What's up with the Bowie online store? They claim they're applying my 15% first-timer discount...AND that a 25% early Black Friday discount is active now thru Dec 4th... ...but no matter what I enter, my order still checks out at the retail price of $119.99 ~ the website price before any discount. Went all the way to Paypal hoping it would update, no dice. Guess they don't want my order.
Cause sweatshirts are, of course, the impetus for shopping on a Bowie store site. Sheesh. For list, I'll support my local indie. Or just not buy this now.
They've still got me at 12/15, but I'm good with that. If we get a 24 bit download of the entire set, that would give me time to cancel the pre-order.
Got my copy early somehow. I didn't realize the bulk of the set would consist of BBC sessions. There's some duplication between the BBC material with the official 2 CD Bowie at the Beeb, and a lot of the material has previously appeared on studio quality bootlegs, but I think it's a well done set and if you can find it for a reasonable price, well worth it. Happily, unlike most of the recent Bowie boxed sets, the tracks are reasonably dynamic. For those interested in such things, here are the DR charts. I put them in a "spoiler" button so as not to fill up the thread with the charts. Spoiler: Dynamic Range David Bowie - A Divine Symmetry The Journey to Hunky Dory (2022)/CD 01/CD 01_dr.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR Peak RMS Filename ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR10 -1.41 dB -15.45 dB 01 - Tired Of My Life (Demo).flac DR8 -1.47 dB -11.01 dB 02 - How Lucky You Are (aka Miss Peculiar) (Demo).flac DR8 -1.60 dB -10.94 dB 03 - Shadow Man (Demo).flac DR7 -3.04 dB -13.48 dB 04 - Looking For A Friend (Demo).flac DR11 over -12.88 dB 05 - Waiting For The Man (San Francisco Hotel Recording).flac DR11 -2.41 dB -15.43 dB 06 - Quicksand (San Francisco Hotel Recording).flac DR11 -0.71 dB -13.81 dB 07 - King Of The City (Demo).flac DR8 -2.01 dB -12.39 dB 08 - Song For Bob Dylan (Demo).flac DR12 -1.11 dB -15.57 dB 09 - Right On Mother (Demo).flac DR10 -0.12 dB -10.84 dB 10 - Quicksand (Demo, 2022 Remaster).flac DR6 -3.14 dB -10.60 dB 11 - Queen Bitch (Demo).flac DR10 -0.32 dB -12.16 dB 12 - Kooks (Demo).flac DR8 -0.19 dB -10.60 dB 13 - Amsterdam (Demo).flac DR9 -0.20 dB -12.03 dB 14 - Life On Mars_ (Demo).flac DR12 -0.10 dB -15.02 dB 15 - Changes (Demo).flac DR11 -0.19 dB -13.20 dB 16 - Bombers (Demo).flac ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Files: 16 Official DR Value: DR10 ============================================================================================== David Bowie - A Divine Symmetry The Journey to Hunky Dory (2022)/CD 02/CD 02_dr.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR Peak RMS Filename ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR10 -0.58 dB -13.01 dB 17 - Queen Bitch (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR10 -0.58 dB -13.03 dB 18 - Bombers (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR9 -0.58 dB -13.44 dB 19 - The Supermen (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR9 -0.58 dB -11.27 dB 20 - Looking For A Friend (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR9 -0.58 dB -12.33 dB 21 - Almost Grown (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR14 -0.72 dB -18.87 dB 22 - Kooks (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR11 -0.58 dB -13.28 dB 23 - Song For Bob Dylan (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR10 -0.58 dB -13.33 dB 24 - Andy Warhol (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR11 -0.58 dB -14.16 dB 25 - It Ain't Easy (In Concert_ John Peel, Mono).flac DR11 -0.10 dB -13.18 dB 26 - Queen Bitch (In Concert_ John Peel, Stereo).flac DR9 -0.14 dB -12.76 dB 27 - The Supermen (In Concert_ John Peel, Stereo).flac DR10 -0.10 dB -12.14 dB 28 - Looking For A Friend (In Concert_ John Peel, Stereo).flac DR10 -0.52 dB -13.72 dB 29 - Kooks (In Concert_ John Peel, Stereo).flac DR10 -0.10 dB -11.48 dB 30 - Song For Bob Dylan (In Concert_ John Peel, Stereo).flac DR10 -0.10 dB -12.58 dB 31 - Andy Warhol (In Concert_ John Peel, Stereo).flac DR10 -0.20 dB -13.03 dB 32 - It Ain't Easy (In Concert_ John Peel, Stereo).flac ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Files: 16 Official DR Value: DR10 ============================================================================================== David Bowie - A Divine Symmetry The Journey to Hunky Dory (2022)/CD 03/CD 03_dr.