Emerging from his self-imposed exile in Berlin, David Bowie assembled a new band and took to the road to promote his Berlin-recorded albums, LOW and HEROES. STAGE chronicles that 1977 tour, and captures Bowie at one of the most creative periods of his career. Though STAGE was criticized for having somewhat lackluster sound when it was originally released, the remastered CD versions present a noticeable improvement over the original album.
Stage is David Bowie's second live album, recorded on the Isolar II world tour, and released by RCA Records in 1978. First UK pressings were on translucent yellow vinyl and some European pressings were also available on blue vinyl. Though it was rumoured at the time that this would be his final outing with the label, following dissatisfaction over the promotion of Low and "Heroes", Bowie would in fact remain with RCA until 1982.
When David Bowie recorded what became DAVID LIVE at Philadelphia's Tower Theatre in July 1974, he had fully made the leap from Ziggy Stardust and landed feet-first into the shoes of the Thin White Duke. Despite announcing his retirement from live performance the year before, Bowie seemed no worse for wear fronting a ten-piece directed by future LETHAL WEAPON composer Michael Kamen and featuring new guitarist Earl Slick and horn player David Sanborn. This 2-CD set finds the chameleonic performer mixing in Ziggy-era classics such as "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" with material from DIAMOND DOGS ("Rebel Rebel," "1984"), ALADDIN SANE ("Cracked Actor") and HUNKY DORY ("Changes"). The fullness of the horn section and the style of his back-up band give this set a soulful tilt powered by Slick's ballsy playing. This, along with a cover of the Stax nugget "Knock On Wood," pointed at Bowie's immersion in a Philly soul direction that emerged full-fledged on YOUNG AMERICANS.
Although conventional wisdom states that David Bowies strongest album is 1972s Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, I humbly disagree. I think Ziggys a good record, but quite a few others include better material. Predecessor The Man Who Sold the World from 1970 seems superior, as do many later efforts like 1974s Diamond Dogs, 1976s Station to Station, and 1980s Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).