Live and Alive
Filmed in 1999, David Bowie’s VH1 ‘Storytellers’ performance is now being released on CD and DVD, provoking a new wave of awe and amusement at the singer’s anecdotes and honest showmanship.
Far from the theatrical days of Ziggy Stardust, 90s Bowie’s performance persona is a down-to-earth one, and in this intimate setting he regales the small audience with stories about Barbara Streisand and robbing bins with Marc Bolan. And his Bolan impression is still amusing ten years later.
It feels a little odd to a modern Bowie, dressed in a large grey hooded sweater singing his earlier hits but his charisma prevails and makes each song an epic. ‘Life On Mars’ takes off with Bowie’s rich operatic vocals supporting its vibrant narrative and ‘China Girl’ sounds almost ecstatic with a raging guitar solo. Even the newer material like ‘Thursday’s Child’ feels well-placed with soft female backing vocals giving it plenty of life.
The 8 tracks in the main DVD feature are also included on the CD, but 4 extra live tracks are featured on the DVD as bonus performances. It’s unclear why these were cut from the CD as they’re also great tracks that sound fabulous, but it gives the DVD a little something extra to impress fans.
Aside from the material itself, Bowie’s warmth and charm are the highlight of this release, he talks candidly about the writing of his material, different periods in his life and even jokes about the bad lines that he hates singing in ‘Can’t Help Thinking About Me’. This is a great package that’s sure to bring a smile to the face of fans, and probably also endear Bowie to a whole new audience. The wit and musical prowess of Bowie are captured perfectly on this handy new release.