333. David Bowie - Young Americans (1975)
















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

Review

So David Bowie just came from his Glam phase and is going to his electronica phase, one day after consuming copious drugs he wakes up and says: " I know what I should do! A R&B album!" And so it was and Young Americans was born. Surprisingly it is a pretty good R&B album.

Well I don't know why I say surprisingly seeing as David Bowie can do no wrong, at least this side of the 80's. This isn't the deepest of his albums but the style is so right that substance can go fuck itself.

The album starts off in an exhilarating way with the title track, the middle is very competent and then ends with the amazing Fame. Fame is a track that is timeless in the real sense of the word, listening to it it is hard to say when it was made it is certainly from the last three decades of the 20th century, but it is hard to say which.

Bowie doesn't disappoint and this album is a worthy addition to anyone's collection. It is fun, but also something good for late night music with its saxes and R&B feel.

Track Highlights

1. Fame
2. Young Americans
3. Across The Universe
4. Win


Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Bowie made a sudden and very jolting step in a new direction, shedding his glam rock trappings and exploring Philadelphia soul with backing from a young Luther Vandross. Young Americans contained his first number one hit in the U.S., "Fame", co-written with John Lennon (who also contributed backing vocals), and one of Bowie's favourite guitarists and band members, Carlos Alomar.

Fame in Tokyo 1978: