Space Oddity: 40th Anniversary Edition [VINYL] [Original recording remastered, Special Edition]

This October 2009 EMI Limited Edition 2CD set is a 40th Anniversary celebration of Bowie's long forgotten and criminally underrated 2nd album - "David Bowie" [later known as "Space Oddity"]. There's a lot on here, so let's get to the details...

Disc 1 (46:12 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "David Bowie" issued 14 November 1969 on Phillips SBL 7902 in the UK. Released in the same month in the USA but with slightly altered artwork (the photo on the cover is used as the 1st page of the booklet), the US version was re-titled as "Man Of Words/Man Of Music" and issued on Mercury SR-61246.

Disc 2 (63:47 minutes):
1. Space Oddity (early 'Demo' version featuring duet vocals with John "Hutch" Hutchinson, recorded January 1969)
2. An Occasional Dream (early 'Demo' version also featuring duet vocals with John "Hutch" Hutchinson, recorded March/April 1969)
3. Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (this is an alternate version put out as the non-album B-side to "Space Oddity" issued in July 1969 as a UK 7" single on Philips BF 1801. It contains the Paul Buckmaster spoken intro and less brass and strings - none of which are on the LP version)
4. Let Me Sleep Beside You
5. Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed
6. Janine
4 to 6 were recorded live for the Dave Lee Travis show on the BBC's Radio 1 on 20 Oct 1969 (broadcast 26 Oct). 5 and 6 have been issued before on the 2000 CD set "Bowie On The Beeb" but 4 is previously unreleased
7. London, Bye, Ta-Ta (Stereo Version) (recorded in January 1970 in Trident Studios as a follow up single to "Space Oddity" but shelved, this version first appeared on the "Sound + Vision" 4CD Box set in 2003)
8. The Prettiest Star (Stereo Version) (released as a UK 7" single in March 1970 on Mercury MF 1135 but only in MONO - this STEREO version first appeared on the 1997 compilation "The Best Of...1969/1974")
9. Conversation Piece (Stereo Version) (the non-album B-side to "The Prettiest Star" 7" single which was only ever issued in MONO - this is a previously unreleased STEREO version)
10. Memory Of A Free Festival (Part 1)
11. Memory Of A Free Festival (Part 2)
10 and 11 are the A&B of the June 1970 UK 7" single on Philips 6052 026. This is not the LP track, but a re-recorded version then split across two sides of a single. These first appeared on the Ryko CD version of "Space Oddity" in 1990.
12. Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (Alternate Album Mix)
13. Memory Of A Free Festival (Alternate Album Mix) (previously unreleased version that is over 2 minutes longer)
14. London, Bye, Ta-Ta (Alternate Stereo Mix)
15. Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola (Full Length Stereo Version) (the 1970 Italian version of "Space Oddity". It translates into "Lonely Boy, Lonely Girl". The single mix turned on the "Bowie Rare" LP in 1983, but this version is previously unreleased)

1, 2, 4, 9, 12 to 15 are previously unreleased

The British album (on which this release is based) originally came in a fetching gatefold sleeve (now a hugely collectable £400 vinyl rarity in mint condition) and it's this artwork that's used for both the back and front cover of the tri-gatefold digipak. Different Trident Studios Master Tape boxes are pictured under each see-through CD tray, while the 32-page booklet is a feast of memorabilia from fans and collectors - rare picture sleeves, trade adverts, period photos - all topped off with a fantastically detailed essay by noted expert KEVIN CANN.

If I was to have a gripe about the booklet and the packaging, it would be this - on the back of the UK success of the "Hunky Dory" album in September 1972 (reached number 3 in the UK charts), the "David Bowie" album was then reissued in November 1972 on RCA Victor LSP 4813 as "Space Oddity". It came in different artwork and was given an inner lyric bag and a foldout poster. I mention this because for such an extensive and superbly annotated booklet, none of this is printed or pictured - an odd omission?

But it's a minor point because the real sparks are to be found in the SOUND. Remastered from the first generation master tapes by PETER MEW at Abbey Road with help from TRIS PENNA and NIGEL REEVE - the audio is FABULOUS. I've sung the praises of Peter Mew's work before (Jethro Tull's "This Was" and Dr. Feelgood's "Down At The Jetty" jump to mind - see reviews) and having years and hundreds of credits to his name, he knows his way around a tape or two. I've never heard the track "Space Oddity" sound so clear and full - it's a superlative job. The clarity on the two newly found demos at the beginning of Disc 2 is incredible also - especially given their vintage and crude recordings.

