Bowie in Santa Monica '72
587988
Classic Bowie from early in his career. I bought this for a friend and ended up keeping a copy for myself.
2003181
"Heathen" is a sigh of relief for Bowie fans that couldn't attach themselves to all of his more recent style focused albums.  I'm just a novice so I might not speak for everyone.  For my money, I loved Bowie's erratic electronica meets satire on "Earthling" yet didn't fall in love with the mostly adult contemporary rock with middle aged blues of "Hours...".  However, "Heathen" is a much more widespread musical effort that includes spacey electro pop ("Took A Ride On A Gemini Spacecraft") to blistering guitar rock  (his cover of Neil Young's "I've Been Waiting For You").  In fact, Bowie has a lot of success with all 3 of the covers.  He sounds malicious yet passionate while ripping through the Pixies "Cactus", one of Bowie's better sounding alt-rock tracks in years.  The album has a lot of great upbeat rockers like the soulful "Slow Burn" and pop rock of "Afraid", which might have a familiar intro from recent commercials Bowie has done for satellite radio.  The theme of "Heathen" seems to be about needing to be loved, which can be heard in songs like the dark "I Would Be Your Slave" and soothing "Slip Away".  The album is erratic yet it works very well with a strong selection of songs that come from all areas.  Many of the songs are somewhat worldly like the bouncy child-like rock beats of "A Better Future" and the ominous ender "Heathen (The Rays)".
"Heathen", the special edition, features a few good remixes of "Sunday" and "A Better Future".  "Sunday" is stretched out and adds some new drumbeats and guitar while "A Better Future" sounds more melodramatic and electronic.  "A Better Future" was one of the more straightforward pop songs while the album has many strangely beautiful keyboard driven numbers.  While "Heathen" is co-producded by Tony Visconti, who was part of Bowie's Berlin years, it doesn't sound like a campy sellout to that era.  It sounds like a classic return to a feeling of music and not any genre.  The only problem with "Heathen" is that there are so many more songs that could have went on the main disc.  "Conversation Piece" feels like a perfect fit along with the redone version of "Panic In Detroit", but then again those additions could hurt the album by making it sound like a flashback.  If you get a chance to, buy the special edition because it is worth it.  The real special edition disc however is Bowie's import single for "Slow Burn" (sold separately from the disc, of course) which features a wide array of songs that didn't make the cut but fit the wide mold of emotions that "Heathen" displays.  If you liked this album, you will love those b-sides.  Even if you buy the basic CD, you will be in for a treat of many shades of rock, pop, grunge, AC, electronic and even blues that display many human yearnings for lust, belonging, fear and showcases the great struggle that is life.  This one is a Bowie album that everyone will find something they love about it.
172599
Huge David Bowie fan.
I have been giving it an ocassional listening.  Its going very well.  Lets see how this one ages, but im starting to feel that we are in front of a huge one,  maybe even one of his top three records.
Right now is not easy since all the noise of the "most awaited album of xx year" and all now Bowie fan posers.
Where are we now is such a deep song,  incredibly awesome.
Valentine's day shows once more Bowie's geniality and well structured melodies he can create.  There are easily four gems on this album, and I have not past really of the seventh or eight track really.
CHEW SLOW and ENJOY !
1168431
This review is on the music, not necessarily the edition. The one I have was bought from Amazon but included bonus tracks (one of which I will mention); just so I don't confuse anyone.

I've been a Bowie fan since I was 11 or 12 and heard my older brother's vinyl copy of David Live. Prior to that most of what I'd heard was from musicals and jazz, so anyone familiar with Bowie's Diamond Dogs tour would know I was primed for hearing David Live favorably. We were a music loving family. A couple of years later "Fame" was playing on the radio and my dad, "Hey, it's that guy you like." He bought me the greatest hits album, ChangesOneBowie, and I was hooked. I slowly built up my collection so I could hear those songs from ChangesOne in the context of their albums. I would sometimes experience not liking a record upon first hearing but soon learned this was a Bowie fan thing - it takes some gear switching from album to album.

All this to say I have some Bowie fan cred having followed him for fifty years.

"Hours" is a pleasant album. If one thinks of it in the old vinyl, with a Side A and a Side B, it has a little something in common with 1979's "Lodger".

Side A features quieter songs with a restrained Reeves Gabrels on guitar, perhaps channeling the more pensive Robert Fripp side of his personality. The songs are interesting and softened by 12-string with the exception of the opener "Thursday's Child" - which is a great listen and sets up the mood for the four songs to follow. "Something in the Air" is a touching song of the end of love while it's happening; "Survive" is perhaps its sequel. "If I'm Dreaming My Life" offers a good vocal performance. "Seven" sounds like there are seven 12-strings playing it, which maybe there are or close to it as the musician credits include Bowie, Gabrels and producer Mark Plati all playing it. This is a good effect, a lyrically interesting song with superb lead guitar touches by Gabrels.

Side B kicks off with "What's Really Happening" - a rougher edged tune that sets up the rest of the album, though Gabrels (or Bowie) still controls himself. This song features very Bowie-esque lyrics by contest winner Alex Grant. Gabrels lets himself go in the highly listenable "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell" - I think my wife and I played that seven times in row on first listen. What's really great about this song are the delivery of the lyrics and layering of the voices. "New Angels of Promise" is somewhat reminiscent of the better songs of The Thompson Twins in its opening. Again layered vocals, good delivery. I'm skipping "Brilliant Adventure" and wish Bowie had as well; it doesn't belong there even with the seques of the chimes at the end of the preceding song and the beginning of the next. I am a fan of Bowie's instrumentals but this one sounds unfinished. "The Dreamers" closes the album (but I have another suggestion) and is my favorite on this album. A cool motif that starts (I think) on a keyboard and half way through switches to guitar. Great use of instruments, the song builds, and at the end Reeves is let go. My one suggestion would have been to scrap the instrumental and end the album with the upbeat bonus track "We All Go Through" - a pleasant song that counters the melancholy opener to the album.

