hope that clarifies things….

    Moving on:

    I find it odd that people are defending the content because “that’s what it is” – at this stage in the game, when physical releases are on their last legs, you never know when a catalog revisit will be the last. Just because someone decides to configure material in a certain way, doesn’t mean it’s ideal for the fanbase**, and, if there’s stuff being held back (and as the article points out, there is, and has been ever since EMI took over the catalog in the mid-90’s) that means someone is sitting on it for a later upgrade.

    You can read my brief thoughts on this latest release on my facebook page or relive the creation of the original Ryko issues on my website. As always, Paul does great work and it’s a joy to read a site on catalog that doesn’t just reprint press releases or kowtow to labels.

    * the quietness is due to lack of compression, which audiophiles appreciate – because every music playback system I know has a volume knob that requires very little effort to adjust. Also the Ryko remasters were done 25 years ago and technology has advanced a bit since then, but never mind, moving on…

    ** although it must be acknowledged that a fanbase as large as Bowie’s will always be hard to please in total

    1. Hi Jeff – many apologies that your comments somehow ended up in the SDE ‘pending’ queue.

      Big thanks to you for stopping by – I’m sure I speak for many here when I congratulate you (25 years later) for the sterling work you did with the Rykodisc reissues. They were my introduction to Bowie’s back catalogue and I picked them up religiously in London over those couple of years in the early nineties (technically they were embargoed due to an import ban, but you could get them). I even bought the Low/Heroes/Stage/Lodger set in the metal S+V presentation rack (since lost!).

      For all the Bowie re-reissues in the subsequent years I don’t think the Ryko bonus material was ever bettered. “Candidate (demo)” from Diamond Dogs possible ranks as the best ever bonus track on any reissue EVER!

      Anyway, chuffed you have found time to visit SDE. I’d recommend every Bowie fan here check out Jeff’s S+V blog : http://www.jeffrougvie.com/bowie-blog/

    2. Hi Jeff
      I stand corrected .
      I am a Bowie fan from the 70s , so I have bought these recordings many times over .

      I have always found the sound on the Ryko discs poor even when I first bought them .
      Ive got the RCA cds as well , which were terrible .

      Any way thats my oppinion and I think we all have a right to comment on here .

      1. Absolutely agree everyone has a right to their opinion – my issue was not with your opinion, but correcting the false statement about the mastering and explaining why the Ryko CDs may sound “quiet” to you.

  108. There is no Life on Mars single edit or All the young dudes but there is velvet goldmine which was released in 1975. Do you know why, Paul?

    1. This box only contains RELEASED studio material at the time, which discounts All The Young Dudes. As for Life on Mars, are you sure there was a single edit? Velvet Goldmine was recorded much earlier for the Ziggy Stardust album. You’re right it was released in 1975 but it makes much more sense to include it here than in a box that covers 1974-1978 (for example).

  109. I like the concept, but as I’ve gathered up most of the albums in here already, I’ll pass and wait for the inevitable next sets

  110. I’m interested to find out if they are using the original analogue tapes, hi-res digital (24/48 or higher) or the 16/44 used for the CDs for the vinyl pressings. The Ziggy reissue from 2012 was stunning so I hope everything else included here is up to that standard. There’s been loads of Bowie reissues but very few of them have sounded as good as the original LP pressings (2012 Ziggy and Station To Station box set were notable exceptions in my opinion). Hope this box rectifies that! (I’d love to have a great sounding Hunky Dory CD!)

  112. I would be interested in the cd box set if the sleeves would be in japanese style mini-lp replicas. I do already own all of the releases in jewelcase or deluxe 2cd digipak versions, yet I’d buy a high quality sleeve and a good remaster (not ‘brickwalled’). I do love the Beatles mono box set, these sleeves are great.
    On the other hand, I didn’t like the quality of the Bowie ‘Outside / Earthling / Hours / Heathen / Reality’ box set. http://www.discogs.com/David-Bowie-Outside-Earthling-Hours-Heathen-Reality/master/272598
    The cardboard sleeves are rather low quality and I’ve sold the box again, I rather kept the 2cd versions of Outside, Earthling and Hours in the mini book style.

    I am a buyer of those complete boxsets with the cheaper cardboard sleeves when not owning the catalogue and if on sale – like I enjoy having bought the Herbie Hancock box set on sale.
    But to justify a second purchase I’d need a definite selling point and just like other fans already pointed out – another new stereo remaster doesn’t get me too excited.

  113. a HUNDRED POUNDS???? I got 44 Dylan albums, mostly remastered, for slightly more than that.
    £30 maybe, £100 absolutely not.

  114. I still have my Ryko CDs and I absolutely love the sound on them, they are warm and not too shrill as the later EMI 2003 versions were (but that’s me)

  115. Hi SDE.

    Great info as usual. FYI…The 5.1 of Ziggy was also briefly released in 2003 on SACD and I have three (possibly 5) titles that demand attention.
    Low… “Heroes”…Lodger…(Scary Monsters..Let’s Dance) are these albums ever going to get a look in? The last reissue series made it as far as Station To Station then went BACK to DavidBowie/Space Oddity, skipped ahead to Ziggy (again) then skipped ahead to Aladdin Sane (all supposedly for 40th anniversary celebrations). Bowie seems very reluctant to revisit the “Berlin” part of his life. What do other readers think? I guess it will come with the next five years box…but I’m so sick of constant rehashing the 70s glam period.

