David Bowie

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (30th Anniversary Edition CD 2) - 2003 - EMI

The 30th Anniversary Edition of David Bowie's sci-fi, lounge-jazz, glam rock album Aladdin Sane is a treat for those who are obsessed with packaging and extra tracks. In brief, to discuss the original album once more: Aladdin Sane, following the überplanned and calculated Ziggy Stardust, came off as a far stranger recording. None of the high-concept drama and campiness of the former record is revisited in kind. Instead, tougher rock songs such as "Panic in Detroit," "Watch That Man," and "The Jean Genie," as well as a wonderfully and raucously covered "Let's Spend the Night Together," are contrasted with jarring, nearly serial dissonance on "Cracked Actor," the title track, and "Lady Grinning Soul." Here, science fiction à la Phillip K. Dick, freakish lounge-jazz, and cinematic incidental music vie for space in Bowie's articulation. All of it is compressed into a particular glam rock aesthetic that made attempts to conserve a bent, if present, innocence (check "Drive-In Saturday for clues with the doo wop choruses). The result feels like rock & roll fragmentation, ahead of its time. Aladdin Sane might have sounded immediately comfortable alongside the Fall's Live at the Witch Trials or the Teardrop Explodes' Kilimanjaro album, not to mention portions of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures from a few years later. All of that said, as an album it actually has aged better than Ziggy because the listener can never be completely familiar with its shape-shifting elemental constructs and medication-inducing mood swings. As for the bonus material here, it is nothing short of fabulous. Disc two is chock-full: two versions of "The Jean Genie" (including the single mix), the single edit of "Time," two versions of "John, I'm Only Dancing," the previously unreleased "Life on Mars?," the original studio recording of "All the Young Dudes," a different, unreleased version of ""Drive-In Saturday," and live versions of "Changes" and "Superman." The booklet is a book: 42 pages chock-full of color photos, many rare, killer session notes for everything, and an essay that includes quotes from Bowie and virtually everyone associated with the album and band at that particular time. This is fine treatment, along with stellar sound given to one of the most misunderstood rock & roll albums. © Thom Jurek © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/aladdin-sane-30th-anniversary-edition-r645656/review [N.B: REVIEW REFERS TO COMPLETE ALBUM]

"Aladdin Sane" is one of the greatest rock albums ever released. The album posted here is the second CD of a 2 x CD set released in 2003 to commemorate the classic album's 30th anniversary. If you're a Bowie fan you will probably have heard all these tracks. If you're not familiar with David Bowie's work, give this a listen. There's some truly great live and alternative versions of 10 classic Bowie songs. The album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Some of David Bowie's classic rock albums include "The Man Who Sold the World", "Hunky Dory", "Ziggy Stardust", "Station to Station", "Low", "Heroes", "Lodger", and "Scary Monsters". Read about the great rock star @ BIO/ALLMUSIC and BIO/WIKI

TRACKS

1 John, I'm Only Dancing (Sax Version) 2:45
2 The Jean Genie (Original Single Mix) 4:07
3 Time (Single Edit) 3:43
4 All The Young Dudes (Mono mix) 4:11
5 Changes (Live) 3:20
6 The Supermen (Live) 2:42
7 Life On Mars? (Live) (Previously unreleased) 3:25
8 John, I'm Only Dancing (Live) 2:40
9 The Jean Genie (Live) 4:10
10 Drive-In Saturday (Live) (Previously unreleased) 4:53

All songs composed by David Bowie. Tracks 5 to 8 recorded live at the Music Hall, Boston, 1.10.1972. Track 9 recorded live at the Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, 20.10.1972. Track 10 recorded live at the Public Hall, Cleveland, 25.11.1972

MUSICIANS

David Bowie - Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica, Saxophone
Mick Ronson - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Trevor Bolder - Bass
Mike Garson - Keyboards, Piano
Mick "Woody" Woodmansey - Drums
Ken Fordham - Saxophone [Bux-saxophone], Flute
G A MacCormack, Juanita "Honey" Franklin, Linda Lewis - Backing Vocals