I'm not clear on why a lot of long time Bowie fans dislike this album. It's one of the albums I like to listen to all the way through.
1975401
I enjoyed the book because it gave more insight into who David Bowie was and his rise to stardom.
2054836
Let me tell you my story.  Originally I purchased the single CD version of greates hits and found it just too inadequate.  How could I have a collection of Bowie hits and not have "Life on Mars"?!  Not only is it simply worth it for the economy to purchase the two-disc version, it's just smart to have another disc full of Bowie treasures.  In a perfect world every Bowie fan would possess every album he put out, but if you can't go that route, check out this wonderful compilation of hits!  Great for the neophyte, or the hard-core Bowie fan!  I strongly recommend the reader to purchase this great collection.  Cheers and Hails!
1255003
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Two DVDs have been packaged together covering the years between 1968 to 1979. "The Final Changes"....there seem to be 36 years missing. This was a quick exploitation of Bowie's passing this year.
588786
Both this and Bowie's "Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" are considered the most relevant glam releases. But this one came one year early, so one can argue it is more important, despite the fact that Bowie's glam records are fantastic too.
The remastered 180g vinyl sounds really good. The cover opens and you can see a big and beautiful picture of Bolan. The record comes inside of an anti-static plastic-and-paper envelope. The disc have only the 11 original tracks, no bonus. Great reissue of a classic. Highly recomended.
2656818
I really enjoyed it. Amazing story of the late artist. David Bowie as Warhol haha so good.
3564115
This book is great since it doesn't just talk about Bowie, but also about  the world around him and what other people were doing. Some of the essays  are a little too academic, but they do give some insight into his albums  and individual songs. This book is best read after you have listened to his  early albums carefully, so that you have your own opinions and can  understand what the authors are talking about.
3076108
Altho I prefer his MTV style videos on The Best of Bowie, which is 4 hours.  This one is two hours and shows how many great songs he wrote in the inimitable electronic style of the 80s.
1677558
As a Bowie fan from the beginning, I was surprised to find that his final album is right up there with the very best of his work.  Can't be more enthusiastic than that.  If you've ever liked Bowie, and especially the 70s-Berlin-Bowie, you'll like this a lot.
2628054
Amazing band, excellent A/V quality, and a great set list spanning Bowie's career through the largely underrated Heathen album.

The more critical reviews here aside, I have a hard time believing that any Bowie fan wouldn't be delighted to have this in their library.
4024713
Ground control to SpaceHog. If you are a fan of David Bowie aka "Ziggy Stardust", this album will bring back memories. And for those who loved this album and never listened toDavid Bowie's Ziggy  Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, I highly suggest you do.
69921
This is one of my favorite all time Bowie albums. The Marcus Kinko art is superb. The stunning transparent blue vinyl is gorgeous. Every song is perfect. 5:15 Angels Have Gone is almost too beautiful to listen to. I also adore Heathen: The Rays. Cover of Cactus by the Pixies and Neil Young are great! Don't pass it up! It's a treasure for the ages.
1587661
Personally I like it when an aged rocker revisits a period of his career and updates it with wisdom.  Bowie has done it a few times and taken some critical lumps for it.  But in my opinion he, Van Morrison, and Neil on this new album, keep it fresh.  "Are You Passionate" seems to recall Buffalo Springfield with its Motown-tinged hooks.  Nearly all the songs have a signature guitar riff that, like Mick Ronson's contributions to early seventies Bowie songs, is often more memorable than the vocal melody.  But this isn't the kind of stuff one should dissect; Neil pulls it off with his usual ease and the performances are masterful, yet seem to come from someone's garage.  We need to appreciate how hard this would be for anyone else who has recorded as much music as Neil.  Cherish this guy while you've got him; and keep buying the new stuff!
4190776
This anthology comes in two versions: 1-CD with 20-tracks and 2-CDs with 39 tracks.  If you are only interested in a handful of Bowie's most popular tracks, the one-disc version should suffice.  However, if you are looking for a career overview that goes a little deeper than just the obvious cuts, this two-disc collection is recommended.  The additional tracks presented here are essential listening to better get a grasp of what Bowie's eclectic career has been all about.  Even two discs omits some important tracks (and limits the number of tracks chosen to 2-3 per album at most).  However, if you are that interested in Bowie's career then you probably should invest in the original albums, particularly if you want the full-length album versions of many tracks that are heard here in their edited, single versions.  I find that the most popular, highest-exposed tracks better retain their freshness when placed among lesser-known, high-quality cuts...but if you disagree there's that one-disc option.
Some of the lesser-known, later-period tracks (e.g., JUMP THEY SAY) hold up very well when packaged with such famous Bowie tracks as FAME and LET'S DANCE).  One notable aspect of Bowie's career that often is overlooked is the quality of collaborators: such distinctive artists as Lester Bowie, Mick Ronson, Robert Fripp, Brian Eno, Nile Rodgers, etc. demonstrate that Bowie has never been wary of working with strong musical personalities...he may be the rock equivalent of Miles Davis in that regard.  I would say this factor--and of course the enduring quality of his tunes--enable Bowie's music to stand the test of time arguably as well or better than any of his peers from rock's earlier eras.  Overall, BEST OF BOWIE (2-CDs) manages to present an excellent overview of his career for those who don't have enough time or money to check out Bowie's many studio albums (some of which are all-time rock classics).