A New Career in a New Town (1977-1982) [Box Set]
by David Bowie
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. Austin Chronicle
    Dec 7, 2017
    40
    For the fair-weather Bowie fan, his Berlin years are probably the least favorite next to Tin Machine, but to the rabid appreciator, this time frame is arguably one of his best.

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 4 out of 23
  1. Sinews
    Apr 6, 2020
    10
    David Bowie's years in Berlin mark a turning point in his career - where he sacrificed his space-age glam appeal in order to pursue somethingDavid Bowie's years in Berlin mark a turning point in his career - where he sacrificed his space-age glam appeal in order to pursue something truly extraordinary. Little has actually been written about what Bowie actually saw in Berlin, but whatever it was must have shaken him to his very core, enough so that he felt the need to tear everything the **** down and start from scratch. And it was this move that turned him from a funky space-pop showman into an honest-to-god composer, someone who innovates, explores, and touches down on distant planets, rather than simply dabbles in space.

    The first two albums in this set, Low and Heroes, are perhaps the most alien from the rest of his discography to that point. Low is essentially the living ancestor of what we now call "post-rock", where songs aren't so much tracks as they are extended landscape shots of ruins of some distant society, somehow both futuristic and primitive. The first side of crunchy, warped, psychedelic "bits" of pop-music leave an immense impression on the listener, but not as much as the album's second side, comprised of moody, minimal compositions, who owe as much sonic inspiration to their co-creator Brian Eno as they do the likes of Steve Reich, or even Glenn Branca at turns. This set tweaks Low in a few unnecessary but by no means offensive ways, namely making the compositions feel more weighty by turning up the bass several notches. The exact opposite is true of the album's follow-up, Heroes, which follows much the same format, although placing a greater emphasis on tight-if-mystifying pop compositions, which feel like the spiritual brother to Bowie's 1976 effort "Station to Station". This set changes very little about the original album, which wasn't very bass heavy to begin with.

    Concluding this trilogy is Lodger, which isn't as much "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" as it is "Return of the Jedi." The album sprawls, expands, and devours as many worldly music spices as it can before fading into the ether. A final chapter that sets it's sights squarely on satisfying lore-building and landing just shy of groundbreaking. The bass-meddling of this set is justified by this set's version of Lodger, which feels notably less airy and paper-thin than the lackluster original mix. As any Bowie fan knows, this isn't exactly the end of this leg of Bowie's career, as he had one more art pop masterpiece in him, 1980's Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, a "farewell-to-arms" from artist to art, the very last versatile, impactful release the man would produce for many years, before retreating in the comfy catacombs of the contemporary pop charts. Many fans tend to look at this album as kind of its own thing, but in retrospect, this compilation recontextualizes "Scary Monsters" as a plaintive last-hurrah for the artist's most passionate fans. Most notable on the album is the extraordinary "Ashes to Ashes", a career bookend for the artist, with references to various points of personal defeat over the last decade, and even concluding the Major Tom narrative from "Space Oddity" in way that would make any devoted fan form a lump in their throats.

    The extra content in this compilation aren't so much rarities as they are significant career milestones, live performances, singles, and alternate versions that serve to flesh out the historicity of the Berlin era. Berlin, in the eyes of a Bowie fan, means gloomy introspection, deeply moving and effective sonic experimentation, self-effacing personal growth, intimate reflections on pain, sorrow, addiction, despair, and death, and yet, in spite of everything, the opportunity for all of us to grow from these and become better, wiser versions of ourselves, and the everlasting triumph there is in knowing that.    … Full Review »
  2. andreamonetlump
    Nov 24, 2017
    8
    david speaks to me like no man ever has. Having this new version makes my life less horrible. Jazz up my stereo and let the healing soundsdavid speaks to me like no man ever has. Having this new version makes my life less horrible. Jazz up my stereo and let the healing sounds reach into me… Full Review »
  3. bettygrable
    Oct 7, 2017
    0
    One of the very worst "remastering" jobs i have ever bought. Low is a complete mess - now compressed & bass heavy to the point that it isOne of the very worst "remastering" jobs i have ever bought. Low is a complete mess - now compressed & bass heavy to the point that it is fatiguing to listen to. This is most apparent on side a, fortunately side b (due to the nature of the tracks) is a little more bearable. Lodger is equally over compressed, making it more muddy and dull than any other version released - there are also a number of mastering errors which show a low level of quality control. "Heroes" has one of the very worst mastering errors I've ever heard on such a high-profile album. On the track Heroes - At around the 2.42 mark there is a boost in overall volume for a few seconds followed by a sudden drop (which is lower in volume than the start of the song) which remains at the lower volume for the rest of the song - there is also a change in dynamics at this point, where the track leading up to it is heavily compressed (as is the case with the rest of the album) the track is less compressed after the 2.50 mark, with the lower volume. There are also a number of other mastering faults spread across the album which show up as digital buzzes/glitches which should never have made it past quality control.
    The lodger remix isn't up to much, although it doesn't suffer from the same carelessness apparent on the other albums. Stage is compressed, much like the other albums, with a lower Dynamic Range than previous editions - altough Stage 2017 has the same DR as it did when released before (the 2 new songs sound totally out of place in terms of their production - which reflects how practically everything done specifically for this set is plagued with problems).
    The book looks lovely, though - and so do the covers. Maybe get the people who worked on that side of things to do the music next time, they seem to have an eye for detail!
    The record label have responded to this criticism - so if you're interested in a good laugh it's worth seeking out their response.    … Full Review »
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