The music itself is an acquired taste. Not quite the Sixties pop of his debut or the Seventies rock brilliance of "Ziggy" and "Hunky Dory" which was just around the corner, it's a man finding his artistic feet - ideas are everywhere - and it's even quite folky in places. It won't be everyone's cup of tea for sure, but if you've the inclination, it's a rediscovery well worth making...

To sum up - this is a superb reissue - and it's the dogs bollox where it matters the most - in the sound department.

Far above the world - sitting in his tin can - Major Tom is grinning...

Recommended.

There is no point in reviewing the album. It is of its time.

It's only worth talking about this reissue.

This has had a couple of CD issues - the Ryko, and the original EMI.

The Ryko had some extra tracks, the EMI was bare bones. (Ryko extra tracks were Conservation Piece, and two of the Memories of a Free Festival tracks. Also note, the short "Don't Sit Down" was also on the Ryko, it runs for all of 39 seconds).

So I'll only talk about this disc in the context of those two previous releases.

Basically, it's very very simple. THIS version is worth a tear or two. Tears of joy. The bonus disc is full of glorious early Bowie, and the original album has never - ever - sounded this good. Yes, a couple of the bonus tracks were already included in the original Ryko disc - but even they sound better.

And then you have the booklet - which is pure magic.

Downsides? No lyrics. So hold on to your Ryko (why do they omit the lyrics?!?!?!)

Look - this is an ESSENTIAL buy. I don't care that it's been reissued twice on CD. It doesn't matter. For better or worse - this is the best yet. And if you can accept this era Bowie, you have to have it. Why? Because it sounds wonderful. And the package is terrific.

I could apologize (who wants to buy this yet again?!?!?!?) But I don't make these things, I only buy them.

Worth getting? For a Bowie fan yes. A resounding yet. If you don't own it yet.... well now is the time.

I am as cynical as the rest. I'd love to slate this release as more gouging. But now is not the time. This is a wonderful release.

Game over.

This is all about the cover - the music you know so well already.

As a thirteen year old Bowie fan back in 1973 I (like many others) purchased the RCA 'Space Oddity' vinyl lp. with its Ziggy style cover which I never thought was a great Bowie image (prefered the back cover photo really). I knew it was a reissue of a previous release - it says so on the cover, but search as I tried in the mid-seventies I never knew what the original Philips cover looked like.
Eventually, in 1978, after 6 years a Bowie fan, the Rare record stall in Manchester Underground Market (both stall and Market now long gone) had a copy on the back wall - it became like a holy grail to me, but was way out of my league price wise - I often used to walk past the stall just to gawp at the cover of this (and the other holy grail - the dress cover MWSTW on mercury) and dreamt of one day winning enough money to buy these out of reach luxury items.
Many years later (about 1990 I think)I was in the right place at the right time with the right cash and finally managed to purchase a copy of the Philips 'David Bowie' album for a bargain £75 at Piccadilly Record Fair (ahh - happy days...)- the reason the cover is so important is it shows the Bowie who wrote and recorded these songs - slightly hippy; slightly pre-fame Bolan; a lot Scott Walker; the songs make more sense without the Ziggy pictures - Bowie was not that character yet - and the back cover by George Underwood (who had incidently previously designed Tyranasaurus Rex's 'My People Were Fair' cover) was so important to help the imagery of the songs / lyrics.

Cut a long story short - this is a great vinyl reissue at last - titled as it should be 'David Bowie'- not 'Space Oddity' and packaged in the gatefold sleeve - Compared to the original Philips cover it has been very well done - typography in the right place; inner gatefold lyrics and credits identical; no barcode to spoil the images - my only gripe is the back cover is slightly enlarged and some details from round the edge have been lost - but a very minor gripe that is. I like the 'Bowie/Philips' style record label too -

.....If only they'd reissued this like this in November 1972 it would have saved me so much time and money !.....but with an artist who's image is so important to their output it's great to finally have this record looking like it should. The reissue Cd is nice too but this is the real deal