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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchRock ’n’ Roll Star! is a five-CD and Blu-ray Audio archive of David Bowie’s path into the Ziggy Stardust era, released June 14, 2024. Its strongest case is breadth: demos, rehearsals, broadcasts, live recordings, session outtakes, alternate versions, high-resolution album audio, and substantial printed material. It is most compelling for listeners who want to follow the songs as they took shape, rather than simply add another copy of the finished Ziggy Stardust album.
What the box set contains
Parlophone describes the set as containing 29 previously unreleased tracks. Across five CDs, it moves from early songwriting through the recordings and performances surrounding The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The label’s announcement lists demos, Arnold Corns recordings, rehearsals at Bowie’s Haddon Hall home, BBC sessions, singles, live performances, outtakes, and alternate versions. Parlophone’s release announcement and track listing provide the complete item-by-item breakdown.
The sequence gives the collection a documentary shape. Early demos of songs including “Hang On to Yourself” and “Ziggy Stardust” sit alongside Arnold Corns recordings and Haddon Hall rehearsals; later material includes John Peel and Bob Harris radio sessions, a Top of the Pops performance, and a Boston Music Hall recording from October 1, 1972. The final discs gather studio outtakes, alternate versions, and mixes. The label singles out an alternative “Lady Stardust,” a session version of “Shadow Man,” and an up-tempo “I Can’t Explain.” It says the outtakes and alternate versions were newly mixed by original album producer Ken Scott.
How the Blu-ray and early album sequence differ
The Blu-ray is audio-only, not a video documentary or concert disc. Its listed audio options include the 2012 remaster of the original album mix in 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo and the 2003 5.1 mixes in DTS-HD Master Audio at 96kHz/24-bit. It also carries singles, outtakes, and alternate versions in high-resolution stereo. The official David Bowie store product listing provides the format details.
#1 Best Overall
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A particular draw for album-focused listeners is Waiting in the Sky (Before the Starman Came to Earth), an early sequence assembled from Trident tapes dated December 15, 1971. It differs from the released album and includes four songs that did not appear on the final LP. This is a chance to hear an earlier arrangement of the album’s contents, not a replacement for the finished sequence.
Because these are Blu-ray audio formats, buyers should check that their player and audio setup support the formats they want to hear. The product descriptions establish the listed formats; they do not establish how any individual system will decode or present them.
Rank #2
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Does the set earn its place as a documentary object?
The package includes a 112-page book and a 36-page reproduction of Bowie’s personal Ziggy-era notebook. The label and store describe the book’s contents as liner notes, memorabilia, contemporary reviews and articles, photographs, and interviews; the notebook reproduction adds primary-source material from the period. For a documentary-minded listener, these components broaden the set beyond audio: the recordings trace musical development, while the printed material situates the work in its contemporary context.
Their value depends on whether you want the archival context in physical form. The listed contents are substantial, but the available product descriptions do not establish the depth or quality of every essay, image, or reproduced page. The case for the books is therefore their documented scope, rather than an unverified claim about their editorial execution.
Rank #3
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Who should consider buying it?
- Listeners tracing the creative process: the progression from demos and rehearsals to radio, television, live, and studio material makes the collection’s breadth its clearest strength.
- Album and mix enthusiasts: the original album mix, 5.1 mixes, alternate versions, and early Waiting in the Sky sequence offer several ways to revisit familiar material.
- Collectors who value physical documentation: the book and notebook reproduction add period context that a music-only release would not provide.
- Casual fans with limited interest in variants: many of the set’s attractions are archival or alternate material, so the scale may be harder to justify if you mainly want the familiar album.
If you already own Bowie’s Ziggy-era releases, compare the full track listing with your collection before buying. The set’s announced scope is broad, but that alone does not establish how much of its material would be new to a particular listener. Check current stock, edition, and price with the retailer before ordering: availability and prices can change. The official store listing identifies the 5CD + Blu-ray book set; its price and stock status are not a stable measure of the wider market.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verdict
Rock ’n’ Roll Star! is best understood as an archival portrait of Bowie’s Ziggy-era development, not simply a deluxe reissue of one album. Its combination of unreleased material, performance history, alternate audio, early album sequencing, and printed documentation gives it a clear purpose for dedicated listeners. The main reservation is practical: the value falls with the amount of material you already own, your interest in alternate takes, and whether you can use the Blu-ray audio formats.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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