Young Americans
by David Bowie

This is definitely one of Bowie's best work, brilliant album. Every single song is great, really strong. After this album Bowie's singing style change forever, he learned how to use this deeper voice and this high falsetto (in a soulful way). Should be higher rated, up there in the top 5, at least.

BTW, the cover of across the universe, is the best I've ever heard.

From paladisiac TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/09/2011 14:43 | #32415 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

This album has two hits book-ending the album -- the title track and "fame". This sounds like a post-spacy, post-soul David Bowie while incorporating both elements -- see "win" or "fascination" for proof. "fame"'s kinda "neo-spacy" as it is in Bowie's classic lower duke register for most of the song. A few notes on this Philly-soul-inflected album: 01) it features a young Luther Vandross, 02) "fame" was co-penned by John Lennon, 03) david sanborn plays sax, and 04) he covers a beatles song. That beatles song is "across the universe" which he sings with impassioned fervor (with soulful backing vox) but his bowiesque version loses the singular focus of warm optimism, replaced by some sort of neu-punk rebellion.

Yes, this is my favorite David Bowie album, which is probably a little strange. I just think the beauty of the songs never flags. Every track has a beauty and emotional appeal for me, without any of them becoming sentimental. I love that the album is somewhat about a kind of music, like a tribute, but at the same time masters it so well. The songs are so perfectly crafted and David Bowie's vocals and lyrics are a perfect mix of cool, pained and sincere. He seems to use his full vocal range and the sax lines are indispensable to the album's addicting sound. There's a great balance of yearning and euphoria. For me, most Bowie albums have an experiment or two that doesn't quite work out, although the tracks that do work always shine bright enough to distract from the flaws. This one is almost flawless, with the possible exception of the "Across the Universe" cover, although I like that well enough not to skip it. I doubt I'll ever tire of this album.

my personal opinion is that this is Bowies most underrated album, not quite to the standard of hunky dory or ziggy but I cannot stop listening to this. i particually like facination.

David Bowie's 'plastic soul' record. Young Americans was Bowie's most commercial sounding to date, but the songs were still as interesting as ever. The title track is superb, one of Bowie's all time greatest songs, but I would say that is the only truly great song here. Still, there are other good tracks, win, fascination, and, somebody up there likes me,are all good, fame, though, is okay, a bit boring in my opinion. Still, the only weak track is rather ordinary cover of The Beatles, across the universe. Another very good Bowie LP, another look, another sound.