Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)

Who Can I Be Now?
(1974–1976)
Box set by
David Bowie
Released23 September 2016 (2016-09-23)
RecordedJanuary 1974 – 23 March 1976
Genres
Length509:59 (12 CDs / 13 LPs)
LabelParlophone
ProducerVarious
David Bowie chronology
Blackstar
(2016)		 Who Can I Be Now?
(1974–1976)
(2016)		 Lazarus (Original Cast Recording)
(2016)
David Bowie box set chronology
Five Years (1969–1973)
(2015)		 Who Can I Be Now?
(1974–1976)
(2016)		 A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982)
(2017)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic92/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star
MojoStarStarStarStar
UncutStarStarStarStar
The Daily TelegraphStarStarStarStarStar
PopMattersStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar
The Austin ChronicleStarStarStarStar
MagnetStarStarStarStarStar
Record CollectorStarStarStarStar
Under The RadarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar
The GuardianStarStarStarStarStar

Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released posthumously on 23 September 2016, focused on the artist's "American Phase". A follow-up to the 2015 compilation Five Years (1969–1973), Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) covers the period of Bowie's career from 1974 to 1976 over twelve compact discs or thirteen LPs.

Overview

Exclusive to the box sets is The Gouster, a previously unreleased album that eventually became Young Americans, and Re:Call 2, a new compilation of non-album singles, single versions, and B-sides that serves as the sequel to Re:Call 1 from Five Years.

The box set includes remastered editions of the studio albums Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, and Station to Station, the latter in its original and 2010 mixes (the remix of Station To Station, by coproducer Harry Maslin, was first made available only on DVD-Audio within the 2010 deluxe edition of that album, and in this box set it's for the first time available in its entirety on CD and vinyl). It also includes David Live (in original and 2005 mixes) and Live Nassau Coliseum '76, a recording of Bowie's 23 March 1976 concert at Nassau Coliseum during his Isolar Tour, previously available on the 2010 special and deluxe editions of Station to Station.

The set comes with a hardcover book that includes photos from Eric Stephen Jacobs, Tom Kelley, backup singer Geoffrey MacCormack, Terry O'Neill, Steve Schapiro, and more, as well as liner notes penned by Bowie’s close collaborators Tony Visconti and Harry Maslin and a handwritten note from Bowie about The Gouster.

Track listing

Diamond Dogs (2016 remaster)

All tracks are written by David Bowie, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Future Legend"1:00
2."Diamond Dogs"6:04
3."Sweet Thing"3:39
4."Candidate"2:40
5."Sweet Thing (Reprise)"2:32
6."Rebel Rebel"4:34
Total length:20:29
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Rock 'n' Roll with Me"
4:02
8."We Are the Dead" 5:01
9."1984" 3:27
10."Big Brother" 3:23
11."Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family" 2:06
Total length:17:59 (38:28)

David Live (original mix) (2016 remaster)

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."1984"3:21
2."Rebel Rebel"2:40
3."Moonage Daydream"5:07
4."Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise)"8:33
Total length:19:41
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Changes"3:34
6."Suffragette City"3:41
7."Aladdin Sane"5:00
8."All the Young Dudes"4:18
9."Cracked Actor"3:25
Total length:19:58
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rock 'n' Roll with Me"
  • Bowie
  • Peace (for the music)
4:16
2."Watch That Man" 5:04
3."Knock on Wood"
3:20
4."Diamond Dogs" 6:29
Total length:19:09
Side four
No.TitleLength
5."Big Brother"4:07
6."The Width of a Circle"8:11
7."The Jean Genie"5:17
8."Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"4:47
Total length:22:22 (81:10)

David Live (2005 mix) (2016 remaster)

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."1984"3:22
2."Rebel Rebel"2:41
3."Moonage Daydream"5:08
4."Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise)"8:35
Total length:19:46
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Changes"3:35
6."Suffragette City"3:42
7."Aladdin Sane"5:02
8."All the Young Dudes"4:14
Total length:16:33
Side three
No.TitleLength
1."Cracked Actor"3:26
2."Rock 'n' Roll with Me" (Bowie, Peace (for the music))4:16
3."Watch That Man"5:05
4."Knock on Wood" (Floyd, Cropper)3:24
Total length:16:11
Side four
No.TitleLength
5."Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"3:48
6."Space Oddity"6:26
7."Diamond Dogs"6:26
Total length:16:40
Side five
No.TitleLength
1."Panic in Detroit"5:39
2."Big Brother"4:10
3."Time"5:23
Total length:15:12
Side six
No.TitleLength
4."The Width of a Circle"8:10
5."The Jean Genie"5:19
6."Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"4:46
Total length:18:15 (102:37)

The Gouster (remastered tracks)

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" (not on Young Americans, first released as a single in 1979)7:01
2."Somebody Up There Likes Me" (alternate early previously unreleased mix)6:32
3."It's Gonna Be Me" (not on Young Americans, first released as a bonus track on the EMI/Ryko edition of Young Americans in 1990. An alternate mix with strings was released on the 2007 EMI edition of Young Americans)6:30
Total length:20:03
Side two
No.TitleLength
4."Who Can I Be Now?" (not on Young Americans, first released as a bonus track on the EMI/Ryko edition of Young Americans in 1990)4:42
5."Can You Hear Me" (alternate early previously unreleased version)5:24
6."Young Americans" (same performance that ended up on Young Americans, alternate mix)5:17
7."Right" (alternate early previously unreleased version)4:40
Total length:20:03 (40:06)

