The legendary David Bowie live show from Santa Monica, California, from 1972, which was originally aired on US Radio Station KMET in Los Angeles, has finally been given its proper release, digitally remastered, housed in a mini-box set, complete with four black and white picture cards, a mini-replica poster from the show (with a reprint of a newspaper review on the back), and a nice booklet packed with photos, including a killer shot on the back end of Bowie & Mick Ronson rocking out. It's a wonderful set that offers not only plenty of visual treats but also one absolutely killer concert.
The music? Well, this is the era of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars, so expect plenty of the classic early Bowie, with a healthy dollop from the Ziggy Stardust album, as well as lots of other staple glam/hard rock/pop gems from his early catalog. The band; Bowie, guitarist Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, drummer Mick "Woody" Woodmansey, and keyboard player Mike Garson, are in top form here, showing a band at their absolute peak. The songs are rocking and raw, Ronson's guitar snarling like a savage beast, Bowie commanding the songs with his unique and 'one of a kind' vocal delivery. Highlights? Well, there's plenty as you can imagine, but for starters, rockers like "Hang On To Yourself", "Ziggy Stardust", "The Supermen", "Moonage Daydream", and the 10-minute centerpiece of The Man Who Sold The World album "The Width of a Circle", all are delivered with ferocious intent, and settle in well alongside the more poppy pieces like "Changes", "Space Oddity", "Five Years", and "Andy Warhol". As for the glam side of Bowie's stage set, the band dips into a tune from what would be the upcoming album Aladdin Sane, the irresistible "The Jean Genie", and of course, the classic "Suffragette City".
If you are a Bowie fan, you've no doubt been waiting for this release for many years, and are already waiting patiently for it to either arrive at your doorstep or for you to make the trek to your local CD shop to pick it up. Those new to the magic of David Bowie and want to examine his early work would be well advised to check into this.
Track Listing
1. Introduction
2. Hang On To Yourself
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Changes (Live)
5. The Supermen
6. Life On Mars?
7. Five Years
8. Space Oddity
9. Andy Warhol
10. My Death
11. The Width Of A Circle
12. Queen Bitch
13. Moonage Daydream
14. John, I'm Only Dancing
15. Waiting For The Man
16. The Jean Genie
17. Suffragette City
18. Rock 'N' Roll Suicide