The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars [Enhanced, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Ziggy Stardust is one of those classic albums that has been reissued many times, but never done quite right. Until now? This is undoubtedly the best release yet, though there are a few peculiarities.

First, a note on the music. First released in 1972, this was the album that propelled Bowie to stardom. The band is Mick Ronson (guitar), Trevor Bolder (bass), Mick Woodmansey (drums) and Bowie on almost everything else. It was a tight band, but what makes the album is the immaculate songwriting and Bowie's own vocals, presence and energy. From the first drumbeats of Five Years to the dying chords of Rock `n' Roll Suicide, the album is nearly perfect.

The original UK LP sounds great, but subsequent releases have had various problems. The RCA CDs from the eighties are OK, though not a lot of trouble was taken with them, and they are hard to find now. The EMI release (Ryko in the USA) was clean but thin-sounding. Subsequent issues have been over-processed resulting in a slightly fatiguing sound. Even the SACD in 2003 was not that special, though it did feature a 5.1 mix that now reappears here.

But I am getting ahead of myself. This 2012 release comes in two forms, a single CD and a deluxe package with an LP and an audio-only DVD. It is the result of a new remaster done by the original engineer Ray Staff with the involvement of the original producer Ken Scott. The sound is excellent, perhaps the best it has ever been, though I still like the sound of my old original LP. Still, no pops and crackles, just a sparkling, clean remaster which finally does Ziggy Stardust justice.

There is one oddity. Starman has a "morse" section which comes after "Hazy cosmic jive" and is repeated later. It is loud and clear on the original LP and single, but on all the CD versions, recessed in the background. Why? A mystery, but also a shame if you are nostalgic for the original sound.

Now for the packaging. The CD is fine for what it is, but there are no bonus tracks. The LP package on the other hand has various extras on the DVD:

- The original mix in 24/96 PCM
- The Ken Scott 2003 5.1 mix in DTS, Dolby Digital, and 24/48 PCM
- Four bonus tracks also in 5.1 and 24/48. These are:

1 Moonage Daydream Instrumental
2 The Supermen
3 Velvet Goldmine
4 Sweet Head, complete with studio chat

Bowie fans will have heard most of these before, since all but the Moonage Daydream instrumental were on the 30th Anniversary CD package, but it is good to have the surround mixes. Moonage Daydream sounds odd to me without the vocals, but it is great music nonetheless.

The annoying thing is, that to get the high resolution stereo, the surround mixes and the bonus tracks, you have to get the vinyl LP even if you do not want it. You could also ask: what about all the other bonus tracks that could have been included?

Still, the price is reasonable, unlike some super deluxe packages we have seen, and the LP is an attractive piece as well as offering good sound.

Looking more closely at the LP, you get a gatefold with a high-quality reproduction of the original cover, lyrics on an inner bag, and a set of black and white photos on the innner gatefold which are new to me and seem to be from the cover photoshoot. The DVD is pocketed in a cheap cardboard sleeve cutting into the gatefold and therefore spoiling one of the small photos, but this is a minor gripe. I like the way the outer sleeve is left exactly like the original.

Even if you no longer play vinyl, it is a small price to pay for the best digital Ziggy yet.

THANK YOU to all concerned for the high quality sound.

Quite simply, this album is a masterpeice, and it's easy to see why it launched Bowie into the mainstream. Conventional enough to listen to anytime, anywhere, while still having the ability to provoke the listener. It mixes a rough concept with beautifully crafted rock songs that talk of intergallatic rock stars and the end of the world. Each song is a brillient slice of perfect pop/rock that appeals to both young and old, working both as light entertainment, and on a deeper level if the listener so chooses.

The album gets off to a flying start with the slow fading in of the drums on "Five Years". The song speaks of the end of the world, and how the narrator is trying to experience as much of the world as he can before it ends in five years time. "Soul Love" is a smooth, soft groove that is suddenly interupted by the epic that is "Moonage Daydream". "Starman" is a nice almost child like ditty which you'll be singing all day long. "It Ain't Easy" is weird and waky, but non the less charming. "Lady Stardust" is just a brillient song (allegadly about Marc Bolan!?!). "Star" talks of the trials and tribulations of numerous humans trying to make it big. "Hang On To Yourself" is the punkiest song ever, strangly 6 years before it even existed (typical Bowie). "Ziggy Stardust" is a brillient guitar song, that leads onto the rip roaring "Sufferagette City". The last song on the album is one of the classic album endings. "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" moves effortlessly from acoustic guitar into an uplifting shout along at the end.

"The Rise and Fall..." is good from start to finish. i only give it 5 stars cause it won't allow me to put 6. buy it! buy! it! buy it! buy it! buy it!!!!!!!!

From the slow beat of "Five Years" to the lamentable closing, "Rock & Roll Suicide", "Ziggy Stardust" has held its own in Rock history. Add the element of SACD (surround sound) and the album takes on a new life. From the acoustical clapping of "Soul Love" to the hard driving guitars of "Suffragette City", this new mix finally and clearly separates all the instruments without isolating them. It is a full band experience as if you were in the studio. The acoustic guitars sound so crisp and clean and Mick Ronson's guitar work sounds like new. I can't over-emphasize how great this version sounds, especially after marveling over "Dark Side Of The Moon" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Hang on to yourself!