From BowieNet:

It is with much pleasure that I can tell you about the EMI reissues of both the out-of-print Bowie live albums, David Live and Stage. Both are scheduled for a February 21st 2005 release and will be available on two formats; double CD and DVDA.

Each of the albums has brand new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes by Tony Visconti and include extensive sleeve notes by both Tony himself and chronologies by my childhood sweetheart, Kevin Cann.

At the moment it looks like the DVDAs may also include the original mixes of the vinyl versions of the albums, but the most exciting thing about both releases for many fans will be the extra tracks and the return to the original running order of the shows.

Here's the new track listing for both releases:

David Live

01 1984
02 Rebel Rebel
03 Moonage Daydream
04 Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)
05 Changes
06 Suffragette City
07 Aladdin Sane
08 All The Young Dudes
09 Cracked Actor
10 Rock 'n' Roll With Me
11 Watch That Man
12 Knock On Wood
13 Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
14 Space Oddity (previously unreleased)
15 Diamond Dogs
16 Panic In Detroit (first issue on CD)
17 Big Brother
18 Time
19 The Width Of A Circle
20 Jean Genie
21 Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

Stage

01 Warszawa
02 "Heroes"
03 What In The World
04 Be My Wife (previously unreleased)
05 Blackout
06 Sense Of Doubt
07 Speed Of Life
08 Breaking Glass
09 Beauty And The Beast
10 Fame
11 Five Years
12 Soul Love
13 Star
14 Hang On To Yourself
15 Ziggy Stardust
16 Art Decade
17 Alabama Song
18 Station To Station
19 Stay (previously unreleased)
20 TVC 15

Over the coming weeks I'll be posting an exclusive interview with Tony Visconti regarding both albums along with some of the pictures and details from the beautiful new packaging.

We'll also be running an exciting competition nearer the release date, where a handful of BowieNetters will get to attend an exclusive David Live listening party in 5.1 at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London.

These albums have both been out of print for years - Ryko released them as part of the Sound+Vision reissues series, but those went out of print ages ago and are especially hard to find these days (and especially pricey once you find a copy).

STAGE stands out as the album that got me hooked on Bowie for good...when I was 16, I checked it out from my local library on a whim (cover looks cool, it's free, etc.) and what I heard made me a Bowie fan forever. I'm VERY happy other folks will finally have an opportunity to check out this amazing live album!

Thanks for posting this, Anxiety. About time these two gems were reissued. Great news about the extra tracks too. The live version of "Station To Station" on "Stage" is better than the studio version, in my opinion. Absolutely ferocious.

The only thing about the "Stage" reissue is that it's not the complete running order, as is claimed because the shows on the US leg of the 1978 tour (where the album was recorded) concluded with "Rock N Roll Suicide". I have it on bootlegs. Great stuff though.

oooooh great!!!!!
My favourite live album I have of him is a bootleg
called "The thin white duke" from the Station to Station
tour in 1976.Awsome show!!!
/peace Manki

I haven't heard very good things about these albums.

Awesome! I can continue to build my Bowie collection with more reissues! And since it doesn't come out till Feb '05 I should have time to learn all the Bowie I got this month from my favorite kitties and be ready for more!

Cloudbuster said:

"david live" is kind of trainwrecky, because he was in such bad shape when this was recorded, even bowie himself said in an interview this record should have been called "david barely live". the music is GREAT, however - and there's a certain tragic sexiness to it in that you can just feel the jaded debauchery of his life oozing out of the speakers...i can see how that might not be everyone's cuppa tea, though.

"stage", however, is a complete gem. maybe some reviewers trash it because of the lack of hits - most of the stuff is from his experimental mid-to-late '70s albums - but he does a fair share of ziggy-era material, and the sound of his band on this '78 tour was just majestic and (as Shapeshifter said) ferocious.

endorphin74 said:

you might actually be done listening to all your birthday goodies by feb. 05!

