Sound + Vision (box set)

Infobox Album
Name = Sound + Vision
Type = Compilation
Artist = David Bowie


Released = start_date|1989|9|19 (original)
start_date|2003|12|2 (reissue)
Recorded = 1969-1980 (original)
1969-1993 (reissue)
Genre = Rock, Glam, Art rock
Length = 196:38 (original)
298:03 (reissue)
Label = Rykodisc/EMI/Virgin Records
Producer = David Bowie, Ken Scott, Tony Visconti, Harry Maslin (original and reissue)
Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers, Derek Bramble, Hugh Padgham, David Richards, Tin Machine, Tim Palmer (reissue)
Reviews = *Allmusic (original) Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:x95f8qntbtb4 link]
*Allmusic (2003 reissue) Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5m2tk6axtkrd link]
Last album = "Tin Machine" (1989)
This album = "Sound + Vision" (1989)
Next album = "Changesbowie" (1990)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = David Bowie Compilation
Type = Compilation
Last album = "Fame and Fashion" (1983)
This album = "Sound + Vision" (1989)
Next album = "Changesbowie" (1990) Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = compilation


Lower caption = 2003 edition

"Sound + Vision" is David Bowie's box set compilation released on Rykodisc in 1989. It exists in three versions: The original, in an LP-size box, was either in LP, audiocassette or CD format, as six LPs, three cassettes or three CDs and one CD-Video, a video format that was current at the time but no longer accessible as of 2005, containing audio tracks and the music video of Ashes To Ashes. The second Rykodisc version (1995) replaced the CD-Video with a regular CD-ROM and is packaged in a smaller slipcase.

The third version, issued by Virgin/EMI in 2003, included all of the audio tracks from the original set and added a fourth audio CD.

"Sound + Vision" is an anomaly among box sets in that it contains few of Bowie's greatest hits in their original form, instead frequently opting for demos, live versions and even a German vocal version of "Heroes" ("Helden"). The reason for the quixotic tracklisting is that it was originally conceived in 1989 as less of a comprehensive career retrospective than as a "teaser" for the then-upcoming Rykodisc CD reissue campaign covering Bowie's output from 1969 to 1980. As a result of this commercial logic, none of the "rarities" originally included on the 1989 edition of Sound + Vision (e.g. the rare single versions of "Wild-Eyed Boy From Freecloud" and "Rebel Rebel," or the previously unreleased studio outtakes "London Bye Ta-Ta," "1984/Dodo," "After Today," or "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City") were included as bonus tracks on the Rykodisc editions of Bowie's albums. Conversely, given this boxed set's initial conception as an "extended sampler," the compilers felt little need to include all of Bowie's hits, choosing instead to give every album equal coverage. Nor did they feel compelled to include other sought-after rarities on the set, since they could be found on the Rykodisc CDs.

The set won the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Album Package, including Album Cover, Graphic Arts, with photography by Roger Gorman.

Track listing

All songs written by David Bowie unless otherwise indicated.

1989 issue

CD one

# "Space Oddity" (Demo version) (previously unreleased) – 5:09
# "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" (from "Space Oddity" single b-side, 1969)– 4:50
# "The Prettiest Star" (Single version) – 3:11 (Mono)
# "London Bye Ta-Ta" (previously unreleased) – 2:35 (Mono)
# "Black Country Rock" (from "The Man Who Sold the World", 1970/1971) – 3:33
# "The Man Who Sold the World" (from "The Man Who Sold the World", 1970/1971) – 3:56
# "The Bewlay Brothers" (from "Hunky Dory", 1971) – 5:22
# "Changes" (from "Hunky Dory", 1971) – 3:35
# "Round and Round" (Chuck Berry) (from "Drive-In Saturday" b-side, 1973; recorded during Ziggy Stardust sessions, 1971) – 2:41
# "Moonage Daydream" (from "Ziggy Stardust", 1972) – 4:39
# "John, I'm Only Dancing" ("Aladdin Sane" outtake, 1973)– 2:43
# "Drive-In Saturday" (from "Aladdin Sane", 1973) – 4:30
# "Panic in Detroit" (from "Aladdin Sane", 1973)" – 4:25
# "Ziggy Stardust" (Live) (from "Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture", recorded 1973, released 1983) – 3:16
# "White Light/White Heat" (Lou Reed) (Live) (from "Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture", 1973/1983) – 3:57
# "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" (Live) (from "Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture", 1973/1983) – 4:30

CD two

# "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend (from "Pin Ups", 1973) – 3:08
# "Sorrow" (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) (from "Pin Ups", 1973) – 2:53
# "Don't Bring Me Down" (Johnnie Dee) (from "Pin Ups", 1973) – 2:05
# "1984/Dodo" (previously unreleased, 1973) – 5:29
# "Big Brother" (from "Diamond Dogs", 1974) – 3:21
# "Rebel Rebel" (U.S. single version, 1974) – 3:01
# "Suffragette City" (from "David Live", 1974) – 3:50
# "Watch That Man" (from "David Live", 1974) – 5:07
# "Cracked Actor" (from "David Live", 1974) – 3:30
# "Young Americans" (from "Young Americans", 1975) – 5:12
# "Fascination" (Bowie, Luther Vandross) (from "Young Americans", 1975) – 5:45 (A different, more echo heavy mix which was not on the 2003 issue)
# "After Today" ("Young Americans" outtake, 1975, previously unreleased) – 3:50
# "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" (Bruce Springsteen) (previously unreleased, 1975) – 3:49
# "TVC 15" (from "Station to Station", 1976) – 5:31
# "Wild Is the Wind" (Dimitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington) (from "Station to Station", 1976) – 5:58

CD three

# "Sound and Vision" (from "Low", 1977) – 3:05
# "Be My Wife" (from "Low", 1977) – 2:57
# "Speed of Life" from "Low", 1977) – 2:47
# "Helden" (Bowie, Brian Eno) (German version of "Heroes", recorded 1977; 1989 remix) – 3:39
# "Joe the Lion" (from ""Heroes"", 1977) – 3:07
# "Sons of the Silent Age" (from "Heroes", 1977) – 3:19
# "Station to Station" (Live) (from "Stage", 1978) – 8:50
# "Warszawa" (Live) (Bowie, Eno) (from "Stage", 1978) – 6:52
# "Breaking Glass" (Live) (Bowie, Dennis Davis, George Murray) (from "Stage", 1978) – 3:35
# "Red Sails" (Bowie, Eno) (from "Lodger", 1979) – 3:45
# "Look Back in Anger" (Bowie, Eno) (from "Lodger", 1979) – 3:07
# "Boys Keep Swinging" (Bowie, Eno) (from "Lodger", 1979) – 3:18
# "Up the Hill Backwards" (from "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)", 1980) – 3:15
# "Kingdom Come" (Tom Verlaine) (from "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)", 1980) – 3:44
# "Ashes to Ashes" (from "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)", 1980) – 4:23

Video CD/CD-ROM

# "John, I'm Only Dancing" (Live) (previously unreleased) – 2:40
# "Changes" (Live) (previously unreleased) – 3:20
# "The Supermen" (Live) (previously unreleased) – 2:43
# "Ashes to Ashes" (previously unreleased) – 3:34

2003 reissue (CD: EMI / 5945112)

All songs written by David Bowie unless otherwise indicated.

CD one

# "Space Oddity" (Demo version)
# "The Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" (includes spoken intro)
# "The Prettiest Star" (Single version)
# "London Bye Ta-Ta" (previously unreleased stereo mix)
# "Black Country Rock"
# "The Man Who Sold the World"
# "The Bewlay Brothers"
# "Changes"
# "Round and Round" (alternate vocal)
# "Moonage Daydream"
# "John, I'm Only Dancing"
# "Drive-In Saturday"
# "Panic in Detroit"
# "Ziggy Stardust" (Live)
# "White Light White Heat" (Live)
# "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" (Live)
# "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"
# "Sorrow"
# "Don't Bring Me Down"

CD two

# "1984/Dodo"
# "Big Brother"
# "Rebel Rebel"
# "Suffragette City" (Live)
# "Watch That Man" (Live)
# "Cracked Actor" (Live)
# "Young Americans"
# "Fascination"
# "After Today"
# "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City"
# "TVC 15"
# "Wild Is the Wind"
# "Sound and Vision"
# "Be My Wife"
# "Speed of Life"
# "Helden"
# "Joe the Lion"
# "Sons of the Silent Age"

CD three

# "Station to Station" (Live)
# "Warszawa" (Live)
# "Breaking Glass" (Live)
# "Red Sails"
# "Look Back in Anger"
# "Boys Keep Swinging"
# "Up the Hill Backwards"
# "Kingdom Come"
# "Ashes to Ashes"
# "Baal's Hymn" (Kurt Weill) (from "Baal", 1982) (previously unreleased on CD) – 4:00
# "The Drowned Girl" (Bertolt Brecht, Weill) (from "Baal", 1982) (previously unreleased on CD) – 2:24
# "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Giorgio Moroder) (from "Cat People Original Soundtrack", 1982) – 6:41
# "China Girl" (Bowie, Iggy Pop) (from "Let's Dance", 1983) – 5:32
# "Ricochet" (from "Let's Dance", 1983) – 5:14
# "Modern Love" (Live) (from "Modern Love" b-side, 1983) (previously unreleased on CD) – 4:47
# "Loving the Alien" (from "Tonight", 1984) – 7:10
# "Dancing with the Big Boys" (Bowie, Pop, Alomar) (from "Tonight", 1984) – 3:34

CD four

# "Blue Jean" (from "Tonight", 1984) – 3:10
# "Time Will Crawl" (from "Never Let Me Down", 1987) – 4:18
# Tin Machine: "Baby Can Dance" (from "Tin Machine", 1989) – 4:57
# Tin Machine: "Amazing" (Bowie, Reeves Gabrels) (from "Tin Machine", 1989) – 3:04
# Tin Machine: "I Can't Read" (Bowie, Gabrels) (from "Tin Machine", 1989) – 4:54
# Tin Machine: "Shopping for Girls" (Bowie, Gabrels) (from "Tin Machine II", 1991) – 3:44
# Tin Machine: "Goodbye Mr. Ed" (Bowie, Tony Sales, Hunt Sales) (from "Tin Machine II", 1991) – 3:24
# Tin Machine: "Amlapura" (Bowie, Gabrels) (from "Tin Machine II", 1991) – 3:46
# "You've Been Around" (Bowie, Gabrels) (from "Black Tie White Noise", 1993) – 4:45
# "Nite Flights" (Moodswings Back to Basics remix radio edit) (N. Scott Engels) (previously unreleased, original version from "Black Tie White Noise", 1993) – 4:35
# "Pallas Athena" (from "Black Tie White Noise", 1993) – 4:21
# "Jump They Say" (from "Black Tie White Noise", 1993) – 4:22
# "The Buddha of Suburbia" (from "The Buddha of Suburbia", 1993) – 4:28
# "Dead Against It" (from "The Buddha of Suburbia", 1993) – 5:48
# "South Horizon" (from "The Buddha of Suburbia", 1993) – 5:26
# "Pallas Athena" (Live) (from "Seven Years in Tibet" B-side, 1997) – 8:18

Charts

Album

Certifications