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR Peak RMS Filename ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR8 -2.08 dB -15.42 dB 33 - The Supermen (Sounds Of The 70s_ Bob Harris).flac DR11 -0.59 dB -16.29 dB 34 - Oh! You Pretty Things (Sounds Of The 70s_ Bob Harris).flac DR13 -0.74 dB -18.70 dB 35 - Eight Line Poem (Sounds Of The 70s_ Bob Harris).flac DR11 -0.50 dB -14.46 dB 36 - Kooks (Sounds Of The 70s_ Bob Harris).flac DR9 -1.34 dB -13.97 dB 37 - Fill Your Heart (Sounds Of The 70s_ Bob Harris).flac DR11 -0.51 dB -15.09 dB 38 - Amsterdam (Sounds Of The 70s_ Bob Harris).flac DR12 -2.14 dB -17.11 dB 39 - Andy Warhol (Sounds Of The 70s_ Bob Harris).flac DR13 -1.73 dB -20.73 dB 40 - Introduction (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR9 -0.89 dB -13.50 dB 41 - Fill Your Heart (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR10 -0.36 dB -13.21 dB 42 - Buzz The Fuzz (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR10 -0.33 dB -12.97 dB 43 - Space Oddity (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR9 -2.41 dB -15.76 dB 44 - Amsterdam (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR8 -1.72 dB -14.61 dB 45 - The Supermen (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR9 -1.72 dB -15.43 dB 46 - Oh! You Pretty Things (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR12 -2.60 dB -19.82 dB 47 - Eight Line Poem (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR9 -0.66 dB -12.90 dB 48 - Changes (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR9 -0.32 dB -12.77 dB 49 - Song For Bob Dylan (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR9 -0.19 dB -12.16 dB 50 - Andy Warhol (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR8 -1.24 dB -10.79 dB 51 - Looking For A Friend (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR8 -1.63 dB -11.19 dB 52 - Round And Round (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac DR9 -1.24 dB -12.75 dB 53 - Waiting For The Man (Live Friars, Aylesbury, 25th September, 1971).flac ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Files: 21 Official DR Value: DR10 ============================================================================================== David Bowie - A Divine Symmetry The Journey to Hunky Dory (2022)/CD 04/CD 04_dr.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR Peak RMS Filename ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR10 -0.36 dB -15.64 dB 54 - Oh! You Pretty Things (BOWPROMO Mix; 2022 Remaster).flac DR12 -0.58 dB -18.69 dB 55 - Eight Line Poem (BOWPROMO Mix; 2022 Remaster).flac DR12 -0.56 dB -15.12 dB 56 - Kooks (BOWPROMO Mix; 2022 Remaster).flac DR11 -0.69 dB -13.21 dB 57 - Queen Bitch (BOWPROMO Mix; 2022 Remaster).flac DR12 -0.11 dB -16.60 dB 58 - Quicksand (BOWPROMO Mix; 2022 Remaster).flac DR10 -1.88 dB -15.37 dB 59 - Bombers (BOWPROMO Mix; 2022 Remaster).flac DR11 -2.56 dB -14.36 dB 60 - Lightning Frightening (aka The Man).flac DR12 -0.23 dB -16.88 dB 61 - Amsterdam (Early Mix; 2022 Remaster).flac DR12 -0.18 dB -15.92 dB 62 - Changes (Mono Single Version; 2015 Remaster).flac DR12 -1.62 dB -16.78 dB 63 - Andy Warhol (Full Length Mono Single Version; 2022 Remaster).flac DR11 -0.62 dB -14.53 dB 64 - Amsterdam (2015 Remaster).flac DR10 -0.74 dB -13.42 dB 65 - Life on Mars? (2016 Mix).flac DR12 -0.36 dB -15.11 dB 66 - Changes (2021 Alternative Mix).flac DR11 -0.46 dB -13.27 dB 67 - Life On Mars? (Original Ending Version).flac DR12 -0.45 dB -16.14 dB 68 - Quicksand (2021 Mix – Early Version).flac DR13 -0.60 dB -17.68 dB 69 - Fill Your Heart (2021 Alternative Mix).flac DR11 -0.37 dB -12.70 dB 70 - Bombers (2021 Alternative Mix).flac DR11 -0.45 dB -13.44 dB 71 - Song For Bob Dylan (2021 Alternative Mix).flac DR13 -0.26 dB -16.39 dB 72 - The Bewlay Brothers (2021 Alternative Mix).flac ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Files: 19 Official DR Value: DR11 ==============================================================================================
Apart from the music, which in large isn't unfamiliar material for hardcore fans, I think the books can be a reason to buy the set. What can you tell us about the books ?
