David Bowie has switched labels so often his catalog is cluttered with hits compilations, all purporting to be definitive. Since he is one of the few major artists with no compunction against putting all his hits on one disc, they're all excellent, and 2002's
Best of Bowie is no exception, no matter which country you live in (brief explanation: sensitive to the needs of fans in different markets,
Bowie and
EMI/
Virgin tailored a different
Best of Bowie for every country it was released in -- a collector's and cataloger's nightmare, but the basics apply for each variation). Yeah, there are great songs missing, and it loses a little focus toward the end, but all the big, big hits are here, in great sound and logical sequence.
Bowie made more than his share of great albums, but if you just want the highlights, this is as good as
Changesbowie in capturing them. [The
Best of Bowie was also released in the US and Canada as a double disc set and added some of the great songs that were missing from the single disc set. It also added a few more not as great songs but remains a solid collection.]~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
