David Bowie – Station to Station

Recorded in between his otherworldly performance in the 1976 science fiction film The Man Who Fell to Earth and his drug-fueled move to Germany with Iggy Pop, David Bowie released Station to Station in 1976, essentially bridging the gap between the glam rock of his Ziggy Stardust phase and the Brian Eno-produced Berlin Trilogy (Low, “Heroes” and Lodger). Taking on the persona of the Thin White Duke (sort of an extension of Ziggy Stardust and the extraterrestrial Bowie played in The Man Who Fell to Earth, all dressed up in cabaret style suits), Bowie’s influences and creative direction were clearly in transition on Station to Station, which maintains the grandiose glam of Aladdin Sane, the more soulful funk-laden sounds of Diamond Dogs and Young Americans and hints of the electronic elements that Eno would explore with Bowie’s next few albums.

Station to Station remains one of Bowie’s most enduring albums, counting among its six tracks such classics as the ominously seductive “Golden Years” and the surreal showtunes-like “TVC 15.” This recently reissued version of Station to Station features the original analogue master of the album in two different editions, both of which are crammed with all sorts of extras. The more affordable special edition includes the original album, as well as the two-disc set Live Nassau Coliseum ’76, an oft-bootlegged performance recorded in Uniondale, N.Y. at the end of his Isolar tour.

The live discs include Station to Station songs such as “Word on a Wing” and “Stay,” as well as previous hits like “Suffragette City,” “Changes,” “Diamond Dogs” and “Rebel Rebel.” Also included with the special edition are a 16-page booklet filled with notes and photos from that time period and three postcard photos, all packaged in a lift-off-lid box. There’s also an individually numbered deluxe edition that includes three versions of the album, the live discs a DVD, some vinyl and various other collectibles.

David Bowie
Station to Station
[EMI]