Young Americans

Heard before: some I picked a fight with this record in college, certain that Bowie, the eternal style thief, had lifted Fame from James Brown's I Need To Be Loved. Ironically, it was exactly the opposite. However, double ironically, I think I was right about the album in general. I love the mid-70s soul vibe, the band is cracking, and I appreciate the inclusion of a questionable rock cover that so many of those records seem to have. But the songs are thin. Beyond the obvious high points - which are great! - I'd rather be listening to an actual mid-70s soul record. Top tracks: Young Americans, Fame, Somebody Up There Likes Me

Okay, but a bit dull. Was glad to get to the end as it dragged on a bit. I feel 2 stars is generous, but it wasn't dreadful enough for only 1 star.

Considering that this is probably Bowie's 10th or 11th best album, I'm really surprised it made this list. It did have Bowie's first Top 40 song in the US (Young Americans) and his first Billboard #1 song (Fame). He only reached #1 once more with the single "Let's Dance." Ultimately, The best thing about this album is that it led to "Station To Station" - His best album/

What stood out to me most were the Saxophone and gospel backup singers

Bowie's take on Blue-Eyed soul (or "Plastic Soul" as Bowie describes it). I'm not gonna lie, this gets a bit corny at times. The sax is sometimes too much. I honestly think a lot of this album is carried by the backup singers. It would suck without them. The song "Fame" is such a banger tho. I applaud Bowie for trying out some American Soul/Funk.

Title song is a classic. Fame is pretty good. The rest, let’s be honest, is proto-Simply Red stuff

young americans might be the best song just ever and fame is great this album sucks lol

Fame is fun and funky, lots of nothing tracks. Interesting production. nice use of reverb and chorusing, not just on vox but on saxophones in particular asw. he sucked at singing so bad on this album

I guess I'm just not as big of a David Bowie fan as I thought I would be. I mean I like fame but the rest was aiiight.

wasn’t terrible but better left as an experimental phase. naturally what happens when a white boy who only does glam rock tries to dabble in soul r&b

A bit less experimental for Bowie, but still not exiting enough to want more, or listen to it another time

achei o álbum ok, apenas a última música me pareceu interessante, o restante passa batido.

Not for me. Across the universe cover is horrible.

Outside of the two hits, it's decent but not great. I understand that it was an early take on R&B by a white rock and roll singer, but that doesn't make it great R&B. Early attempts at R&B by a left-handed surfer wouldn't make the music better just because no other left-handed surfers had done anything similar.

Not a big Bowie fan, but first album off this list introduced me to a couple songs I downloaded (Five Years and his country song It ain't Easy), so I was hoping for something similar. Not so..... The 2 big hits were the 2 best off the album. Young Americans and Fame, with Fame the best of the two by wide margin. Found the remainder of the album to be pretty unremarkable, even with headphones. Maybe because of the way the week went, pretty shitty work week while sick, but I did kinda like Across the Universe. Mainly for the line, "nothing's gonna change my world." I don't know, just seemed to click with the feelings of the week. Anyway, pretty meh for me. Sorry Luke. 2.5 Want to score 3, because Bowie, but can't pull that trigger. Just wasn't there for this album

2 Oh boy. Look, I love David Bowie and would rate the vast majority of his albums highly, but Young Americans… yeah I never got this one. Out of all of his studio albums released pre-90s, I might go as far to say this is my least favorite. The kooky space alien Ziggy Stardust does an album of funk and lounge music-bordering R&B? I guess in a way that’s the kookiest direction he could have gone at that point, but it doesn’t work for me. And he does a Beatles cover? Why? And it’s somehow worse than the original?? I guess John Lennon was his homeboy during the recording of this album, which explains a lot and adds on another layer of suckitude. The funk moments are the stronger moments here, but even then I don’t think Bowie was doing anything particularly remarkable or better than actual funk artists of the era. The one saving grace of the album is Fame, one of my favorites of his, but that’s about all it has going for it. The title track is soooooo boring and overrated. Will still score 2 because Fame and because it’s Bowie.

