Reviews (page 8 of 14)
Not one of my favourite Bowie albums (except for the title track, which I love) but still better than most albums or there.
Good!
Surprisingly loved this one.
Bowie in transition. Always surprised he didn't stick with this sound for a couple more albums being as it was successful commercially, but he just kept on mutating. This is like a sort of musical palette cleanser between main courses/phases of his career. Also, definitely worth pairing this with the "Gouster" outtakes of the same period from the "Who Can I Be Now" box set.
Bowie doing Philly soul? What's not to like?
Love Bowie but prefer Diamond Dogs.
Love a bit of Bowie, sounds quite experimental for its time. Not my favourite album of his but still got some great tunes on there.
This is a different type of Bowie album. It is still really good.
Very enjoyable. Title track is great, other songs are slightly below it quality-wise but are still quite good. Overall good album I will definitelly return to.
If you refer to my Heroes review you’ll note my assertion that Young Americans is one of my fave Bowie albums. So now you’re thinking, ‘alright big shot, pull down your kecks and swing it for us.’ The real charm of this is the whole thing is so damned fun. It all feels like a big old celebration. There are some beautiful soul like backing vocals across the whole thing. It’s hella 80s but doesn’t feel stuck in the time or formulaic. I’ve gotta be in a certain mood to stick this on so it doesn’t make a 5 as I believe 5s must transcend moods.
Always interesting and the title track is all timer. Demented cover of Across The Universe also a positive
Never got into all of Bowie's stuff but his hits are timeless.
Canvi de paradigma per Bowie, que malgrat les novetats i la influència de les drogues continua inspirat al màxim i en plena època per emmarcar dins la seva carrera. N'hi haurà millros discos abans i després, però continua sent dels més reivindicables de la seva carrera
I was a little disappointed by this compared to Ziggy Stardust, but it was still a very good album. 8/10
Even though this isn't the genre I typically listen to, the energy of this album made me want to get up and dance. Particularly liked the trumpet/brass instruments and the powerful vocals.
It's not one of his most iconic albums but but I do like a bit of Bowie. Nothing mindblowing but a solid, enjoyable album that I'd probably buy if I came across in a charity shop
Fame is my favourite song, I think I might do it for karaoke. Maybe not. But I love the lush American glam vibe Bowie has in this album of the late 70s. V sexy.
Classic, not one of my favourites but I love the sound of this Bowie era.
Can’t go wrong with Bowie
Cool. Bowie exudes cool throughout this whole record. Lots of funk, soul and jazz influences on every track. Plus, we get a Beatles cover AND a Beatle!
Not my favourite Bowie, but still good Bowie
It's Bowie, what more can you say
Bowie does soul. Solid album! “Fame” is a banger and a half!
Certainly a solid Bowie album. 8.4/10 Best Tracks: "Young Americans" "Fame"
Really liked this, love the title track and Fame. Didn't like the cover of Across the Universe, but the drums on it were good
Good. Not the best Bowie has to offer course- heavily funk influenced some songs were forgettable though
Not my favorite entry of Bowie's, but blue-eyed soul Bowie is more than a novelty. He does the genres justice, and I think blends R&B, Soul, and Rock typically deftly, even if the songwriting isn't on par with previous or subsequent records. I love it, but it's without a doubt a cocaine-driven transitional record between the Ziggy era and the Berlin Years-two iterations i prefer to this one. Fascination stood out to me as a forgotten bop.
Blue eyed soul and plastic funk. Best Tracks, Young Americans, Somebody Up There Likes Me , Fame.
David Sanborn really adds a lot to the album from the very first song. His licks in the background make the song so much better. Although I didn’t dislike any songs, so though Win was kind of boring. Fascination is a great funk song and I love the effects on the sax. The cover of Across the Universe is good although I don’t like it as much as the Beatles version. Favorite songs: Young Americans, Fascination, Somebody up There Likes Me, Fame Least favorite song: Win Decent 8/10
The regular hits are great, plus I really like the song Win. Apparently not a well-liked Bowie album but considered very influential.
A Bowie high mark
Released in 1975 it moved away from Glam and you can hear influences from blues, soul mixed with rock origins. Standout tracks for me title track and Fame.
Fine? Spotify didn’t have all of it. Not sure I love Fame from that album
Already have listened❤️
Loved it! Great stuff!
this album straight fucks
Not really my jam, but a couple good tunes
It's Bowie. It's good.
4.2 classic Bowie, 2 songs I couldn’t listen to
Este Bowie es mucho más fácil de consumir y me gusta mucho. Buenos arreglos con el piano y el sax. No todas las canciones son extraordinarias, resaltan para mi Right y Fascination. Young Americans y Fame son las obligadas y eso es la mitad del disco ya, sin embargo el cover de Across no me encanta y las demás están bien. 4 estrellas.
loved his cover of across the universe.
Bowie is always great
Half good
The hits from this album are as big as ever but I’m surprised by some that I hadn’t ever heard. “Right” is great, funky bass and rhythm. No Ziggy on this one. For better or worse. 4.5
Finding out that a) I know more Bowie than I realized and b) he’s got a haunting sound similar to that of Jeff Buckley...
More "funk" than other Bowie. The saxaphone is smooth and not as piercing. Easy listening compared to what I usually listen to..
Good, not my kind of album
Started out this album thinking what is it with Bowie and this kind of jazzy overproduced pop, why is this the huge deal but as a whole it really is such an iconic rock sound of it's era. Superb deceptively simple lyrics too.
Could’ve been a 5 if not for that Across The Universe massacre
Aunque Bowie es raro creo que este disco es el mas raro, su incursión por la música dominada por Afroamericanos es magnífica. Si no fuera por su peculiar voz y estilo ni me hubiera percatado de que era un disco de Bowie. Gran disco y deja claro lo multifacético que era el cabrón.
