Search - David Bowie :: A Reality Tour

Wonder if he'll ever know, He's in the best selling show....

James Valdez | Beverly Hills, CA | 01/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most Bowie fans, in some form, have seen or heard parts of this show. Be it catching a You Tube clip or buying the DVD for it's fantastic music, this concert is a snapshot of the incredible Reality Tour that all true David Bowie fans must hear. Like most of Bowie's concerts, the track list plays like a greatest hits of his entire career (minus much sampled from the Station to Station era) and he is able to belt out the classics with the necessary bravado and emotion we have come to expect from his smoother, aged voice. He is able to juggle his nearly half a century of music easily and while, obviously, tracks from his most recent album Reality play heavily, songs like Sunday (perhaps one of the most criminally overlooked songs he has released in the past decade)Changes or All The Young Dudes all receive the proper luxurious orchestration and attention to detail. If you do not own the DVD and are a David Bowie fan this album is an ABSOLUTE must, I can say without reserve that this will rank with Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars as a perfect picture of the majesty and wonder that is David Bowie.



There is, strangely, an emotional aspect to this concert that I hadn't picked up on before. It's no surprise to anyone that Life on Mars? is, in it's own way, an emotional song, a lament of sorts (though not specifically from Bowie's perspective) but the rendition of the track in this show nearly moved me to tears. Fans of groups like Queen will tell you that during a concert it's an absolute given that there are times when the entire audience of a Live Show will belt out "Love of My Life" or "Bohemian Rhapsody" along with the band, singing at times alone, while the group continues the instrumental adding a layer of intimacy that truly defines the Queen experience. David Bowie fans on the other hand, can tell you that while the audience will sing, dance and clap along, more times then not, it isn't picked up on albums or is specifically turned down during post processing. This isn't the case for Life on Mars? on this album. Not only do we have Bowie's majestic voice, but we also hear a flood of voices, merged into a single sound, singing the words up until the first chorus, giving a beautiful seemingly PLANNED echo. Listen to Life on Mars? on Hunky Dory and then come back and listen to it here. There is no better way to experience the sound that is David Bowie. This is made all the more powerful by the fact that this may be the last "release" David Bowie gives us as whether or not he ever plans to release another album is unknown and in all honesty unlikely.



Ziggy Played Guitar indeed."

Great Document of a New Killer Tour

P. Coots | Big Sandy, TX | 01/27/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have had the privilege of seeing Bowie many times, and I caught the Reality Tour in Austin. It was so beautiful. I memorized as much of it as I possibly could. It looked to me like he knew this could be the last tour. He gave it all. I hope this isn't the last we'll hear from such a singular talent. But if it is, boy, he sure could write a song and put on some kinda show. One of a kind. I'm one of the millions whose life he changed. This album is well worth the investment for the version of "Loving the Alien" alone."

Excellent overview of Bowie with a fantastic band

J. G. Hancock | PNS, FL, USA | 01/29/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, the album is a bargain: 33 songs on the double CD, none of which are really filler, and the selection bridges Bowie's career from around 1970 until the 2003 "Reality" album. Indeed, if I were suggesting a Bowie primer to a new listener, I think I'd start here. This is a nice, tight, varied selection, and the sound quality is excellent.



Second of all, it's not REALLY a live greatest hits--there's some stuff on here that wasn't that popular when released as a studio version, but the versions here make you wonder why they weren't. The selections from the "Reality" album, especially, sound incredible, and "Bring Me the Disco King" is one of those songs I thought I'd never hear again in a different form, but it works--it's actually quite nice. The "Ashes to Ashes" version here almost sounds like a run-through for the song to be included on "Aladdin Sane", and "Hallo Spaceboy" is rescued from oblivion by a version that sounds almost like Sonic Youth. These are not complaints.



Third, the band, Bowie's delivery, and even his between-song banter make this one of the better live albums I've listened to in years. You can hear individual audience members reacting (and singing) in certain sections, but there's really no ambient audience roar to drown out anything. In fact, the versions of "Rebel Rebel", "The Man Who Sold the World", and "All the Young Dudes" are almost anthemic here, and the audience is as much a part of the recording as the people on stage. In several places, Bowie solicits audience participation to help him out: he didn't really need the help, but I think the result is quite nice. Maybe the album represents what the audience experienced, and maybe not: there's a credit for "Pro Tools and 5.1" in the booklet. Then again, I wasn't there, so I'm happy with what I can get.



One thing I think is underappreciated on many of Bowie's later albums (especially the live ones) is the fantastic band behind him. The sound and musicianship here is very good--no prima donna leads, no deviation from the program, but everyone hits the song just right. Band members credited are Gerry Leonard ("band leader", guitar, vocals), Sterling Campbell (drums, vocals), Earl Slick (guitar, and quite nice as usual), Gail Ann Dorsey on bass, and Catherine Russell and Mike Garson on keyboards and other. Excellent ensemble, but I have to say, I'd buy a record of "Chopsticks" recorded by Slick and Dorsey.



I dock it one star for the versions of "Heroes" and "Ziggy". They aren't bad, by any means, but some things just shouldn't be done again when they're perfect the first time.

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