I have to admit I haven't had a chance to check out the books since I just got it (I set them aside and left them "upstairs"). I think @Hush could more intelligently speak about them, having had it longer than I. First impressions, though, are it's really beautiful. I certainly think it's worth the $70 that several people have talked about being able to get it for.
A review of the set by The Guardian's Alexis Petridis: David Bowie: Divine Symmetry | Alexis Petridis's album of the week
Since I already called Amazon about the issue, they're well aware that I got it at a "discount price". If they didn't cancel then, it's unlikely that they'll do so now. But still figure better left alone rather than tempt fate a second time!
If so, it would have to be a "stealth shipment" since the app doesn't indicate it's on the way and it comes out tomorrow!
Don't baby/bathwater it! Be a shame to skip what appears to be a nice set because your annoyed at the Bowie store!
I'm a physical media boy - I'll almost never opt for downloads if a CD version exists. Only exceptions would be something where the price difference is crazy - like if the CD box is $250 and the download is $30 or whatever. Only SDE I've ever done as "just download" was Elvis Costello's "Armed Forces" - and that was just because no CD version exists! Vinyl/download only.
That all sounds VERY promising, can't wait, preordered it a while ago! I am NOT someone who has heard much of the bonus material and this is probably my favorite Bowie album, so it's gonna be a treat I think.
Yeah I originally was going to preorder my set from the Bowie store but realizing the same issue, I said forget it and went with the (most people seem to think) evil empire...
Can you please tell us about King of the city? What is it? Early Suffragette or an altogether different thing?
While I didn't get a shipping confirmation e-mail, my $70 set did ship from Amazon yesterday. It supposed to arrive tomorrow but there's no way that's going to happen. Still, yay! For those wondering about their discounted orders, I placed mine during the brief period the price was at $70 for the second time.
Well, for what it’s worth, Amazon honored the $69.98 preorder price on my order. I just saw the charge in my account, and the status on Amazon is ‘Preparing for Shipment’. I’ll be curious to see when it actually turns up. The proposed date was 12/9. We shall see!
What's odd is that my Bowie box is showing a delivery date of 12/9 but they charged my card a few hours ago. Amazon doesn’t do that unless they are about to ship so I expect to receive it in a few days. For those who ordered from Amazon, I imagine the same to be true for you as well.
My card still have not been charged and due tomorrow from Amazon. After Bob Dylan in BS17 in January I'm cancelling Prime. Just not worth it anymore. Always takes a couple of days to get here and is usually shipped the Wednesday for a Friday Release. Last few releases have taken considerably longer
I had pre-orders in at Amazon Canada and US, and planned to cancel whichever one was most expensive today in advance of tomorrow's release. But Amazon Canada made the decision for me by shipping it overnight for delivery tomorrow. It ended up being the more expensive of the two - CDN$155 (CDN$137 + tax) from Canada vs. CDN$125ish incl. shipping & duty from US, where I had the US$70 pre-order. But Amazon US was showing a Dec 20th delivery estimate, so I'll just consider the $30 a convenience fee for getting it on release date. Also, CDN$137 is by far the best pre-tax price I've seen from any Canadian retailers. Amazon only had it at that price for a few days, it's currently $183 there, and some indie places have it at around $200. Anyway, can't wait to crack into it tomorrow!
I’ll be honest and say I’ve not had the chance to give the book a proper look yet. I’m not going to get into it till the weekend I reckon, snowed under with other things. I’ll get back!