Es un gran disco que en primer lugar demuestra la capacidad de Bowie de prácticamente cambiar de género y seguir haciendo algo que suena perfecto. En lo personal me gusta más la época de Glam o Rockandroll, pero de todas maneras el sonido de R&B, Soul y Funk que trae este disco es una chulada. Me encanto el cover a Across The Universe porque transofrma una canción que es hippie y con su onda hindú a algo totalmente Soul súperelaborado. Por otro lado, Fame tiene un algo, que no sé identificar, que hace que me caiga mal.
Soulful
Classic.
Funky, cool, classic Bowie.
Favorite so far. Short and sweet, only 8 songs. I'd heard the title track, fame, and the original 'across the universe'. I like all those a lot, otherwise the album was average. More upbeat rock then the other albums I've gotten
Funky, First Bowie listening experience too late in life. Didn't know what to expect but weird, creepy, psychedelic vibes are working for me
My kind of Bowie. You can see where Elastica got some of their inspiration from
This was a good listen but some of the funky tracks were a little same-sounding to each other
This is probably my favorite Bowie album.
7.5/10 Ft: fascination
2/2 Youthful and vibrant. Standout Tracks: Young Americans, Win, Across the Universe
Even though Bowie is kinda overrepresented on this list, all his albums here are fantastic, and this one is no different.
Funk soul melody.... it’s what the thin white duke does best. Top record!!
Good album but not great, track sequencing odd Fame shouldn't close, if anything should have opened the album, Beatles cover a bit hammy.
It's Bowie so I can't hate it. It's more just ok in my book, mostly enjoyable but I'm unlikely to revisit it in the same way as Hunky Dory, or Low, or Ziggy. Maybe some could argue about the influence the album had but that's not for me to judge. It's pleasant enough basically. 27/09/26
My seventh Bowie album on here. Ridiculous, really. This wasn’t bad. Never heard this album before, despite being familiar with most of his catalogue. Doubt I’d revisit again, but it was entertaining enough.
Man šis ne līdz galam, un Lady Grinning Soul joprojām vislabaka vina dziesma
Ihan letkeää ”plastic soulia”. Young Americans oli tuttu ennestään. Sopivan laidback musaa rauhallisin hetkiin. Taustalaulut oli erittäin taitavia ja mukavaa kuunneltavaa. The Beatles laina ”Across The Universe” oli myös tuttu.
Always an interesting experiment - do I like David Bowie's music or not? This is the third album I this list has given me so far, and it comes out as a 3. I like some of the tracks (opening title track and Fame), but waaay too much saxaphone for me, (hell's eternal waiting room/on hold music). It's good to know what you like and what you're not into.
One or two good songs on show here.
An album without the big hits but smooth from beginning to end. I like the cover of “Across The Universe“. (Listened to it on Apple Music)
Bowie doing Philly soul, eh? Never heard the whole album before but very familiar with the title track and Fame. The cover of Across The Universe is ass (don’t care if Lennon liked it!!!), but the rest is alright, probably the best of the rest is Somebody Up There Likes Me. I’d probably give this 3.5 if I could, but it is only getting a 3 today.
Enjoyed parts of the album, feels like a heavy Beatles influence, especially considering it features a cover of Across the Universe. Also, with Young Americans where the backing singers say 'I heard the news today, oh boy'. All in all I would say my favourite songs on the album are: - Young Americans - Right
Listening to this made me think of Cameron Crowe’s stories of Bowie in the 70’s. The persona’s and characters Bowie portrays in each and every song. An incredibly interesting person who never coloured inside the lines. This album highlights how much he conveys his emotions or distances himself from them. It is quirky, much like the man himself and I am impressed with what D.B and many others can create considering how freakin high they were at the time. Yes, I understand that the consumption of the music around them and the lifestyle, the drugs , are the energy systems that turns on the tap for creativity to flow but how they refine it and are coherent enough to even note the tracks down to turn them into anything blows my mind. Would I buy this record if I saw it in the $5 bargain bin - Yes, again for the nostalgia of the 70’s era and for everything David Bowie was to human history.
David Bowie — Young Americans Pre-listening: looking over the setlist, there’s plenty to learn and some recognizable. Best: Fame Runner-Up: Across the Universe Third: Fascination Post-listening: LOTS OF SOUND. Felt very swaggy and not as much artistry in how I’ve heard Bowie in my limited listening experience. It was an entertaining album but an overwhelming one if you’re not ready for it. I don’t know why but I completely forgot that he wrote Fame. Even though the rest of the album wasn’t my type of music that song saved the experience for me. Rating: 6/10 Stars: 3/5
All I hear about Bowie is that he was such a star and whatnot. But the first 5 tracks here just sounds to me like he REALLY wanted to be a late-60s black soul singer. After that it's back to the regular Bowie repertoire. I don't think this is so great to be honest.
I’m glad that David Bowie seemed to have a fun time with creating this album, as unfortunately it wasn’t quite as much fun to listen to. Nice in the background, but only Fame really excites me.
One of the running jokes in the 1001 Albums community is how much Bowie is on the list, so I chuckled when I saw this, the SEVENTH Bowie album for me so far... I like this funk/soul era of Bowie. Not sure the Beatles cover was necessary, particularly that song, but it wasn't too bad. (And now reading the Wiki I see that Lennon actually collaborated with him on it - that changes things considerably. I suppose it WAS necessary?) I'm a little surprised I didn't know about Lennon's involvement with this album given my lifelong love of all things John, but I suspect I DID know about it at some point and have forgotten. Getting old sucks. I do not believe that anyone needs to hear seven David Bowie albums before they die. This one is more essential than a couple others on the list, though.
