Product 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.

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: #3808 in Music
• Released on: 1999-09-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

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

Customer Reviews

Saxtastic
I'll get the criticism done with first. His cover of the Beatles song Across The Universe is terrible and he should never have recorded it. This is more than made up for by the rest of the album, in particular Somebody up there likes me, Fascination & Young Americans. Those 3 tracks are amongst his very best and will blow you away. The remaining tracks are also very good and serve to complete a solid, well worth buying Bowie album.
As mentioned in the title this album is very saxophone dominated and perhaps worth getting for that unique sound that he never really revisited for the rest of his career. Shame.

Staggering career shift
The Glam circus seemed jaded. Looking at the pictures of David and the Spiders, by 1974, was a bit like waking up on January 1st, worse for wear, and taking in the tat and glitter of the festive decorations. The wintry darkness of Diamond Dogs was swept away by the new, warmth of this album, which so nearly amounted to a classic if it hadn't been for a few duff moments on "Fascination" and "Right".
The mid 70s were ushered in by the Philly sound, and David's voice (yes now it was "David"; not the stark "Bowie" of 1974) is never better than on the gorgeous "Can You Hear Me" and "Win", or the pivotal twist on the title track when he pleads for the one damn song that can make him break down and cry.
"Fame" is famous but not the best moment of the album, which has to be "Young Americans" itself; possibly his most engaged single in terms of lyrical content and vocal perfomance, and the one song where he seems to be deliberately chronicling the times in the manner of Dylan or Springsteen.
For English fans (and I was one on its release), the album seemed a bit of a slap in the face; and we rejected him. It seemed that Bowie was trying to rid himself of a fanbase that would now turn to Kiss, Queen and heavier bands who embraced the rock theatre which Bowie had pioneered. But I, like many others, came back, and now see the album as vital in his development, and, indeed, in the development of pop music.
The album allowed white singers to make soul music; so we can thank this album, for better or for worse, for giving us artists such as George Michael, Haircut 100, The Thompson Twins, and the Associates.
Oh, and of course, it made Bowie into an American star, and gave him an artistic visa which allowed him back into the mainstream in 1983 when he returned to this kind of sound on Let's Dance, though with much less honesty or commitment.
If you want to understand what Bowie did in the 70s, then buy this, Ziggy, and Low. They are the trio of albums which had (and continue to have)the greatest influence.

Young Americans: What Ed thinks
This is my No. 1 all time favourite Bowie album. It is the ideal record for relaxing on a very hot, long summer evening in the garden, BBQ going, glass or two of white. It is heavily influenced by Philly soul, as apparent on the funky Win/Fascination/Right salvo from what used to be side 1 on the old vinyl. The opening title track, Young Americans, is a classic Bowie montage of images of his experiences of the US, and still stands as one of his more adventurous singles (and one that I have actually heard being played to young Americans in a bowling alley in Milwaukee). The album never 'rocks' in the way that, say, Ziggy/Aladdin Sane do (no twin glam guitars here), which is why you have to be in the right mood to savour this. The album continues in a laid back manner through a reworking of John Lennon's 'Across The Universe' (originally from the Beatles Let It Be swansong). Lennon makes a further impact here as a co-writer (with Bowie and his then guitarist Carlos Alomar) of the colossal 'Fame' single. Although the track does sound a bit 'added on to the end' of the album (as, indeed, it was), the song still sounds modern and fresh today, and oh-so much better than the 'Fame '90' remix. Just goes to show, a great song does not always make a great remix.
In short, maybe not everyone's favourite Bowie abum, and to be honest, not the best place to start your Bowie collection, but It's my personal favourite, and for that it gets 5*.