I hate both albums. The drummer goes a bit demented with cow bells on David Live. Stage is sterile. I don't like the Ziggy-era stuff on it. I'd much rather an official release of something from the Outside or Earthling tours...

I would like to hear more live versions of Station To Station, but this is all old news. On a side note: who else got ripped off with the reissue of Diamond Dogs? (wow the K-Tel Best Of Edit, that probably had nothing to do with Bowie). The funniest spin-off recently was the Club Bolly mixes. I wonder if Bowie has actually ever even heard these mixes or seen the video. It's sooo naff).

Hmm...They really aren't that great...way 2 much post production and over dubs...

WHY WHY WHY are these coming out on DVD-Audio????? Bowie has been putting out tons of SACDs lately, and they sound fantastic! Why switch to DVD-A. It isn't like DVD-A is more successful; both of these formats have been relative failures. Don't neglect us SACD fans, David....you're part of the reason I bought a SACD player in the first place!

wizatmath said:

I really don't mind the bonus stuff on the Diamond Dogs re-issue, though I know there's more out there and I don't know why they felt the need to be so stingy with the goods. I liked how they reproduced the gatefold sleeve and the silkscreening on the actual discs is way cool...what's up with the chintsy cardboard slipcase, though? That thing just begs to get beat up and look like crap before the year's up. Still and all, it sounds good and I can forgive the KTel mix.

The Club Bowie mess I didn't even bother with. I got the Best of Bowie with the bonus DVD featuring videos of the mixes (and some lame-ass video from Black Tie White Noise, ugh), and I thought they were all crap.

I can't figure out why Stage rubs some folks the wrong way, though. I think it's a pretty iconic live recording, myself. Diff'rent strokes, I guess...

wizatmath said:

I personally have loved each of the reissues. Course, I'm pretty new to all the Bowie craziness, so I may just not know any better.

I do agree with Anx on one item, the cardboard slip case is annoying. it'll be a matter of months before mine is all messed up. I prefer the book format of the previous reissues.

Great news! Now I can get rid of my worn out copys..

The slipcase thing doesn't sound too good though. I'm always afraid of opening my Diamond Dogs reissue just in case it rips or something! EMI should of stuck with the gatefold replicas.

I love both albums (Stage is alot better though) and I'll definitely be picking these up anyways.

BTW, any more news on that Outside/Earthling/Hours box set? I remember Anx posted something on it a while ago..but I haven't seen it listed anywhere.

axlfilth said:

as far as i know, they're still scheduled for a mid-september release...and the REALITY TOUR DVD is scheduled for an october release...so get ready for another wallet-beating via la bowie in the next couple of months...!

I'm a total sucker for the live version of "Soul Love" on Stage.

manki said:

Now THAT deserves an official release. Two tracks from it appeared on the Ryko reissue of "Station To Station", but that's been it. Apparently, when "The Thin White Duke" originally appeared it outsold "Station To Station".

Cloudbuster said:

Ah, but you should hear them for yourself. They're great.

wizatmath said:[quote]I hate both albums. The drummer goes a bit demented with cow bells on David Live. Stage is sterile. I don't like the Ziggy-era stuff on it. I'd much rather an official release of something from the Outside or Earthling tours...
quote]

Well, if you join bowienet and wait six months you'll get something called "liveandwell", which is a live CD from the Earthling tour. Not bad, but there are much much better bootlegs of both tours around - including a jaw-droppingly amazing one from St Louis 1995. Orgnote me if you want to know more.

Shapeshifter said:

they did take forever on that, didn't they? apparently they fixed the problem and folks are supposed to be getting their copies of liveandwell earlier, but i don't believe it. and when i got my copy, i wasn't thrilled with what was on it (save for a really amazing version of "voyeur of utter destruction (as beauty)")...but the packaging was awful pretty.

Anxiety said:

Cheerz, Anx. Maybe I'll check 'em out afterall.