Maybe not my favorite David Bowie career chapter, but hard to dispute a top-100 song at the end.
Treacherously close to 2-stars, but “Fame” saved this at the end
Sound like 80s from the 70s. Several great songs - a few bad ones.
Sigh... It's David Bowie I guess
A very enjoyable album on which David takes the R&B/Soul detour. Not his best album but still on rotation at my place.
09/13 Meh. Was okay
Probably my least favourite of his 70s run of albums (with the exception of Pin Ups) but still has Fascination, Fame and the title track which are all superb
Not the best Bowie album but it’s got some strong tracks
I still don’t understand how Bowie gets away with his Nazi sympathies in the cultural consciousness but this is a good album, especially the title track. Three stars. Tom.
Enjoyed this one
I probably had overly high expectations but I was a little underwhelmed by this. There were a couple of excellent tracks but the rest was a bit disappointing.
My least favorite 70s Bowie album, his voice and style don't work for this soul adjacent style of music
Classic Bowie.
Καλό ξέρω γω; Έχει το fame μέσα
Cool how funky this album is. I don’t remember Bowie stuff being quite this bass heavy but maybe I’m wrong. It was enjoyable but not really something I expect I’ll go back to a ton. Young Americans is cool. Fame is unique. Horns had a nice touch. I really did not like the Across the Universe cover. Probably keeping it in the 3 range because of that. 3.25
This cover of Across The Universe had made me very poorly. I think this album gives off a feeling of trying really, really hard. There is something effortful about it in an uncool way. Fascination, Fame and Young Americans work in isolation, but as a collective, this album has the same energy as girls at school who wanted to become singers, so they would croon by adding unnecessary trill and warble onto every note. I get that this soul inspiration is like a nice nod to an alternative genre and it's probably the result of a lot of passion, but I just find something about it so smarmy.
nice album, wenig bes keis het mega usegstande aber has grundsätzlich gern glost
Favorite Song: Fame Least Favorite: Right
1973 release, has a peculiar version of "Across the Universe" by Lennon McCartney. Fame would be the single from this record, other songs seem to have mostly faded away.
Funky David Bowie, why not. I do like David Bowie of course but of all his albums I Must Hear Before I Die is this really one of them? I think it’s telling that the most I perked up was in the split second when Across the Universe started before I processed that yeah that’s a Beatles song and I’d rather just hear the Beatles do it. Fame is pretty great but nothing in the rest leaps out at me. Meh. Second act montage needle drop in my biopic: “Young Americans”
david bowie in this album cover has the beautifully manicured fingernails and prenatal glow of the 1950s housewife I would have been promised if I had only been born 70 years earlier and also was a man, chat drop a response if you think i could have pulled femme top david bowie however don't drop a response though if you don't think I could I simply don't feel like hearing that right now we are about to go into a long weekend and I know I will need to preserve my vibes for an extra day, thanks! I liked this but I'm pacing myself in terms of David bowie albums on this list, I know there are about 15 of them and I want to have a solid range. Fame (FAME) however is one of David bowies nastiest little hits and I love it so much, his energy in that and young americans is divine. The rest of the songs on the album fall a bit flat at times although they make for a pretty good vibe. David bowies babiest makingest album
Not my favorite, but decent
I've heard this describes as a transition album for Bowie and well, it is. That's not a knock on it; I think it's still a pretty solid album all around, maybe a little uneven. But it's smack dab in between his glam rock glory and his big swings in Berlin and understandably gets lost in that shuffle. Am I glad Bowie only spent one album exploring this kinda sound? Considering what he did next, yes. Am I glad it exists? Yes, again. Also, special s/o to the city of Philadelphia for it's contributions on this album. Yes, that's John Lennon adding backing vocals but don't overlook the fact that Luther goddamn Vandross is on there, too.
This i liked more than the al green thing but the vibes were quite similar. I dont listen to david bowie ever so im glad im getting some of that from this
Decent.
I am a big Bowie fan and I love that he attempted to be soulful. But, it just doesn’t quite work for me (too much plastic maybe). The two hits are perfect so that makes up for some of it. And props to David for discovering a young Luther Vandrous and using him on backing vocals.
I think many Bowie songs are incredibly wonderful, and at the same time many Bowie songs (including some of those I like) are quite weird - often strangely intense singing, over arrangements that sometimes hit the spot and sometimes miss. This album has Fame, which is a knockout, brought the funk to mainstream charts in a very creditable way. It also has the title track, which is weird but I’m used to it. But then, some other songs that are fully forgettable, the band work is decent but the song doesn’t reach me, I would accept they’re soul-influenced but I wouldn’t call them soul. I love some Bowie covers (Let’s Spend the Night Together is fire) but I don’t like this version of Across the Universe. So for me this album is Mix of Good and Bad, 5/10.
Americano bowie，TAKE IT RIGHT，值得反复聆听
Ok. Not the best
Another Bowie album! Cool! Young Americans was a nice start. Something different from what I’ve come to expect, but I quite liked it. Win had an interesting, almost sensual sound to it. Fascination was very 70s. Very good though. Right was pretty fun. Someone up there likes me was honestly pretty alright. Can you hear me was ok. I didn’t love it, but it wasn’t horrid. 3/5 ⭐️ 231/1089
Never understood the Bowie-hype. This is quite average.
Lite mysigt, vet inte om jag kommer lyssna igen dock.
🙂
Oh my god there are so many David Bowie albums. This one is on the better end, but still doesn't rival his peak material.
I have Bowie fatigue. Still good, but not better than good
Not his best
It was ok. Couple of good songs. Overall I thought it was a nice album.
Mid
three stars for fame
Fame is one of my favorite songs but this album doesn’t compare to other Bowie’s.
Great sounds. Thoroughly enjoyed!
