The second of two inessential double live albums David Bowie released in the '70s, 1978's Stage is a different beast than its 1974 predecessor, David Live. That album captured Bowie in a transitional phase, sliding from glam to stylized soul, while Stage was recorded in the thick of his Berlin phase with producer/collaborator Brian Eno, and Stage is an attempt to translate that sleek, angular, arty studio-bound sound to the live arena. This means not only are Low and Heroes given live treatments, but about half of both Ziggy Stardust and Station to Station are given new arrangements here. On these older tunes, the new flair -- the synthesizers and Adrian Belew's tangled, mathematical guitar -- doesn't sound sleek, it sounds chintzy and cheap, not quite fully formed. The newer songs suffer from this, too, and that's because the performances are too direct and the recording is too crisp and clear, removing the dark, foreboding mystery and assuredness that made Low and Heroes thrilling, compelling listens. Consequently, Stage winds up as a curiosity, and not a very interesting one at that. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)

If James Brown is the only rock and roller who deserves more than one concert album, then the Bowie to ban is David Live. Stage kicks off with some well-chosen Bowie oldies before moving into refreshingly one-dimensional versions of his best songs since 1975, including the key Eno collaborations, which were often oversubtle to begin with. For fans only, of course. I'm one. B+ -- Robert Christgau