ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Album # 44 is Stage by David Bowie from 1978.

The front cover photo sort of say "this is a live album". And it sure is...a great live album that is! What a sweet revenge for Bowie. Four years earlier he released his first live set, David Live, a rather horrible album actually. The band sound badly rehearsed, the sound and mix is weird and Bowie is not at his best. It's still a mystery that someone made the decision to release it. (A remixed version is available on CD. It's said to be improved, but nobody at the RadioDupree staff has heard it yet).

In 1978 Bowie releases another live set partly recorded in the same city as the previous one, Philadelphia.

But what a difference. Stage is one of those essential live albums from the 70's. The band is great and the versions of the songs differs from the studio recordings (Ziggy Stardust, Station To Station, Low and Heroes).

On the EMI 2005 CD reissue the original running order of the concert set list is restored and the fades between the songs removed. This improves the live feeling of the album.

S.H.

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