Very soft fall vibes. Would listen again. Didn’t realize i knew and like lover, you should have come over as much as I do!
Musically sound. Just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy his voice.
It's funny how much this sounds like the rolling stones and I suspect it's because the rolling stones wholesale ripped off Bowie but were worse at doing it than he was. These are cocaine fueled rock songs of the 70's, but with a precursor to what would end up as glam rock. It's fun to listen to but it's not really my jam as far as repeated plays. Still good.
Title track was very solid, everything else wasn’t quite my jam. I’ve tried repeatedly to get into Bowie but I think he’s a little too weird for me.
Begin leuk, daarna eentonig
Another Bowie I don't have. Starts so strong, and I like the sound and the idea. But maybe not an album's worth of an idea. Didn't know about the Lennon connection before. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Some Owned: No, 99/376 (26%) Will I get: Maybe
good
Not my favorite Bowie: somehow, the music never quite takes off
Really enjoyable.
This album is better than I remembered it. Young AMericans and Fame are great songs. Fascination is quite good. The rest ... is kind of lackluster, but more listenable than my memory of it. Solid. Good performances. There just isn't enough strong material. Bowie was making albums absurdly quickly at the time.
Enjoyed some songs on this. Not really my thing but enjoyed Fame and Across the Universe
You can’t go wrong with Bowie, he’s got a mode for every mood.
3rd bowie album and just 10% in. this one is just ok
Pretty gay yo
Only the hits hit unfortunately
I thinks it is a album with a strong message Fav song - Fascination
Huge David Bowie fan and there's a lot here to like, including of course Fame. Some fantastic vocals though do feel the album loses its way, especially in the bad cover of Across the Universe.
Okay. I love Bowie. But not this album. Even this version of Young Americans and Across the Universe are unpleasant. But what is going on in those songs poorly, Fame brings in and brasses up. Makes up for a lot of boredom.
There are 23 Bowie albums on my shelves, but not this, and I've never heard it in its entirety before today. 'Fame' and 'Young Americans' rightly stand out amongst a somewhat unremarkable album, dominated by saxophone noodling throughout. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit 🫳 ★★★☆☆(6/10) Total reviewed : 393 Already owned : 87 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 282
7/10 Fav Tracks: Fame, Win Heard before? --------–- ❌ Saved a new Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? -------–-- ✅ Will Listen Again? ---––– ✅ Album Cover ----------– Great
Den får 3/5 för det är inte direkt jättemelodiska låtar, men jag gillade fascination och någon annan låt... Det var ändå ett helt ok album men inte liksom jättebra sååå 3/5
Decent album, but nothing special
good, but doesn't hit like the berlin trilogy. 3.5
I don't usually listen to this genre but I really enjoyed it and found the songs very good.
7/10
Was fine
Well, it finally happened: I got my first David Bowie album in this challenge. And naturally, I landed on the one where he decided to go R&B. Overall, Young Americans was a pretty mixed bag for me. Bowie’s voice sometimes worked with this style, and sometimes it really didn’t. I love the title track, and there were a few other songs that caught my attention, mostly because of the spacey, funky, and soulful instrumentation happening behind him. Even when the vocals weren’t completely clicking for me, there was usually something interesting going on musically. The first half was definitely stronger. It felt more varied and had more personality, while the second half started to lose me and became a little boring. The major exception is “Fame,” which wakes the album back up right near the end. There are some great sounds on here, but as a whole, Young Americans never fully came together for me.
3/6
I am used to either loving or hating his music, and this album confused me by not eliciting either reaction.
It was fine. David Bowie is fine.
Super high highs, drags from time to time 3.5/5
Langweilig; nichts besonderes
125 in and I finally get one of the mythical Too Many Bowies. Maybe I'll finally get an Excess Costello tomorrow? Maybe even a Very Justified Beatles. And yeah, there aren't many Bowies that both check off the Unnecessary Addition and also the Likely Addition. I don't think we're getting Black Tie White Noise or even Diamond Dogs (though sure, that has Rebel Rebel, so maybe). And as that goes, this is probably the second I'd cut out besides The Last Day, which was very good but only essential in that it was truly added for the same reason Hackney Diamonds is being added, but is worlds more respectable. It's always impressive how Bowie can work a throwback. Young Americans does what so many America songs do… it takes something that feels nostalgic and upbeat and, well, American, and makes the dumbest Americans think it's pro-America. It's supremely catchy despite being almost impossible to follow lyrically past the chorus. On the other hand is Fame, which slinks and sleazes in a way that feels ahead of its time. In the middle, we get a lot of what Bowie would call “Plastic Soul.” This was the start of an era marked by too much cocaine and bad decisions. It was also a period of Bowie breaking into the US Mainstream (again, Americans can not be trusted to interpret songs about America), of experimenting with funk and proto-disco and embracing other black musical styles, of recording with John Lennon (he shows up on a reasonable Across the Universe cover and on “Fame” itself) and Luther Vandross before he was a name. So it's a weird moment where Bowie the musician and songwriter is not at his peak, but the album is still racking up reasons for inclusion. I suppose the idea of soulless Soul is interesting. Certainly he pulls that off (his backing vocalists are certainly acquitted, but Bowie himself often sounds listless and rambly). Side B makes a much better argument for the album than Side A, even with the Title track being the best on the album. Side A really leans into particularly banal work (what would make anyone write and record “win”?). For my money this is probably the least successful original album Bowie put out to this point, at least from a quality perspective. A very thin ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A pretty interesting album, especially since my last Bowie was Ziggy Stardust. The range of genres Bowie can cover is fascinating, and he kind of pulls it off here, even if it's not entirely my taste of music.
Bowie’s disco record? Not my favorite of his. But you could do worse than having Young Americans stuck in your head all day.
