Young Americans : David Bowie : Review : Rolling Stone

Young Americans is easy to overlook, since David Bowie did most of these robot-soul space-funk tricks better two years later on Station to Station. But it broke him in the U.S., building on the Philly R&B style, with a young Luther Vandross debuting on background vocals. "Win," "Right‚" and "Fascination" are cult faves, while the disco-fused John Lennon duet "Fame" jolted both men's careers. The title song might be Bowie's best ever, with the rhythm inspiring his most passionate (and compassionate) love letter to his fans. Outtakes include "It's Gonna Be Me" and "Who Can I Be Now," two great gospel tracks cut at the last minute to make room for Lennon. But the prize rarity is DVD footage of Bowie on The Dick Cavett Show in 1974, all coke psychosis and shoulder pads. He sniffles, twitches, twirls his princely walking stick and generally makes a drug-addled ass of himself. Ah, fame.