Stage

Recorded in September 1978 during the American leg of the Isolar II Tour, Stage captures David Bowie performing at a moment when he was transitioning between his experimental Berlin era and mainstream rock success. The album features 12 tracks that draw heavily from the Low and Heroes albums alongside hits like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Unlike typical live records that document a single night's setlist, this project functions as a curated retrospective.

Producer Tony Visconti took an unusual approach by stripping away crowd noise and rearranging the songs into chronological release order rather than performance order. This decision created a polished studio-like atmosphere where the focus remained entirely on the band's precision. The result is a collection that feels less like a concert recording and more like a greatest hits package recorded in front of an audience. [edit]