Another Bowie album, hopefully we are getting to the end of his albums. I'll always remember that was the first album on this list, so maybe there will be one at the end too. In searching for this one I saw he has about a billion albums so it's possible. Another one, however, that did nothing to change my opinion of him. Fame I've heard before, but overall this was just an ok album.

Ok, don’t think it’s my style of pop. A little too wacky sounding.

Eh, like the hits don't really care for the rest

Not Bowie's best – the incorporation of more funk-oriented melodies should be a hit knowing his regular style, but each track stretches its musical content way too thin.

Bit boree some ok man

Not his best

I do like Bowie, but, apart from Fame, I found the rest of the album quite boring, felt somewhat restrained.

Ik ben pas 79 albums onderweg en dit is al de 4e keer David Bowie. En elke keer voelt het weer als huiswerk.

Big classic at the start but a bit "wanky" throughout. A Beatles cover the only thing that stands out in between the two big single bookends.

Despite enjoying David Bowie, I don't like most of this album. Fame is great. Most of these tracks are very heavy on the sax.

por mais que seja bem dançante e divertidinha, essa fase do bowie eu pulo, plastic soul não ta com nada.

Meh 2/5

This is on the lower-end of Bowie for me. Not really my jam. It's alright. His cover of Across the Universe is terrible. It feels at complete odds with the content of the song. Go to Fiona Apple for a beautiful cover of it.

It's nice that Bowie reinvented himself for each of his albums, but I can't claim to like this particular incarnation. I definitely don't get his Across the Universe, and other than the album's 2 hits I find affairs rather boring.

This feels like Bowie trying to do a soul album, and it kinda doesn’t work, in part because it doesn’t have the things that make the early Bowie albums work. Too many songs are just kind of aimless, noisy grooves- tracks like “Right” and “Somebody Up There Likes Me” just get locked into a pretty simple groove and then muddle through with scattered vocals and directionless sax. It’s not clear what you’re supposed to get out of them. At its best, like on the title track and “Fascination”, this can be a joyous, fun, chaotic, mess- which works perfectly well. But too much of it lacks even enough structure and intent to do that. The sound is also pretty monotonous- by limiting himself solely to the sonic palette of soul (sax, funky treble guitar, female backing vocals, wah wah) he creates a cohesive sound, but it gets old- especially relative to the incredible diversity on “Ziggy Stardust”. This is an unfair comparison, but compare the songwriting on this CD with “Life on Mars”. The latter is so focused on building up and motivating the punch of that first chorus- that’s what everything is working towards harmonically and in the arrangement. And that moment where it lands is magical. This CD doesn’t have that, or anything close- there are no peaks to motivate. Let us leave aside the cover of “Across the Universe”.

This didn't really work for me. A lot of the tracks faded into each other, it seemed quite patische at times , and l hated the across the universe cover Favourite tracks: win, fascination, fame Least fave: across the universe 2/5

Some stand outs but not a masterpiece

Nah

Sorry, just cannot get into David Bowie.

Didn't really do much for me. Some of Bowie's stuff I like, but this didn't hit that spot

Some classic songs, but overall not my taste

OK, this is where I get my little rant off my chest. My big problem with this list is some artists are WAY over-represented. (e.g. there are 7 Beatles albums on here, 7 Dylan, 7 Neil Young, 6 Elvis Costello, 6 Stones, and EIGHT David Bowie albums. But no howlin' wolf, of montreal, MF Doom, run the jewels, neutral milk hotel, desmond dekker, etc. etc. I mean, I love Sonic Youth, but there are 5 Sonic Youth albums on this list and that's 4 too many.) So, overall, there should be a three-album cap per artist to make room for other albums/artists. /rant As for how I feel about this album on its own terms, honestly, I don't really care for it. The title track is perfection and Fame is cool. Somebody Up there Likes Me is good, too. But that's about it. His singing really annoyed me on this one—and I'm a Bowie fan. The grooves are kind of mid and the tunes are pretty forgettable. Plus, that cover of Across the Universe is weak. (Fiona Apple FTW!) I love that Bowie stretched out and constantly tried new things. And he could always be counted on for putting out a killer song or two on each album, but this one is one of his weakest album of the '70s and I struggled to get through it.

