Sound and Vision - Bowie Genius
July 29th 2008 12:47
:
Sound and Vision - Bowie Genius
There is no artist with such an incredible musical output as David Bowie, period 1969 (Space Oddity, the song and the album) to 1980 (Scary Monsters - side 2 is one of the best sides Bowie ever produced, shame about side 1 with that horrible Fashion that destroys it all). The critics may have steered away from Bowie over the years - not that strange considering some of his horrible 80's work - but for me Bowie is still an everyday reality. Hardly a day passes without Bowie. And even though I always claim Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust as my all time favorites, with - of course - Heroes as the best ever Bowie song, there is one album I have played more than the rest over the past years.
Young Americans is Bowie's little gem, an album so near perfection that I continue to discover new things. The I-pod age has made me rediscover Tony Visconti's magnificent production and the essential role the horn section plays on this album. Especially the saxophone is all-defining on songs like Somebody up there likes me and the album's best track Right. But most of all; listen to that voice. It's hard to believe that there are only two years between Ziggy and Young Americans.
1974. Bowie is disappointed that George Orwell's wife has rejected his request to be allowed to use 1984 for a musical. The songs end up on Diamond Dogs, another gem, but the albums couldn't be more different - while at the same time of course they both are pure Bowie: the enigma of a real genius.
Bowie toured the USA extensively. Result is the great David Live album, too much underrated by both critics and Bowie himself. May have something to do with this dark period in his life; artistically speaking a time of pure genius, but coke induced Bowie lives in a constant state of oblivion. Strange as it seems; it is hard to imagine that someone in that state of mind could produce the incredible Young Americans and - only a year later - Station to Station.
In the US, Bowie became fascinated by the new soul sounds of the Philly label, the songs written and produced by Gamble and Huff and performed by groups like the O'Jays. He decided to make a soul album himself and the idea for what would become Young Americans was born. He even toyed with the idea to hire the Philly backing band MFSB (Mothers, Fathers, Sisters and Brothers - hit Let's clean up the ghetto, and more), but in the end he got a great new rhythm section, with major roles for Carlos Alomar (guitars) and Dennis Davis (drums).
Bowie labelled his album 'plastic soul' but he did himself a disservice by doing so. The early seventies produced the best soul albums ever and Young Americans still stands as one of the best soul albums form that era, next to classics like Marvin Gaye's What's going on and Curtis Mayfield's Superfly.
Tony Visonti was not responsible for the Beatles cover Across the Universe and Bowie's first number one Fame. Both songs were the result of a spontaneous session in New York with John Lennon.
I have always been surprised that Fame received so much acclaim and was such a commercial success. Not that I dislike the song, but it can't compete with the rest of Young Americans (apart from the more curious than really great Across the Universe - prefer the Beatles original by far; one of the best songs John Lennon has ever written). Only recently I read about two original Young American songs, both produced by Tony Visconti that had been shelved because of the last minute addition of the two Bowie/Lennon songs.
The two songs are Who can I be now and and It's gonna be me. These days I see the new edition with both songs included as extra's everywhere (apparently they were first added on Rykodisc in 1991) and I was very happy to buy my copy a few weeks ago. Both songs are beautiful, pure soul, and they fit the album much better than the Bowie/Lennon songs. If you are a Bowie fan, make sure you get this edition. Not only do they finally complete Young Americans, they underline Bowie's genius by making this one of the most standout albums ever. Highly underrated; make sure you get your copy.
Young Americans is Bowie's little gem, an album so near perfection that I continue to discover new things. The I-pod age has made me rediscover Tony Visconti's magnificent production and the essential role the horn section plays on this album. Especially the saxophone is all-defining on songs like Somebody up there likes me and the album's best track Right. But most of all; listen to that voice. It's hard to believe that there are only two years between Ziggy and Young Americans.
1974. Bowie is disappointed that George Orwell's wife has rejected his request to be allowed to use 1984 for a musical. The songs end up on Diamond Dogs, another gem, but the albums couldn't be more different - while at the same time of course they both are pure Bowie: the enigma of a real genius.
Bowie toured the USA extensively. Result is the great David Live album, too much underrated by both critics and Bowie himself. May have something to do with this dark period in his life; artistically speaking a time of pure genius, but coke induced Bowie lives in a constant state of oblivion. Strange as it seems; it is hard to imagine that someone in that state of mind could produce the incredible Young Americans and - only a year later - Station to Station.
In the US, Bowie became fascinated by the new soul sounds of the Philly label, the songs written and produced by Gamble and Huff and performed by groups like the O'Jays. He decided to make a soul album himself and the idea for what would become Young Americans was born. He even toyed with the idea to hire the Philly backing band MFSB (Mothers, Fathers, Sisters and Brothers - hit Let's clean up the ghetto, and more), but in the end he got a great new rhythm section, with major roles for Carlos Alomar (guitars) and Dennis Davis (drums).
Bowie labelled his album 'plastic soul' but he did himself a disservice by doing so. The early seventies produced the best soul albums ever and Young Americans still stands as one of the best soul albums form that era, next to classics like Marvin Gaye's What's going on and Curtis Mayfield's Superfly.
Tony Visonti was not responsible for the Beatles cover Across the Universe and Bowie's first number one Fame. Both songs were the result of a spontaneous session in New York with John Lennon.
I have always been surprised that Fame received so much acclaim and was such a commercial success. Not that I dislike the song, but it can't compete with the rest of Young Americans (apart from the more curious than really great Across the Universe - prefer the Beatles original by far; one of the best songs John Lennon has ever written). Only recently I read about two original Young American songs, both produced by Tony Visconti that had been shelved because of the last minute addition of the two Bowie/Lennon songs.
The two songs are Who can I be now and and It's gonna be me. These days I see the new edition with both songs included as extra's everywhere (apparently they were first added on Rykodisc in 1991) and I was very happy to buy my copy a few weeks ago. Both songs are beautiful, pure soul, and they fit the album much better than the Bowie/Lennon songs. If you are a Bowie fan, make sure you get this edition. Not only do they finally complete Young Americans, they underline Bowie's genius by making this one of the most standout albums ever. Highly underrated; make sure you get your copy.
| 38 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
