Search - David Bowie :: Vh1 Story Tellers (W/Dvd)

Next Best Thing to a New Album

Brandon J. Smith | Philadelphia, PA | 07/15/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I wish David Bowie would come out with a new album. It's been a long time since 2003's outstanding "Reality" cd. In the meantime, he's popped up now and again as a guest (most notably, for me, at least, on the television show "Extras") and has released live material, like the Glass Spider dvd. I'd prefer a new album, but at least we're getting some great stuff here.



Around the time "hours..." came out, David Bowie appeared on the excellent VH1 Storytellers program. This was undoubtedly one of, if not the, best Storyteller show of the series' run. Bowie, perhaps more than any other artist, is perfectly suited to this kind of environment, and he shines here.



I do wish one of my all-time favorites "Always Crashing in the Same Car" had been included on the cd as well as the dvd, but such is the limitation of the cd format.



This is not an essential addition to the Bowie catalog, but it's a welcome one for us product-starved Bowie fanatics."

Get the DVD rather than just downloading mp3s

Phil (San Diego, CA) | San Diego, CA | 07/31/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bowie's storytelling and charisma are the strongest elements of this performance. Quite welcome too, because Bowie's concert performances always tended to be light on stage patter. Bowie is in turn charming, funny, reminiscing, reflective. There's not particularly a continuity throughout the narratives, no chronological or thematic approach, but the performance is engaging.



The audio CD is enjoyable enough but the stories and asides are more understandable when you're watching the DVD. Which explains why this is the first music purchase I've made in a year where I actually bought the physical media instead of just downloading the songs.



The setlist provides interesting choices but it does lend itself toward the stereotype that an artist's music gets slower and quieter as one grows beyond the relentless energy of youth. Of the eight songs, two are from the album Bowie was then promoting, 1999's 'hours...', and two of the four bonus performances (DVD only) are from that album as well.



Of the remaining eight songs, two are hits that even nonfans would recognize, but "Rebel Rebel" is more of a minute long vamp rather than a full performance of the song. The other selections range from surprising (a lively pounding out of an early-early Bowie song from 1965) to "I can't believe he's doing this song!" ("Drive-In Saturday" from Aladdin Sane) to sublime (the set closer "Word On A Wing" from Station to Station). Pianist Mike Garson especially shines on opener "Life On Mars?"



Of the four bonus performances on the DVD, the highlight is easily "Always Crashing In The Same Car" from Low. It's a bit odd to see Bowie deliver this tribute to melancholy with such a chipper delivery, but nevertheless it makes you wish that it had been featured as part of the main program.



With live DVDs on the market of Bowie's 1972, 1983, 1987 and 2003 tours, this new release earns its place in one's Bowie's collection by including strong catalog numbers otherwise neglected by those concert setlists. Hopefully the live year 2000 performance bundled as a bonus with the "Bowie at the Beeb" will be next in line for DVD release.



One weakness to the end product - Bowie's narratives should have been mixed louder because you'll probably find yourself using the remote throughout to boost the audio when Bowie speaks, then lower the audio again when the music starts.



If the premise of the "storytellers" approach appeals to you I strongly recommend the Ray Davies CD, "The Storyteller". Davies was the inspiration for the entire VH1 series. Ray's tour in support of that album was so compelling that day after the LA show I hit the indie CD shop and picked up four Kinks CDs, and within a matter of months assembled a near-complete library of Kinks CDs from "Muswell Hillbillies" to "To The Bone". "The Storyteller" is the best Kinks-related CD to come down the pike since "Schoolboys In Disgrace"."

3.5 stars... VH1 Storytellers Bowie episode brought to DVD/C

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 07/27/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Storytelling: 5 stars; DVD: 3.5 stars; CD: 2 stars



VH1 Storytellers was the TV music channel's perhaps greatest critical (if not commercial) success, and it was quite the coup for them to be able to get someone the stature of David Bowie to do an episode. THis was taped in New York in 1999.



The "David Bowie VH1 Storytellers" DVD (64 min.) first brings the 45 min. original episode, exactly as it was broadcast (sans the commercials, of course), and it is in the storytelling that Bowie really shines. Here he talks about first meeting and befriending Mark Bolan (of T. Rex) in the early 60s before either of them had achieved any notoriety. There he talks about being depressed that Mott the Hoople, for whom he already wrote "All the Young Dudes" now rejected a new song of his so he had no choice but to record it himself ("Drive-in Saturday"). There he brings a story of roadies and hangers-on, and on and on. The music is not quite as good, although certainly not bad. The stripped down "Life on Mars?" is astonishing. The new tracks (from the about to be released "hours" album) are not quiet as good. The episode closer "Word on a Wing" is equally haunting and sad. The DVD also brings 4 additional bonus songs (19 min.) taped without any storytelling, perhaps performed by the band as a warm up for the crowd (amusingly you can see Bowie smoking a cigarette while singing "If I'm Dreaming My Life", probably violating all kinds of New York laws all the while). I have to admit that the whole thing looks/feels quite dated. This was taped 10 years ago (and no rhyme or reason why it was never released until now). Furthermore, at a mere 64 min., this feels a bit scant for a DVD. Didn't they have any other related bonus materials, either to put the 1999 episode into context, or about Bowie and the pending 'hours' album? How about a commentary from the producers and/or Bowie on the logistics of putting this together?



The CD "David Bowie VH1 Storytelling" (8 tracks; 45 min.) brings only the actual VH1 episode, sans the commercials again, and more imcomprehensibly, also sans the 4 bonus tracks. Why? Doesn't therecord label realize that a CD's capacity is 80 minutes?



In all, this an okay release, and Bowie's story-telling is superb, but it could have been a whole lot better with a little more effort besides just transferring a TV episode onto DVD."