Audio CD review:
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust

Band: David Bowie Title: Ziggy Stardust Rating: Release Date: 21 October, 2003 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Five Years 2: Soul Love 3: Moonage Daydream 4: Starman 5: It Ain't Easy 6: Lady Stardust 7: Star 8: Hang On To Yourself 9: Ziggy Stardust 10: Suffragette City 11: Rock & Roll Suicide

Customer Reviews very nice surround mix Not too aggressive, but transparent and very detailed. A nice surround mix. Recommended for fans of Bowie and classic rock. Music is a "5+", SACD is a "2" I went through two RCA Ziggy LPs on vinyl, owned the Mobile Fidelity half speed master recording, and prior to this release, have owned three different CD releases. David Bowie has been my favorite recording artist for over thirty years. Make no mistake, "Ziggy" is one of my all time favorite recordings. I had incredibly high hopes for this SACD and have to admit, I am sorely disappointed by the sound quality and the surround mix. Always a little on the "thin" side as a rock LP, the bass on the SACD is almost nonexistent. There is no punch in the rock numbers at all. Yes, there is a clarity to the vocals that is superior to previous releases, but the music itself lacks the presence which, in my mind's eye, this recording deserves. A recent convert to the SACD format, I hate to report that this release, though one of my favorites in terms of music, is the one I return to least because of the sound quality. I would blame it on my stereo system if the other SACDs I have didn't sound so good. I hope they release more of Bowie's catalog in this format ( please - Station to Station), but do a better job in delivering a great sounding product. Bowie's music deserves better. Where's the glam? Review of the SACD remaster, not of the album The sound is lovely, but the mix leaves me wanting more. I assume you know this album, so I am reviewing the SACD remaster for you. The SACD has a clean fresh sound. There is nice seperation between instruments. I previously hadn't heard the viola sound rising up in "Hang on to Yourself" The Sacd highlites the acoustic guitar(s). Particularly the surround mix. It is pretty, but makes it sound like a Bowie album, not a Spider's album. I was hoping for some raw Mick Ronson electric beauty, but he seems so tame in the SACD. The theatric strings on pieces like "Starman" too seem so minimal. They don't pick you up and carry you away as they were intended. The glam is just not present. It sounds more like the "wandering poet with a guitar approach" The stereo layer is better, but the SACD just doesn't capture the creativity of the album, or the dolled up excitement of the scene. If you like the early acoustic Bowie, you will love this. If you like those naughty Spiders, forget it. . . You can see a complete list of all David Bowie discography, or go back to the David Bowie tabs