Not my taste. It's not a bad album, but I didn't like it.

Okay record, good closing track and the beatles cover is enjoyable

Maybe this isn’t the Bowie album for me

Grand. 2.5

Ugh, David Bowie. If there’s an afterlife, I’ll probably be punished for how much I dislike David Bowie. I understand his contribution to music, and I’m sure there are musicians I love who were heavily inspired by Bowie, but no thanks, we can agree to disagree. I don’t understand how his music is so popular, honestly. That cover of “Across the Universe” probably took a year off my life.

“Fame” is great. “Fame” has funk. “Fame” has soul. Y’know what “Fame” doesn’t have? Annoying horns. Excessive backup singing. Obnoxiously sung Beatles covers. The rest of the album has those things. And it’s awful. No iteration of Bowie has been a hit with me. But this one is my least favorite.

Wow, compared to the other Bowie albums I fell in love with on this project, this was mid at best. The hits are nice enough, maybe one other song, but the rest was just dull. And that’s not even including the abysmal Beatles cover on here - yikes. Not your best by a long shot, Bowie.

Wow, this album could've made a great single.

Soul and disco Bowie is not the best Bowie, his vocals are all over the place even though some of this works, it's just more miss than hit, 2/5.

OK. Young Americans was a good opener, then it builds up nicely through the middle of the album, and I was really enjoying it by track 5. Then the cover of Across The Universe comes along. I really like the song, but this cover is just not very good, it doesn't add anything to the original and he just uses increasingly sillier voices through the song. Took the edge off the album for me, the track after that isn't great and I never really liked Fame. 2/5.

Surprisingly boring album from the great David Bowie. While not necessarily bad or unlistenable, this feels like one that was put on this list solely because of Bowie's name as there are many stronger albums by him and by other artists that could probably take its spot on this list. There was just too many instances of weak songwriting on here with repetitive hooks and beats. Outside of "Fame" and the title track, everything seemed to blend together with an overall bland sound. I can definitely hear the John Lennon influence in terms of how Lennon's later solo albums sounded very similar to this (I am not a fan of those solo albums either). In fact, I tended to be distracted by Lennon's presence on this album: while his backing vocals added some flavor to the mix, I found the A Day In The Life reference in the title track ("I Heard The News Today, Oh Boy") and the cover of "Across the Universe" distracting and not fulfilling. Overall, this wasn't very memorable, and it didn't give me anything to come back to really. NOTE: Right after "Fame", a song started that got me tapping my feet instantly which was the first song on this album to make me do so. I immediately checked to see what song it was only to find out that the album had ended and "Turn to Stone" by ELO was auto-played afterwards. Made the album seem even slower after that revelation.

Musically and sonically it's great, and I do like its party energy, but his vocals are just so... affected? Hokey? It sounds like a parody. I'll admit that I caught myself humming along more than once, and if one of the songs came on in a bar I'm sure I'd be happy to listen to it. But when I got to the end I was just relieved that it was over.

Just not as funky as it wants to be, and his voice is off.

Well... another Bowie album. Maybe it's Bowie+saxophone that i don't like? I mean...it's hard to separate the fact that this album contains "Young Americans" and "Fame" which have been unavoidable on radio for over 40 years. I could make the defence that I'm just tired of them but honestly I've never liked these songs, and maybe this is the pinpoint of my not being a Bowie fan? I'm not denying the talent involved or it's not that I can't understand *why* people like them/him, but these songs never resonate with me in any way. Maybe it's the faux-soul/funkiness with these songs that low-key irritates me? I think that's it. They all seem to have that similar vibe that turned me away from those hits so many years ago. Listen to the song "Right" - a perfect example. It's not *bad* - it's just not interesting. If I had to nitpick specifics, the constant saxophone and soulful bg vocals - while undoubtedly give the vibe he was looking for - are exactly what I don't enjoy. The other songs are new to me and ... meh... (although I actively dislike the cover of "Across the Universe") Random note: listen to the beginning of "Win" then go listen to "Debra" by Beck. :) Just a personal thing in the end I suppose: I've never really been a Bowie fan and this album definitely would be the nadir for me; however I previously had the album "Low" (which was new to me) and just listened to it again to affirm what I'd thought before and stand by: *that* is the Bowie album for people who don't like Bowie - I still love it. I'll stick with Low and pass hard here. 3/10 2 stars.

