Search - David Bowie :: David Live

Bowie's Live Masterpiece

Robert Orme | San Jose, CA | 11/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, Bowie looks ill and deathly thin on the cover. Yes, he probably was not in the best of shape when this record was recorded. I don't care. Maybe that's what makes his performance so phenomenal........maybe the music was all he had at this time in his life, and he was clinging to it desperately. This is one of the greatest rock live records ever recorded!! Buy it!! You'll be knocked back by the incredible performances by the sterling band. Mike Garson (piano, mellotron) and a two piece horn section featuring David Sanborn (alto sax, flute) and Richard Grando (baritone sax, flute) point the way to a very jazzy sound throughout. Earl Slick (guitar) throws a fiery edged rock touch into the mix. Add lots of percussion, a second keyboard player, and a couple of great background vocalists, and you have a band which would be hard to match anywhere. Bowie draws on a variety of his early 70's material, but the record is dominated by selections from Aladdin Sane and Diamond Dogs. I actually prefer the performances here to ones on those two studio records because of the spontaneity of these great musicians in a live setting. Bowie gives urgent vocal performances on some of his most passionate tunes such as Rock 'n' Roll With Me and Big Brother. The band, particularly Slick, prove they can rock hard whenever they want on Cracked Actor and Width of A Circle. All in all, just a tremendous and most essential record if you really want to experience live Bowie at his best."

David Live....revisited

Joseph M. Gabriel | ny | 12/02/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've had David Live on cassette, vinyl, and now of course on CD. I truthfully have not listened to David Live end to end in 20+ years. The CD sounds really great! If they've cleaned it up or digitally re-mastered the CD they did a nice job. This is David at his peak (in my opinion of course) and is a must own CD 2-disc'er. Not any deliberate "voice overs" so common to Live recordings either A plus."