Good Re-mix can't save the filming
30 August 2002
This is a badly filmed concert. From many perspectives (lighting, setup, directing, and most importantly, focus) there seems to have been almost no thought to making a decent film out of this concert. Another person has said that this film looks like something made by a few people who snuck in cameras (though that would have been pretty tough in 1973). Except for a few seconds of band introduction, the video might lead you to believe that Bowie and Mick Ronson performed as a duet. Bowie introduces the bass player and drummer of the spiders briefly, but fails to mention the four offstage musicians (given 0.5 seconds in the final credits.) So why watch this film? Because in 2002 it was re-released with a mix by Tony Visconti (longtime Bowie producer who truly knows exactly what he's doing with Bowie's music) so the sound is really pretty good in stereo or 5:1. It's not the studio albums, but it's good. The question you always have to ask is, am I listening to a re-mix off the sound-board, or some filler recorded long afterward? Nevertheless, if you've seen Bowie live, and know what an incredible performer he is, you'll be curious about this 1973 show. You'll be disappointed if you spend $7 in a theater, let down if you spent $3 to rent the video, but OK if you caught it on cable for free and play it loud.
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