Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie's final concert as his most famous alter ego is one of the more legendary shows in the rock canon, but aficionados have frequently held this audio document, as recorded by Dylan/Monterey Pop documentary director D. A. Pennebaker, in somewhat low regard. Of course, the wonderfulZiggy Stardustalbum was such a pristine production that any live reproduction suffers in comparison, but fans may notice a significant improvement three decades later. Whether time has made the closer-to-garage-rock ethos of the live Spiders from Mars play better or whether it justsoundsbetter is hard to say. But this 30th anniversary versiondoessound a whole lot better than all previous versions. Producer Terry Visconti has remastered what was once murk into something that sounds crisp and clear. The new packaging is lovely and the entire concert--incidental intro music and all--is documented for the first time. Pity the rights couldn’t be re-secured to includeJeff Beck’s long-deleted appearance on "Jean Genie," andJacque Brel's "My Death" is still a tad melodramatic. But you also get most of the greatZiggytunes, a few earlier classics, several from the then-unreleasedAladdin Sane, a terrific "All the Young Dudes," and perhaps the best cover ever of theVelvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat."--Bill Holdship