David Bowie - Young Americans (W/Dvd) (Spec)
|
Music CD Cover Artist: David Bowie Brand: BOWIE,DAVID Edition: Music CD Format: Extra tracks, Special Edition CD Release Date: 2007-06-05 Music Label: Virgin Records Us Soundtracks: Music CD 1
|
| New | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $16.82 | ||
| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $14.99 |
Your purchase is protected by the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee. Amazon.com automatically transfers your payment to the merchant so you'll never need to pay a merchant directly. Amazon.com A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee covers both the delivery of your item and its condition upon receipt.
Free Music Notes for Young Americans (W/Dvd) (Spec) Album
Free Music Review: No surround problems at all
Hit: 4 Stars
I'm not sure why anyone would have a problem with this surround mix. It doesn't jump out at you like others I've heard (particularly on some of the Depeche Mode Special Editions), but it's perfectly adequate without distracting too much from the straightforward soul, rock and dance/disco sounds that Bowie explores on this album. I completely disagree with what another reviewer wrote about the mix on Fame; that song is a real treat in surround. It's no drastic reinvention or alteration - just Fame nicely spread across all 5 speakers in your surround setup like any fan would expect, and like any great song, it makes me want to crank the volume as much as possible even if it means pissing off the neighbors. Thank god I'm not in an apartment.
That being said, as everyone knows Young Americans finds Bowie comfortably entering his blue-eyed soul period. Back when it was released, this must have thrown everyone for a loop. But looking back, consider this a warmup for what eventually would become the perfect distillation of Bowie's unique sound with funk and soul: Station to Station. Young Americans isn't quite as good as that disc, but it certainly holds its own in the Bowie catalog. There are no weak tracks here, and besides the obvious hits, check out Bowie's wild, soulful take on Lennon's Across the Universe (way better than it should be), as well as the great bonus cut It's Gonna Be Me. The remastering does a nice job bringing out how tight the background singers and musicians were on all these tracks, which again shows new life in full suround on the bonus disc. In an age where honing music to perfection is the norm, it's nice to hear the raw skill of these musicians and singers behind Bowie's impassioned vocals.
If anything, buy this set simply for the bonus videos. Besides two excellent live performances, Young Americans and 1984, from the Dick Cavett show, you get a full one-on-one session between Cavett and Bowie. Talk about intense - here's Bowie playing nervously with his cane, wiping his nose, and obviously a bit too young to take much of it too seriously. Besides the apparent side effects of coke, he's as amused at our reactions to him as we are to his ever-changing personnas. Frtunately, Cavett doesn't take him too seriously either, and the two strike a fun and easy rapport. This is priceless stuff - with the only thing missing being a reunion between the two to offer some commentary. Guess I can wish.
Let's hope this special edition is just the start of the entire Bowie catalog being released in this format. I know Bowie fans have been inundated with rereleases and remasters, and it's gotten a bit ridiculous. But if surround-sound, videos and vintage interviews are part of the offering, I'll sell my set of Virgin remasters and come along for the ride.