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David Bowie / Sound + Vision box

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David Bowie’s classic Sound + Vision box is being re-released in September.

The set was originally compiled by Rykodisc in 1989 as a launchpad for their Sound + Vision reissue campaign. That version contained three CDs of material spanning 1969-1980 as well as a now defunct CD-Video that had the promo to Ashes To Ashes and some exclusive live audio.

Sound + Vision at the time contained some genuine rarities which (surprisingly) did not turn up on the individual reissues. Young Americans outtake After Today is a good example. This song still hasn’t appeared on any reissue of that album, including the 2007 CD+DVD edition. The 1984/Dodo combo is another track that was unique to S+V, although this did end up on the 2004 anniversary reissue of Diamond Dogs.

In 2003 EMI expanded Sound + Vision to include Bowie output released until 1993. This includes tracks from both Tin Machine albums, Black Tie White Noise and The Buddha Of Suburbia. It’s not quite as simple as just adding some tracks however, since this repackaged set also ended up including the odd alternate version of tracks featured on the original. You also get a couple of tracks from the excellent Baal EP.

If like this writer you didn’t get around to buying the revamped version from 2003, then this is a good opportunity to do so and the packaging looks much better. Carrying on into the ’80s and ’90s inevitably means the set no longer bookends a golden era where Bowie’s achievements remain unequalled (the entire 1970s) but the wealth and diversity of the material from across more than two decades is still something to behold.

Sound + Vision is released on 23 September 2014



CD 1

  • “Space Oddity” (Demo version)
  • “The Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud” (includes spoken intro)
  • “The Prettiest Star” (Single version)
  • “London Bye Ta–Ta” (previously unreleased stereo mix)
  • “Black Country Rock”
  • “The Man Who Sold the World”
  • “The Bewlay Brothers”
  • “Changes”
  • “Round and Round” (alternate vocal)
  • “Moonage Daydream”
  • “John, I’m Only Dancing”
  • “Drive-In Saturday”
  • “Panic in Detroit”
  • “Ziggy Stardust” (Live)
  • “White Light White Heat” (Live)
  • “Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide” (Live)
  • “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere”
  • “Sorrow”
  • “Don’t Bring Me Down”

CD two

  • “1984/Dodo”
  • “Big Brother”
  • “Rebel Rebel”
  • “Suffragette City” (Live)
  • “Watch That Man” (Live)
  • “Cracked Actor” (Live)
  • “Young Americans”
  • “Fascination”
  • “After Today”
  • “It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City”
  • “TVC 15”
  • “Wild Is the Wind”
  • “Sound and Vision”
  • “Be My Wife”
  • “Speed of Life”
  • “Helden”
  • “Joe the Lion”
  • “Sons of the Silent Age”

CD 3

  • “Station to Station” (Live)
  • “Warszawa” (Live)
  • “Breaking Glass” (Live)
  • “Red Sails”
  • “Look Back in Anger”
  • “Boys Keep Swinging”
  • “Up the Hill Backwards”
  • “Kingdom Come”
  • “Ashes to Ashes”
  • “Baal’s Hymn” (Kurt Weill)  – 4:00
  • “The Drowned Girl” (from Baal, 1982) – 2:24
  • “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” (from Cat People Original Soundtrack) – 6:41
  • “China Girl” (Bowie, Iggy Pop) (from Let’s Dance, 1983) – 5:32
  • “Ricochet” (from Let’s Dance, 1983) – 5:14
  • “Modern Love” (Live) (from “Modern Love” b-side, 1983) – 4:47
  • “Loving the Alien” (from Tonight, 1984) – 7:10
  • “Dancing with the Big Boys” (from Tonight, 1984) – 3:34

CD 4

  • “Blue Jean” (from Tonight, 1984) – 3:10
  • “Time Will Crawl” (from Never Let Me Down, 1987) – 4:18
  • Tin Machine: “Baby Can Dance” (from Tin Machine, 1989) – 4:57
  • Tin Machine: “Amazing”  (from Tin Machine, 1989) – 3:04
  • Tin Machine: “I Can’t Read” (Bowie, Gabrels) (from Tin Machine, 1989) – 4:54
  • Tin Machine: “Shopping for Girls” (from Tin Machine II, 1991) – 3:44
  • Tin Machine: “Goodbye Mr. Ed” (from Tin Machine II, 1991) – 3:24
  • Tin Machine: “Amlapura” (from Tin Machine II, 1991) – 3:46
  • “You’ve Been Around” (from Black Tie White Noise, 1993) – 4:45
  • “Nite Flights” (Moodswings Back to Basics remix radio edit) (original version from Black Tie White Noise, 1993) – 4:35
  • “Pallas Athena” (Gone Midnight Mix) (original version from Black Tie White Noise, 1993) – 4:21
  • “Jump They Say” (from Black Tie White Noise, 1993) – 4:22
  • “The Buddha of Suburbia” (from The Buddha of Suburbia, 1994) – 4:28
  • “Dead Against It” (from The Buddha of Suburbia, 1994) – 5:48
  • “South Horizon” (from The Buddha of Suburbia, 1994) – 5:26
  • “Pallas Athena” (Live) (from “Seven Years in Tibet” B-side, 1997) – 8:18

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38 Comments

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Scott Briggs

I just bought the CD version of this today (no idea if there’s
a vinyl box as well and if so I’m sure it’s tons of $), hadn’t
known this had even been released but snapped it up at a Barnes
and Noble near me, was glad to spot it, a lot of complaints
on this set on Amazon but I don’t see why, it’s a nice reissue
but of course it’s revised/augmented and not the same
at all as the orig. S&V set. If you own the original this makes
a nice “alternate version” of it, sadly minus the Vision but
folks we have YouTube and other things these days don’t
we?

