YOUNG AMERICANS

"Young Americans" was indeed a strong departure for Bowie. Although I wouldn't sit the album up there with his four and five star classics, it's still very good and it kicked off a new creative period. He had already signposted his change of direction on his last album. This one however, is so distinct in its character that you either love it or hate it. At the very least, this album is consistent and Bowie proves he truly has some serious soul. As for the songs, the title track and the collaborative effort "Fame" with John Lennon are excellent. There aren't songs anything quite like them in the world. And these funk induced styles paved the way for even more class on "Station To Station". The cool funky bass driven "Somebody Up There Likes Me" is another highlight. 'Fascination' is a taster for his later multi layer production techniques with Brian Eno. Here, they are used to convey an urgent and sexy groove and a certain Mr Luther Vandross is used superbly on backing vocals. Bowie's version of "Across the Universe" is generally accepted as awful, but it actually isn't bad! In all, we have another creative and enigmatic work, which is well worth checking out. 3.5 stars.