Interestingly, for serious collectors, these specific "obscure Bowie edits" became a selling point because they appeared nowhere else at the time. Community Perspectives
Opinions vary from nostalgia for its curation to frustration over its technical flaws.
“This was the only K-Tel artist compilation that might appeal to me... it's lacking most of my absolute peak favorites, but this was still a very strong selection.” Post-Punk Monk · 3 years ago
To fit 16 songs onto one disc, many tracks were significantly edited. For example, the K-Tel edit of "Diamond Dogs" removes the "Future Legend" intro and cuts nearly two minutes of the song.
Released in late 1980 by K-Tel, was a budget-friendly compilation that became a massive success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. While it is praised for offering a comprehensive "gateway" to David Bowie's 1970–1980 period, it is equally notorious among audiophiles for technical compromises made to squeeze 16 tracks onto a single LP. Review Summary: The Good and the Bad
“K-Tel at least gave fans their money's worth... tracking the artist's career as he moved from the sci-chedelic "Space Oddity" to the aggrieved observer of "Boys Keep Swinging."” AllMusic Tracklist (1980 K-Tel Edition)
Critics and collectors often note that the high track count leads to "horrific sound quality" or a "thin" audio profile due to the narrower grooves required to fit nearly an hour of music on a single platter.
Interestingly, for serious collectors, these specific "obscure Bowie edits" became a selling point because they appeared nowhere else at the time. Community Perspectives
Opinions vary from nostalgia for its curation to frustration over its technical flaws. David Bowie - Best of K-Tel
“This was the only K-Tel artist compilation that might appeal to me... it's lacking most of my absolute peak favorites, but this was still a very strong selection.” Post-Punk Monk · 3 years ago it's lacking most of my absolute peak favorites,
To fit 16 songs onto one disc, many tracks were significantly edited. For example, the K-Tel edit of "Diamond Dogs" removes the "Future Legend" intro and cuts nearly two minutes of the song. While it is praised for offering a comprehensive
Released in late 1980 by K-Tel, was a budget-friendly compilation that became a massive success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. While it is praised for offering a comprehensive "gateway" to David Bowie's 1970–1980 period, it is equally notorious among audiophiles for technical compromises made to squeeze 16 tracks onto a single LP. Review Summary: The Good and the Bad
“K-Tel at least gave fans their money's worth... tracking the artist's career as he moved from the sci-chedelic "Space Oddity" to the aggrieved observer of "Boys Keep Swinging."” AllMusic Tracklist (1980 K-Tel Edition)
Critics and collectors often note that the high track count leads to "horrific sound quality" or a "thin" audio profile due to the narrower grooves required to fit nearly an hour of music on a single platter.