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| Changesbowie | |
|---|---|
| Name | Changesbowie |
| Type | compilation |
| Artist | David Bowie |
| Released | 1990 |
| Recorded | 1966–1986 |
| Genre | Rock, pop, art rock |
| Length | 73:00 |
| Label | EMI, Rykodisc |
| Producer | Various |
| Prev title | Sound+Vision |
| Prev year | 1989 |
| Next title | The Singles Collection |
| Next year | 1993 |
Changesbowie is a 1990 compilation album encompassing a wide chronological span of David Bowie's recordings from 1966 through 1986. The compilation was issued by EMI and later reissued by Rykodisc, and it follows earlier anthology projects such as Sound+Vision (box set). Changesbowie assembles singles and album tracks across Bowie's tenure with labels like Deram Records, RCA Records, and EMI Records, reflecting intersections with artists and producers including Tony Visconti, Ken Scott, Brian Eno, Mick Ronson, and Iggy Pop.
Changesbowie was compiled amid renewed commercial and critical interest in Bowie's catalog following the success of Let's Dance (David Bowie album), and the multi-disc retrospective Sound+Vision (box set). Released in 1990 by EMI Records for the UK market and by Rykodisc in other territories, the compilation arrived as Bowie negotiated rights with labels including Deram Records and RCA Records. The release paralleled contemporaneous projects by peers such as Elton John reissues and retrospective campaigns for artists like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles (band), aiming to capitalize on catalog remastering trends set by companies including Capitol Records and Virgin Records. The sleeve design and sequencing were overseen by EMI's compilation teams who had recently worked on projects for Queen and The Who.
Changesbowie juxtaposes songs from different eras of Bowie's songwriting, presenting shifting lyrical personae from the Ziggy Stardust era through the Berlin Trilogy and into the pop stylings of the Let’s Dance period. Tracks draw on literary, theatrical, and cinematic influences similar to those invoked by Anthony Burgess, William S. Burroughs, and Jean Genet, while engaging themes also explored by contemporaries such as Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. The lyrics on selections from albums like Hunky Dory (album), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Low (David Bowie album), and Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) reveal Bowie's use of alter egos, fragmented narratives, and dystopian imagery akin to motifs in works associated with Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick. Songwriting collaborations represented on the compilation include co-writing credits with Brian Eno, Mick Ronson, and John Lennon.
The tracks on Changesbowie were recorded across studios linked to seminal producers and engineers such as Tony Visconti, Ken Scott, David Bowie himself, and Harry Maslin. Recording locations encompass studios frequented by prominent acts including Trident Studios, Hansa Tonstudio, Advision Studios, and Electric Lady Studios, reflecting sessions contemporaneous with artists like Roxy Music and Iggy Pop. Production techniques documented across the compilation trace the use of innovations pioneered by Visconti and Eno, including ambient treatments, tape manipulation, and multi-tracking methods also used by Pink Floyd and Brian Eno. Session musicians who contributed to the recordings include members of the Spiders from Mars, Tin Machine collaborators, and backing players associated with Mick Ronson, Cymbaline (band), and Carlos Alomar.
Upon release, Changesbowie received mixed responses from critics and fans who compared it with prior anthologies such as Sound+Vision (box set) and the later comprehensive compilations released by RCA Records and EMI Records. Music publications including NME, Melody Maker, and Rolling Stone praised the convenience of a single-disc overview while noting omissions of certain fan favorites found on boxed sets and retrospective projects for artists like David Gilmour and Sting. Commercially, the compilation reinforced Bowie's enduring presence in catalog markets and contributed to reissues and remaster campaigns in the 1990s undertaken by labels such as Warner Music Group and Sony Music. The compilation has since been cited in discographies alongside landmark releases like Changesonebowie and retrospectives covering periods associated with the Berlin Trilogy and Thin White Duke persona.
Promotion for Changesbowie coincided with periods when Bowie was active in live settings, including tours and festival appearances alongside acts such as Iggy Pop and performers managed by MainMan (company). Tracks on the compilation reflect songs regularly featured on setlists during tours that included musicians from The Spiders from Mars and later ensembles associated with Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick. Promotional efforts drew on television appearances, interviews, and music video broadcasts on channels like MTV and programs such as Top of the Pops and Later... with Jools Holland, similar to promotional strategies used by Madonna and Prince during the same era.
Several songs included on Changesbowie have been covered and referenced by a wide range of artists, generating a network of interpretations by performers such as Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, Placebo, Arcade Fire, Beck (musician), and Johnny Marr. Bowie's influence documented through the compilation intersects with cinematic uses in films by David Lynch and Christopher Nolan, stage productions at venues like Broadway theaters, and tributes at award ceremonies such as the Brit Awards and the Grammy Awards. Academic studies and biographies published by historians and critics have situated the compilation within broader narratives that include figures like Simon Reynolds, Mark Spitz, and institutions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Category:David Bowie compilation albums