I’m thinking of ordering the box sets of Five Years, Who Can I Be Now, A New Career in a New Town, and Loving the Alien. I’m not sure if I should get the CD versions or the digital downloads. I’m a newer fan and I don’t already have any of this stuff. But it’s obviously a lot of money to spend.
So what’s holding me back from the CD versions is that the Heroes disc will apparently need a replacement. And the digital versions are far less expensive but you don’t get the books or the album art or anything...but I won’t have to worry about the Heroes disc replacement.
And through all of that I’m not 100% sure that I’ll end up being a hardcore fan so spending that sort of money might not be the best decision. Then again, I don’t want to buy the individual albums if I end up wanting the whole shebang later.
So.....I guess my question is...can someone give me some advice and help steer me in one direction or the other? Lol
I am a hardcore fan and i've not bought the boxes.
If you are an audiophile, the boxes are okay there are errors beyond the obvious Heroes issue that are not ideal. The New Career box is also quite loud, but that is to some tastes. Also the 'bonus' elements such as the Lodger and Never Let Me Down remixes are most certainly not need-to-haves for the new listener. And if I was suggesting someone explore Bowie's work, i'd say start at the beginning, and the boxes skip over all the "early years" and that is essential listening.
My advice is to get Spotify or similar and listen to them to death for a while (I find 40 years works). This playlist is complete (excluding what's missing from Spotify) and in chronological order. https://open.spotify.com/ ... twL6Zn8LIH
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ruud
Posted: 3rd Dec 2018, 10:55 am
Site AdminPosts: 1209Location: UitgeestJoined: 27th Dec, 2006
That's an impressive playlist!
If you're on a budget, it may be worthwhile checking eBay for the Rykodisc reissues. These offer bonus tracks not found on later reissues. If you adjust the treble and bass on your amplifier a bit (down and up respectively), the sound quality of this series is pretty good.
This question got me to thinking, and I couldn't resist doing this quickly while sat at my computer, but I went on Amazon, (this is UK) and totted up the cheapest total to obtain all 28 studio albums on CD, which includes both Tin Machine LPs and excludes Labyrinth. £188.76 with out postage. So if you have Amazon prime that's pretty much it, with the exception of Tin Machine Two, which I found through Amazon second hand at £19.98 (plus postage) for a Japanese copy. I imagine all other titles were available with prime but I can't swear to that, didn't spend that long! This would get you a lot of the bog standard 1999 copies, but a few of the recent remasters too, and includes the first LP as the deluxe version.
I didn't note down which titles came with auto-rip but I imagine a lot of the titles will do.
I agree the not so hardcore fan may not be too fussed about things like the re-mixed Lodger and Never Let Me Down LPs, and the many edited down single edits, etc (and may be very alarmed at some of the bonus remix content of the current box set!) but then again you would be getting a whole bunch of Live albums thrown in plus the informative books if you went with the box set options. Does anyone know on this site if you buy 'A new career....' box set at the moment have they been updated to include a proper "Heroes"? And my other main gripe about the first box set is the messing up of the 'Space Oddity' album, as has been discussed on the site, mainly for the crime of "God's land' being somehow cut to 'God land'. You would need to get an earlier copy such as the 2009 40th anniversary edition.
Probably doesn't help with your final decision now I have said all that. I personally like the box sets, so if you think you are going to get fully hooked....? If you have gone as far as looking on sites like this one then you must be pretty interested in his work to start with. Perhaps someone more level headed would like to step in?..
Pete.
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bruce wayne
Posted: 3rd Dec 2018, 1:45 pm
Posts: 3Joined: 2nd Dec, 2018
peter w wrote:
This question got me to thinking, and I couldn't resist doing this quickly while sat at my computer, but I went on Amazon, (this is UK) and totted up the cheapest total to obtain all 28 studio albums on CD, which includes both Tin Machine LPs and excludes Labyrinth. £188.76 with out postage. So if you have Amazon prime that's pretty much it, with the exception of Tin Machine Two, which I found through Amazon second hand at £19.98 (plus postage) for a Japanese copy. I imagine all other titles were available with prime but I can't swear to that, didn't spend that long! This would get you a lot of the bog standard 1999 copies, but a few of the recent remasters too, and includes the first LP as the deluxe version.
I didn't note down which titles came with auto-rip but I imagine a lot of the titles will do.
I agree the not so hardcore fan may not be too fussed about things like the re-mixed Lodger and Never Let Me Down LPs, and the many edited down single edits, etc (and may be very alarmed at some of the bonus remix content of the current box set!) but then again you would be getting a whole bunch of Live albums thrown in plus the informative books if you went with the box set options. Does anyone know on this site if you buy 'A new career....' box set at the moment have they been updated to include a proper "Heroes"? And my other main gripe about the first box set is the messing up of the 'Space Oddity' album, as has been discussed on the site, mainly for the crime of "God's land' being somehow cut to 'God land'. You would need to get an earlier copy such as the 2009 40th anniversary edition.
Probably doesn't help with your final decision now I have said all that. I personally like the box sets, so if you think you are going to get fully hooked....? If you have gone as far as looking on sites like this one then you must be pretty interested in his work to start with. Perhaps someone more level headed would like to step in?..
Pete.
Thanks! The 40th anniversary Space Oddity on cd (with the bonus disc) is a lot of money on eBay. So I feel like that’s not a good option...I could just get the single disc version but I would want the bonus material so I don’t want to do that either.
To get what I’m wanting (remastered albums + bonus material like b-sides and demos) I’m not going to have a cheap option am I?
You are right, that 40th anniversary edition is looking a bit pricey out there, just been having a look. I think if you want editions with bonus material too then maybe keep looking for good deals when you see them and build up a collection without getting the boxes. Some may be more expensive than others, unless you get lucky. There is always 'Discogs' which sometimes is better than e-bay I have found, on occasions.
One more plus point though, for the CD box sets, is that you get the replica card sleeves instead of jewel cases, if that is something else you would prefer to have.
Pete.
PS, I am with Ruud on the Ryko re-issues, I am OK with the sound on them. My one thing though is the early fade they made on one of the Young American tracks, so go for the later re-issue with the extra disc and DVD content.
