2007: The Year of Bowie?

This year marks a couple of landmark moments for chameleonic rock icon David Bowie. This past Monday (January 8), he marked his 60th birthday. Also this year, and I think most importantly, his notorious "Bowie Bonds" will reach their maturity.

For those not "in the know" on Bowie Bonds, investors were invited to gamble on the artist's future by purchasing these bonds in 1997. The bonds essentially temporarily 'sold' the rights to the better part of his catalogue before that time. Bowie reportedly used the capital from these bonds to buy back the rights from a number of other tracks that were at that time owned by a previous manager. Once these bonds reach maturity, the rights to the music residing under Bowie Bonds (some 287 songs) returns to David Bowie himself.

So what does this mean for us? Well, lets take a look at what's been available as far as "David Bowie" anthologies. There's not much there. A couple collections, a scant few multi-disc sets. Not much in the way of remastered versions. Nothing truly wow-worthy, one would think. This, apparently, is about to change.

A source told Britain's 'The Independent', "The archives are bursting at the seams, things that no one has ever heard. He's never done anything like The Beatles Anthology, so there is scope for a boxed set and a DVD of his life."

So is this the year of the Bowie? Only time will tell, I suppose. To be sure, though, this is one artist I'll be keeping an eye out for this year.