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 - This Is A Must Have For All Bowie Fans...and lovers of classic rock. It covers the actual beginnings of the Ziggy Stardust tours taking shape on stage with Bowie's first ever Los Angeles appearance. The band has a garage band sound yet tight as they ever were. Mick Ronson's guitar work glistens and delivers a one-two punch that made the whole ensemble of the Spiders From Mars a force to be reckoned with in the world of rock. Bowie himself masters the stage as you can hear the crowd yelling out song titles they want to hear. The opening is phenonmenal!! It starts with the strains of Beethovens 9th symphony as Mick is tuning up his guitar and then as quick as you can say "wham bam thank you m'am", the band crashes into the opening number, "Hang On To Yourself". Sheer ecstasy throughout the rest of the disc. Rating: - The Man Who Changed the World!!!I received this in the mail a couple of weeks ago after prepaying months ago. I just got a chance to open and listen to it and I am so happy with this package. I don't care if it cost $[...], I would have paid it. Of course, I'm a huge Bowie fan, and particularly a fan of his Spiders days. The show itself is killer. The lack of crowd noise on this recording makes it seem more intimate. The sound quality is awesome. This show is so full of energy, and this is just a recording! Imagine what it must have been like to have actually been in the audience. If only I wasn't 2 years old in 1972. :-) Mick Ronson is one of my all time guitar heroes. He rips during this performance. He is a rock guitar god, and he is at soaring heights during this period. He may not be the most technical player, but the look, the sound, and the musical energy and creativity.... Bowie was never better than he was with Ronson. Never. That's my opinion of course. :-) Any serious Bowie fan will buy this. I've been rocking out to it all afternoon. This show makes me feel like a kid again. Rating: - A Captivating PerformanceThis was an amazing time in rock-n-roll, especially with the marketing of acts attempting to scale the ladder in what became U.S. arena rock super-stardom. Carried live over the radio, this is not only Bowie demonstrating the vast potential of performance art through his Ziggy Stardust character, but is the height of Glam Rock as it rode the new wave from Europe. While available in a variety of bootleg forms over the years, this authorized release gives the recording a feel of being an event through the inclusion of a number of collectible items, a marketing technique that was much more common in the 1970s. An absolute must for a Bowie fan, it is also an outstanding acquisition for collectors of the Glam Rock sound or for those who want to hear classic rock before it became Classic Rock. Rating:  - pricey memorabiliaI think this little box set is a tad pricey for what it actually is. Makes me wish Ronson's dry cleaning bills really were in it! Sounds good though. Rating: - Greatness and a sign of great thinks to comeAs a huge fan of David Live and Stage, I was eager to get a copy of this and bought the vinyl on the day of release. I have a copy of the semi-legit bootleg, but the sound quality of this official release is much better, much cleaner. The David Live and Stage shows were much bigger productions than the 5 man band Bowie assembled for this '72 Tour. This is the Ziggy band plus a pianist. And Bowie, who was at the height of his powers in the early to late 70's, had a lot more great material to work with for Live and Stage. But what Live Santa Monica lacks in polish, it more than makes up for with sheer energy. LSM, reminds me of why I go to see live shows and what a rush a band that totally cooks can be. Everybody was playing great, but Mick Ronson is really on fire, in spite of a couple of missed notes. Song selection is universally great, but Width of a Circle, Queen Bitch, Life on Mars? are particular favorites. A must have for Bowie or live rock music fans.
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