Underwhelmed. Bowie knocks it out of the park with Young Americans, but nothing else rises back up to that level.
Huh - not really sure if I like this white boy funk era Bowie. Enjoyed the music but I’d need more time with this album I think.
Out of all of the different David Bowie eras -- this is the one I forget about the most! Nothing terrible here but nothing FANTASTIC like some other Bowie stuff.
ngl sounded a musical soundtrack
favorite song: young americans & fame
The first half of the album really didn't do it for me but the second half certainly shined. Don't think it's a must listen but nonetheless it was a fun listen
Probably his weakest of the 70s run for me. Not sure his voice suits the material, and so many tracks have the hallmarks of cocaine-fueled jams at the end.
How could John Lennon let him slaughter "Across the Universe"? Bowie warbles like a doorstop.
Thought I would like this more than I did.
It's good!
a good time until we hit a cover of one of the worst Beatles songs out there. at least the guitar licks are better than butchering the pronunciation of "jai guru deva". anyway Fame is my favorite song here by a mile but i think that's more to do with the quality of that song than the quality of this album
has a lot of interesting moments but not as cohesive as other projects Would I listen again: I did to get a better idea of this album Deserves to be on this list: nah 3.2
I’m so ambivalent about this that it hurts. As much as I love Bowie, this album is just a wee bit below his usual greatness. On the other hand, what a huge risk as n artist to just shift into an entirely different genre, and not only that, but pull off this perfectly executed album. Definitely the primordial soup for the later and more brilliant life forms. Even so, Young Americans is primordial. It feels like Bowie and company are sort of playing with a style rather than feeling it. On the other hand, there’s a very heartfelt appreciation for that style. But in this case, Bowie isn’t creating anything new or using the R&B he emulates as a jumping off point to something better. It’s more of a tribute. Which is respectable. It just doesn’t feel genuine. With a few exceptions, the title track and Fame among them, of course. An important transitional work.
Bowie got pretty funky there. A nice change.
I expected to hate this, but this was the best Bowie album yet
I like Bowie, but this album was kind of boring for me today, even with the couple of radio hits. Fame is an incredible song, but not quite enough for me to boost the album up to 4...
Another day, another Bowie album. Boy this Dimery guy has got it bad for Bowie. Onto the album. Definitely a different sound from prior albums. Half way in, I thought, huh when was this made? It feels later than 1974, which I guess is what folks think he was a bit ahead of his time. The two big hits on the album, Young Americans, and Fame, are clearly interesting and unique. Other than that, nothing stuck me as particularly fantastic. Right has a funky thing that he stole from somewhere I'm sure. There was no reason to remake Across the Universe and he just did it worse than the Beatles.
Not really much to bop to in here but nothing bad either.
This was pretty fun. Except the cover of Across the Universe; that was odd.
The title and final tracks are the standouts of course. I hadn't realized Lennon played on this, and so the repeated, strident denials that "Nothing's gonna change my world" in his cover of Across the Universe seems poignantly prescient. Don't know though, would we call the rest cultural appropriation today?
It was okay bit dated
Bowed
Favourite Songs: Fame
An early Bowie album, not my usual listening appetite but still similar enough to not be jarring. 3/5.
Bookended by absolute classics, the rest of the record is a bit empty. The Beatles cover is fine, but doesn’t quite fulfill the hopes of Bowie covering Lennon.
kIND OF MID WITH SOME HITS.
Over a quarter of the way through the 1001 and I’m only getting my first Bowie now. As a huge fan (he might just be my GOAT) and aware he has 8 albums in the book, this is actually the one I was least looking forward to reviewing. It’s pretty low in my total Bowie ranking, and certainly the one of the 8 I’ll be awarding the fewest stars to. It’s always been so, and I think it’s because the concept should totally work for me (I’m a big fan of 70s soul music too) and because I want so much to be blown away by it. But I’m just not. Today as I listened again, this time trying harder to figure out why it doesn’t grasp me, I probably enjoyed each song a little bit more individually than I ever have done before, but I still came away from the album as a whole dissatisfied. There are some exceptions of course. I couldn’t truly call myself a Bowie fan if I didn’t enjoy the title track. But while I can get off on the vibe of “Fame” I’ve never really been sold on its central songwriting. “Someone Up there Likes Me” is the moment here the idea of the album gels for me; I just believe it more than elsewhere, the moment where Bowie’s self-proclaimed “plastic soul” is least plastic. The sophistication of songwriting is more recognisably Bowie. I straight up don’t enjoy the Beatles cover. I didn’t like much of Pinups either, though I know incredibly well how capable he is of a quality cover (Fill Your Heart, Wild Is the Wind, Cactus, Pablo Picasso). My unpopular take has never had “Across the Universe” as a favourite Beatles song anyway, but on top of that it seems to have little in common with what’s going on elsewhere here. I think the bottom line is that when I’m listening to ‘Young Americans’ I’m hearing Bowie adjusting his writing to what he thinks will suit the surroundings and the outcome comes across as a group of shit-hot musicians doing excellent work but without the quality of material to merit their skills. There’s a good vibe and Bowie’s vocal performances are, by and large, up to his usual spectacular standards, but despite all the positives flying around, I can’t get on board as much as I’d like to. I’ve been glad to give it this much attention today though. Maybe next time I pull it from the shelf, I’ll be finally loving it.
Title track was good, but was a bit bored by the end of the album
Some good songs. Title track and Fame are very good, the rest pretty average.
3 star A proper 3 star Bowie album. Good enough that I own it on vinyl but mid enough that I probably haven’t played the record in the decade since I bought it. This is an album I wouldn’t say anything if it wasn’t on this list, but it’s not bad. The singles are good and the rest of the album is passable as “blue eyed soul.” Except the cover of “Across the Universe” is not great. Can’t believe he got John Lennon to play on that cover.
