David Bowie – LIVEANDWELL.COM

David Bowie - Earthling Tour (pbs.org)

David Bowie – Earthling Tour

Album info

Artist David Bowie
Album LIVEANDWELL.COM
Year of release 1999/2000/2020

Rating

BowieNet (web.archive.org)

BowieNet

BowieNet

On August 31st, 1998, David Bowie launched his website BowieNet. Along with Prince, Bowie was a pioneer on the internet, innovative and curious for what the digital future could bring.

But Bowie didn’t stop there. He also positioned BowieNet as an Internet Sevice Provider (ISP). For the sum of $19.95 per month a user gained an uncensored gateway to the internet, a BowieNet e-mailaddress, newsgroups, chatrooms and access to an immense archive of images, video’s and interviews.

On top of that, users received 5 MB of web disc-capacity (which was huge at the time) and they were encouraged to create and share their own makings. In fact, BowieNet was a social network avant la lettre.

David Bowie - LIVEANDWELL.COM (davidbowie.com)

David Bowie – LIVEANDWELL.COM

LIVEANDWELL.COM

On BowieNet users had access to a private page, called liveandwell.com, where members could work on the Bowie internet CD project. They were able to participate actively and provide their own images and texts, and play a rol in the cover design.

It eventuallly led to Bowie’s first internet CD LIVEANDWELL.COM in 1999, a compilation of live recordings made during David Bowie’s 1997 Earthling Tour. In 2000 the album was released as a doublde CD (with CD 2 containing a number of remixes). The album was offered to BowieNet members only, it has never been available in retail, so the public was unaware it even existed.

Streaming

On May 7th, 2020, davidbowie.com announced that a number of David Bowie 1990s live releases would be released.

Parlophone Records is delighted to announce the first in a series of three David Bowie live releases from the 90s that will be released digitally over the coming months.

DAVID BOWIE LIVEANDWELL.COM is a live album, previously only available in limited quantities to BowieNet subscribers in 2000 and expanded for this edition to include two bonus tracks; Pallas Athena and V-2 Schneider.

LIVEANDWELL.COM is now a 12-track live album, recorded in New York, Amsterdam, Rio De Janeiro and at the UK’s Phoenix festival during the 1997 Earthling tour, all tracks have only been available on the very limited BowieNet release while the two bonus tracks were released as a 12” single under the punning Tao Jones Index, the name Bowie and his band used for an unannounced dance set in the Radio One Dance Stage at the Phoenix Festival on 19th July, 1997, the day before Bowie’s main stage performance the following day.

© davidbowie.com, 05/07/2020

And so it came to pass: LIVEANDWELL.COM was made available on all major streaming services.

David Bowie - LIVEANDWELL.COM - davidbowie.com 2020 cover (davidbowie.com)

David Bowie – LIVEANDWELL.COM – davidbowie.com 2020 cover

Songs

The original album contained 10 songs:

  • I’m Afraid Of Americans (1, a)
  • The Hearts Filthy Lesson (2, b)
  • I’m Deranged (3, b)
  • Hallo Spaceboy (4, b)
  • Telling Lies (3, a)
  • The Motel (3, b)
  • The Voyeur Of Utter Destruction (As Beauty) (4, b)
  • Battle for Britain (The Letter) (1, a)
  • Seven Years In Tibet (1, a)
  • Little Wonder (1, a)

In the 2020 release two extra songs were added:

  • Pallas Athena (3, c)
  • V-2 Schneider (3, d)

Legend
Recorded on: (1) 10/15/1997 Radio City Music Hall, New York – (2) 07/20/1998 Phoenix Festival, Long Marston, Stratford upon Avon – (3) 06/10/1997 Paradiso, Amsterdam – (4) 11/02/1997 Metropolitan, Rio de Janeiro
Culled from album: (a) Earthling – (b) 1.Outside – (c) Black Tie White Noise – (d) “Heroes”

The band

  • David Bowie – vocals, guitar, saxophone
  • Zachary Alford – drums
  • Gail Ann Dorsey – bass, vocals, keyboards
  • Reeves Gabrels – guitar, synthesizers, vocals
  • Mike Garson – piano, keyboards, synthesizers
David Bowie - Earthling Tour (sharebridefailingstar.com)

David Bowie – Earthling Tour

Review

LIVEANDWELL.COM contains incredibly well sounding songs, performed very well. This period in David Bowie’s career is often discarded, partly because of his flirt with drum and bass, which was deemed a bit too pretentious, but the songs are thrilling and exciting. Highly recommended!

N.B.

  • At this time, no indication is given on whether or not this album will be released in a physical format (again)
  • As stated on davidbowie.com: the album title does not contain the name of an actual website
  • BowieNet closed down in 2006 and is defunct. In its heyday it had over 100,000 members

In closing

Yet again a great posthumous David Bowie release. I tend to repeat myself, but the Bowie heirs have really stepped up in this regard. Thus far, all releases are thought through, well packaged and really add to Bowie’s legacy.

Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: David Bowie – LIVEANDWELL.COM. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.

Compliments/remarks? Yes, please!