Meh. 2nd David Bowie album on this list so far, and I'm just not impressed.

David Bowie’s 1975 Young Americans is not among the list of Bowie albums that have aged well, in my opinion. A short tracklist, but with songs ranging in the 5 minutes, its hard not to feel like these songs are overlong, considering we now live in an era where pop songs are on average half the length of these. Bowie’s vocals are as present as always, but nothing jumps out. No particular stand out song either

Not much of a soul man, though it has a few standout tracks

Really average 80s music, usual Bowie story a couple of half decent tracks hidden in there

disco isn't cooler when Bowie does it

2.5/5 Not really interesting

Was expecting more from this following years of Bowie hype. 70s pop with some nice instrumental layers. All a bit too similar for me. Stand out tracks - Fame Young Americans

Meh

Am I going to give this 3 stars (because it’s Bowie)? Or 2 stars (because, bar the opening and the closing tracks, nothing caught my ears - whilst I have no doubts of Bowie’s genius for taste-making and breaking new ground, it’s hard to find anything compelling in that new ground being broken. Is that the lot of the forerunner? To create something that will inevitably be surpassed by those who follow in the scanty track you beat through the brush? Experimentation and marked departures are vital, of course, but the product will be just that: experimental and a marked departure. That doesn’t equal good. Fame is a great song, though. There is that to consider.)? I’ll give it two stars.

Five hours at Ventnor Botanic Gardens. Would happily do it all again. Steely Dan provided the soundtrack - Countdown to Ecstasy.

Ikke den store oplevelse. Et par enkelte funky numre bl.a. Fame, men ikke vildere begejstret.

never really liked Bowie

2 good songs the rest not

Kinda disappointed with this one. I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as I thought I would. Definitely not the best from Bowie.

Does this album have Heroes on it? No? Not interested then! I just don't get the hype around Bowie

Not my favorite Bowie. Fame is funky and dark, but the soul sound is less interesting to me than other Bowie hits I'm familiar with. Some great backing vocals though.

I'm familiar with individual tracks from Bowie, such as "Young Americans" and "Fame" from this album. I haven't listened to full albums. A little much on the saxophone, a few creepy lyrics and an overall sound that doesn't draw me in. I hate these albums where I'm not sure if it's "okay" (3 stars) or if I didn't like it enough to say "don't like" (2 stars)

Oof. You can tell this is from 1975. I feel like someone is trying to mix together rock and disco.

Never made it through the first song. I tried twice.

Never one of my favourite Bowie eras. It's fine.

Pierwszy artysta ktory dorobil sie podwojnego albumiku na liscie 1001 muzyk, to Bowie, dodatkowo album rowniez z kokainowego okresu tworczosci, ale w odroznienu od station to station jest to apogeum ciagu bialego wegorza i skok na funkowa wode grana jedynie przez murzynskich artystow w tamtych czasach, gatunek nazwali niebieskookim soulem, zeby nie mowic ze jest bialy, bo przeciez brzydko by to brzmialo, a sam bowie okreslal go jako plastikowy soul, czyli bez koloru skory ponad podzialami rasowymi, ciekawe jest rowniez to co sam mowil pytany w wywiadach o ten albumik "the phoniest R&B I've ever heard. If I ever would have got my hands on that record when I was growing up I would have cracked it over my knee" dosc dobrze oddaje to moje uczucia po przesluchaniu , bo nie jest to ani zaden koncept do jakich przyzwyczail w innych albumkach, nie jest to szczyt wokalnych skillow, bo bialy ciag znaczace wplynal na jego wokale, a jest to album ktory byl konercyjnym sukcesem, bo trafil w gusta muzyczne i to ze ludzie czekali na to az bialy czlek bedzie robil czarna muzyke, personel tez dobrze trafiony, slychac czarne chorkowanie dziewczat, stukanie bebenka, sakse, wiec jest tak jak byc powinno, ale jednak jest to jedna z najslabszych pozycji w dyskografii Bowiego, na plejke wrzucam tytulowych young americans

Pas mal.

