David Live

David Live is a live album by David Bowie, recorded during his Diamond Dogs Tour at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. The album features David Bowie on vocals and guitar, accompanied by musicians such as Earl Slick, Michael Kamen, and Carlos Alomar. The live performances were recorded by Tony Visconti and Keith Harwood, with assistance from David Bowie and his team, including Ken Scott and Dennis Davis.

Background

The Diamond Dogs Tour was a major production, featuring a complex set design inspired by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Fritz Lang's Metropolis. The tour visited various cities in North America, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, with performances at iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden and the Forum. David Bowie's band for the tour included musicians like Earl Slick, Michael Kamen, and Carlos Alomar, who would later become a key collaborator on many of David Bowie's albums, including Young Americans and Station to Station. The tour also featured a horn section, with players like Richard Grando and Vernon Porter, who had previously worked with artists such as James Brown and The Temptations.

Recording and production

The live recordings for David Bowie's album were made at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, during a series of concerts held from July 8-12, 1974. The recordings were produced by Tony Visconti, who had previously worked with David Bowie on albums like The Man Who Sold the World and Aladdin Sane. The production team also included engineers like Keith Harwood and Ken Scott, who had worked on albums by artists such as The Beatles and Supertramp. The recordings were mixed at Record Plant in New York City, with assistance from David Bowie and his team, including Carlos Alomar and Dennis Davis.

Track listing

The album features a mix of songs from David Bowie's recent albums, including Diamond Dogs and Aladdin Sane, as well as some of his earlier hits like Space Oddity and The Man Who Sold the World. The track listing includes songs like Rebel Rebel, Moonage Daydream, and Suffragette City, which were all major hits for David Bowie in the early 1970s. The album also features performances of songs by other artists, such as The Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat and The Rolling Stones' Let's Spend the Night Together.

Release and reception

The album was released on October 29, 1974, by RCA Records, and received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising David Bowie's energetic live performances and the album's well-crafted set list. The album was a commercial success, reaching the top 10 in the UK Albums Chart and the top 20 in the US Billboard 200 chart. The album has since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has been included on lists of the greatest live albums of all time by publications like Rolling Stone and NME. The album's success can be attributed to the popularity of David Bowie's live shows, which were known for their theatricality and musicianship, and featured a range of songs from his extensive catalog, including Ziggy Stardust and Changes.

Personnel

The personnel involved in the recording and production of the album include David Bowie on vocals and guitar, Earl Slick on guitar, Michael Kamen on keyboards and saxophone, and Carlos Alomar on guitar and vocals. The rhythm section features Dennis Davis on drums and George Murray on bass, with additional musicians like Richard Grando and Vernon Porter on horns. The production team includes Tony Visconti as producer, with engineers like Keith Harwood and Ken Scott assisting with the recording and mixing. Other notable personnel involved in the album's production include Brian Eno, who would later collaborate with David Bowie on albums like Low and Heroes, and Iggy Pop, who was a major influence on David Bowie's work during this period. Category:David Bowie albums