Young Americans (2016 remaster)

All tracks are written by David Bowie, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Young Americans" 5:13
2."Win" 4:47
3."Fascination"
5:48
4."Right" 4:22
Total length:20:10
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Somebody Up There Likes Me" 6:36
6."Across the Universe"
4:33
7."Can You Hear Me" 5:08
8."Fame"
4:21
Total length:20:38 (40:48)

Station to Station (2016 remaster)

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Station to Station"10:17
2."Golden Years"4:03
3."Word on a Wing"6:04
Total length:20:24
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."TVC 15" 5:35
5."Stay" 6:16
6."Wild Is the Wind"
6:06
Total length:17:57 (38:21)

Station to Station (2010 mix)

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Station to Station"10:18
2."Golden Years"4:03
3."Word on a Wing"5:55
Total length:20:16
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."TVC 15" 5:33
5."Stay" 6:15
6."Wild Is the Wind"
  • Tiomkin
  • Washington
6:07
Total length:17:55 (38:11)

Live Nassau Coliseum '76 (2010 remaster)

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Station to Station" 11:52
2."Suffragette City" 3:30
3."Fame"
  • Bowie
  • Alomar
  • Lennon
4:01
Total length:19:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Word on a Wing" 6:05
5."Stay" 7:24
6."Waiting for the Man"Lou Reed6:19
7."Queen Bitch" 3:12
Total length:23:00
Side three
No.TitleLength
1."Life on Mars?"2:13
2."Five Years"5:04
3."Panic in Detroit" (with most of drum solo edited out)6:02
4."Changes"4:10
5."TVC 15"4:57
Total length:22:26
Side four
No.TitleLength
6."Diamond Dogs"6:38
7."Rebel Rebel"4:06
8."The Jean Genie"7:25
Total length:18:09 (82:58)

Re:Call 2 (remastered tracks)

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Rebel Rebel" (original single mix)4:23
2."Diamond Dogs" (Australian single edit)3:00
3."Rebel Rebel" (U.S. single version)3:00
4."Rock 'n' Roll with Me" (live – promotional single edit)3:29
5."Panic in Detroit" (live)5:49
6."Young Americans" (original single edit)3:17
Total length:22:58
Side two
No.TitleLength
7."Fame" (original single edit)3:34
8."Golden Years" (original single version)3:29
9."Station to Station" (original single edit)3:41
10."TVC 15" (original single edit)3:36
11."Stay" (original single edit)3:22
12."Word on a Wing" (original single edit)3:14
13."John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" (1979 single version))3:26
Total length:24:22 (47:20)

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)75
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)35
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)51
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)80
French Albums (SNEP) 63
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)28
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)17
Irish Albums (IRMA)38
Italian Albums (FIMI) 53
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)38
Scottish Albums (Official Charts)20
UK Albums (Official Charts)21
US Billboard 200192
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)24
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)36

References

  1. ↑ "Critic Reviews for Who Can I be Now? (1974-1976) [Box Set] - Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "David Bowie – 'Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  3. ↑ "David Bowie – 'Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)". Mojo: 104. November 2016.
  4. ↑ "David Bowie – 'Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)". Uncut: 49. November 2016.
  5. ↑ McCormick, Neil (24 September 2016). "David Bowie's lost 70's albums The Gouster is like the holy grail of pop – review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  6. ↑ Gerard, Chris (29 September 2016). "David Bowie – 'Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  7. ↑ Hernandez, Raoul (16 December 2016). "Review: David Bowie – Who Can I Be Now? [1974–1976] (Rhino/Parlaphone)". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "David Bowie – Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)". Magnet (136): 52.
  9. ↑ Atkins, Jamie (5 October 2016). "Bowie: Who Can I Be Now?". Record Collector. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Shafer, Cody Ray (21 October 2016). "Bowie: Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)". Under The Radar. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  11. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (22 September 2016). "David Bowie – 'Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) review – an Artist on the edge". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "David Bowie box set Who Can I Be Now? – details of unreleased material, b-sides and more". The Guardian. 25 July 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  13. ↑ Eede, Christian (27 July 2017). "New Bowie Box Set Announced". The Quietus. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  14. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (22 July 2016). "David Bowie's 'American Phase' Features on 'Who Can I Be Now?' Box Set". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  15. ↑ Lozano, Kevin (22 July 2016). "David Bowie's Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) Box Set Detailed". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  16. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – David Bowie – Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  17. ↑ "Ultratop.be – David Bowie – Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – David Bowie – Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  19. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – David Bowie – Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  20. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 39, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – David Bowie – Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  22. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2016. 38. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  23. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 39, 2016". GfK Chart-Track. IRMA. Archived from the original. Retrieved 2016-09-30. [dead link]
  24. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 39 (dal 2016-09-23 al 2016-09-29)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  25. ↑ "VG-lista – Topp 40 Album uke 39, 2016". VG-lista. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  26. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 30/9/2016 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  27. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 30/9/2016 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  28. ↑ "David Bowie Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
  29. ↑ "David Bowie Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  30. ↑ "David Bowie Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 July 2020.