Ziggy Stardust concert DVD

I'm on the fence about buying the David Bowie Ziggy Stardust DVD.

I like some of Bowie's music but am not hardcore fan. The only CD I own is the 2 disc comp Best of Bowie, which I enjoy very much. I'm familiar with most of his 70s albums.

What I look for in concert DVDs is:

- capturing the artist at his prime (which this one surely must), and therefore a great set list, or a "classic" concert film (ie, Last Waltz)

- excellent sound. Doesn't necessarily have to have a surround track, but it's nice.

- Something cool to look at with at least "good" video quality


I know that at this time Bowie was doing the androgynous space rock star thing which would be cool to have on DVD. If the A/V quality is solid it looks like a fun DVD.

 

the sound quality isn't bad, but it's not great. (beter than the myriad bootlegs, but not as good as his official live albums)

the picture quality tends towards oversaturated (lordy, but they just loved those red gels, didn't they?).

it's really more a document of its time than anything overwhelming.

there's nothing wrong with the DVD (it's certainly better than my old laserdisc edition) but it wasn't filmed with any kind of reasonable budget. it's a very good transfer of a very cheap home movie. maybe you could find a video store that has it for rent first?

there really aren't a lot of other options, Bowie-wise, though. is only other concert videos are 'Serious Moonlight' (1982, VHS, beta and laserdisc only) which is a fairly-well shot concert, though suffused with cheesy 80s production values (and a horn section that's unnecessarily over-used). plus, at the time, Bowie seemed to be actively hungering for Phil Collins's audience. 'Glass Spider' (1987, VHS and laserdisc only) is slightly better, though he seems to be more interested in making each song look like a different music video than in the music itself. very shallow and Vegas-y. plus, the track selection is unfortunate. as is Peter Frampton's attempt to imitate Robert Fripp. 'Oy Vey Baby' (1991, VHS only) is one of those high-energy ADD videos that have more cuts per minute than most Michael Bay movies have in their entirety. professionally shot, but kind of headache-inducing. plus, if you're not a fan of the two Tin Machine albums (hey, who is?) all the jarring jump-cuts in the world are not gonna make you forget that the music is dull.

you're probably gonna be better off with the 'Reality Tour' DVD (2004). unless, of course, you really have no interest in his more recent material. it's the best sounding and the best looking, though there are way too many moments when the editor goes overboard with distracting visual nonsense.

the 'Ziggy' film IS fun for awhile, though the band seems tired and fed-up for much of it (they were fired mid-concert) and there's the very real danger that you'll get bored long before its over. really, just how many shots of teenagers in the audience screaming and crying does one need? remembner, this was only released at the time (1982) because RCA had run out of compilation options and they wanted to cash in on the success of EMI's 'Let's Dance' album. this film stayed in the vaults for a decade for a reason.

 

Well that was brutally honest. Thanks.

Probably is worth a rental.


The other music DVD by a band I like but am not a hardcore fan of I'm thinking of buying is Stop Making Sense.

 

I wasn't a big Talking Heads fan when my friend took me to the 'second run' theaters to see this. It was fantastic. You really don't need to be a huge fan - just sit back and enjoy a great concert by a band in their prime. Many of the performances are better than the album versions. Worth every penny.

 

Stop Making Sense is absolutely a must see if not a must own!

 

OUCH! That hurt.

 

yeah, 'Ziggy' is pretty much bootleg quality, but 'Stop Making Sense' is simply stunning, musically and visually.

I'm not a big fan of the 5.1 remix, but the original stereo is on the DVD as well, so: no harm, no foul.

say, speaking of brilliantly-done concert films, when's Laurie Anderson's 'Home Of The Brave' gonna get the DVD treatment?

 

I still have my LD of that. And David Byrne's Between the Teeth.

 

Nope - there's a DVD, though it's now OOP:

http://www.dvdmg.com/seriousmoonlight.shtml

Also nope. There's an import DVD, though it's not very good quality:

http://www.dvdmg.com/davidbowieglassspider.shtml

There was also a Japanese LD of this - I have it.

 

Are you discussing the old "Ziggy" DVD or the 2003 re-release? Picture quality is blah for both but improved in the 2003 one.

However, audio quality is MUCH better in the 2003 edition. The old one sounded like death, but the 2003 disc offers very good audio. Here's another link:

http://www.dvdmg.com/ziggystardustatsfm.shtml

I discuss both there and this review has a link to my article about the old one as well...

 

I didn't realise there were two. I wonder which one I put on my Netflix queue...

 

I'm sure you have the 2003 version in your queue. Netflix tends to stock the current commercial release of a DVD.

 

Yeah except for freakin' Star Trek- I'm doing that now and they have the original 2 ep/disc releases, not the new box sets.

 

yes, but even in the case of the 2003 issue, there are two different packages; one with a transparent plastic case with all the criting and song titles on it) over a cardboard box and a regular DVD in whatever they call those generic cases. the deluxe packaging is somewhat cooler. and the racks in the stores here currently have both of 'em (at the same price).

 

Please take note, the 2003 issue.

MASTERED BY:
Peter Mew with Nigel Reeve, Abbey Road Studios, London

 

Same mastering as the Virgin CDs. Sonic Solutions here we come!

 

haven't heard the CD edition, but the DVD audio's not that bad.

now, the 'Best Of Bowie' DVD? THAT'S annoying. they managed to screw with the audio throughout and STILL left boatloads of hiss on 'Loving The Alien'? maybe if they used the original audio recordings instead of the video masters, they wouldn't have needed to fiddle about with the sound quite so much.

 

I enjoyed watching the Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars DVD recently, more than I enjoyed seeing the film in the theater around 1980 or so (Amazon says it was released in 1983, but I seem to recall seeing it a few years before that).

One of the best things in it is his version of the Jacques Brel song, "My Death."

IIRC, there's also a scene with Bowie "eating out" Mick Ronson's guitar (during "Width of a Circle," maybe ?) that Todd Haynes borrowed for the "Babies on Fire" scene in Velvet Goldmine. But I might be confusing this with some other concert footage of Bowie/Ronson.

 

There is a famous photograph of this from another concert in 1972, but this never occurred during the Ziggy film, unless it was in the original cut that contained the Jeff Beck footage.

 

That's interesting. I didn't think about it until after I'd watched the DVD and then I didn't remember seeing it. But I think I did see it in the theater when it came out. Do you know what on song Jeff Beck played with Bowie during that show?

 

a medley of 'The Jean Genie' and 'Love Me Do.'

 

93curr - have you seen that part of the film - am I remembering this correctly ?

 

no, I haven't. but the audio portion was available on myriad bootlegs for years.

I never saw the film in the theatre, but I don't believe it was ever included. wasn't part of this shown as a TV special at one point? (pre-'1980 Floor Show', I would assume) maybe it was included there.

 

What a shame that had to be edited out. I could swear that I saw the "eating out" scene when I saw the film in the theater. But my memory has become a strange beast.

 

no, no. the scene is Bowie eating out Mick Ronson's guitar, not Jeff Beck's.

the Beck stuff was excised. David getting overly friendly with Mick's g-string is still intact on all versions. you remember the scene right, it's just the actors you have confused.