Personnel includes: David Bowie (vocals, saxophone, keyboards); Mick Jagger (vocals); The Pat Metheny Group, Queen.

Producers include: Ken Scott, David Bowie, Tony Visconti, Harry Maslin, Paul Buckmaster.

Compilation producers: Nigel Reeve, Jo Brooks.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Ably serving as a substitute for the excellent but out-of-print collection BOWIE: THE SINGLES 1969-1993, the two-CD BEST OF BOWIE serves as an outstanding career-spanning retrospective featuring material from as recent as 2002. Above all reflecting the visionary aptitude of a restless creative genius who switched into different musical guises the way some people change suits, these 38 cuts trace David Bowie's path from space-rock folkie ("Space Oddity") and glam god ("Ziggy Stardust") to blue-eyed soulster ("Young Americans"), and cutting-edge futurist ("Fashion").

21st-century kids might be aware of Bowie via covers by Nirvana ("The Man Who Sold The World") or the Wallflowers ("Heroes"), but it's equally likely they've heard playlist war-horses like '80s alt-pop classics "Let's Dance," "Modern Love," and "China Girl." Not to be missed are this icon's stellar collaborations with a wide range of talent including John Lennon ("Fame"), Queen ("Under Pressure"), Mick Jagger ("Dancing In The Streets"), and The Pat Metheny Group ("This Is Not America"). The latter material rounding out this collection is equally deserving of attention whether it's the howling nihilism of Bowie's group Tin Machine ("Under The God"), a Nine Inch Nails industrial-rock team-up ("I'm Afraid Of Americans [V1]"), or the 2002 reunion with '70s collaborator Tony Visconti ("Slow Burn").

Uncut (01/03, p.132) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...This double gathers 39 steps to greatness: all the kinky glam and Berlin angst hits, plus the '80s floor-fillers..."