    1. Thanks… agree on the reluctance. Not sure why. This new box looks great, but I’d have preferred a Hunky Dory and Man Who Sold The World deluxe/super deluxe sets to be honest. The release of this and presumably similar subsequent sets surely rules out any more 1970s albums being given the solo box treatment… at least for the foreseeable future.

      1. I think this set is a total revamp of the catalog and there will be no more stand-alone boxsets for individual albums.
        They messed it up for themselves so many times, that I think they had to start all over.

      2. Yep. I’d like a deluxe of all the albums that were missed last time too. The much maligned Pinups never gets a look in as well as the two titles you mentioned. This box does look good but as I’ve already bought the two disc deluxe editions from 5-10 years ago I have most of the bonus content on Re:Call and don’t need new copies of TMWSTW and Hunky Dory but deluxe editions, I’d buy those in a heartbeat.

  117. No one seems to mention that some of the Rykodisc versions were not remastered .
    Ive got most of them and the original Sound And Vision box set (with the Laser Disc) . They all had great extras but some of the sound was appalling and quiet , if you look at the discs they have AAD printed on them .
    So its nice to see the extra tracks being given a clean up , although most tracks were on the 40th anniversary editions .

    1. They were all remastered. AAD indicated they weren’t REMIXED. You would want the, “quiet” and not compressed like a bad MP3 as most remasters and new releases have been.

      This explains why many Bowie fans that have rare early versions have been selling theirs off at various places.

      What matters here to me is 1) the mastering and 2) who did it. Any news on the latter question in the releae Paul?

      Bowie hasn’t been the worst at reissues but he’s been far from the best when it comes to fans so clearly he needs another infusion of money with these.

      I doubt thst these wouldn’t be reissued like this without his approval.

  118. About the LP box set: £200 ?!!!??
    Its’s the first in a series of box set. I understand there will be a 1974-1980 and a 1983-1989 box sets.
    What is very important to know (as I already bought the vinyl reissues of Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Santa Monica and Ziggy Stardust live) is: are these LP going to be made available separately?
    Thanks again for keeping our interest in SDE alive, Paul. Keep up this great work you do!
    PS: my wife hates you !! :)

  119. I’m kind if glad it’s not a bit more exciting with regard to rarities and bonus tracks. It makes it easier, just slightly easier, to resist buying it.

  120. Pingback: David Bowie celebrated with 13LP vinyl box set - The Vinyl FactoryThe Vinyl Factory

  121. I take on board the generally negative comments – Bowie’s back catalogue has been reissued enough times already – but I am genuinely looking forward to this release. Having a ‘proper’ singles collection that doesn’t leap from Space Oddity to Changes is well worth having, although admittedly if you’ve bought the Ryko and other reissues chances are you’ll have most of this already. Great that the original Holy Holy will finally get CD treatment.

  122. As I only own an older copy of Ziggy this could well be right up my street. The box looks pretty good to me although £100… I am sure Paul will tell us in time if it comes down to in price so I will hold a watching brief, no rush is there?

  123. I don’t why people are already complaining.

    Firstly, it’s a nice touch to focus on material that was originally released.
    The outtakes, good as they are, are bonus material and not to be combined with what the box will be focusing on.

    This is an opportunity to put things in order. To include outtakes, would be like original Beatles albums with Anthology material. See where I’m at?

    I’ll bet that all the outtakes will be released on a compilation of all the odds and ends.

    1. I see exactly where you are at, Mick. Yours is a valid comment.

      It looks a nice package to me but then I only have years old copy of Ziggy so if it’s aimed at me then they could have a punter… if the price is right!

  125. So are all these re-releases/repackaging etc thought up and sanctioned by Bowie? It’s really exploiting a hardcore fan base beyond their financial means.

        1. Or those, like me, whose ancient copies need replacement. If I could just pick up new copies of Hunky Dory, Aladdin Sane, and Pin Ups, I’d have done that. Luckily, my copy of the Ryko Ziggy is in fine shape, but my Ryko Hunky Dory has a scratch, and the others I bought in the early eighties don’t sound so great.
          I have no interest in the live stuff – I’ve never been a fan of live albums – but I haven’t owned the first two albums since the seventies, so it’ll be interesting to hear them again.
          I am disappointed that the LPs are sourced from digital, (yes they are), but ok, the tapes are old. I just got it today, and so far it does sound good, though I haven’t yet been able to play them at volume.

  128. Having bought Bowie reissues and anniversary editions since the 90s, this seems slightly redundant to me. Prettily repackaging the same old same old. I’d love to hear radical remixes/rebuilds of his 80s work, like he did with Time Will Crawl. Would still like an official release of the stripped back Loving The Alien he did on tour.

  129. I love Bowie’s music, but over the last 20 years he has recycled his catalogue and released so many redundant compilations, that he could easily win the award for rock’s biggest financial exploiter of his fans.

      1. Bet you’ve spent, or could’ve spent, more on Bowie reissues than Beach Boys or the Beatles. Crimson may have beaten Bowie not on number of reissues, but rather because of the total cost of those massive 30 CD box sets Fripp thinks we’re all interested in hearing (nobody has anything better to do that listen to 30 identical versions of Red played note for note).

  132. I will start with the predictable comment that at £100 it is overpriced and that figure will likely drop on one Amazon site or another. I am happy to wait now and no longer pre-order considering the large amounts these box sets are reduced given time.

    It will give me an opportunity to see how the remasters have been reviewed by people that know the music well too and to see if the product is bodged in one way or another, as most box sets are.

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