The DVD contains some of the worst fashion the 80's had to offer. It's not that Bowie wasn't his own man, but the outfits worn by him and his band and video subjects are just absolutely goofy. Take, for example, the first video "Ashes to Ashes," he has the oddest clown getup, or "Let's Dance" with the red shoes, or the weird painted look in "Blue Jean." They are not all bad, I kind of like "China Girl," "Absolute Beginners," and "When the Wind Blows." The videos do not appear to have undergone much in the way of restoration, they are a little worn and faded looking, a quite distinctive 80's sheen. They are not awful, just showing the age a bit. The audio, by and large, is pretty good, presented in PCM stereo. They are nice to have as a bit of a throwback, but they are not what you would call "good" videos. It is a little funny to note that Bowie does not have much in the way of facial expressions outside of the occasional smile, he looks oddly botoxed in a number of the videos. The disk runs for a little over an hour.
Bottomline. This is a pretty good disk if you are looking for the cream of the 80's crop, plus the videos are fun little time capsule. Again, before snatching this disk up, you will probably want to take a look at what you already have, and what Bowie you need to fill in the holes. You could do a lot worse than this if you have an affinity for 80's music. There is no one quite like David Bowie.
Mildly Recommended.
Article comments
1 - handyguy
Some of us think "Absolute Beginners" is one of the 3 or 4 best singles he ever recorded. [And the brilliant opening dance number of the uneven movie musical it came from makes the DVD worth renting.]
2 - Pablo Jubany
I agree with the notion that this is Bowie's weakest period, that's something everybody knows: he wasn't at his peak. I also agree with the spirit of this review, because it remarks that it wasn't that bad. But I think that the videos in the compilation are, indeed, what you would call great videos, because of their historic relevance. To mention "Ashes To Ashes" as an example of "goofiness", being this video considered as fundational, one of the greatest videos of all time, that's something no one can agree with. It seems that, at that point, this review lacked of historic perspective.
3 - haha
Yer FaTT.