Track Listing

1. Young Americans
2. Win
3. Fascination
4. Right
5. Somebody Up There Likes Me
6. Across The Universe
7. Can You Hear Me
8. Fame

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4814 in Music
• Released on: 1999-09-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Original recording reissued
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
By 1975, when Young Americans was originally released, people were accustomed to being surprised by David Bowie. Even so, his decision to immerse himself in the traditions of Philadelphia soul raised eyebrows to heights rarely witnessed before or since. In retrospect, Young Americans occupies a reasonably logical place in the Bowie canon, containing both faint echoes of the glam excess of the preceding Diamond Dogs and subtle hints of Bowie's encroaching cocaine paranoia that would result, a year later, in the compellingly deranged Station To Station. It has never been in Bowie's nature to do things by halves, and he went about making Young Americans with the demented energy that has propelled his career to such towering altitudes and such horrifying depths (guest musicians included John Lennon, Luther Vandross and David Sanborn). The quality control was certainly uneven--the album contains such great moments as the title track, "Fame" and "Win", and a lot of wishy-washy fillers, even by Bowie's standards. But, taken as a whole, Young Americans remains one of the most influential records of Bowie's influential career. --Andrew Mueller

CD Description
David Bowie abandoned the glam/sci-fi personae of Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and Diamond Dogs with this radical departure. Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, the home of Philadelphia International, it featured the label's crack house band and, as a result, confirmed the singer's growing love of soul and R&B. Pulsating dance grooves abound, in particular on the disco-influenced 'Fame', which topped the US singles chart. The song was co-written with John Lennon, a compliment Bowie repaid by reinventing the Beatles' 'Across The Universe' as a dancefloor classic. Such self-confidence abounds throughout this album which shows the singer firmly in command of yet another musical direction.

Customer Reviews

For the more sophisticated Bowie fan
On first listening this does not match Ziggy Stardust or Hunky Dory, but the more you get to know Bowie's work the more you should appreciate this. More than any of this other albums this has one linked mood. The mood I guess being an insight into the blissed out, cocaine high of an international rock star from the mid seventies, who has a golden touch and is living his life to the hilt. His singing on the title track is arguably his best ever. And most audacious of all, wonder at how a skinny white guy from Bromley with bad teeth and a dodgy eye can make his version of black urban soul music sound so good?

Glorious album
This album really has opened my eyes, I was always interested in Bowie but never heard that much, other than singles. It took me a few listens but I can now say, it is a glorious album, soulful and surprisingly refined considering that it is 30 years old. The sax on `Can You Hear Me.' sends a shiver down my spine. How did I miss the title track first time around? That almost rapping bit at the end is shockingly well done, it just makes you feel good.

I don't really know Bowies stuff that well and was taken to buying this after reading a book (Coming Out As A Bowie Fan In Leeds, Yorkshire, England by Mick McCann) which has a small chapter on this album. McCann claims that this is the most `sophisticated' pop album ever made, that Bowie's voice is at it's most `natural' and it's best on this album. The book is a coming of age story not a book on Bowie as such and a great read, very funny. The most sophisticated album ever made? I can't think of competitor, maybe Pink Floyd but that's a completely different kind of sophistication. Young Americans? I bought it and I'm very happy I did.

Probebly the most underrated album ever
As a Bowie fan I have to say that this is his greatest, and my absolute desert island disc. Some how this adventure into "white soul" just hits the spot. In "Somebody up there likes me" he (probably not intentionally) created David Bowie for David Bowie fans - a delicious piece of almost parody fabulousness. "Young Americans" is pure class; "Win" is so cool. As a Bowie fan, I thought this album way quite insignificant for some time - until I realised that it's just about the most underrated album, of anyone’s, ever.

If you own it but don't agree you need to play endlessly until you understand, and if you don't own it get a life.

All in all, it's plastic soul for Bowie white folk - but undoubtedly the greatest album ever made (in my carefully considered opinion).