Young Americans [Remastered] - David Bowie > Reviews > A Sax-maniac's delight

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money

Advantages:	Soul and funk and groove and stuff
Disadvantages:	Soul and funk and groove and stuff

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

One of the most peculiar thing about this album is that it was released between Diamond Dogs and Station to Station. From Apocalyptic Orwellian Nightmare to White Plastic Soul to Cocaine-Fuelled Aryan Electronica. Go figure.

It’s a good album, particularly if you like soul. I can take it or leave it myself, but there you go. The album itself came very close to not being called Young Americans at all. If you’re interestd, early working titles included:
ONE DAMNED SONG
SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME
FASCINATION
THE GOUSTER
It just wouldn’t have been the same, would it.

Anyway, whilst I like the first two songs very much, the album does not captivate me to the extent that I rip off all my clothes, paint a lightning-streak on my face, and dance wildly around an effigy of David Bowie whilst chanting the lyrics from ‘Ashes to Ashes.’ Yes, I realise you’re disappointed, but I’m afraid your just going to have to live with it. Now if it was Hunky Dory, that would be a different matter…

***THE SONGS***

~Young Americans~
A great first track that combines a strong melody with some wonderfully convoluted lyrics. Perhaps the strongest song on the album and certainly one of the most accessible. The bouncy, cheerful music contrasts well with the prosaic and disillusioned words.

~Win~
One of my favourites. A slow soul-ballad with some strong backing vocals from Jean Millington. Again, a contrast between the love-song type arrangement and the confrontational content of the lyrics.

~Fascination~
Getting quite funky now. The guitarist Earl slick excels on this track, producing what debrini would probably describe as the ‘waca chaka guitar sound’ – a technical term that we non-music teachers wouldn’t think to use. The track is cheerful and might even encouraging boogying in certain circles. Heaven forbid.

~Right~
A smoother song than its predecessor. Bowie wisely allows David Sanborn to play the sax for this track rather than trying to do it himself, resulting in a reasonably pleasant song. In my view, one of the weakest on the album with somewhat uninspired lyrics. Good sax though.

~Somebody up there likes me~
The smoothness veers further towards a more mellow style. A sax and drums intro followed by a bit of Bowie-warbling. There’s some piano in there too. Bowie tries a rather dubious Marvin Gaye impression which sounds more like George Formby. Hmmmm...

~Across the Universe~
Yes, well. The vague continuity of the track order is rather upset by this extremely idiosyncratic cover of the Lennon/McCartney song. The song itself works surprisingly well, but really doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album content. The surreal lyrics fit Bowie’s less-than-naturalistic style well Beatles purists may find themselves up in arms at the horror of it all, but Lennon said that he quite liked it, so there you go.

~Can You Hear Me~
Another diversion down ballad-street which would follow on very well from ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ if only some loony hadn’t stuck ‘Across the Universe’ in between. Oh well. A very listenable song with quite a traditional arrangement. A good one for all the sax-maniacs out there.

~Fame~
A fairly strange song that makes a peculiar finale to the album. Not really that ‘soully’ but still an interesting one with an equally interesting story behind it. Another musician who worked on this album was certain Liverpudlian named John Lennon. Apparently Lennon and Bowie were jamming, and John started to make a strange ‘Aieee’ sound at various intervals. Bowie asked him if he was singing ‘fa-aame.’ John replied that, no, he was just going ‘Aieee’ - and that was how this song began. Oh, the workings of genius.

~Conclusion~
For me, this isn’t one of Bowie’s best albums. I tend to prefer his darker dystopic offerings like The Man Who Sold the World, Diamond Dogs, and Outside. However, it’s not one of his worst either. It is vastly superior to the Tin Machine travesties, and to his dodgier solo stuff like Never Let Me Down. A significant piece of the Bowie oevre, and one that is as intriguing in its charting of Bowie’s musical development as it is as an album in its own right.

Grow your hair, put on this album, and GET FUNKY! AIEEE!

(Sorry, don’t know what came over me there.)