David Bowie – Young Americans (1975)

For several years in the early 70s, David Bowie was putting out British glam rock.  He took a sudden artistic turn in 1975 with the release of the soul/funk of Young Americans.  Working with guitarist Carlos Alomar for the first time + saxophonist David Sanborn, backup singers Luther Vandross and Ava Cherry – Bowie teamed up with producer Tony Visconti and Harry Maslin to record in the US for the first time. 

With the aforementioned talent behind him, the musicianship on the album is top notch.  The title track immediately has a loose vibe and a killer chorus by the R+B back up singers.  The new Philadelphia sound brims with energy on the plastic soul hit. “Win” is a late-night soul atmospheric jam before the gritty funk of “Fascination” that was based on a Vandross track.  Two of the final tracks include UK mate John Lennon. The first on an impassioned though not entirely successful cover of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe”. The second is the blockbuster, “Fame”.

“Fame” was Bowie’s first number one single in the US. The funk groove lays a bed on which Bowie singles on the ills of being famous.  It’s a classic track that helped usher in an era of rock stars incorporating US funk sounds (The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Rod Stewart, etc).  Young Americans is an interesting diversion on Bowie’s albums.  Not all of it works but his genuine interest to record this music results in a couple of classic Bowie tracks and a few other good ones. 

7.5/10