This reminds me how much I don't really enjoy David Bowie's voice. I do like the switch from his usual glam rock to the more soulful rock sound. I do like most songs with horns. I do not like the "Across the Universe" cover. That's one of my favorite Beatles songs, and nothing is done to really differentiate the song or improve it from the original. Bowie's voice isn't so bad that I dislike this album, but it does curb my enjoyment of the album. There's a couple of fun songs, but in terms of listening there really isn't a whole lot going on here. The style of the album is really the important thing here, and in terms of music history there's some importance to it, but it doesn't sound all that impressive. Favorite Song(s): Fascination, Fame
This cool. a little too poppy for me but it's still great.
Hard to give this one more than a 3. Bowie is great but this one didn't need to make the cut. Love Fame though.
It's commonly called his "blue-eyed soul" or "plastic soul" period. I think it's closer to disco-tinged... either way, it's quite a departure from the glam and glitter rock that he made it with. I'm not a huge fan of his experimental side but I enjoyed this just fine.
oki was not big emotions
It was quite a relaxing album. It encouraged me to clean my room.
Smooth and enjoyable but not fully holding my attention. 7.5/10
Ziggy goes funky soul.
Bowie does soul. Pretty good and an example of his extraordinary versatility.
Young Americans impressed me with how naturally David Bowie could move into soul and funk while still sounding unmistakably like himself. At times, the album barely felt British at all, which made Bowie’s ability to constantly reinvent his sound even more remarkable. Fame was easily my favorite track for its sharp, stylish funk groove and restless energy.
There was a young American i guess
No me gusta como vamos Bowie. No me gusta su voz. Tuve que pasar la versión de Across the Universe
Переслушай
Ok. Glad I listened, but not likely to listen ag6
Ahhhh, my 6th Bowie album so far. C'mon. I'm not going to listen to this but I will give it a middle of the road 3
I'm struck by how some of Bowie's songs sound out-of-time. While much of this album has a cool soul feel, like "Right", which I really liked, "Win" is almost easy listening. Unlike Station to Station, which I listened to recently, there are songs that I've never heard before, including an over-the-top cover of the Beatles' Across the Universe. Each song is interesting in its own right, but there's a reason why I didn't hear them regularly growing up. The title track, and the last track, "Fame" are spectacular, but besides "Right", I don't think I'd return to other songs on this album. 3 stars?
★★★½
7/10
It was good. Nothing special and writing this review a few days later, I don’t remember what I listened to, but the beat and music was fun
This is the coke album. Young Americans and Fame are great tracks but too many tracks drag on too long. Also, not a good Beatles cover on here.
i didn't make much of it. Some groovy tunes.
Dark and funky -
2nd David Bowie out of 9. I understand he was ahead of his time, but not my favorite. 6/10 Top song Fame
It’s Bowie but not my type of Bowie.
So, so, although Fame and Young Americans comfortably take this into 3 star territory
So here we go again. 3 Bowie albums in (none of them Ziggy era) and I'm generally unmoved. Fame is the standout track. The title track and Somebody Up There Likes Me are ok. But what the hell is he doing with Across The Universe? Beck's Debra shows how much the musical ideas in Win (and maybe the entire album?) could have been improved. Another disappointment from the legend that is Bowie. And without Fame it would have been worse.3*
Not the greatest Bowie album.
Really cool soul album! You could really tell Bowie didn’t hold back with this album and was really himself. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I thought his voice in certain songs was very Hendrix. The beginning of the album was pretty weak, minus the title track. That might have put some people off but atleast it actually got really good by the end! I think this is definitely a big landmark for soul, as this acted like Elvis for soul music; not that he was the greatest soul performer of all time, even though he was great. It’s more that it acted as a door for white people to soul music like Elvis was to rock ‘n’ roll music. Although the black community that started it off is definitely better. I’d recommend Young Americans, Right, Somebody up there likes me, Across the universe, Fame and Who can I be now?
Bowie taking a stab at soul- but couldn't quite make up his mind whether he wanted to be Ziggy Stardust or James Brown. Still quintessentially Bowie but with some good stabs at soul It’s funny if this was done by Clapton I’d hate it but Bowie pulls it off with out feeling like a safari in the ghetto
Funky and still pretty mellow.
Not my favourite Bowie. Not sonically or lyrically interesting to me. But even the worst Bowie is kind of good, no?
cool ig
Not my favorite Bowie album but his butterlike voice is always a privilige to listen to. Although, it might not be the best match for this particular music. The songs are great tho!
meh
There are 2-3 excellent songs, and the genre experiment of “Plastic Soul” is an interesting premise, but the album overall is Bowie’s most uneven since the early folk/ hippie records (prob at least partially due to the miles of coke lines the glittered one was doing at this time, according to the legends).
This is probably my favorite Bowie that I've heard on this. He was clearly a talented guy and able to work in different genres. I think this is pretty decent soul, but it sounds like someone pretending to be a soul artist. I think it works pretty well for what it is.
