DAVID BOWIE - The Shel Talmy Recordings LP

This expertly-repackaged and lovingly-restored collection of Bowie's juvenilia is an unlikely holy grail to the most dedicated of Bowieheads and mods. Rhino records released a more broad (but less comprehensive) overview of his 64-66 work some 30 years ago, though this highlight of his work with mod maestro Shel Talmy has a leg up on that with its inclusion of exclusive outtakes.

These tracks are excellent - Bowie's mod era is so underappreciated. I'm sure the quality of his 70s output and the lack thereof on his debut LP contribute, but these are truly up there with The Kinks, The Who, The Creation, and the rest of Talmy's roster. If he scored a hit with some garage rock anthem like those groups then I'm sure history would have turned out a lot differently.

Unfortunately, Bowie didn't score a hit with any of these tracks, and their repeated failure necessitated the chameleon persona and relegated any interest in them to the most dedicated of fans.