As Station to Station has been out since 1976 and available on CD since 1985, I don’t think there is much to be gained by trying to review the studio disc of this deluxe reissue. The instrumental clarity of the studio disc sounds great but I haven’t listened to my Ryko disc (or vinyl version) of Station to Station in years so I can’t say that one is better than the other. For what it is worth, this reissue is noted to be a new transfer from the original stereo analogue master in 48/24 LPCM stereo.

The highlight of this reissue is the inclusion of a (near) complete recording of David Bowie’s March 23, 1976 show at Nassau Coliseum. While this show was originally an FM broadcast (and is currently available on Wolfgang’s Vault) and subsequently bootlegged many times, this new two disc live set includes the correct running order and four tracks ("Waiting for the Man" – 6:20, "Queen Bitch" – 3:12, "Life on Mars?" – 2:13 and "Five Years" – 5:03) that I’ve never seen on any of the bootlegs. What seems somewhat strange is that a seven minute drum solo/improv has been edited out of “Panic In Detroit” which was part of the original FM broadcast but the full version of this track is available as a digital download for $1.99.

This live show sounds great (and significantly better than the previously issued bootlegs) and the band plays with an energy that wasn’t found on either David Live or Stage. New guitarist Stacy Hayden does a remarkable job adding his own imprint to the songs originally recorded with Earl Slick and the rest of the band follows behind with a solid rock/funk groove. The funked up version of the VU’s “Waiting for the Man” is particularly tasty.

The packaging for this set is fairly exquisite (as you can see from the photo). Both the studio CD and the live set are housed in mini-LP sleeves and the set includes a 16-page book that covers the chronology of events around the recording of the album and Station to Station tour.

This reissue is a solid addition to the Bowie catalog; it will be interesting to see how Bowie chooses to give deluxe treatment to Low (which, presumably, is next on his list).

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David Bowie