Eines der schlechtesten bowie alben
Pretty decent but not his best
As a huge fan of Bowie, one who would give many of his other albums a full five stars, I feel I have both the freedom and an obligation to be a little harsher on this record. I don't think the soul thing he's attempting to do here really works all that well. Bowie's strength is in driving, catchy hits, I think, and this album feels like a whole lot of him noodling without getting anywhere. Somebody Up There Likes Me is very good, certainly (and also one of my Grand Theft Auto childhood songs, I now realize) but it feels more like a happy accident in the surrounding context. Still, it's Bowie... his sound /is/ still in there. And it does seem like whatever he was doing here did have a positive influence on his later works. I'm certainly not going to go as low as two stars. Favorite tracks: Win, Somebody Up There Likes Me
bangin
Sounds like it got a three on it though, to me. I heard some funk like David Bowie. It was cool, but can you imagine Bowie in your funk? Ho! W-E-F-U-N-K
Like Bowie still only a 3 starer for me.
the first and last tracks? impeccable. maybe some of my favorite "Bowie in America" songs. the title track, with its irresistible soul pocket and that Beatles interpolation, is an especially high point in this transitional phase of Bowie's career between the glam years and the Berlin era. as far as the rest, it's unfortunately kind of a flatline. most of these songs just make me want to run "Young Americans" back again. Bowie and his "plastic soul" band make their way through the whole middle of the LP with just enough energy to not sound completely dead. that is, except for David Sanborn going absolutely apeshit on alto saxophone in the right stereo channel. it's a juxtaposition that's hilarious in a way I don't think was intentional. proving my personal maxim that Bowie's covers are either impeccable or disastrous is the rocky rendition of the Beatles' "Across the Universe". it's somewhat made up for by the John Lennon collaboration "Fame", a modal funk jam stacked with vocal and instrumental earworms. decent 5/10.
It's fine
Godd but not my style
Sure, there are two outstanding tracks here, but this is not one of Bowie’s best albums.
Good listen overall, but it’s really a two‑or‑three‑song album, and they were smart enough to save the best track for the finish..
el álbum perfecto para una banda sonora de una BUENA película. Sin duda la primera mi favorita, te hace sentir el main character sin duda
It's a good album, I'm not gonna give it a relisten tho, maybe Fame. great overall sounds, there's up and down but still
mais um caso de uma faixa de abertura e uma de encerramento sensacionais com músicas razoáveis entre elas, com exceção de somebody up there likes me. ps: que cover horroroso esse de across the universe pqp
Another average Bowie album with a couple of great tracks and some very competent (but less thrilling) others. He certainly churned them out.....
Bowie ends his glam era with a pivot to soul. It almost feels like a pastiche at time, with a plastic sound, tacky saxophones, and tons of background vocals. But calling it a pastiche ignores the fact that it often sounds very good. The title track and "Fascination" are lively, flowing jams with great vocals. "Fame" is irresistibly funky even if it feels a bit skeletal. Most of the other tracks feel inessential though, without enough going on. The Beatles cover is too similar to the original while also being just different enough to sound off. On his next album Bowie expanded on these sounds and turned them into something new. For an artist of Bowie's caliber, this one sounds a little tame.
Obviously there are really big hits on this album and I love David Bowie, but this record just grated on me idk??? I feel like the songs were endless and his voice was more abrasive and the cover of Across the Universe wasn't good? Idk am I on something? Wouldn't listen again no offence, there's better Bowie.
Good album, but maybe not DB’s best
Fine, don't care much for Bowie
Glad I listened to it for the bangers
Young Americans is one of my fave songs ever but this album isn’t really doing it for me. Still enjoyed, still a classic
Starts and ends strong but this is at it's best when Bowie's to the side and the backing vocalists are doing their thing
I get why this is here -- it's Bowie. But the whole thing just feels undercooked somehow. He sounds great and there are some forever bangers on here. But he was still trying to find what would eventually become the wonders of the Berlin trilogy and it just...doesn't...quite...click. But if you want to know the origins of all that sax in popular music through the early 80's, this is probably the place to start.
A nice listen, bit funky. Good stuff. Didn't finish it yet but got the gist
I think the instrumentation on this album is very fun. I see the appeal and I was grooving a little but I think I am not a fan of his voice too much. No shade to David Bowie or his fans, just not my personal style. 6/10
prima
Sadly, this is one of Bowie's albums that's fallen off a bit for me, especially considering how great the albums surrounding it are. That said, it still has some all-time bangers on it, like the title track, Fascination, and ESPECIALLY Fame.
Bowie gets….. soulful & funky??? what! I’m truly predisposed to like it off the genre influences alone; if there’s any white dude who can be creatively trusted to pull off a genre switch like this, it’s him. Could see this becoming a 4 if it stays in the rotation! Standouts: Young Americans • Fascination • Right • Fame
Mildly disappointing but perfectly acceptable Bowie album. It definitely starts to sag a little at the end. I was completely buying what he was laying down but a little more variety would have helped a LOT, in my opinion.
Good stuff
The middle period of a fairly incredible 10 album or so run in the 70s for Bowie. Probably one of my less played ones, I prefer the Ziggy era or the Berlin era, but this is still fairly excellent. Shit hot session musicians, lots of backing vocals and sax make it more slick than anything that came before it, which was intentional, but also puts me off it a tad.
Por ahora el más flojo del David. Me gusta Fame nomas. Nota: 3.2
Bowie was a curious shapeshifter, always reinventing himself and creating a solid body of work in the process. When you change the formula of your success you'll eventually create something lesser. But creating the lesser work is often a step in creating much better work. This record does not reach the heights of Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Low, or his final gift Black Star. There are some good songs on here: the title track and "Fame." The cover of "Accross the Universe" is ill-considered and Bowie's voice is not up to turning that song into overwrought soul.
For those of you who can remember anything of the Miss Peaches trivia night, the title track featured in the music round (theme: song titles with America/n in the title). At the time it was my first exposure to the song and these days it’s one of my all-time fave Bowie tracks, so I was very happy to listen to it (over and over, if I’m really honest). The Across the Universe cover was a nice touch too, there’s just not a whole lot else that grabbed me here.
Saw the title and foolishly thought Afraid of Americans would be on here. Then I read the little wikipedia intro and didn’t think that really sounded like my interests. I think I probably liked this less than the last Bowie album we did because I didn’t feel like it was as adventurous, but I really liked the title track!