Good titular opening track. For a short album of only 8 tracks, most songs felt like they dragged out longer than they should have. The funk infused bass, guitar, and sax was welcome. This took a hard left turn at Across the Universe and started to lose coherency afterward, but came back around and closed strong with Fame.

Not really my thing. The last song "Fame" was the only one that felt like it had any soul to it. The rest was fairly generic to me. This may be a result of me not listening to it "in the moment" and thus appreciating any novelty or inspiration given to future artists.

funky and soul bowie. an enjoyable listen, flows nicely. no stand out songs though.

Underwhelming. A couple good tracks but mostly blah.

Ehh

2.5

I appreciate hearing new david bowie but this album wasn’t really my vibe

MEh....

Taas meni vähän ohi mistä kaikki hössötys

Blah

ok

I dont like him

Better than Ziggy Stardust, but still meh.

zzz

First there was the Brazen Bull, then The Rack and Water torture. Now it's David Bowie.

Not for me

Are you serious? Bowie two days in a row? WHERE IS CHUCK BERRY, ROBERT DIMERY? Jesus fucking Christ this is like my 4th Bowie album and we’re not even 200 albums into this project. Uch. Ok. Fine. I don’t fully understand the hype around Bowie. Even Ziggy Stardust, I’m not blown away. There though, I see the appeal. Here, there is nothing mind blowing. Just inspiration from greater funk artists. Is it a “real" 1? No. So many ratings of this project are subjective to day and mood. David Bowie lost being placed in my hands 2x in a row.

no

First of all, I want to say that Fiona Apple's cover of "Across the Universe" is much better than Bowie's. Second of all, I want to say that Bowie is very hit or miss for me, and this is a miss. Not in the usual way though. Usually, Bowie does something very experimental that's just awful, but this is extremely boring. I'll forget this album next week.

Truly dreadful

No.

Hate bowie

I don't think l ever understand the love for Bowie

We've got a riverboat piano flourish and SNL: saxophones in the first 5 seconds. You know, I can concede that David Bowie is an iconic figure in musical history. A figure who I believe truly is an artistic and cultural revolutionary. To see this androgynous British fellow change genres every 6 months had to have been earth shattering for the time. With that acknowledged, I am of the FIRM belief that this record is not one of those cultural or musical touchstones. This is an insane person's take on a radio disco-rock record from 1975. It's uninspired, typical, run of the mill, pulp grade junk packaged, sealed and delivered to middle America for mindless consumption on the go. The only difference between this and a record label sampler performed by a studio band is the bizarre warble vocals and repetition which I believe are meant to signal "This is art, you moron" to the unthinking musical public like a patterned moth displays what look like eyes to would-be predators. I've probably made all of these points before, as this is the fifth (5!!) Bowie album I've slogged through on this pilgrimage. He has represented 1.5% of this entire list so far. And there is no end in sight, so I'm sure I'll say this again, but behind David Bowie's legend is a cult of personality. When John Q. Music Reviewer sees Bowie's painted face on a musical release, the next hour or so is already revered as a slab of esoteric musical genius before play is pushed. I simply don't get it. Whether that puts me above the unwashed masses or writhing around in the dank mud of ignorance, will divide opinion, but I will leave it for you to decide. You be the sneering judge for a change. I just can't get it. 0 HIGHLIGHTS: Old Canadians

Take the song “right” and head east

Nothing close to the Bowie songs that I enjoy. Shows range I guess.

