David Bowie - Young Americans (W/Dvd) (Spec)
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Free Music Notes for Young Americans (W/Dvd) (Spec)
Free Music Review: Lots of Bang for the Buck
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the fourth Bowie CD to be repackaged as a double-disc Anniversay set, and in many respects is the best value of the bunch. This time, in addition to a wonderfully remastered CD of "Young Americans" we get a DVD that contains the entire CD in a 5:1 mix (DTS is my favorite flavor), as well as two great videos from the Dick Cavett show and an interview that is interesting albeit painful to watch.
While "Young Americans" is nowhere near the top of my list of Bowie CD's, the five stars goes for the quality and value of the package as presented. While some others have complained about the surround mix, I enjoy it immensely. If I want the original mix, it is on the CD in wonderful quality; if I want the surround mix, it is there as well. The surround mix is very active without feeling gimmicky. Frankly, I much prefer this mix to the SACD of Ziggy Stardust.
The Dick Cavett footage is a great bonus, and includes live performances of "1984" and "Young Americans"(the latter appeared on the DVD Best of Bowie"). The interview segment was taped when Bowie was in the darkest hour of his well-publicized cocaine addiction, and as such is painful to watch but hard to turn off. Anyone who has seen Bowie in an interview since 1980, and is accustomed to listening to an exceptionally lucid, witty man, will be shocked by this segment.
If you are a fan of Bowie's and are sitting on the fence about this release, I encourage you to try it out - it is a great package and well worth the purchase price. Now, if anyone out there is paying attention - please, please, please put together a special edition of Station to Station with the 1976 Nassau Coliseum concert as a bonus disc....
Free Music Review: Another Surprise From Bowie!
Hit: 5 Stars
"Young Americans" still surprises me to this day with it's amazing R&B. The sound was more clearly mixed than "Diamond Dogs" and it was a real departure for Bowie. The regular remastered CD with, "John, I'm Only Dancing", "Who Can I Be Now?" and "It's Gonna Be Me" sounds even better than the original CD. The extra three tracks are on par with the other songs and its bewildering that in an era when 12 songs per album were standard, Bowie released an eight song album. "John, I'm Only Dancing" is a much more improved R&B version than the rock version.
The 5.1 mix surprised me. It is not perfect and I like it that way. Luther Vandross's back-up vocals come mostly from the rear speakers and you can hear him much more clearly. The congas on "Young Americans" are a little loud for the mix, but it makes the whole experience seem more like a live studio recording instead of a carefully remastered remix. In fact, Bowie mentioned in the liner notes that he liked recording this album with all the instruments playing at once while he sang. There are other surprises. On this DVD you can hear John Lennon speak briefly after one song and the finale of "Fame" has each word of 'fame' descending going around the room from speaker to speaker, but the loud shout of 'fame!' before, 'what's your name, what's your name, what's your name...' is missing. It catches you!
The Dick Cavett interview is a treat, with Bowie sniffing and wiping his nose while fidgeting with his cane. So he did a lot of coke during this period. Who cares? The album is a perfect choice for surround sound. And that sound will vary from system to system.
Free Music Review: Best cover of "Across the Universe" Ever!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I don't care what the review says, this is the best cover of Across the Universe ever! The best song on the CD next to Fame and better than Fiona Apple's and Rufus Wainwright's, which are pretty good themselves.
I love the drumming at the end of the song and both John & David going at it (if that is John Lennon with him). A cover song is supposed to sound different than the original but keep some elements and this song is definitely David Bowie's version not Beatles which is a classic by itself. Why do the song the same as the original?
Anyway, David is no stranger to great covers, Let's Spend the Night Together is even better than the original.
And I love it when they cover him too. I love Seu Jorge and even the much maligned Barbra Streisand cover of Life on Mars? I give her props for tackling it in her Butterfly album (the best song on that CD too) and I like her vocals in it even though the instrumentation is not as mystifying as David's with Piano and Cello's etc... Her voice was great, if she could redo it with his music that would be a treat.
Free Music Review: Amazing new 5.1 surround mix!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Bowie's longtime producer Tony Visconti strikes again! After the wonderful DVD-Audio and CD re-releases of David Live and Stage, Mr. TV has worked his magic on the classic Young Americans album.
If you've never heard this album, it will rock your world. If you know this album well, the new version will rock your world even harder! I was simply amazed at how great the sound is, especially the surround effect in 5.1. I heard instrumentation and vocal arrangements that got lost in the earlier stereo album mix. It was like hearing the album for the first time all over again!
If you don't have surround sound yet, the included stereo CD is just as exciting. The mix is much brighter and more powerful than before, so you won't be disappointed.
Also, the DVD includes the rare video of Mr. Bowie's completely coked-up appearance on the Dick Cavett show -- absolutely essential viewing for any Bowie fan!
Free Music Review: The DVD is NTSC (not PAL).
Hit: 5 Stars
The DVD in this set is NTSC (not PAL) and plays fine in my standard North American DVD player. I haven't listened to any of the music yet, so I can't comment with regard to how this reissue sounds. I purchased this item from Amazon on December 8, 2010.
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