David Bowie / Sound + Vision box

David Bowie’s classic Sound + Vision box is being re-released in September.

The set was originally compiled by Rykodisc in 1989 as a launchpad for their Sound + Vision reissue campaign. That version contained three CDs of material spanning 1969-1980 as well as a now defunct CD-Video that had the promo to Ashes To Ashes and some exclusive live audio.

Sound + Vision at the time contained some genuine rarities which (surprisingly) did not turn up on the individual reissues. Young Americans outtake After Today is a good example. This song still hasn’t appeared on any reissue of that album, including the 2007 CD+DVD edition. The 1984/Dodo combo is another track that was unique to S+V, although this did end up on the 2004 anniversary reissue of Diamond Dogs.

In 2003 EMI expanded Sound + Vision to include Bowie output released until 1993. This includes tracks from both Tin Machine albums, Black Tie White Noise and The Buddha Of Suburbia. It’s not quite as simple as just adding some tracks however, since this repackaged set also ended up including the odd alternate version of tracks featured on the original. You also get a couple of tracks from the excellent Baal EP.

If like this writer you didn’t get around to buying the revamped version from 2003, then this is a good opportunity to do so and the packaging looks much better. Carrying on into the ’80s and ’90s inevitably means the set no longer bookends a golden era where Bowie’s achievements remain unequalled (the entire 1970s) but the wealth and diversity of the material from across more than two decades is still something to behold.

Sound + Vision is released on 23 September 2014

• • UK Pre-order: Sound + Vision
• • USA Pre-order: Sound + Vision
• • CANADA Pre-order: Sound + Vision
• • GERMANY Pre-order: Sound+Vision

CD 1

• “Space Oddity” (Demo version)
• “The Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud” (includes spoken intro)
• “The Prettiest Star” (Single version)
• “London Bye Ta–Ta” (previously unreleased stereo mix)
• “Black Country Rock”
• “The Man Who Sold the World”
• “The Bewlay Brothers”
• “Changes”
• “Round and Round” (alternate vocal)
• “Moonage Daydream”
• “John, I’m Only Dancing”
• “Drive-In Saturday”
• “Panic in Detroit”
• “Ziggy Stardust” (Live)
• “White Light White Heat” (Live)
• “Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide” (Live)
• “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere”
• “Sorrow”
• “Don’t Bring Me Down”

CD two

• “1984/Dodo”
• “Big Brother”
• “Rebel Rebel”
• “Suffragette City” (Live)
• “Watch That Man” (Live)
• “Cracked Actor” (Live)
• “Young Americans”
• “Fascination”
• “After Today”
• “It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City”
• “TVC 15”
• “Wild Is the Wind”
• “Sound and Vision”
• “Be My Wife”
• “Speed of Life”
• “Helden”
• “Joe the Lion”
• “Sons of the Silent Age”

CD 3

• “Station to Station” (Live)
• “Warszawa” (Live)
• “Breaking Glass” (Live)
• “Red Sails”
• “Look Back in Anger”
• “Boys Keep Swinging”
• “Up the Hill Backwards”
• “Kingdom Come”
• “Ashes to Ashes”
• “Baal’s Hymn” (Kurt Weill)  – 4:00
• “The Drowned Girl” (from Baal, 1982) – 2:24
• “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” (from Cat People Original Soundtrack) – 6:41
• “China Girl” (Bowie, Iggy Pop) (from Let’s Dance, 1983) – 5:32
• “Ricochet” (from Let’s Dance, 1983) – 5:14
• “Modern Love” (Live) (from “Modern Love” b-side, 1983) – 4:47
• “Loving the Alien” (from Tonight, 1984) – 7:10
• “Dancing with the Big Boys” (from Tonight, 1984) – 3:34

CD 4

• “Blue Jean” (from Tonight, 1984) – 3:10
• “Time Will Crawl” (from Never Let Me Down, 1987) – 4:18
• Tin Machine: “Baby Can Dance” (from Tin Machine, 1989) – 4:57
• Tin Machine: “Amazing”  (from Tin Machine, 1989) – 3:04
• Tin Machine: “I Can’t Read” (Bowie, Gabrels) (from Tin Machine, 1989) – 4:54
• Tin Machine: “Shopping for Girls” (from Tin Machine II, 1991) – 3:44
• Tin Machine: “Goodbye Mr. Ed” (from Tin Machine II, 1991) – 3:24
• Tin Machine: “Amlapura” (from Tin Machine II, 1991) – 3:46
• “You’ve Been Around” (from Black Tie White Noise, 1993) – 4:45
• “Nite Flights” (Moodswings Back to Basics remix radio edit) (original version from Black Tie White Noise, 1993) – 4:35
• “Pallas Athena” (Gone Midnight Mix) (original version from Black Tie White Noise, 1993) – 4:21
• “Jump They Say” (from Black Tie White Noise, 1993) – 4:22
• “The Buddha of Suburbia” (from The Buddha of Suburbia, 1994) – 4:28
• “Dead Against It” (from The Buddha of Suburbia, 1994) – 5:48
• “South Horizon” (from The Buddha of Suburbia, 1994) – 5:26
• “Pallas Athena” (Live) (from “Seven Years in Tibet” B-side, 1997) – 8:18