It was inevitable that Bowie's death would lead to another 'best of' compilation, even if it came only two years after the last one. The two-disc version clearly serves an update of the track-listing for Best of Bowie and Nothing Has Changed, whereas this edition provides a more occasional window to his greatest hits, or for the already-initiated just a different order to listen to these songs in.
The songs in their own rights are obviously brilliant. Yet the new mix of 'Life of Mars?' feels almost sacrilegious in taking the place of the original. It's good, but it doesn't quite feel right. Compared to all the rarities included on the full-length version of Nothing Has Changed, this USP feels a little under-whelming.
Meanwhile the presence of 'Where Are We Now?' and 'Lazarus' without the context of his other later work make them feel like just a footnote in his history. The only song from between 1983 and 2013 is 'Dancing in the Street', which perhaps isn't surprising given the limits of a single CD, but it seems unjust when compared with the artistic high-points of that period, of which DITS is clearly not one.
This edition clearly isn't designed for anyone who wants to dig deep into his work, just for those who want the most general of overviews, or a quick 80 minute blast of the great man's work. In that sense, this compilation does it's job.
By: IceHockeyHair