David Bowie / David Live (David Bowie At The Tower Philadelphia)
Artist David Bowie
Album Title: David Live (David Bowie At The Tower Philadelphia)
Album Cover:
Primary Genre Rock
Format CD (2)
Released 10/29/1974
Reissue Date 02/21/2005
Label Parlophone
Catalog No 0946 311248 2 2
Bar Code No 0 94631 12482 2
Reissue Yes
Remastered Yes
Packaging Jewelcase
Tracks
David Live (David Bowie At The Tower Philadelphia) (Disc 1)
1. 1984 (3:20)
2. Rebel Rebel (2:40)
3. Moonage Daydream (5:10)
4. Sweet Thing - Candidate - Sweet Thing (reprise) (8:48)
5. Changes (3:34)
6. Suffragette City (3:45)
7. Aladdin Sane (4:57)
8. All The Young Dudes (4:18)
9. Cracked Actor (3:29)
10. Rock 'N' Roll With Me (4:18)
11. Watch That Man (4:55)
David Live (David Bowie At The Tower Philadelphia) (Disc 2)
1. Knock On Wood (3:08)
2. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (6:32)
3. Space Oddity (4:08)
4. Diamond Dogs (8:12)
5. Panic In Detroit (5:13)
6. Big Brother (4:30)
7. Time (0:09)
8. The Width Of A Circle (3:32)
9. The Jean Genie (5:19)
10. Rock 'N' Roll Suicide (4:40)
Date Acquired 02/13/2016
Personal Rating
Acquired from OxfordshireEngland (Amazon)
Purchase Price 20.77

Web Links

Discogs Entry:
All Music Guide Entry:

Notes

David Live is David Bowie’s first official live album, originally released by RCA Records in 1974. The album was recorded in July of that year, on the initial leg of Bowie's US Diamond Dogs Tour, at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. (The second leg, a more soul-oriented affair following recording sessions in Philadelphia for the bulk of Young Americans, would be renamed 'Philly Dogs').

The album catches Bowie in transition from the Ziggy Stardust/Aladdin Sane glam-rock era of his career to the 'plastic soul' of Young Americans. While the cover featured a picture of Bowie in his latest soul threads – baggy trouser suit complete with shoulder pads and braces from October 1974 – the music was recorded in July of that year when he was showcasing his two most recent studio albums of original material, Diamond Dogs and Aladdin Sane, as well as selected favourites from Ziggy Stardust and earlier.

The tour was Bowie's most ambitious to date, featuring a giant set designed to evoke "Hunger City", the post-apocalyptic setting for Diamond Dogs, and his largest band, led by Michael Kamen. For "Space Oddity" (recorded at the time but not released until the album's 2005 reissue) Bowie sang using a radio microphone disguised as a telephone whilst being raised and lowered above the stage by a cherry picker crane. The tour was documented in Alan Yentob's Cracked Actor (1975).

**************************************************************************************
New Stereo Mix. In Original set list order featuring 2 previously unreleased tracks.

David Live was culled from performances on the 8th, 9th, 10th 11th and 12th of July 1974 at the Tower Theatre, Philadelphia. No studio overdubs or re-recording of voices, instruments or audience have been added with the exception of several backing vocals due to a loss of theatre mike contact

Alto Saxophone, Flute – David Sanborn
Backing Vocals – Gui Andrisano, Warren Peace
Baritone Saxophone, Flute – Richard Grando
Bass – Herbie Flowers
Coordinator [Project Coordinator For EMI] – Jo Brooks, Nigel Reeve
Coordinator [Project Coordinator For RZO Music] – Henry Wrenn-Meleck
Design [Reissue Design] – Chris Peyton
Drums – Tony Newman
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Moog], Oboe, Directed By [Musical Director] – Michael Kamen
Engineer [Assistant] – Brian Pugh*
Engineer [Pro Tools] – Mario McNulty*
Guitar – Earl Slick
Mastered By – Peter Mew
Mixed By – Tony Visconti
Percussion – Pablo Rosario
Photography By – Dagmar (4)
Piano, Mellotron – Mike Garson
Producer – Tony Visconti
Recording Supervisor [Original Live Recording] – Keith Harwood
Sleeve Notes – Tony Visconti
Sleeve Notes [David Live Chronology] – Kevin Cann
Vocals – David Bowie
Written-By – David Bowie (tracks: 1-1 to 1-9, 1-11, 2-2 to 2-10)

Reviews
All Music Guide Review:

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The supporting tour for Diamond Dogs was supposed to be a theatrical extravaganza, yet as he headed out on the road, David Bowie became infatuated with Philly soul and changed his entire approach to reflect his new interest, as well as his backing band in the process. As a result, the double-album David Live captures Bowie in transition, as he moves from glam rock to plastic soul. The set list draws heavily from Ziggy Stardust-era songs, yet there are a few surprises, like a stilted cover of "Knock On Wood" and an inspired version of "All the Young Dudes," a song Bowie gave Mott the Hoople. Since Bowie's attempts at soul are a little awkward at this stage, David Live is primarily of interest as a historical document, yet there's enough good material to make it worthwhile for fanatics.


aa note, this sounds excellent and the performances are as good as it gets.
Cover 1
Cover 2
Cover 3
Cover 4
Cover 5
Cover 6