Although David Bowie’s live album A Reality Tour was released two years ago, I must admit I still can’t get enough of it. It is interesting to note that it was preceded by an official dvd in 2004, as well as by bootleg recordings of concerts from the same 2003-2004 tour. And the obvious question is, what is it that makes this tour so special?
On the one hand, A Reality Tour was an exception to the rule. As Anthony Kuzminski pointed out in antimusic, it is difficult for musicians to offer a widescreen view of their life’s work in the same way that painters and sculptors are able to do through retrospective exhibitions. However, A Reality Tour put forward the most impressive, representative, and occasionally unpredictable, selection of tracks from a body of work spanning over six decades.
But there is an even more important reason: David Bowie has always been an exceptional live musician, and it is right there, on stage and in front of the fans, that his music displays its originality and creativity to the fullest. A Reality Tour is not just an aesthetically and conceptually fine album; David Bowie, 56 years old at the time of recording, displays the rare qualities of his ingenuity and experience, combined with the sheer passion and strength of his live performance.
The final dates of the tour were cancelled due to health issues; David Bowie has subsequently made guest appearances, but it remains unclear if and when there will be a new album and tour – still, has he ever seized to surprise us? Until then, “Heroes”: one of the best tracks of all time, in the finest live version I have ever heard. Ben Schumer had actually written in PopMatters that “Bowie belts out ‘I, I will be king / And you, you will be queen’ like his next breathe of life depends on it”.
My thought exactly – this is the perfect time to turn the volume up:
I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can be Heroes just for one day
We can be us just for one day
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