Greg’s Grab Bag – David Bowie’s [ Five Years 1969-1973 ] Box Set

Waking up this morning to the news of David Bowie’s death was a gut-punch of reality – an icon, legend and consummate artist was gone, never to return.

I immediately wanted to listen to his music and I’ve always favored the albums from early in his career, so I reached for the [ Five Years 1969-1973 ] box set, a 12-CD set chronicling Bowie’s incredible studio and live output over a relatively short half-decade in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.  These we certainly exciting times for Bowie as he grew and evolved his sound with each new outing, moving from the spacy orchestral pop of “Space Oddity” to the bluesy and guitar-driven rock of “The Jean Genie.”  In between, he became one of the faces of Glam Rock thanks to his Ziggy Stardust concept/persona. Resulting in a time period that is truly amazing and nearly unrivaled in pop music history.

The set chronicling this space in time, which was compiled and released jointly by Parlophone and Rhino Records in October 2015, includes six studio albums (David Bowie, The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane and Pin Ups), an archival live recording (Live Santa Monica ’72) a motion picture soundtrack (Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars), a 2003 stereo remix of The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by original co-producer Ken Scott and Re:Call 1, a new 2-disc collection of single versions, B-sides and unreleased songs from this time period.

Re:Call 1 is home to several songs of note.  An original mono single version of “Holy Holy” from The Man Who Sold The World is now officially available for the first time in the United States thanks to this set and a previously unreleased, mono single edit of “All The Madmen,” produced by Tony Visconti, finally sees the light of day.  Bowie’s dramatic reading of Jacques Brel’s “Amsterdam” and the popular Ziggy Stardust-era B-side “Velvet Goldmine” are also memorable tracks from this compilation.  Although most of the songs on Re:Call 1 have been released previously in various places, it is nice to have them bundled together into one handy collection.

Not only is there a ton of classic music, but it sounds better than ever before.  Four of the six studio albums (David Bowie, The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory and Pin Ups) feature 2015 remasters and the results are stunning.  A quick scan of Bowie fan chats online reveals a broad range of opinions about which versions of any particular album sound best and there is little-to-no consensus among the passionate supporters.  That said, for my money, the sound on [ Five Years 1969-1973 ] sparkles at every turn and certainly has no weak spots.

As if the comprehensive audio content weren’t enough, the packaging and accompanying materials are also noteworthy.  Not only are the albums presented in packaging that faithfully reproduces the original vinyl releases, but there is a hard-bound 128-page book that both includes information about each release and presents archival reviews and information that add historical perspective.

Of particular note are the new essays from producers Ken Scott and Tony Visconti, which offer a glimpse into the recording process for each album while giving insights into the recording of individual tracks.  These essays also give old and new listeners a chance to experience the material in new ways.  Although I personally never noticed the drum reverb when the orchestra fades at the end of “Five Years,” Ken Scott’s explanation of how it happened led me to listen specifically for it.

Whether focusing on the wealth of material compiled or the impressive way it was all packaged together, it is clear that a lot of time, attention and care was given to this set’s creation.  [ Five Years 1969-1973 ] is a fitting tribute to Bowie and this incredibly creative five-year stretch of his recording career.  Of course, fans know that he produced top-notch releases throughout his career – constantly reinventing himself artistically and helping to shape the popular music landscape – so I imagine there would be a lot of interest in more sets focusing on other phases of his career.

With all the tributes and remembrances that come with a massive loss like this, there will undoubtedly be many people learning about Bowie for the first time.  For those seeking to dive into his storied career, there may not be a better starting point than this set.  Sure, single or double-disc hits collections will give nice overviews, but the comprehensive look into one of the artist’s most prolific periods afforded by this set will surely reward those willing to take the journey.

Rest in peace, David, and thank you for the music.