Month: September 2009

The most recent original full-length entries in the David Bowie catalog are his REALITY studio album (released September 2003), and subsequent live DVD, A REALITY TOUR (October 2004), which presented his world tour of October 2003 through June 2004. A REALITY TOUR was the highest-grossing global tour of 2004 and one of the most critically acclaimed tours of Bowie?s career. It was hailed as “Best Tour: #2” in the “Critics? Picks” section in the ROLLING STONE “Music Awards 2003 poll (after Radiohead), and the magazine raved: “Bowie keeps finding new ways to seduce a crowd and make fans come back for more”(1/22/04).

Now Bowie fans ? who have been painstakingly creating audio dubs of the DVD for themselves all these years ? can rejoice over the news that A REALITY TOUR has finally been remastered as a double-CD. Sweetening the package are three bonus tracks performed on the tour but not included on the original DVD: “China Girl,” “Breaking Glass” and “Fall Dog Bombs The Moon.” The 33-song configuration will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting January 26, 2010 through ISO RECORDS and Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.

With its iconic cover image of denim-clad David Bowie wielding his vintage black-and-white Supro Dual-Tone electric guitar, A REALITY TOUR has emerged as the definitive career overview. The songs that he ultimately chose for release weave through virtually every phase of his life, dating back to the title tune of his 1971 LP, “The Man Who Sold The World.”

The tour drew thunderous critical acclaim. Writing in the New York Times about his sold-out Madison Square Garden show, Jon Pareles said: “Unlike many other rockers of his generation, Mr. Bowie, 56, made his recent songs sound just as trenchant as the oldies?Mr. Bowie has sung many of these songs countless times, but with a shifted inflection here and a sly gesture there he made clear that he was still thinking through them, bringing them into the here and now” (12/17/03). Of the same show, Jim Farber of the New York Daily News noted: “Bowie was in burly voice and brisk shape Monday, looking and sounding at least 20 years younger than his actual age?His last two albums reunited him with [his former producer] Tony Visconti. Together, they’ve rekindled Bowie’s talent for compelling melodies and hot riffs” (12/17/03). Elsewhere, Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said: “He arrived in peak voice with a powerhouse band and a set list that soothed nostalgic cravings even as it worked as pointed commentary” (1/14/04).

The 1970s were especially productive years for Bowie, and he pays homage to them with live versions of more than a dozen titles: “Changes” and “Life On Mars?” (from Hunky Dory, 1971); the trilogy sequence of “Five Years,” “Hang On To Yourself” and “Ziggy Stardust” (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 1972); “All the Young Dudes” (1972); “Rebel Rebel” (from Diamond Dogs, 1974); “Fame” (co-written with John Lennon, from Young Americans, 1975); “Be My Wife” and “Breaking Glass” (from Low, 1977); “Heroes” (1977); and “Fantastic Voyage” (from Lodger, 1979). There is also a rare live version of “Sister Midnight” that Bowie co-wrote with Iggy Pop from The Idiot, Iggy?s 1977 debut solo LP (post-Stooges), which Bowie produced.

Bowie recalls the ?80s with “Ashes To Ashes” (from Scary Monsters, 1980), “Under Pressure” (the one-off single that he recorded with Queen in 1981), and “Loving The Alien” (from Tonight, 1984). Four songs (three of them co-written with Brian Eno) originated on Bowie?s ?90s albums Outside (“Hallo Spaceboy,” “The Motel,” 1995) and Earthling (“I?m Afraid Of Americans,” “Battle For Britain (The Letter),” 1997).

The lion?s share of songs that Bowie performed on A REALITY TOUR (and chose for release) were drawn from his two most recent albums at the time, 2002?s Heathen ( “Cactus” [written by Black Francis of the Pixies], “Sunday,” “Slip Away,” “Afraid,” and “Heathen [The Rays]”), and 2003?s REALITY (“New Killer Star,” “Reality,” “The Loneliest Guy,” “Never Get Old,” and “Bring Me the Disco King,” “Fall Dog Bombs The Moon”).

In addition to Bowie, musicians on A REALITY TOUR include Gerry Leonard (band leader/guitar/vocals), Sterling Campbell (drums/vocals), Earl Slick (guitar), Gail Ann Dorsey (bass guitar/vocals), Catherine Russell (keyboards/vocals/percussion/guitar), and Mike Garson (keyboards).

A REALITY TOUR by DAVID BOWIE (ISO/Columbia/Legacy CK 758548)

CD One ? Selections: 1. Rebel Rebel ? 2. New Killer Star ? 3. Reality ? 4. Fame ? 5. Cactus ? 6. Sister Midnight ? 7. Afraid ? 8. All The Young Dudes ? 9. Be My Wife ? 10. The Loneliest Guy ? 11. The Man Who Sold The World ? 12. Fantastic Voyage ? 13. Hallo Spaceboy ? 14. Sunday ? 15. Under Pressure ? 16. Life On Mars? ? 17. Battle For Britain (The Letter).