This isn’t Bowie at his strongest. It’s fine and has moments of brilliance (Young Americans is incredible) but it is a trial run for the excellent Station to Station and doesn’t quite hold the same weight.
It’s funky, groovie Bowie - complete with a warm 70s production, saxophone, and soulful background vocals. The record starts strong with the stellar “Young Americans”, but for the most part the album works more on vibe than on the strength of its songs, which simply don’t meet the bar set by the preceding and subsequent albums of the period. But, it’s still Bowie. And its still fun and worth listening to.
One of the Bowie albums that gets lost in the catalogue
väldigt lugnt och sansat för att vara mr. bowbow
I dont remember it
Solid Bowie album; never heard the “Across the Universe” cover before.
You know what! Enjoyed.
One of my goals with this project is to find my way into Bowie. It’s not for lack of trying. Everything here was pretty good, but nothing grabbed me and said “genius!”
I’d never heard this cover of Across the Universe.
7/10 suena bien pero medio lento no me entretuve mucho
Bookended by some classics and its an ok listen throughout but not my favourite Bowie era.
Bowie has never been a consistent album artist for me. He has frequent moments of genius and you have to appreciate the breath of styles he covered in his career but this album has always just been fine for me. Nothing terrible on here but maybe a bit boring. Young Americans, Fascination and Fame are the best tracks. Overall perfectly pleasant with some good grooves but not very exciting. 3.4
It's ok and fair play to any artist who's brave enough to go in a new direction like this. But I think that there are far more interesting and memorable albums in Bowie's discography.
Some obviously classic bangers--Young Americans, Fame--but also some tracks that sound a bit unfocused (although I still like them). I can see why reviews were mixed at the time of release, but I think this album has probably aged better than people expected.
Its good but It isn't my personal favorite
5/10 Overrated Bowie, isn't it? Naff, if we're honest.
side A and the closer are pretty killer but most of side B drags it down. kinda makes me wanna listen to a normal philly soul record instead.
I like Bowie generally, but this album isn’t great. Couple of good tracks and the best one is a Beatles cover. Preferred Hunky Dory, although, like the Beatles, I’m finding Bowie a bit overrated so far. Good but not great.
Highlights: Young Americans, Fascination and Fame. 3.75
Bookended by a couple of classic songs, the middle isn’t as strong. Not as good as his other albums on the list. Maybe I’m not a fan of soul.
легенда, но не мой вкус
This is album #241 for me and already my 5th Bowie. I enjoyed the saxophone, the elements of funk and the soul accentuated by the backup singers. I understood that it wasn't true soul but a Brit superstar ("plastic soul," he called it), but it was a worthwhile experiment. The title track has always been solid, as is Fame, and I liked his remake of Across the Universe.
Not a Bowie fan but I liked this more than I thought I would. The first track had a “little kid music but for adults” vibe but opened into more interesting territories afterwards. The song Fascination is a scorcher.
Out of the three Bowie albums on this list that I’ve listened to so far, this one has been my favorite. I don’t think Bowie’s voice will ever be my cup of tea, but I dug the funk/soul influence on this one.
Si le doy una chance
The saxophone solos are always hits. This album is definitely with soul. And there's a lot of headbobbers (songs that make your head bob). However i think when it comes to soul there are many artist I would rather listen to. While this album was good overall I prefer his other albums I got to listen to. Fame however really stood out to me, definitely a fav on this album
Not my favorite Bowie album and he honestly sounds uncomfortable at some parts, imo, but it has a couple of solid songs: "Fame" and a cover of "Across the Universe".
No tan bowie como los posteriores, pero con tremendo flow, aunque más homogéneo que los demás también
Nice album, I remember hearing several of these songs on the radio in my youth
This definitely sounded different than I expected, and came out a little earlier. I can hear the glam influence of the Ziggy Stardust years, but I wasn’t anticipating hearing some R&B and gospel mixed in as well. There were a lot of parts that reminded me of some of the art-rock-soul that infiltrated Peter Gabriel’s debut solo album, so much so that I had to see if Bob Ezrin produced this album first before ol’ PG (note: Bob Ezrin is not involved in this album). I think the first half had more life than the second half, as I found the second half to drag a bit before we reached “Fame” (and tell me this song wasn’t a precursor to PG’s “Big Time” eleven years later). I did enjoy this, but I was ready for it to be done by the time it ended. Would listen again though.
Young Americans is one of my least favorite songs ever so that has prevented me from ever fully enjoying this album. Sorry Bowie.
Bowie and Luther Vandross with some bits and pieces of Lennon ends up being a pretty good record, all things considered, but not one I would rank as one of his all-timers. Couple of tracks here go nowhere (I'm looking at you, "Across the Universe") and there's only so much the title track and "Fame" can do.
So so
Honestly not something I would listen on repeat. It wasn't a bad album, just most of the songs weren't really something that I would listen often without any skipping.
6/10
Not a bad album by any means, but also probably not one I’ll revisit anytime soon.
I don't have much to say about this one. Favourites: Fascination (it just maybe lasts just a tad longer than it needs to?), Fame.
A bit underwhelming. The title track was pretty good, Fame is OK and the Beatles cover is a stinker. The rest I found pretty unmemorable.
It was alright
Not Bowie’s strongest, but an interesting pivot out of his glam rock years. “Plastic soul” is a pretty accurate (if not entirely positive) descriptor.
I like the opening track. The rest of the album seems to drone on a bit. Strongly disliked the Across the Universe cover. Generally well crafted, perhaps just not to my taste.
Third Bowie album in this experience. Starts and ends with two absolute bangers in "Young Americans" and "Fame." However, in between the songs didn't do much to move the needle for me. With a discography as prolific as Bowie's not all of them are bound to be fantastic. 3/5
So close to being 4 star. 3.99
Not as strong as other Bowie albums, but solid nonetheless