The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987: Sight & Sound

Virgin

By now, the amount of hits compilations released by David Bowie must outnumber his various personas in his long, storied career. But each successive one seems to up the ante, if not in terms of track selection, then certainly in the crispness of sound.

Lucky for listeners, "The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987: Sight & Sound" does both. Its 19 tracks seem bakery-bread fresh, which is remarkable considering some are nearly three decades old. Technology can't take all the credit for their timelessness, however, as Bowie deserves some accolades himself.

The Eighties found Bowie at a commercial peak, with exquisitely produced pop-rock singles like "Let's Dance," "Modern Love" and "Blue Jean," all of which still sit pretty, as does "Under Pressure," a masterpiece of a duo with Queen's Freddie Mercury.

As pitchmen say, but wait, there's more! The disc is packaged with a DVD of 15 videos, including "China Girl," once controversial for its sexual suggestiveness. Up against today's MTV, it looks like innocence.

 "”Rod Lott