'A New Career In A New Town'

There's a brief subplot in one of the 'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy' books in which Zaphod Beeblebrox is placed into a machine that will show him his place in the universe. Seeing just how insignificant he is will, it is assumed, drive him insane or destroy his mind or something. (As it happens, he is in a virtual reality designed specifically for him, so he actually emerges feeling characteristically good about himself.)

There are moments in our lives - not many, I'll grant you - when it seems, if only briefly, that somehow the universe is bent to our own reality. I had such a moment a few months ago when I saw that a boxed set was being released of Bowie's albums from 'Low' through to 'Scary Monsters... and Super Creeps'. This is precisely the period of Bowie's output for which I love him. (I don't like anything prior to this and only two or three albums subsequent.*)

I found out later that there have been two prior boxed sets to this one, covering the earlier releases, but this knowledge did nothing to diminish my delight, and my excitement was only contained by the fact that I forgot all about it until the box arrived today. 

I must say that it is an extraordinarily well compiled set, featuring, as far as I know, everything that was released in that period, including a remastered and resequenced 'Stage', with two bonus tracks, and also a completely new mix of 'Lodger' by the original producer, Tony Visconti. On balance, I guess 'Low' is my favourite of the so called 'Berlin Trilogy' but I have a real soft spot for 'Lodger' (and I was delighted to find out a few years ago that Bowie considered it the most underrated of his albums). 

Now I just need to find time to listen to all of it!

*Don't @ me Bowie lovers.

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