David Bowie - Stage (Live) Remastered (1978/2017)

Emerging from his self-imposed exile in Berlin, David Bowie assembled a new band and took to the road to promote his Berlin-recorded albums, Low and Heroes. "Stage" chronicles that 1977 tour, and captures Bowie at one of the most creative periods of his career. Though "Stage" was criticized for having somewhat lackluster sound when it was originally released, the remastered versions present a noticeable improvement over the original album.

"Stage" breaks Bowie's concert into two parts. The first CD features urgent versions of some of Bowie's best-known songs, including "Ziggy Stardust," "Fame," and "Hang On to Yourself." The second CD is devoted exclusively to the songs from Low and Heroes. Though songs like the anthemic "Heroes" are well-suited to the live format, others, like the ominous instrumental "Warsawza" and the futuristic "Speed of Life" are not your typical concert fare. Still, Bowie performs gripping versions of these challenging tunes, and guitarist Adrian Belew is especially good on this material. While "Stage" may not be the definitive Bowie live album, it offers a fascinating look at the artist as he stretches the boundaries of sound and stage for what was perhaps the last time in his career. (Note: This reissue features a different track order and two bonus tracks.)

David Bowie, vocals, keyboards
Carlos Alomar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
George Murray, bass, backing vocals
Dennis Davis, drums, percussion
Adrian Belew, lead guitar, backing vocals
Additional musicians:
Simon House, violin
Sean Mayes, piano, string ensemble, backing vocals
Roger Powell, synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals