Some collectors might complain that the double-disc Bowie at the Beeb, the first official collection of
David Bowie's BBC Radio sessions, isn't complete, yet they likely have bootlegs of this material. All other fans are in for a real treat. Spanning from 1968 to 1972, these recordings find
Bowie, if not in his prime, at least at a peak, as he developed from a swinging Carnaby Street pop crooner to swaggering glam rock star. BBC Sessions makes this era come alive. Opening with the lovely, florid "In the Heat of the Morning," the sessions spend time with David the Dandy before he delves into his dramatic heavy rock of the early '70s. That's where guitarist
Mick Ronson made his public debut with
Bowie at the session that comprises the middle of disc one. This is lean, powerful, terrific music, not as pummeling as
The Man Who Sold the World, but it's slightly overshadowed by the session that concludes the first disc. It contains the bulk of rarities here, including the never-released "Looking for a Friend," a rollicking cover of
Chuck Berry's "Almost Grown," a version of "It Ain't Easy" where
Bowie trades verses with
Geoffrey Alexander and George Underwood, and a performance of the exquisite "Bombers." After a pair of songs by just
Bowie and
Ronson, the second disc finds
the Spiders From Mars forming and quickly hitting their stride. Since this disc is largely devoted to recordings from 1972, it's a bit more consistent than the first, and it results in a live
Spiders album better than any yet officially released. BBC Sessions may not be revelatory, yet this set is filled with wonderful music that deepens appreciation of
Bowie's first great blast of creativity. Any true fan needs it in his collection. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine