Bowie LET’S DANCE Deluxe Edition

i don't know, but i think that only Tin Machine years will have a box set

 

With respect, that’s because it isn’t!

 

The singles on Let's Dance were cracking (not many disagree on that), and I mean they're some of the best of his career - but the rest of the album falls short - very short.

That being said, I am looking forward to this release big time. I imagine it will sell very well.

 

Modern Love IMO is pretty dire. China Girl was a (masterful) re-recording of a 1977 song. The title track is top-notch 1980s funk pop. The album hangs on those threads, threads which would thin to creative breaking point with the next one, Tonight.

 

I don't know... I came to this album in the early 2000s so I didn't have much context around its release era. I've always played this lp all the way through and have enjoyed it. Guess I don't think about it much because I simply put it on and enjoy it!

 

I’m like it with McCartney. My favourite of his is Red Rose Speedway from 1972 but hardly anyone seems to care about it. It’s probably not his best but it’s my favourite

 

LD has a warmth to its production that many other DB albums don't have, which must be down to Nile Rogers. It is really enjoyable to listen to; it is light and easy compared to much of his other output. In terms of songwriting quality, it has LD itself, C Girl, Cat people, Without you, Richochet, Criminal world, which I personally consider to be very strong songs, so there is little filler there for me and the musicianship is truly excellent, which was also supported by DB's broad approach to how he presented the successful Serious M tour.

 

Or recording engineer Bob Clearmountain. By then, he had worked with Rogers on Chic, Sister Sledge, and more.

Bob Clearmountain | Credits | AllMusic

 

The dislike of Lets Dance I feel is just a reflection of Bowie's fans dislike of his 80's period. It's a real good record and basically a update of Young Americans. Lyrically it still deals with alienation, and similar themes that have always had been in his work. The title track, although a massive hit, is one of the most detached sounding disco records I've heard. The three singles are killer. Richochet is as experimental as anything, Criminal World is one of his best covers ( what a bass line by Benard Edwards) . The playing in general is stellar. I've always considered it a natural evolution of his previous work.

 

NO! Modern Love is fantastic, just as good as the other singles. Cat People is also a great track (although the LD version is terrible compared to the original, which is rightfully the one on all comps).
The album really falls down past the three singles, as others have mentioned, but I still own the vinyl just for those songs and the superb RL mastering. (Plus you used to be able to snag a mint copy for $5.)

 

For me Let’s Dance, Tonight and Never Let Me Down sound better on (unremastered) CDs. Not sure why as I rarely play them on any format, just selected tracks, so I’ve forgotten my reasons. But I do have a UK China Girl 12” vinyl that sounds great

 

Yes, thank you! I've been saying that for years. LD is a much better example of "Plastic Soul" and (blasphemy that it may be) I think it's a much stronger album than YA. Admittedly, there's no one song as strong as Young Americans' title track, but there's nothing as grating as Win, nor is there a cringe inducing cover of Across the Universe

 

I don’t like questioning people’s tastes, I love ones different to mine, but..... what on earth is soulful, real or plastic, about the likes of Ricochet or the horrendous Shake It**

**which to me sounds like a demo preset on one of those 1980s children’s Yamaha keyboards!

 

Have to disagree on Shake It, but I remember when they first released Let's Dance, and even before that they were calling it "disco" and "back to the Young Americans sound". Eh? Nowhere near. Young Americans to my ears is a true Bowie classic (Win/SUTLM/Right/Can You Hear Me). Let's Dance is just dull.
I really like a lot of disco, but Let's Dance doesn't have it. Young Americans was derided as plastic soul, but it had proper soul singers and musicians on it. Soul singers loved it. Let's Dance is real fake disco.. You can't dance to it.
It's the worst face of the 1980s imo along with Phil Collins and the Thompson Twins.

 

Love Modern Love , especially that great guitar in the intro which is gone by the time the vocal comes in, never to return!

 

I'll plunk down my money for a Let's Dance Deluxe as opposed to not wanting to shell out for the rest of his 1980 output, which you could refer to as DB's wilderness years.

 

I disagree. What really sets the album apart from most other 80s pop albums is the production. It's got bottom end (the bass lines are brilliant throughout the album!), it thankfully hasn't got those ****ing gated drums and there are no cheesy synths. You can date LD certainly back to the 80s by listening to it, but it does not sound like your typical 80s album though, if that makes any sense.

 

I would love to see a full concert DVD of his performance at the ‘83 US Festival, as it was spectacular.

 

Let’s Dance (Demo) available now - David Bowie Official Blog

Let's Dance - Demo

 

The aussie 9:21 extended version of "Cat People" must be one of Bowie's best 12" Mixes and will surely be featured on there...
as it's one of the few long versions which has never been released elsewhere.

 

Interesting to hear most essential ingredients are already in the first day demo.

Now bring us the earlier Disco kings.

 

So LDD stood for Lets Dance Demo...

Well that was too obvious for me to guess it...

This Demo Version does sound excactly like I would imagine it.
Its a bit ironic that it is a more typical dance song then the final album version.

Kind of nice to hear though...

By the way this probably confirms a 80s Boxset for this september.

 

I'm on board. Will be interesting to see if Tin Machine is included.

 

Why would the release of a demo confirm the next box set in a series of box sets that has so far contained zero demos?