David Bowie CONVERSATION PIECE

And.. my item didn't show up, and I'm getting bogus updates from Royal Mail: We're holding this item at X. We’ve received a request not to deliver mail to the property your item is addressed to today. We'll attempt delivery as per the instructions we’ve received, which is usually on the next working day."

I have Prime, and they simply mailed it through Royal Mail.... WtF?

 

Beautiful packaging really well done. Of large format, it would be nice also for the volumes of the following years. I'm talking about those on CD. Heard the first Demo's CD, really suggestive and complete.

 

Is the book mainly images or is there a good amount to read too?

 

Mine just arrived, it is gorgeous looking. Time to rip and listen for the rest of the day!

 

I got halfway through Cygnet Committee and found myself putting the original mix, that I've owned and known for decades, on instead.

 

I am livid
Was just informed by the Bowie ( US ) on line store that i would not be receiving mine today.

Official line, due to high demand, official release date has been pushed till monday.

Now that is fine, short sighted, but fine.
If they dont have the product, they can't ship

but i paid for arrival day of release
and since the "official release date " is now monday
they will not even discuss refunding extra shipping fees unless it does not arrive monday

WHAT A RAcKET!!!!

 

You've got problems.

I learned that Amazon - and yes I'm a Prime member - decided to ship my item via Royal Mail 24 hour service, rather than their usual internal delivery method. Royal Mail. I paid for Prime, and they gave it to the Post Office. You might think - well they did use the 24 hour service - but trust me, that service, at least in my area, is completely worthless. I don't pay Prime so they can use the damn Post Office. Customer Service help? "I'm sure it'll be there tomorrow."

Just what am I paying for? I know this is a First World Problem - but I paid for a Premium service, so don't think it's too much to expect to get that in this case. It's not the end of the world, of course. If it doesn't arrive tomorrow, I'll cancel the order and get it elsewhere. If they use Royal Mail again, I'm going to cancel Prime.

And what's up with the "High demand" nonsense? We had it with the Tull box, and now this? Is this a consequence of their thinking CD is dead and no-one will want it?

 

Yes, considering the CD box is £79.99, it’s a helluva price to pay. Currently listening to the 2019 mix of the Space Oddity album. An awful lot of reverb and echo so far.

 

I tried a novel way, I went to a record shop and picked it up today, although I realise not everyone has this luxury these days unfortunately.

 

Yeah Here in orlando, all of the record stores have closed
or i would never have ordered in the first place

sometimes barnes and nobel has i'll check there later

update just checked
not available in store

 

Mine arrived this afternoon and I'm loving it so far. I threw together a quick unboxing video if anyone's interested. It's available here.

 

Imagine a whole bookshelf with a complete set of these heavyweight 50th Bowie's album boxes! If they for once completed a series of reissues in the same format it would be amazing. By the time they're finished though my atoms might well have been recycled into the paper for one of the books.

I'm really enjoying the early mixes of Letter To Hermione, Janine and An Occasional Dream on the 1969 mix cd. Some of the 2019 mixes are interesting, but no way would it be my go to mix of the LP. For example, I don't enjoy the places where bits are missing from Cygnet Committee, but it's more a way to have a fresh look at the components. On all of these the thing that struck me most was the excellence of Keith Christmas's acoustic guitar. Some of the great electric guitar is highlighted too.
The Animal Farm demo is basic, but fun - a really way-out sci-fi sketch: "Everythang is groovy on Animal Farm (etc)...She sits, drinking the morning papers and reading her tea. "I'm forty-three. There's nothing left for me. I'll do no harm - can I live on Animal Farm?...No-one over thirty on Animal Farm."
April's Tooth of Gold sounds much better than I've heard before, but not perfect. I'm more than happy with it.
The new demos: Reverend Raymond Brown (just good fun - nice pulsing bass, and another voice character for Bowie); When I'm 5 and a very interesting experimental blasting off Space Oddity; Conversation Piece (shows how much improved the performance was on the B side cut), Jerusalem (amazingly accurate Dylan homage/impersonation even down to the lyrics) and Hole In The Ground (Bolan-influenced country slide guitar (?) track which seems unrelated to anything else he ever recorded) are all great to have.

 

Neither it’s John ‘Honk’ Lodge on bass.

Herbie only plays on the song Space Oddity. Tony Visconti’s instrumental involvement is on flute and recorders on An Occasional Dream.

All other tracks have John ‘Honk’ Lodge on bass.

 

both of them

 

Nice package. This new mix of the album Space Oddity explodes out of the speakers. Amazing facelift. The original album always sounded a bit muddy, now obviously with today's technology...well done Tony.

 

I wanted to just dip my toe into the pool to start with I so ordered remixed CD only from Amazon. It arrived today practically folded in half. Back it goes. I can at least listen to it via Amazon mp3 for now until replacement arrives. Damn.

 

Absolutely loving this from beginning to end. Splendid content, book, music selection and sound quality.
Nice job Tony Visconti and Parlaphone.

 

I completely agree. I bought this yesterday from my local HMV and am so glad I did.

And of course my mind wanders to what they might do for future sets.

 

Me too! I am really looking forward to 2021/22 to get a nice quality version of The Shadowman. Maybe there are outtake multi-tracks from Trident studios that can be remixed!

 

I am really curious to see what we will get in the 1970 set. I can see it including the full BBC concert as well as the other 1970 BBC session, but not sure of anything else that is known to exist from 1970.

I would be interesting to see some demos and outtakes but I am not sure how generous they are being. Am I right in thinking that Conversation Piece only includes material that has either been previously released or they feel would be in danger of being released by a cheap label if not protected? In which case, are they going to share anything that is not already in the public domain?

I also wonder if Visconti will remix TMWSTW.

 

Of course he will, with tracks in the initially intended order, loads of reverb added and EQ that is far removed from the original piece of art.

 

If anyone is interested, this set is available new on eBay from Music Magpie for £76 and there is currently a 20% off code (PRIZE20) you can use at checkout bringing the price down to £61 delivered.

 

Thanks, ordered!

 

So, after wars with Amazon.... my copy just arrived.

Wow. Was not expecting this to be so great, and that's without, yet, playing any of the music. This thing is HEAVY. The book is gorgeous, with some to read, and around 112 pages or so.

For size comparisons, take a look at this:



They've essentially packaged this as an art book. Excellent quality - thick card slip case, heavy stock paper in the book, and of course those cheap card covers for the discs.

Got to say though, you can feel where the money went on this one.