CD Two ? Selections: 1. Ashes To Ashes ? 2. The Motel ? 3. Loving The Alien ? 4. Never Get Old ? 5. Changes ? 6. I?m Afraid Of Americans ? 7. “Heroes” ? 8. Bring Me The Disco King ? 9. Slip Away ? 10. Heathen (The Rays) ? 11. Five Years ? 12. Hang On To Yourself ? 13. Ziggy Stardust ? Bonus tracks: 14. Fall Dog Bombs The Moon ? 15. Breaking Glass ? 16. China Girl.

 

Children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent to benefit from sales of 2009/2010 HMV calendar featuring the inspiration selections of Dylan, Bowie, McCartney, Elvis, Springsteen, The Killers, Bono, Deborah Harry, Siouxsie, Tom Waits, Keith Richards and other icons.

 

Music and entertainment specialist HMV is to mark the third anniversary of its acclaimed my inspiration campaign by featuring memorable highlights in a charity calendar for 2009/2010.

 

These include the my inspiration selections of Bob Dylan – who selected Scottish poet, Robert Burns; Bono and Paul McCartney, who, in turn, cite Bob Dylan as theirs; Paul Weller, who was first inspired by the songwriting of Lennon and McCartney; Bruce Springsteen, who was influenced by Blues performer Woodie Guthrie; and Deborah Harry, who found inspiration in the songs of Leonard Cohen.  There are also our inspirations for Elvis and Bob Marley selected by HMV staff and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell respectively (See below for full details of participating artists and their inspirations).

 

My inspiration invites iconic and exciting new artists to share with their fans the song lyric or lines of verse that have inspired them in their life and in their work.  The campaign began in September 2006, when David Bowie selected Syd Barrett’s Gigolo Aunt as his personal inspiration.  Since that time well over 150 artists have taken part, ranging from Timbaland to the first lady of France, Carla Bruni, as well as new artists such as Lady Gaga and La Roux.

 

The proceeds of the limited edition calendar, which has been generously produced for HMV at cost by the UK’s leading calendar manufacturer Danilo, will go to HMV’s nominated charity CLIC Sargent, which cares for children and young adults with cancer.

 

The calendar comes with two different but equally attractive covers: a standard version highlighting all the featured artists, and a special limited edition run featuring Bob Dylan.  Both versions are priced £7.99 and will go on sale in early September in over 270 HMV stores and can also be ordered online at hmv.com.  Sister company Waterstone’s is also a stockist.

 

A key part of the calendar are the iconic black & white portraits of the participating artists taken by photographers who are themselves celebrated, such as Anton Corbijn, Fiona Freund, Dean Chalkley, Lawrence Watson, Adrian Boot and Frank Ockenfels 3 – making it a must not just for music fans and collectors, but for anyone with an appreciation of rock photography.

 

The A3-sized calendar comes with a foreword from Q Editor-in-Chief Paul Rees, and offers the added bonus of a full eighteen months worth of artist inspiration selections, starting from August 2009 with The Edge’s selection, covering all of 2010 and then ending in January 2011 with Metallica’s choice of their inspiration.

 

my inspiration icons – listing in full:

 

Month      featured artist            Selected performer /writer & work

 

2009

Aug    The Edge               Leonard Cohen / Anthem

Sep     Amy Winehouse    Donny Hathaway / I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know

Oct     The Killers             Bruce Springsteen / Born To Run

Nov     Keith Richards       Buddy Guy / I Can’t Quit The Blues

Dec     Bobbie Gillespie    The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl / Fairytale of New York

                                   

2010

Jan      Bob Dylan             Robert Burns / A Red, Red Rose

Feb      Bono                    Bob Dylan / Visions of Johanna

Mar     Elvis                    Elvis / Suspicious Minds (selected by HMV staff)

Apr      Noel Gallagher       The Stones Roses / She Bangs The Drum

May     Siouxsie               The Doors / When The Music’s Over

Jun      Paul McCartney     Bob Dylan / She Belongs To Me      

Jul       Paul Weller            Lennon & McCartney / Strawberry Fields Forever

Aug     Bob Marley          Bob Marley / One Love (selected by Chris Blackwell)

Sep     Bruce Springsteen  Woody Guthrie / This Land is Your Land

Oct      Deborah Harry        Leonard Cohen / Waiting For The Miracle

Nov      Tom Waits             Dylan Thomas / A Visit To Grandpa’s

Dec      David Bowie           Syd Barrett / Gigolo Aunt

 

2011