Yacht rock bollocks from the emperor in his new clothes.

Plenty of 'necessary' Bowie records. This isn't one of them, and the fact that he's already in here like eight other times makes the inclusion of Young Americans even more egregious.

Слишком весёлый и торжественный

Hated it

Where is David Bowie and what have you done to him?

I really love this album. Unfortunately, David Bowie is British, meaning this album gets 1 star.

Nails on a chalkboard

i hate david bowie

Are entitled and lazy.

Non mi ha colpito

I can’t like anyone who’d fire Stevie Ray Vaughan from his band and toss his instruments off the bus onto the side of the road.

not for me

Not my thing

David Bowie is consistently the most overrated musician (and person) to ever walk this planet. The best album he made was an Iggy pop album and the veneration he receives as a legend of music seemingly untarnished by his frankly unacceptable behavior puzzles me. In this phase takes huge inspiration from the American soul explosion at the time and manages to water it down to a thin white sound. Even if you are fan of Bowie I can't imagine enjoying this album outside of a misguided tribalism.

nicht meins

Oof kinda disappointed. Knowing some of Bowies other work I was really looking forward to this but even if I ignore who the artist is I am kind of let down. The only song I kinda liked was Fame, I might listen to that again. The album however was bland and somehow weird. I think his voice and style of singing didn’t match the instrumentals at all and the background vocals were just unpleasant. The songs didn’t feel inspired by anything else but „this is how a song is made and what its supposed to sound like“. Doesn’t really feel like there was any emotion behind it but boredom and a feeling of obligation. Not listening to the album as a whole again.

Big disappointment coming from previous releases. Fame and Fascination are the only worthwhile tracks here

I didnt like this album. Young American and Fame id heard before but they're just ok. What the absolute fuck did he do to Across The Universe?!

Not fan of Bowie

I honestly can't think of a single redeeming thing to say about this album.

Generally garbage. YA is almost acceptable and Fame is original, but why? And why on earth did anyone think Across the Universe needed to be covered. And covered so badly. Couldn't even get the tune right.

70’s

I think Bowie might be the music equivalent of “you had to be there” Fame was ok but maybe just bc i knew it. If i get another bowie in the first 10 im out

The first song and last song are alright, and there are small parts of others that I kinda enjoy, but everything else here is just garbage. I question Bowie for releasing this, and I question the writer for thinking this was essential listening. A spot that would have been better used by another Limp Bizkit or Kid Rock album

I didn't enjoy this at all. 1.25 stars

Bro not rock again :( His voice sounds like he’s struggling to breathe

couldn't listen- awful noise

Fame was good, but one song cannot redeem an entire album.

not my style. I'm too old.

Meh.

D (3 out of 10). Bookend album...good song to start and finishes with one of my fave Bowies. The middle is all skips. Way to Saxy. Particularly did not like the "Across the Universe" cover. Must have some artistic reason it makes the list but certainly would not make mine.

I can’t even make it 3 songs into this albums. I have never listened to a David Bowie song until today and I know why. I don’t like it one bit.

i feel like i need to be high for this

Boring. I never understood why people call Bowie a genius, but that is probably due to the time I live in.

Maybe I wasn’t in the mood. Hard to follow steely Dan with Bowie - too much pop

Blumiger Glam Rock.

Did not like it. Not my cup of tea.

Terrible

bowie sucks

Not a fan

I don‘t care for this so much. Title track is amazing though. 1.3

Not feeling it.

I dont like david bowie. This sounds like a mix between smooth jazz, elevator and christmas music, sung by a strained background singer.

"The phoniest R&B I've ever heard. If I ever would have got my hands on that record when I was growing up I would have cracked it over my knee." - David Bowie. Well said. The fact that this coke binge is responsible for catapulting Bowie to a worldwide audience is fucking absurd. Hiring a bunch of black artists as a backdrop to your weird limey crooning isnt Soul music. Fuck off with this garbage.

Starts with a great positivity, becomes a little self indulgent and morose in the middle, finishes brilliantly with Fame.