David Bowie - 'Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture' (EMI)
5/5
By: Toby L
There are classic concerts - the kind where you arrive fresh out of a toilet-circuit venue claiming to have witnessed the next Super Furry Animals, an excited revelation perhaps aided by a simultaneously devoured dashing of pints - and then there are classic concerts.
Ladies and gentlemen, how come we are so commonly unable to top the sheer, mountainous likes of 'Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - The Motion Picture', even after thirty years since its occurrence? It's a simple question, with a simpler answer. And it's because you don't get many Bowies to the pound these days - that is to say, a singular solo artist who defines a generation of bored teenagers that happen to spare a lot of time, plenty of make-up and a multitude of mullet-grooming equipment. The music - oh, those songs - and the associated, gripping sense of uncaring style-sense. Nothing ever preceded 'Ziggy Stardust' in quite such an extravagant fashion - and, still to this day, it's tough to see it ever being toppled.
Content >>>
So, naturally, the subject-matter - i.e. the band's legendary, final performance as Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon in '73 - is outstanding, a vividly crafted musical sensation and triumph, captured this time around in full stereo surround-sound for our viewing-delectation.
... Fawn at a medley that comprises a glorious 'All The Young Dudes' and a perky 'Oh! You Pretty Things'. Gasp at a gleaming 'Moonage Daydream' or the shockingly rare, stringent tones of 'My Death'. And simply try and convince yourself that anything following such a perennial rendition of 'Rock 'N' Roll Suicide' was as near devastatingly timeless (even though it most likely wasn't)...
With accompanying commentary of the show from director DA Pennebaker of his footage, along with long-time Bowie collaborator and producer Tony Visconti, and plenty of ROM features (more desktop items, weblinks, images and bonus-features than you can fill your C-drive with), and housed in a classy slipcase, adding to it a fanzine-style booklet and poster, this is a must-own package.
Sound & Vision >>>
Notably, Visconti took it upon himself with the restoration of the soundtrack to provide new overdubs to the original recording, inclusive of the deletion of any out-of-tune backing-vox (in whose place, almost amusingly, he added his own in-tune rendition of the harmonies). Although a barbaric prospect, fortunately, none of the original aplomb has been extracted - instead, what results is a collection of some of Bowie's finest performed works, presented in their most extensively far-reaching and potentially perfect outer-exteriors yet. With the visuals even given a dusting here and there for added clarity and screen-definition, a piece of historic finery has been made even more glamorous - a thought once considered impossible.
David-B freak or not, with so few relatively genuine moments of rock 'n' roll history lurking in the confines of our globe's orbit, when works such as this present themselves - grab them, and don't let go.
Artists in this article: David Bowie
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment