Young Americans

Meh

🤷‍♂️

사실 안들었음

The vocals are reminiscent of Springsteen. I usually don't like David Bowie, but I do like blue eyed soul. Not bad.

Olin, että kiva kuulla vähän alkupään Bowieta mutta olikin herran yhdeksäs albumi. Ei parasta Bowieta. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐

Great songs but not as good as changes

Bowie’s always hopping from genre to genre, taking them apart, putting them back together as “Bowie” in whatever guise he currently found himself in. But this is the most imitative of his wanderings and despite the hits, he sounds like a tourist. But a very charismatic one! Even minor Bowie is still worthwhile.

3.5

бля очень плохой альбик итак боуи не люблю, а он тут про битлс и диско пытается

Less exciting than the cigarette, bracelets and hair had me ready for.

A few good tracks particularly on the back end of the album. Not my favourite vocals.

I don't rlly understand the hype it got rlly repetitive rlly quick

Maybe my least favorite Bowie album. Not that I know his music well, this was my first time listening to this start to finish, but bit of a klunker on first listen. Lack the direction/vision that his albums usually have and the songs are just, overall, boring compared to his other work. Will come back to listen to it a couple more times, maybe I've been too hasty, but on first listen this feels like, by Bowie standards, b-sides that never should have been released.

Highs and lows. The opening and closing tracks are wonderful. The middle sags. His cover of Across the Universe is atrocious. Generally Bowie trying to dip into a dirty bassy soul croon is not a great look.

I’m already a fan of Bowie, but it was good to listen to another of his albums all the way through. Overall I liked it, not my favorite of his work, but it was interesting to hear more of his soul stuff. Young Americans is one of my favorite songs ever, so that was a great start. Win was great, I’ll definitely listen to that one again. Very similar vibe to Young Americans. Fascination and Right were both good as well, the sort of thing I’d play at a party. They didn’t stand out to me in any particular way but the groove is good on both. Somebody up there was sort of a miss on me. I don’t love the way Bowie uses his voice in it, and there’s a less funky and more repetitive nature to it. Across the universe was my least favorite on the album, it went on for too long with nothing particularly interesting. Can you hear me reminded me of one of the songs you hear at the end of a movie as the credits roll. Especially with the strings and the way the drum was. Not really a fan, but it might be a good slow dance song. Fame is a banger, my favorite along with Young Americans. I’m not sure how to describe it, it just has a certain groove in the duh-duh-duh part that’s perfect. Album rating: 6.5/10 Location: on the shuttle on the way to Crocker Park 1/11/26

Not his best, a few good track

Solid album but the not the top of the Bowie catalog. Two great singles, a cover, and some unremarkable middle.

A fun and goofy album, if not a bit dated.

David Brotha Bowie AOTY rating: 82

This is a record I can play end to end and enjoy, without being able to specifically remember most of the songs.

Another mid album from a mid artist. The good news is that only 191 albums in this is already Bowie album number 5 for me. Soooo...only 15 or so more? I want to to lend my voice to the chorus wingeing about some artists being over-represented. Unfortunately these complaints often include a lovely gentleman named Neil Young...and I love Neil Young.

I am a big fan of Bowie and have listened through all his albums in the past. I personally wouldn't say that this is his best by any means. There are some songs I like. The title track isn't bad, I quite like "Win" "Somebody Up There Likes Me" and "Fascination" and can applaud Bowie for trying different things. I'll stand by that no two albums by this man sound the same which is a feat in itself over such a long career. Negatives for me are "Fame" which I think is generally an awful track and wildly repetitive. There's something missing on his cover of "Across the Universe" too which I can't put my finger on, perhaps just the style he chose to do it in. Though I will say that's not an easy task to cover that song. Some songs don't quite land and feel like he didn't know where he was going with them. 3 stars as I still enjoy a few tracks here.

I felt this was a vaguely lackluster Bowie Album. Fame is great, but the second best track was the Across the Universe cover. Not bad, but I kind of expected more

Wow - yet another Bowie album, why so many on this list?!? It was fine - the best part was the backing vocals on all the songs! The two strongest songs were "Young Americans" and "Fame" but the rest was just meh for me. I really am ambivalent about much of Bowie's music overall.

3.5

6/10

I'm honestly not that big a fan of Bowie

like it a lot, could definitely be used for my café album may add fascination and young American hearts

bagus jir ak suka

Me gusto

Very groovy instruments as well as background vocals. Bowie much more jazzy than I had heard before. Overall a vibe I can appreciate more than the individual songs themselves.

Liked it well enough, though not sure it is my favorite Bowie

a bit boring, still good

Pretty dull and uninteresting despite the novel premise of a Bowie Soul album. Also he kinda looks like Michael Gira on the cover.

-Very sultry very nice -Soul influences are definitely heard -Bowie’s vocal delivery is fun -Background vocalists add to songs - Great instrumentation - Sort of becomes samesy half way through - Songs are good, but peaks don’t feel high enough

It's a good album overall, not really any standout songs though imo. Didn't realise there were so many different versions of across the universe, this one is probably my least favourite.

боуві бза і класика, але все ще, однотипно

Groovy with a strange take on blue-eyed soul. I like this record more now than when I first listened to it a few years ago. That said, its uneven and swings and misses in the backhalf. Bowie is undeniably talented but in my view his imitations of popular genres never quite live up to the real thing (glam rock excepted).

One of the better Bowie albums I’ve listened to from this website

יצא לי להקשיב פעם אחת, היו שירים שממש אהבתי, והיו שירים שפחות התייחסתי אליהם, אשמח להקשיב שוב, אלבום נחמד מאוד

nowhere near bowies best work, its an ok album.

Not up to the standard of some his later (or earlier work) but still an interesting listen. It only really makes an impact in the context of his other albums and with the back story behind it. It was still worth a listen and provided nice opportunities for some sax solos.

Bowie should be lauded for the reinvention of his style that he goes through on this album as this is a significant departure from his prior works. More soul influenced, and nods to funk on some of the tracks, it just ends up sounding a bit too middle of the road for my tastes - plastic soul indeed. This ends up playing it a little safe and doesn’t quite come up to the standard of his Berlin trilogy that came after which likely broke newer ground.

Día ???:

Really doesn't hold a candle to Ziggy Stardust even with the hits on here. 'Young Americans' and 'Fame'. This is supposed to be his take on Soul? It's funny there so much Beatles on here, between some of the lyrics and the 'Across the Universe' cover (which doesn't quite land for me), not sure I love it but Bowie is Bowie. Really solid album, just probably wouldn't see myself listening to this as much as Ziggy really.

3.5! Like more than station to station. Hated the across the universe cover but liked it by the end.

Fame and Young American have been Bowie favorites of mind for a long time. Unfortunately the rest of the album is very forgettable. This album feels important only in the context of Bowie’s career, not so much music as a whole. Won’t be revisiting.

Älskar Bowie. Det här albumet stack tyvärr inte ut speciellt mycket. Saknar hans karaktäristiska sound.

I wanted to like this album more than I did. Definitely some great Bowie songs on here and new ones I liked. But I wasn’t overly impressed with any of them truthfully. Might need another listen to appreciate more. Top Songs: Young Americans, Someone Up There Likes Me

Influential, but lackluster in context of Bowie's catalogue.

David Bowie's dive into soul and RNB. I have listened to the album before and listening to it now, I still feel the same about it, which is pretty alright but not my favorite from him. I still appreciate the instrumentations and the live feel. The background vocals are another highlight on the album. But because I find that I like his other works more, I could not feel the same way for this one. I also find that some of the tracks do blend together apart from a few. They are right that he called it "plastic soul", as it felt like it was trying hard. Though it just doesn't hit the same way compared to other soul albums. Regardless, it is better than his dance period in the 80s. (The snare from Time Will Crawl will forever make my head pound). Favorite Tracks: - Young Americans (really like how it mirrors what the US was like throughout the lyrics alongside the beat) - Fascination - Fame (I think that this is the track that captures the funk the album is trying to achieve)

Really nice plastic soul music. Unfortunately blends together after a bit but I love the general sound. Big fan of Fame and Young Americans tho

Interesting funky grooves. Found it cool that David Sanborn was the sax player on this. Wasn’t a huge fan of the vocals but overall liked the instrumentals. Listened twice.

Fame is the only standout.

Hated the Across the Universe cover. I already knew and loved Fame. I really liked Somebody up There Likes Me.

I’ve never loved this album. I love Young Americans and Fame and both Fascination and Right are good but the rest is forgettable to me and Across the Universe is not great. This album is a weird detour between his Ziggy Stardust personality and the Thin White Duke persona that lasted longer and morphed into the Berlin trilogy. Often referred to as blue-eyed soul, I’m glad he didn’t linger in this area longer. 3/5

Lost count of the number of Bowie records on this list. Young Americans is probably one of the better ones.

decent

Super!

OK. I like other Bowie albums over this one. Dig the horns.

the sax sounds amazing. pretty groovy. love the adlibs bowie has some soul in him don't love some the lyrics black choir popping off sax solo bass is holding it down David is daviding across the universe is my favorite, but I hate the fade out there's a little ziggy in here those are some pretty harmonies, oohhh and the strings. very pretty and soft song, should have been the closer. why is fame at the end overall pretty solid record, just gets a little white man making weird noise over a black choir sometimes.

Pas ma période préférée de David Bowie mais Famé clôture l’album 🤩

Good start and good end, but a bit soft in the middle.

I like the soul influences of this one, it's not like the other Bowie songs I am familiar with.

3/5 no my thing

Decent Bowie

It feels like this album didn't sufficiently showcase Bowie's incredible vocal talents. A little too much funk for me, but still fun.

quite easy to listen to, but not particularly my taste. wouldn’t add to the playlist :(

Bowie always way ahead of his time, doing cheesy 80's music in the 70's! The sax in "Somebody up there like me" or young Ameriacnas was particluarly annoying. But now and there we can hear the great purring guitar riffs or Mick Ronson and all is forgiven.

First listen of this album, and I only knew one song before. I see that some critics describe it as a commercial but original approach to Black music, which I don’t really understand. Blues among others has already been reused and transformed in every possible way. I can hear the funk influence, that’s true, but Bowie’s style is still very clear through the way the songs are built, his slightly strange imagination, the odd touches he adds here and there. It won’t be one of my favorite albums of his, but it’s still Bowie (and Lennon), and that already makes it better than at least half of the albums on this list. Overall, a very nice listening experience, I actually really enjoyed it.

Good. Not my fav Bowie but I liked it.

Favorite track(s): Young Americans, Right, Fame Heard before Previous rating: 6/10

This is the first of 37 David Bowie albums that have popped up on my list. The bookends of Young Americans and Fame are 5-star--and everything in-between was 'meh.' Across the Universe was ok, but didn't really improve on the original. Would I listen to again? Willing to give it another try to see if it changes my mind...

One or two justifiably famous songs and a lot of background noise.

i enjoyed this but probably would have enjoyed it more if i wasn't actively crashing out over an essay while listening 7/10

This one didn't really do it for me. I'm sorry Mr. Bowie, I respect your legacy but had a hard time getting into this one.

I mean, I love Bowie, but I wouldn't say this is essential!

More Bowie. 3.5/5

I’m not Bowie girl but it is fun to see the history behind albums I love. I get the hype

That cover of "Across the Universe" is wack. "Win" is good. In general, it's alright, but I don't really care for early Bowie nor have I really like his albums. Love his singles... could do with a Changes, haha.

Love this. soul, r&b, funk all into one album with some minor blues connections. It's not Bowie's best album, but I love it anyway. Goodbye Ziggy stardust..

I adore Bowie, like so much, but come on now, this is like his 7th or 8th most relevant record. Was Plastic Soul supposed to expose 70's Black Music to a wider audience, or merely to culturally appropriate and exploit for profit? With heavily coked out Bowie, I'm not so sure.

There are two fantastic songs on this album. I'm not really a fan of the rest of it. Blue eyed soul and cocaine isn't a combination that works for me. The album is further docked points for having the worst version of Across the Universe in existence.

The title track goes so hard and honestly could’ve done without much of the rest.

Correcto

Groovy tunes. I don't love what he did with across the universe. Despite being bookended with hits, I think this record lands itself in the Hall of very good. 3.4 outta 5

I love bowie but this is not my favorite Bowie. Young Americans is really good but every other song has too much echo effect, too much sax, and is 2 minutes too long.

Still prefer Ziggy Stardust but this isn't bad. A little too smooth for my tastes, but his singing is great, as always.

132/1089 This was a good album quality-wise, as i’d expect from Bowie. However, it just didn’t really grab me unlike the others i’ve listened to. Maybe i need more time between Bowie albums in this project to be able to better appreciate one like this one which is a bit more understated imo fave: Right 63/100

First Listen; 2.5 I didn't enjoy the album all that much, although it isn't terrible. Aside from a few good tracks, I found it repetitive and boring. I did enjoy the production and the instrumentation, but again, nothing really jumped out and grabbed me. Favorite Songs: Win Fame

It was ok

Sorry, DB, I don't love this one.

No my fave Bowie album - too much sax, not enough guitar But it still gave the world Young Americans, Fame & Across the Universe

Good album, not as good as the last Bowie album I listened too but still good regardless. Fame big highlight on the album, very listenable but not too many standouts otherwise.

Classic Bowie. Solid effort. Was surprised by the Beatles cover, hadn't heard that before!

It must’ve seemed like a baby switched at birth or like biting into a mouthful of turnip thinking it was potatoes or like sitting down to the newest bill murray movie only to end up sitting through “The Razors Edge” to have bought this album in 1975. Undeniably ‘Fame’ ‘Young American’ are classics and I quite liked the last track too, but this whole thing pales (see what I did there!?) compared to guitar/glam rock Bowie. I consider this a shark jump for him…

Annoyingly average because I really bloody like the other Bowie albums I’ve heard before

Enjoyed the hits and Universe (not sure it was a single) the rest was a bit ordinary I felt - was good but a bit disappointing was expecting something better

not really a fan of this david bowie but still okay

Love me some Bowie but not the strongest album

Bowie displays his ability to jump genres yet again. Not my fave album but well worth a listen. Fame still and Changes still sound fresh 50 years later.

Nokkuð góður Bowie hérna. Tvö banger lög en annað samt miðlungs.

Not Bowies best album, although I appreciate the soul approach. Fascination and Fame are absolut great tracks, otherwise the rest does not really awake any groove in me.

Not my favourite Bowie album but still some good moments

It was on my 100th listen of the title track of Young Americans that I spotted the surprisingly overt Beatles A Day in the Life interpolation. I could have done with that being the only Beatles reference on the album as the overwrought cover of Across the Universe is really unflattering for Bowie’s voice. This album vacillates between excellent and okay, with the exception being that cover. For this reason it’s a record listeners usually just pull the singles from. Having said that, it’s a testament to Bowie’s talent that this constitutes average for him.

Боуіманія продовжується. Авторський погляд на фанк та голубокий соул. Мені на деяких піснях вокальні партії здалися занадто кітчевими. Розумію, що це фішка і так задумувалось, але для мене скоріше в мінус. Fame класна закривашка та витягнула трохи враження

Тут буде вся дискографія Боуі, я впевнений.

A couple of stand our tracks, especially Fame, but the rest tends to the bland.

that cover of across the universe was...something. 3/5 7.5/10

It's okay, not sure I would go back to the album on my own

Great fun! Might need to be in another frame of mind to fully appreciate it, but some banging tunes throughout

I think I'm Bowie Burnt-Out, because I saw this album come up and I was like "ah, shit." Had to force myself to go through it. Turned out alright!

The album gradually gets better as the bowie-isms in his voice melt into the soul base. Reaching its height on fame. I wonder if this order of songs is also the order they were written in for that purpose or this is just a coincidence or I am hearing stuff that isn't there.

Starting to think Bowie might be overrated. Fame is a banger, young Americans is pretty good, most the other songs are mid to boring, then the across the universe cover is pure trash

Fun album. The ensembles are great. Didn't do too much for me personally, but it was a fun enough listen.

David Bowie may not be a natural soul singer, but 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘴 is still a fascinating detour in his career. His self-described “plastic soul” phase delivers a sleek, well-produced sound that’s more interesting than genuinely moving. The title track and 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘦 are standouts, but his take on 𝘈𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 feels oddly misplaced — even if John Lennon himself didn’t love the Beatles original. It’s a solid experiment, just not one of Bowie’s more convincing reinventions.

Do I have depression? Do I listen to music wrong? I dunno, it's fine. It's fine.

Eh, it's fine. I'm not a big Bowie fan but I get the impression this isn't one of his best.

David Bowie has some great albums, but I don't think this is one of them. It got a lot of attention on release for the big genre swing, but in 2025 it mostly sounds like Bowie doing R&B not nearly as well as the artists who helped invent it. "Fame" is great, but I could do without most of this album.

Some nice songs

3rd Bowie in a week's span. This was my least favorite so far, but still some great songs here. Really liked the title track. 3.5/5.

Not a lot of feelings about this one. I don’t get the over-the-top love for David Bowie, but neither do I hate him. I felt like I was watching a SNL parody of a cheesy family sitcom while listening to Young Americans. Across the Universe was an instant-skip on my second listen through. Fame really the only song I enjoyed listening to.

Good music but honestly I feel he has better albums

Bowie! With back up singers and full backing band!

Good album

Not my favourite David Bowie album, still a bop. It’s understandable why Fame is the most well known track on here.

Stabil, cooles Album.

Second Bowie album on the list and think this is the latter. Seems quite a detour and a very different feel to the multicoloured, glam, experimentalist. Great groove and feel from the off. Bit of a drop off for ‘Win’ and then back to it for ‘Fascination’. A hoot Luther Vandross was an unknown backing singer on this. Interesting take on ‘Across The Universe’ - not sure I’m keen. Actually, worse than that. It’s offensive to Johnny boy. Urgh. Ermmm, I don’t think I like this album, even though it’s saved at the last by ‘Fame’. Good opener, mixed from there

Feels dated, too much saxophone

This is one of the few Bowie albums that have passed me by and that I’dnever listened to previously. I was surprised to discover how early it was released as I’ve always assumed this was an early to mid 80s album, maybe the sax on the title track corrupted my thinking! As ever, the album shows how accomplished a songwriter and musician Bowie is. I particularly adore the backing vocals on this album. As usual it’s a pretty eclectic affair, but it doesn’t reach the soaring heights of some of his other work. 3 stars feels, harsh, 4 feels overly generous. It’s one of those albums where the rating system feels too restrictive.

good album

it was nice i guess not his best though

Bowie album 4/9. Bowie!! You’re back. Oh snap, this is the one with “Fame” on it. I love that song. Sure enough, it was my favorite song on the album as well. The more of these I listen to, the harder it is to rank them against each other. Do I like this better than the Berlin Trilogy? Without a doubt. Is it better than Heroes? Debatable. Probably. Is this finally getting a 4? Hard to say. It’s mostly filler, but it’s undeniably better than the purely instrumental filler I’m used to hearing from Bowie’s other albums in my opinion. I think this may be the most consistently good Bowie album I’ve heard so far from top to bottom. His vocals are an amazing part of every song here, and there’s a fair bit of differentiation from song to song as well. It’s never boring, but as usual, nothing really just stands out and blows my mind. To quote one of the best reviews on the site, “It’s David Bowie”, so you know it’s at least going to be worth listening to. I love how Funky this one is at times, and the backing vocalists all kick ass. It’s probably my favorite of the 4 albums I’ve heard so far. Ok Bowie, 5 more albums to go. Until next time buddy.

Too much saxophone, couple of good ones notwithstanding.

Wildly different offering - all out funk.

Not Bowie's best, but maybe novel since it mixes so much saxophone with guitar? I dunno, but I'd have put 5 other Bowie albums on here before that one.

Way too many sax solos and overblown gospel choruses. Not one of his best

This album is a little all over the place. The hits are there but then there's an unnecessary cover of Across the Universe and some other forgettable tracks. But, funky Fascination might be the sleeper star.

I enjoyed this more than the previous two Bowie albums from the 2010s.

Solid album

I was surprised but how disappointing this album is overall, given that I actually quite like a lot of Bowie. Beyond Fame and Can you Hear Me it seemed a bit derivative

Bowie is one of my favorite artists. He’s a bona fide genius with an incredible catalog of diverse and fascinating music. This record, however, is not one of his better ones and I’m honestly shocked someone thinks this is essential. Young Americans is a decent track, some solid blue eyed soul. Fame is excellent. The rest is pretty tepid warmed over R&B from an artist who did not excel in that genre. Frankly, some of his worst songwriting on display here. A vanity project that never should have been on this list.

- Much more my vibe than yesterday - Love 70s music - I was interrupted many times while listening

While still not a huge Bowie fan, I like this album much more than Heroes. Also love Fame!

Музыка: 8/10 Разнообразие: 6/10 Тематика и вайб: 8/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 6/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 7/10 Итог: 7.0

No songs saved, but still Bowie. 3.

Not my style of music

Not my fav Bowie, but it's still Bowie. Fame is 10/10 banger tho.

- sehr schön - beatles inspired? - calming voice and style - mit dem und em self titled album bini schön i sini musig ine cho u wirde eue meh lose😊

Saxophone ft. David Bowie

Repeat listen

Eu gostei, todo o álbum parece uzar os mesmos instrumentos mas iá, é divertidinho

Bookended with classic Bowie songs. Stuff in middle was just alright, sounded reminded me of funk and just not what I expected (from what little I knew apparently)

Difficult listen for me - what did David do to ‘Across the Universe’? Laibach managed to pull it off! I love Ziggy but poor old Dave just doesn’t do it for me otherwise! Young Americans is great - don’t love Fame!

Tem algumas músicas boas, mas como álbum da para cortar algumas faixas

23/9/25 16:01

Fuck across the universe cover

This one is carried by the two (great) singles. Otherwise, rather disappointing.

88/1001 David Bowie - Young Americans Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ Bowie does soul and it's absolutely fine. The only tracks that properly standout are the singles - Young Americans and Fame, but the rest are just there being decent enough, with the exception of the Across the Universe cover, which is awful. Yes, whilst this provided a gear change sonically for Bowie from his previous glam rock era, you could argue of cultural appropriation. I would have liked to have hoped this was more cultural appreciation and him trying to broaden people's musical tastes at the time.

Probably one of his weakest albums

Young Americans is not Bowie's best album, but it was still a fun listen. I enjoy the small soul influence on his typical pop, and I think the record was far from bad

Not bad but not my favorite work of his. Fame was my favorite song

It's Bowie. It's good. But not his best. Neither as experimental, or conceptual, or peak poppy as his other albums.

3.3 1x

Varmaan parasta Bowieta mitä oon kuullut. Soulia ja funkkia genreltään. Chilliä ja kesäistä. Fame oli tuttu biisinä, mutta instrumentaali oli kanssa tuttu ihan kuin sitä olis samplattu jossain toisessa biisissä. Parhaat: Fame, Win, Young Americans

Outside of the singles, I get kinda bored with this. But man are those singles great.

I mean, its aaaaaaaalllrrrriiiigght but it's far from the best Bowie has to offer, hard to tell how much drugs he was on here to think that a soul record was the answer...

Didn't grow up listening to Bowie.. Discovered his sound later life. Enjoyed the sounds on this album

Never been a big Bowie fan. I’d never heard this record. After four listens though, I think maybe it’s great. I could do without Across the Universe, the big singles are pretty played out, but mostly an otherwise surprisingly soulful record.

It was good but I enjoyed the earlier Bowie album this list suggested.

Y.A., Fame, Win and Fascination are great to good. No reason at all for this record to be here. And that's coming from a Bowie fan

pretty classic shiz

just good vibes all around. another artist that i enjoy, but never really sit and listen to. could come back to this album anytime.

Cover Art Review - 8/10 -A great photo of David Bowie - this was not my favorite look for him - almost skeleton thin with a strange affect to his personality, but iconic with the hair, cig and bracelets. Musically - in the zone. Title track is a top five Bowie song imo - so much going on in this song musically, I can't even begin. Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, Earl Slick, John Lennon, Carlos Alomar....Ridiculous lineup of musicians on this album.

This was decent. Some of the ones in the middle lost me a bit; young americans (first) and fame (last) are my faves but overall a solid pick.

This is probably the closest Bowie has ever gotten to hitting for me. I really liked the soul influence and heavy use of horns. But partway through the I’ll-advised Beatles cover on the album I realized, I just really don’t like how Bowie sings. That’s what’s turned me off all these years. Fame is a banger though, so we end up landing middle of the road with this one as a whole

his cover of across the universe left something to be desired

This album has some great saxophone but unfortunately that wasn't enough to keep me interested.

Typical Bowie. One of my favorite artists. But he made so many albums that only a few stand out as amazing albums. 2-4 huge hits. The rest just average. 3.5

69/1001 :: David Bowie - Young Americans Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ➖ Rating: 6 Fav Tracks: Fame, Right Listen before you die: No I love David Bowie and I wanted to love this album. I didn’t. Apple Music has this an essential album. I guess because it Bowie’s disco (kinda) album? Maybe I need to listen to this more but I really loved Fame and not much else. The Beatles cover was interesting but I prefer the original. Right is a cool song and the title track is fine but definitely not my favorite Bowie song. That's all I got for this right now; I wonder if I’ll buy this in the used bin one day…

Starting an album with Young Americans is risky because it’s only downhill from there. The Beatles cover Across the Universe is horrendous but the album is saved with Fame

He has done way better

Not my favorite Bowie album, fair, not great

I have a soft spot for musicians who explore new boundaries. Bowie excelled at this throughout his career. I was fun seeing him explore soul, and a little funk, on this album. Very different than his previous work and the productions that followed. Not my favorite Bowie album, but I enjoyed the listen.

This was solid and enjoyable in parts … the instrumentals are fun and it’s crazy seeing Bowie of glam rock I’ve heard in priors album in this space … I think I prefer the more experimental Bowie there as this rates out as a solid 3

This is #day388 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... how about some plastic soul from The Thin White Duke? Well, I'm not really sure. For one, it's kind of fun, but overall, I have mixed feelings about the whole affair. I'm mostly fine with the musical backdrop, though. My only highlight is "Fame," I guess. Otherwise, this record could have been swapped for The Man Who Sold The World or Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), or just dropped. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day389.

Never heard this record, but it was cool to hear where Fame came from

May I say I find it a bit inauthentic? Not bad obviously. Also I have a deep hatred for the title track as I was forced to listen to it hundreds of times and it feels like it never ends

3/5

Not the best Bowie album, but a respectable entry.

More infuriatingly erratic stuff from Mr. Bowie. Certainly better than Aladdin Sane, but miles apart from “Rise and Fall….” I tried really hard to like it, and it was getting there. Ultimately, if Bowie wasn’t always signing over the music, it would be a 4. But he is, so it isn’t.

Not in his top 5 albums but still a couple of classics on there

A solid album, but it didn’t really bring anything new to the table.

It's alright, definitely interesting as a whole, but nothing standout for me

I’ve been radicalized by a pal and now think Bowie is mostly a Greatest Hits Artist. This one is a great example. I saw Young Americans and I thought “Oh yeah this is one of the good ones.” But after listening… is it? The first song is great and the last song is great. There’s a lot of filler and the Beatles cover sucks pretty bad. I think there’s like 7 more Bowies to come for me on here, I wonder if they’re mostly all like this. I suspect they are!

feels a lot like Dark Side of the Moon. very mellow and nice for relaxing. love the textures the guitar brought to mind. tracks I liked: - Fascination - Right - Can You Hear Me pretty okay, did not blow my mind, but still liked it a lot.

Stark inledning på denna. Young americans är ju bra och gillar även efterföljande Win. Därefter lite mer blandat - har inte riktigt förstått storheten med Fame. Han sjunger genomgående väldigt bra och det är en skapligt bra skiva på totalen. Stark trea.

🪩

Timeless detached cool

This sounds nothing like what his other albums do

Funky and fun but not really my style

Fine, solid.

3.5 stars This is a fun album. Young Americans is fantastic (love the interpolation of A Day in the Life), and Fame is fun. There isn’t really a bad song on the album (though I don’t love the Across the Universe cover), but I don’t necessarily need a full album of soul songs by Bowie. On that topic… can we just take a minute to talk about how fucking creepy and weirdly blood quantum racist it is to call this music “blue-eyed soul”? This must be the only genre that has a racial sub-category. Was this term invented so that racist American radio stations could play soul music but reassure everyone that the artists are white? That’s what I gathered from my quick Googling. That’s fucking weird and we should stop perpetuating it. I’m not saying we shouldn’t talk about race and cultural appropriation in music. As long as there’s inequity, race is part of the conversation. But I really think we can retire terminology that centres essentialized physical characteristics.

It’s funny that the album seen as one of Bowie’s “experimental” albums is actually celebrates one of the more commonly popular genres of the time (soul/R&B). So his experiment is to try to be typical. And it works…mostly. I think to say it’s a miss-step is maybe an overstatement, but to say it’s unfitting of his style and artistic direction is accurate. It’s always a little strange to hear one artist famous for a certain genre step into another, but because he was so talented, he did a serviceable job. The highlight, of course, is Fame. None of the other tracks actually stood out to me at all. John Lennon’s Midas touch (guitar and vocals on Across the Universe and Fame) of course saves this album. Overall, not bad, but also not even close to his best.

I used to adore this album but man the album cuts were kind of a slog. Title track, win, and fame RULE though. Win is a top 5 Bowie song for me it reminds of me 10th grade. 3.5

Genre: Blue-Eyed Soul Sort of a forgettable, sort-of bland take on soul and soft rock, bookended by two absolutely powerhouse Bowie classics, Young Americans and Fame. There are some other good ones here (Win, Fascination), but the rest isn’t anywhere close to his best. Seems like a Bowie album that’s extracurricular, except for the two bangers. 3/5

Interesting mix of music

Exceptionally, super fantastic opening track in 'Young Americans' and an equally exceptional penultimate track in 'Fame' but....there was a huge amount of saxophone. Great sound, great production but not his greatest. I feel really bad about giving it only 3 stars.

Hot and cold

A solid album. Not a huge Bowie fan but thi wasn’t alright.

Young Americans is good, album is solid, w a few little gems in there as well. Just watch a very david bowie esque movie so this fits in well with that. Lots of saxophone

Great bookend tracks, with a hideous cover of Across The Universe in the heart of the album. A pivot of music generes was due for Bowie, but it is not a great album in full. 3/5

One Bowie album that for sure could've sat this one out.

6/10 bowie the only white boy to get it on soul train

The Bowie Soul album. So much saxophone

This is much better than the previous David Bowie album I listened to. The funk beats were fun and this was much lighter in tone.

Great start, great finish. Don’t love the stuff in between (but I still love you, David Bowie).

a lot funkier and groovy than ziggy stardust from what I can remember. Pretty alright.

Two great tracks surrounded by forgettable quasi soul songs. Eh. The hits are massive, the rest is fine. So it goes with Bowie.

Easy listening, classic rock

Спокойная музыка без претензий на хитовость, для фона иногда подойдёт. 6 из 10.

3/5 - Why did I need to hear this album before I die? To fill in a gap of what I know about David Bowie. This isn’t a Bowie record I’m going to revisit, but Fascination and Right were both worth discovering. The collaboration with John Lennon was also new to me. I didn’t expect to hear a cover of Across the Universe.

big time

Album started off strong. I really liked Young Americans, but was not a fan of the following track Win. Fascination was okay, I enjoyed the cowbell. The next couple tracks as well were just okay to me as well, they have the signature Bowie sound but are kind of generic. I’ve heard Fame a lot before, but I didn’t really care for it. Perhaps my sour mood kept me from enjoying this album this morning, but I feel like it’s the weakest Bowie album on this list. 3 stars.

Good stuff but a mere 6 months later he was on a completely different level so it’s a 3 for me

Intressant med lite ny stil jämfört med hans mer glammiga grejer, gillar detta mer!

not my favorite album of his but not bad

pretty boring (might be because I was doing math while listening to it...) I liked "Win" and "Fame". "Across the universe" cover was good.

Sounded pretty good!

Dayvedd BowEyyyy. The guy oozed rizz back when it was just called charisma. This album kinda sat between the ziggy years and 80s Jareth the Goblin King years. It's a bit of a precursor for what's to come. Bit like my feelings on this album. Just very in-between. Not awful, but not amazing.

Alveg hreint hin fínasta plata hjá honum Bowie. Hann á það til að vera annaðhvort góður eða bara ekki í mínum huga en þetta er Bowie í góðu formi. Góð lög og eitthvað sem ég vil hlusta oftar á.

Let’s be honest, David Bowie is a fantastic musician who makes great music. But not all of his music is great. This album had the two hit songs and then maybe one more that I somewhat enjoyed. As an album, this falls flat. Still good mind you, but not worthy of a 5 star review in my book.

Easy going, some hit potential but didn't stuck with me. Potentially no candidate for this list.

Surprisingly good funk album by David Bowie. Both “Young Americans” and “Fame” are decent songs, and well know. The other songs funk songs like “Fascination” hold their own. I’m impressed how much Bowie’s style changes between albums while steel remaining good. To the bad. I think the cover of “Across the universe” is subpar. I think “Fame” is also quite overrated. This is not Bowie’s best work but it still is an enjoyable listen. Strong 3.

There's just some way better David Bowie albums. There are classics like Fame and the title track but just not my favourite of his

I have learned that I can never understand David Bowie, sadly.

Did not make an impression on me in the slightest.

Excellent opener and closer but Bowie’s putting the mid in middle

Okay, I need to give it another shake

I really can't say that I have listened to much Bowie outside his greatest few hits. He does not sound at all like I thought he would, but I did enjoy the album. The music is more rhythmic than I expected. There was repetition but it was not monotonous. I'll be interested to compare this one to the other Bowie albums on here.

First Bowie album on here that I thought was average.

I have almost no feelings toward this album. Didn't like it but didn't dislike it.

Ok this list is kissing David Bowie's ass I mean come on. I like Bowie just as much as the next guy but for fucks sake its like every other album. Good album, but I'm getting sick of listening to Bowie.

This was alright Bowie. I lost interest to some extent in the middle part but Fame is great and picked it right back up. 3.5

[david bowie enjoyer]: yeah i enjoyed this. 3.5

Fame absolutely kills but this contains my hands down least favorite version of Across the Universe

A weaker Bowie album is still a Bowie album 🤷

Bit meh, can see why it's not spoken of much Cool art though

This isn't my favourite Bowie album, but it sets the blueprint for artists who completely reinvent themselves with each new album. The true "eras" artist. Shame about the awful Beatles cover.

Too much soul for me

The Philly soul is evident the influence is there .

It was alright. Nothing amazing, but it sounded nice and was fun to listen to.

Not a bad album. Not overly great to these ears, but not bad!

I like Bowie soul. The darker, funkier version of Bowie is my style.

Bowie is clearly a talented vocalist and songwriter. The title track is a classic. The rest of the album is heavily influenced by the jazz and funk of the 1970's. Overall, a nice album but not really my favorite.

Guess I don't really like David Bowie that much. I somewhat appreciate the sound he's going for, with the more "American style" choir stuff he's going for, and the funkiness. - I just don't think it's that well executed. Also, I did not appreciate the cover of "Across the Universe" but maybe that's just me being stuck-up and close-minded. Waiting for Bowie to "click" for me...

Pretty good

Solid.

Decent album - enjoyed

Dancy and groovy but not all the songs hit and some tend to stay slightly too long. 6/10

Ah, Harry Styles dad. hahahaha. Not really in to Bowie's music, and this is not at all what I was expecting. It's funky and cool, but so many other artists and bands did the genre more justice. I wanted rock to be honest. "Somebody up There Likes Me" came close, but no cigar. I already know "Fame", I don't really like that track.

Decent but not my favourite of his material. Had heard Fame before - banger.

I like the guy... Later music was better

возможно ЭТО был альбом на котором я остановилась. в любом случае Боуи фатиг уже была в полный рост. сейчас норм, но домой о таком писать не буду

This is fun and cool. Not orthodox funk/rnb but it’s neat hearing a very Bowie take on it. First and last tracks are the big hits; the middle feels less memorable.

This took a few listens to stick, so I'm going to go against my assumptions and bring this down to a 3. Loved Young Americans, Right, and (of course) Fame.

Bookended by classic tracks, I just can't get there with this one. Station To Station and the Berlin Trilogy around the corner just highlights that Young Americans and the two albums that precede it are a blip in the quality that Bowie was capable to put out. But will always appreciate his ability to switch genres album to album. What a legend.

Typ sista var bra, nice att ha i bakgrunden typ!

Overall: 6/10 Bowie had so many different eras and personas that it's almost impossible to love everything he did. This is one that I don't particularly enjoy as much as his other works. It's his attempt at making soul music. There's moments of brilliance to be had. I like the title track and Fame always manages to make me excited. Nothing else really stands out. That's not to say any of it is bad (except his cover of Across the Universe), but they don't do much for me. Thankfully, every Bowie album I've yet to get is albums that I love so I'm looking forward to those. Fav Song: Fame Least Fav Song: Across the Universe

could i write poetry to this? y

My ninth and (hopefully) last David Bowie album on this list. It's wild nearly 1% of the albums of the albums on this list are from David Bowie. I get it I guess, but come on. I find this to be a pretty uneven album, bookended by a couple fantastic and well known songs.

This album starts and ends with two classics: "Young Americans" and "Fame." The rest ranges from very good ("Fascination") to solid ("Right") and pretty average/subpar ("Can You Hear Me"). Oh, and there's also a mind bogglingly awful cover of "Across the Universe." I admire Bowie’s effort to make the song his own, but this ain’t it lol All in all, this isn’t really a high point in Bowie’s career. He’d go on to release arguably the greatest three-album run in history with the Berlin Trilogy. You could even argue that some ideas on this album, especially the funk influences, would later reappear on Station to Station, where they’re much more refined and blended with more interesting Art Rock ideas. It’s hard to explain, but this album has kind of a “cheesy, but ironically cheesy” vibe at points. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but I can’t put it into words any better than that. Overall, I’d give it a solid 3.5.

It is a Bowie album alright; "Fame" is a choice cut

Man I had not heard as much of bowie as I thought I had. Its all that white funk like fame. Pretty good.

otra vez????? uhmmmmmm vale...... bien pero no me lo escuché entero debo confesar

Bueno, no se si es porque estoy contento por la canción de Iris o algo, pero no estuvo terrible. Casi salto por la ventana al ver que tenia que oir mas David Bowie pero al final buenoo. Que no se me malinterprete, de 8 canciones sobran la mitad, pero "Fame" o "Fascination" están guay la verdad, y las 4 malas son escuchables. Tiene un vibe 1000 veces mejor que el otro que escuche ayer, las bases son hasta similares a las del disco de Stevie, así funkáticas buen rollito. No sabia que el pesao este tenía el lado chill. Igualmente, de alguna forma, es capaz de cantar aún peor, y es una pena. Es el unico motivo por el que no se merece estar al nivel con el de Stevie, el cual es un canatante espectacular. David bowie se dedica a soltar notas al azar haciendo voces raras a ver si cuadran bien. Vaya notas el colega. La producción suena a culo, pero bueno, es el 74 tampoco lo voy a juzgar Nose supongo que 7/10 Y 3.5/5 pero queda el 3 pq no es igual de bueno a don Estebancito Milagro y su canciones en el tono de la vida.

Bueno otra vez david bowie yayyyy! A ver, este álbum creo que me gustó un poco menos que el anterior, así que le daré 3 estrellas porque sigue siendo david bowie y siguen gustándome las canciones (version de Across the Universe ni tan mal)

Big Bowie fan but I never really listen to this album, usually sticking to the albums before this.

Not the most essential Bowie but he’s never inessential

The title track is outstanding. The remainder of the album can't sustain the awesomeness

i've always like david bowie but have never listened holistically to his discography / known much about him honestly. This was just so unlike the David that I knew! There were a few songs on here i liked more than others (really liked across the universe), but apart from those few it was kinda just background noise for me.

Doung americans ano dazumals sind ez die verbieterete 60jährige amis wo eus täglich mit bedenkliche nachrichte vorzeigt werded. Naja isch wahrsch nöd em bowie sini schuld, nime ah das sind die wo das nöd glosst hend? Aber susch wie immer sicher nöd schlecht, wenn öpis vum david davster chund. Aber würki guet ischs leider au nöd. Gmütlich zum lose Mit eim bangertrack würi gern es 4i geh

Bowie doesn't do much here. The production is great, but overshadows him. Putrid cover of "Across the Universe"

Not terrible but also not memorable. Couple of great tracks!

the amount of his albums on this list makes me dislike them more unfortunately

7/10 Very strong start to a Bowie album, but sadly it drops off hard at the end. This felt like a more personal album to me. He shows some development and new themes here. Favorite Tracks: *Fascination*, Somebody Up there likes me, Young Americans, Right

I’ve said it before on this list and I’ll say it again, outside of a couple of songs, Bowie isn’t really for me. I’ve tried to like his stuff but I just can’t get into it. That being said, I liked this more than the other stuff I’ve had but it’s fine. His cover of Across the Universe was interesting but I don’t think it competes with The Beatles original.

Amazing opening, legendary closing. The in-between is good, but it doesn’t compare - and given the number of Bowie albums already on this list, Young Americans might have been one to omit.

Ja leuk toch bowie, speelt lekker weg, across the universe, geinig covertje. Al bij al blijf ik dit album toch écht wel opleggen hoor. Drie sterren, we zijn streng.

3 - decent carried hard by fame

I really like Bowie...like a lot. He's just so cool as a person. He's this enormously famous person but something about him just seems down to earth. That said, this album just didn't strike the same chord for me. Maybe it's my hatred of John Lennon or the disco-style sound on this album. Loved the lyrics, loved some tracks (Young Americans) but a bit less than what I expect from David.

I think maybe overall as albums I don’t love most Bowie albums. I love individual songs a hell of a lot and the man himself of course. Fame is an all-timer and I also dug the Across the Universe cover I somehow don’t think I’d heard before. Many cool moments but yeah as a collective I just don’t really think the album does a whole lot for my tastes.

I prefer my soul warmer, but the title track and "Fame" are great. 3.5 stars

Enjoyed this, feels like premium music

Decent album, but not my favourite from Mr. Bowie.

A funky album with every track being introspective. Favourite Track(s): Young Americans, Fascination Least Favourite Track(s): Win

This is my 5th David Bowie album and my favorite so far. Back in the day, Fame was the only song I was familiar with and didn’t care for it at all…but it has grown on me over the years and now I enjoy hearing it when it comes on. I enjoyed the rest of this album and found it easy to listen to, although some of the songs would have benefited from being a little shorter. I liked this arrangement of Across the Universe, but unfortunately found Bowie’s vocals to be way over the top. This album is really 3.5 stars, but I will rate it a three.

Look, this ain't my fave; the songs have too much of a gospel/crooner influence and there's not need for the Beatles cover, but goddamn, it's Bowie. It's good. Worth it for Fame alone.

Not one of the greats but worth 3 stars for Fame