Bowie Album-By-Album Thread- Second Run

I was too young to get ChangesOne or ChangesTwo when first released, but looking back, it's easy to understand the persistent affection for the flawless ChangesOne, with its iconic cover art and stunning run of hits & key LP tracks.

ChangesTwo... I don't get the affection as much. I love all of the songs, of course (though, agree that the omission of "Heroes" is quite odd) but it's pretty eclectic mix of tracks, and the cover art is nowhere near my favorite, probably down there with the official All Saints, for me.

For the last decade, the Bowie catalog has been dominated by oft-pointless reissues, so I'm sure 2021 will see a 40th Anniversary ChangesTwoBowie. Unlike its counterpart, I won't feel the need to pick that one up!

 

I have a framed (supposedly signed) copy on my wall... I love it.

I've always loved the Stay sleeve as well, a colorized shot from the same photo session.

 

Talk about bad covers, this takes the cake



but I had to have it so I did not have to buy Tonight.
Not sure, but somehow I already had Loving the Alien.

 

Seems like John is on every other Bowie album. I never cared for it and I always thought the David/RCA was trying to push it to get people to like it.

 

I never liked the cover for David Live either. Always thought that Stage was a better cover and a better album. Even though it is cold and manufactured sounding.

 

I think Blackstar is overrated. I am not sure if there are any great songs on that album. Star, Sue and Lazarus are the ones I like best. I like the original Whore better for some reason. The last three songs just bore me, I find them very so-so.

Since I never listened to the whole album, I rebuilt it.

1. Blackstar
   
   
2. Lazarus
   
   
3. Sue
   
   
4. Killing A Little Time
   
   
5. Tis A Pity She Was A Whore
   
   
6. When I Met You
   
   
7. No Plan
   

Now I like it much better.

 

This was the first Bowie album I ever purchased, so I thought I'd weigh in after a long absence from participating here. However, it actually doesn't hold a "soft spot" for me, I think partly because of its lousy cover (the original ChangesOneBowie photo was so much better!), but mostly due to that appallingly bad "Fame '90" remix.
Ugh!

That said, I agree with the general sentiment expressed here that his ChangesTwoBowie comp wasn't nearly as strong as its predecessor (the omission of "Heroes" was a particular head-scratcher!), but also concur that the use of single edits makes sense for these sets. FTW, neither were perfect; i.e. where was the original UK single mix of "Rebel Rebel" (also inexplicably absent on Nothing Has Changed) or the "morse code" mix of "Starman" (which thankfully was included on that later comp)?

So far, there really haven't been any truly definitive Bowie retrospectives, though I think Nothing Has Changed probably comes closest, plus I would say that certainly ChangesOneBowie at least is sort of iconic in its own right, warts and all. Definitely a good idea to discuss Bowie's various "greatest hits" sets, considering these may well have been the "gateway" albums for many a listener, including myself.

 

There is actually an emo face that blows chunks? Fame 90 is a Gilligan's Island for me.
"Oh Skipper"

 

"K-Tel edits??? That can't possibly be good

 

Well, he only had the one head at the time, and he called himself, "Phil"...

I've always kinda liked it.

 

Ha, it's even closer than I remembered. I wonder if they used Bowie as a design reference?

 

What exactly is your problem you people who don't like this cover. It's nice...he looks....relaxed and ... normal!

 

Don't forget Peter And The Wolf cover. Same session...I mean photo!!

 

I had ChangesTwo as a kid on cassette, always liked it, good song selections. I picked up a japanese copy in Oakland recently , sounded great.

 

I hadn't thought of that before, but it was the right time period. I think maybe Rod Stewart and a few other longhaired '70s / early-'80s rockers were probably also an influence.

 

Interesting comp.
It's impossible to separate Blackstar from the cultural shock of Bowie's death. I don"t think it's a great album either. A worthy exit though.

 

Something like this would have been nice for the new 2017 expanded version of Stage

 

Come to think of it, they could easily release a genuine Stage Trilogy, especially with that artwork

 

Can you hear me Major Tom?
I think most Bowie newbies view this album as " old" antiquated " sorta b&w movie, although as the design suggests it's far from it.

 

Fame 90 really blows. hideous

 

Anywhere we can get changestwobowie on cd?

 

Singles from Scary Monsters were still running around on the charts when this record was released:



Christiane F. (1981)

"V-2 Schneider" (Instrumental) – 3:09
"TVC 15" – 3:29
"Heroes/Helden" (Bowie, Brian Eno) – 6:01
"Boys Keep Swinging" (Bowie, Eno) – 3:16
"Sense of Doubt" (Instrumental) – 3:56
"Station to Station" (live) – 8:42
"Look Back in Anger" (Bowie, Eno) – 3:06
"Stay" – 3:20
"Warszawa" (Instrumental) (Bowie, Eno) – 6:18

Soundtrack to the German film We Children from Bahnhof Zoo, I've seen it mentioned before but never knew much about it. Mostly recycling of already-available cuts from Station To Station and the "Berlin" albums, although a few are apparently different edits. Bowie actually appeared in the bleak film - which dealt with heroin addiction in teens - although his scenes were shot in Manhattan, where I assume he was performing in The Elephant Man on Broadway.

 

Here's an extended edit of "Station To Station" by good old Mr. Sussex.

 

I love this album. But man, the sound quality is a real stinker. Both vinyl and cd. THE worst sounding of all his records.

 

Blackstar is a mourning album.
I find it difficult to listen to.