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Track Listings
| 1. Young Americans (1999 Digital Remaster) |
| 2. Win (1999 Digital Remaster) |
| 3. Fascination (1999 Digital Remaster) |
| 4. Right (1999 Digital Remaster) |
| 5. Somebody Up There Likes Me (1999 Digital Remaster) |
| 6. Across The Universe (1999 Digital Remaster) |
| 7. Can You Hear Me (1999 Digital Remaster) |
| 8. Fame (1999 Digital Remaster) |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
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
Product Description
CD
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"Young Americans" still surprises me to this day with it's amazing R&B. The sound was more clearly mixed than "Diamond Dogs" and it was a real departure for Bowie. The regular remastered CD with, "John, I'm Only Dancing", "Who Can I Be Now?" and "It's Gonna Be Me" sounds even better than the original CD. The extra three tracks are on par with the other songs and its bewildering that in an era when 12 songs per album were standard, Bowie released an eight song album. "John, I'm Only Dancing" is a much more improved R&B version than the rock version.
The 5.1 mix surprised me. It is not perfect and I like it that way. Luther Vandross's back-up vocals come mostly from the rear speakers and you can hear him much more clearly. The congas on "Young Americans" are a little loud for the mix, but it makes the whole experience seem more like a live studio recording instead of a carefully remastered remix. In fact, Bowie mentioned in the liner notes that he liked recording this album with all the instruments playing at once while he sang. There are other surprises. On this DVD you can hear John Lennon speak briefly after one song and the finale of "Fame" has each word of 'fame' descending going around the room from speaker to speaker, but the loud shout of 'fame!' before, 'what's your name, what's your name, what's your name...' is missing. It catches you!
The Dick Cavett interview is a treat, with Bowie sniffing and wiping his nose while fidgeting with his cane. So he did a lot of coke during this period. Who cares? The album is a perfect choice for surround sound. And that sound will vary from system to system.
The 5.1 mix surprised me. It is not perfect and I like it that way. Luther Vandross's back-up vocals come mostly from the rear speakers and you can hear him much more clearly. The congas on "Young Americans" are a little loud for the mix, but it makes the whole experience seem more like a live studio recording instead of a carefully remastered remix. In fact, Bowie mentioned in the liner notes that he liked recording this album with all the instruments playing at once while he sang. There are other surprises. On this DVD you can hear John Lennon speak briefly after one song and the finale of "Fame" has each word of 'fame' descending going around the room from speaker to speaker, but the loud shout of 'fame!' before, 'what's your name, what's your name, what's your name...' is missing. It catches you!
The Dick Cavett interview is a treat, with Bowie sniffing and wiping his nose while fidgeting with his cane. So he did a lot of coke during this period. Who cares? The album is a perfect choice for surround sound. And that sound will vary from system to system.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By goldgreen
Format:Audio CD
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 it. 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?
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By S. Cobb
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Young Americans is one of many great David Bowie albums and the star rating here is not on Bowie's performance but on this particular re-release (the 5th CD version so far). It is not SACD (as stated by Amazon) or DVD-Audio (which it was originally mixed for by Tony Visconti) but DVD Video which produces an annoying hissing sound throughout due to the poor compression rate (Shame on you EMI when you are doing such a good job with the Depeche Mode SACD's). Having said that it is fun to hear in surround sound mixes, although I am not sure about the stings added to It's Gonna Be Me! Overall it is worth it if like me you are a Bowie fan but I would highly recommend to anyone to buy the original RCA release of this album if it is sound quality you are after.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Replacing my vinly
Love David Bowie and love this album. Every track a winner. Replacing my vinyl and this one has to be there.
Published 2 months ago by Mrs Julie Kay Bull
5.0 out of 5 stars
nice groove
Young Americans is a David Bowie album that, for myself, magnifies his ability at song writing. John Lennon's guest appearance on 'Fame' as well as 'Across the universe' is... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. N. Westmoreland
3.0 out of 5 stars
Strange, every time I play this, I think it should be 5*. Funk &...
This is the most confusing of all Bowie LPs for me. I am not a disc/funk/soul fan - I don't mind some of it though. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr Paul Savory
3.0 out of 5 stars
A piece of historical Bowie
Having been a Bowie fan for many years, I finally decided to try his "experimental" phase with the plastic soul, knowing already that probably I was not going to love... Read more
Published 6 months ago by D. Giusti
5.0 out of 5 stars
a masterful change of direction
The reviews here have just about said it all - It's frustrating that this album could have been even better had they ditched Across The Universe and not three very fine tracks from... Read more
Published 7 months ago by johnny outlook
4.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Listening
Quite frankly, it isn't hard at all to see how Bowie's 'hardcore' audiences greeted this release with some trepidation back in 1975. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Fox in the Box
2.0 out of 5 stars
young americans
THIS IS ONE OF BOWIE'S WORST STUDIO ALBUMS PRODUCER TONY VISCONTI TRIED TO PUT THE SAME SOUND INTO THIS AS INTO BOLAN'S ZIP GUN AND IT DOESN'T COME OFF AT ALL BOLAN'S ZIP GUN HAS... Read more
Published 12 months ago by JUST SAYING
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful
This album could have been Bowie's greatest work. A complete departure from Diamond Dogs released only a year before. I love every song on this album. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Barclays
4.0 out of 5 stars
Who Can I Be Now?
Bowie's most divisive LP? Of the 1970s then, yes, certainly. "Fame" aside, I didn't know a single Bowie fan, as a kid growing up in the 70s/80s, who had time for Young Americans. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Rooksby
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice CD, poor cosmetic condition!
Disc clean,unmarked, and purchased as a gift. But case was cracked and had remains of stickers on it. Felt a bit embarrassed to hand it to a friend as a birthday present. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. J. H. Crosland
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