Actually I think a good blu-ray or two of Bowie’s
Complete videos and rarities/films whatever would
be in order at some point, or a box set of THAT stuff as well.
But so far I’m liking this new Sound and Vision and it
sounds pretty good to me and isn’t over-compressed
thank goodness. Booklet included is nice and the
whole package is handsome enough. I notice there’s
also a new Bowie “best of” comp. out as well but
I don’t know that we needed that issue, at least.
I also think both S&V’s were/are aimed more at the
completist long-time stalwart fans and fanatics
than casual Bowie fans who would do with some basic
albums and singles collections. I’m in the former
category for sure so I had to grab this for sure.
So far I’m not at all disappointed.
The funny thing is I was out mainly looking for Blue Oyster Cult’s
Essential set and it wasn’t to be had, but they had two
copies of this and I had to have it right there and then.
Barnes’s prices are not rock-bottom by any means
but I support them and indie record shops too the past
few days, since if we don’t we’ll lose it all and then have
nothing whatsoever, folks. And I don’t want that to happen.

Simon F

Price has gone up to £17.99 on Amazon. I’m sure I saw it there for a shade over £12 the other week…. Think I’ll wait a bit….

[…] Sound + Vision is out now. Full track listings and further details here. […]

[…] of the world) to reissue David Bowie’s back catalogue. The Sound + Vision box (soon to be reissued in 2014) was the connoisseur’s choice to whet the appetite for the whole Sound + Vision […]

Bertielego

Another unimagnative boxset…

I purchased the 1989 edition when it came out.
Then the 2003 edition, as there was significant differences in both content and packaging to the 1989 edition.

But I’ll pass on this one. Too close to the 2003 edition…

Simon

Just discovered the AutoRip in my Amazon cloud! Pre-ordered on Friday (14) so quite pleased to be able to preview it :)

William K

It’s now £13.48 on amazon.co.uk.

bob

Price gone down to £18 on Amazon.

Michael

Zzzzzz. It sounds as if the bondholderd who bought the rights to DB’s royalties are just looking for some extra cash.

I will pass.

Michael1984

The original CD box didn’t contain a CD Video – it contained a CD/ Laser Disc combo with the video for Ashes to Ashes and the 3 live tunes from Boston 1972. I’m so glad I still have that set, I got it right when it came out in 1989 and always enjoyed it.

Kevin

It was a CD Video—up to 20 minutes of music, and 5 minutes of video playable on laserdisc. (Not to be confused with the later Video CD format, which required a Video CD or DVD player.) In the early ’90s, the Japanese labels introduced a variant of this that dispensed with the audio tracks altogether. There wasn’t much of a selection, so it didn’t catch on.

Michael

@ Edu: you are right, my selection is a bit short of rarities, so your suggestions like a few covers (“mother”, “trying to get to heaven”) and rare versions (“safe”, “slow burn” “slip away”) would make a welcome addition.

About the “Toy” album: I’m still hoping for a standalone release of that album somewhere in the future…

Gary C

Burning Shed website listing a very competitive price for this, under £16. Go on, throw the money at the little guy for a change.

Bert Hopkins

I splashed out for the original box set in 1989 – on both CD and vinyl formats. It was a most lavish and extravagant purchase that I could only do as a single man with no girlfriend [hence I could spend money previous allocated to Durex sheaths on music].

The 1989 box has the mono mix of London Bye Ta-Ta. It was replaced by the stereo mix on the 2003 edition.

Edu

Michael,

I think that the next discs should have rarities such the original “is it any wonder? “, the songs recorded for earthling but not used as new versions of shopping for girls and baby universal; the bob dylan cover “trying to get to heaven”, and the lennon cover “mother”. Also interesting was to include the longer versions of “Safe”, “Slow Burn” and “Slip Away” found on the SACD version of Heathen. And the Toy album!!!!!

Zongadude

Well I just remembered there is this nice and non-expensive 10 CD boxset which covers pretty much all things post-1992 (all albums, all b-sides, and almost all remixed/alternate versions). All in all, it is a nice complement to “SOUND+VISION” which stops at 1992.

http://www.amazon.fr/David-Bowie-Coffret-10-CD/dp/B000W1V46G
http://www.amazon.com/David-Bowie-Coffret-10-CD/dp/B000W1V46G

Mike

I remember buying the original set. It was my 2nd CD boxset (first was 20 Years of Jethro Tull) and I thought it was one of the most amazing packages I’d seen up to that point. Yeah, the plastic top cover was kind of a pain in the ass, but hearing Bowie’s version of the Springsteen songs was transcendent.

Michael

my suggestion for a 6 disc version:

disc 5:
the hearth’s filthy lesson / outside / hallo spaceboy (live) / the motel / i’m deranged / strangers when we meet / under pressure (live) / telling lies (adam f mix) / seven years in tibet / dead man walking / i’m afraid of americans (showgirls version) / little wonder (danny saber dance mix) / thursday’s child / something in the air / the pretty things are going to hell (stigmata film version) / everyone says ‘hi’ / slip away / slow burn

disc 6:
new killer star (live) / rebel never gets old (radio edit) / fall dog bomb the moon / the loneliest guy /love missile f1-11 / bring me the disco king / the stars are (out tonight) / love is lost (stephen reich mix edit) / where are we now? / the next day / valentine’s day / sound and vision 2013

Mike

Very nice selection!

Mic Smith

I have the first Ryko edition with CD-V EP. It’s only the video part that is defunct, the three audio tracks still play. I think this was reissued with a CD-ROM in the mid nineties replacing the CD-V. For anyone needing to know the differences then may I suggest you visit the illustrated David Bowie Discography and check out what they have to say about the contents of the various issues.

One change I know for sure is that the original Ryko release included the mono mix of Prettiest Star 7″ from 1970. The 2003 version replaced this with the stereo mix that has appeared on other reissues since (The Best of 1969/74, Space Odfity 40th anniversary deluxe edition).

I will probably get this revamped edition but like many would have welcomed a fifth/sixth disc of stuff from 1993-2013.

Yossi Barak

I’m a Bowie fan and collector since childhood, and I have all the original albums on vinyl and cd ( RCA, Ryko, Anniversary, etc.)

I do have the Sound & Vision box in Vinyl & CD (Ryko) and also bought the EMI 2003 on CD, just because it’s the only release where you can find two songs from the Baal EP.

The only reason for the new 2014 release is that Warner Music Group bought the rights to the EMI catalouge ( including the Bowie classic albums) and someone there thought it will be great idea to get some easy money by the end of the year …

There are, at least, 3 Bowie Albums (Hunky Dory, Low, Scary Monsters) that deserve a deluxe anniversary edition, but, I can’t see anyone even thinking about that direction nowdays.

As for the sound matters, My ears are thelling me that in most cases the Ryko editions sound better than all the others.

Gary C

I’ve still got the cassette box set I bought for £5 in Fopp on Byres Road.

SimonP

What happened to the Vision bit?

Bertielego

“Sound –* Vision” would be a more accurate title!
*Read ‘minus’.

bob

The amazon website gives details of each track re the re master. It seems the latest remasters are used.

Michael

Another question for the Bowie fanatics: which songs/edits/remixes are EXCLUSIVELY on this box?

Brian

an update from 1993 to atleast 2003/4 would have been nice.

Wazza

Damn you record companies for constantly reissueing/remastering/blu ray audioing/DVD audioing/SACDing/vinyling/deluxing and super deluxing everything , my bank manager (wife) isn’t impressed

Jim

I’m interested in getting this, I had the original box set and it pales against the current issued CD’s so I just want to know if it’s been remastered again for this set or just the same mastering from the original box

bob

I see the the packaging is a fat box with slipcase and booklet. Great price and a great box set.

Chris.L.

£31.32 on amazon, £16.99 on Spin Amazon’s pre-order pricing policy is beyond me!!

Dr Avalanche

The boxset from 2003 (and this 2014 rerelease) contain all the tracks from the original ‘Sound + Vision’ boxset, except for the 3 live tracks (Boston, 1-10-1972) that were on the CD-V.
Those tracks however have been rereleased in 2003 on the bonus CD of the limited 30th Anniversary 2-CD edition of “Aladin Sane”.

Zongadude

Two questions:

-Is this up to date in terms of remastering ? (Bowie’s Lp had gone through an entire remaster session since the last output of this boxset). If this is so are the “rarities” on this new edition newly remastered ?
-Why didn’t they take the opportunity to add a fifth disc, with music post-Buddha, and a few new rarities from this era as well ? (“Outside” outtakes ? :d)

Runicen

This may be a tremendously stupid question, but for those who’ve been keeping up with this: have the more recent reissues of this set dropped any of the rarities from the original edition?

bob

There was actually another version of this box released between the two you mention Paul. It is the 3 CD’s, Space Odyssey up to Ashes to Ashes packaged in a CD sized slipcase with a thick booklet. I bought it at HMV and it may have been an import.
I wonder if this will be fat box CD packaging or the book type?

Philip

When will get a fully annotated and bonus track stuffed Berlin Trilogy Box??? Won’t be holding my breath…….

Michael

@Philip: I am waiting for the same thing. Deluxe editions of his albums “Low” and “‘Heroes'” would be so great!

The Rykodisc CD releases added a few new songs (“Abdulmaijd”, “All Saints” and – best of all – “Some Are”) which of course were not very authentic but if Bowie would have the will to go back to his tapes I am convinced he would find some other pearls (Demos etc.)