Hip Hop Fan Reacts To David Bowie - Young Americans

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[@bigneon_glitter]

Bowie didn't create a character for _Young Americans_ but he described the album as "Plastic Soul", drawing heavy influence from the Philadelphia Soul scene. The song itself is his definitive snaphot of the American reality as he saw it after traveling/touring the country (by limo & train, he was afraid of flying at the time) listening to US Soul in 1974. He would create (and embody, dangerously) the character "The Thin White Duke" for _Station To Station_ a year later. The band he formed for _YA_ - veteran Funk/Soul players drafted from the Apollo Theater, Harlem - would stay with him through the Berlin period & help create & influence an entirely new genre: Post-Punk & New Wave. Full album listens of Bowie's discography are *essential* & highly recommended.

[@cn_862]

Technically Plastic Soul is also a character. It's not as well-defined or as well-known within a transition period between Aladdin Sane to Thin White Duke especially at the time of its existence, but Bowie did refer to it as a character in this interview kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKbHqnqhfLx3osU A surprise to me at the time I came by this info, but it makes a lot of sense as a transitive character who is hypocritically self-aware of its inauthenticity and the artificiality around it, between the technology-obsessed fallen savior in New York of Aladdin Sane and the rotten opulence of Thin White Duke.

[@richarddefortuna2252]

That's not Southern Soul, that's straight up Philly Soul, right from where he recorded that album: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[@pablolazaromartinez3541]

From a similar era but utterly different, Station to station

[@a2zme]

Bowie was a pure artist .. no style .. no genre of music that he didn't attack & master .. absolute masterclass song-writer. You should do the ENTIRE Ziggy Stardust album .. every track is a masterpiece. #RIP

[@SpaceCattttt]

Funny comment. I agree that Bowie was a master of every genre he tried out, but why then react to the entire Ziggy Stardust album? That's just glam rock through and through. Wouldn't it be better to react to songs throughout his career to get a feel for his versatility as an artist?

[@michaelb2388]

Every genre of music? Really? I don't recall him "attacking" classical music

[@a2zme]

@@michaelb2388 You never heard his Opus in Cm? ..

[@korybeavers6528]

Bowie recorded this in Philadelphia, and a young Luther Vandross is in the backing vocals

[@michaelkeefe8494]

and David Sanborn on sax

[@cazgerald9471]

Not only backing vocals, Vandross is credited with vocal arrangements and has a co-writing credit for "Fascination"

[@IDriveAnAudi]

Luther was really young here. There’s a live version on KZbin with Luther singing in a background trio. What a timeless voice (Luther)!

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

I thought they pulled in behind a bridge, not a fridge!

[@jasonremy1627]

The lyrics are a bit off I think.

[@thomasgruseck7971]

The line in the middle from the Beatle's "A Day in the Life" is a shout out to Bowie's good friend John Lennon. Lennon co-wrote the Bowie hit "Fame," which also appears on the "Young Americans" album, and on which Lennon sings back up vocals. If you haven't heard "Fame," that would be a good next Bowie song to react to.

[@kimreed4468]

Yes, it's a small music world... Look who else he worked with across his career.

[@keithdf2001]

His earlier work he sang a lot in a tenor voice. He started using his baritone voice more few years later. Remarkable vocalist. Incredible range

[@sabralocke4904]

Miss Bowie so much! Panicc in Detroit rocks

[@MARCOSIDJUNE]

You will like..."IM AFRAID OF AMERICANS " By David Bowie..👍🏼✊🏽💥

[@Joshualuv13]

Bowie was simply brilliant .

[@Frankincensedjb123]

This song was the result of, what Bowie said,cramming his "whole American experience" into one song. The song was recorded between tour dates at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios, which was the capital of black music in the area. The soul influence had a very obvious effect on Bowie's style. He even completely redesigned the stage for the rest of his Diamond Dogs tour.

[@briangray00]

Philly and the polishing of soul music, was ear candy to me at the time and still is. It's pretty much the dawn of D.I.S.C.O. Bowie enjoying it and wanting to join in is a cherry on top.

[@maryelizabethreynoldsprice2135]

Bowie was GENIUS.

[@ziggymarlowe5654]

Thanks for giving Young Americans a listen. This was considered Bowies "Soul Man" persona. His many personas is what always fascinated me.

[@antarcticorb9197]

Check out Stay by Bowie for what you're looking for.

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

oooh yeah

[@ronbock8291]

Crazy. You skipped from his cosmic early Major Tom period right over the glam rock era to his Thin White Duke soul period. You’ve missed probably his most famous alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. And Aladdin Sane (a lad insane, get it?). The song Fame from this album is the banger. You will not only dig it, but immediately recognize its lasting impact on music.

[@gsparkman]

Don’t forget Panic in Detroit.

[@catenystrom6506]

You NEVER know what you're going to get from Bowie, constantly reinvented himself, I loved him so much

[@brianmorris1410]

The bridge wasn’t exactly vocoder but a guitar filter called a flanger…but way ahead of its time

[@davidgagne3569]

Nice to see Bowie again. The Thin White Duke - this IS soul music. He performed this on the show Soul Train. How about Heroes next?

[@CuzKatieSaysSo]

In 1975 I had just turned 18 so the doors to the bars were open to me. This was a Fantastic dance floor song, and almost 50 years later I can still put myself on that dance floor. The name of the bar was The Stoned Toad, God I loved the 70's 😂

[@sourisvoleur4854]

Never been able to make this song make sense, but it doesn't matter. It's an awesome track.

[@richarddefortuna2252]

And that first verse depicts two young American teens having sex as part of the American Dream. His ring was his high school ring, and giving it to her meant that they were then going "steady," i.e., being exclusive. The older, American dating rituals that no longer exist, especially in these days of internet sex and the hook up culture. The song takes the piss out of a lot of American Dream-type myths in the wake of the Viet Nam debacle and President Nixon's impeachment-avoiding resignation.

[@777petew]

When I heard this in 1976, it felt it belonged to the future, way ahead of the time. Loved it, but very advanced.

[@patrick3926]

Great track and agree that has his blue eyed soul with the gospel background ⚡️✨

[@Alewifes_Husband]

AS mentioned below -- for sure, Fame is a must and sort of the "companion" song to this one. Just fantastic work by Mr. Jones (Bowie) and such a lasting legacy.

[@SpaceCattttt]

I wouldn't call Bowie a storyteller. He did do a few story-based songs, but mostly, he would take a character and/or a situation and describe it subjectively. This song, as you say, is indeed soul music. Or "plastic soul" as Bowie himself referred to it. He was a huge admirer of the genre but felt a bit inauthentic doing soul music as a white lad from London. But it was a huge success, particularly in America. And when asked about it, Bowie said that he would've been perfectly happy producing nothing but soul music for the rest of his career! Fortunately, he had other avenues to explore. His restless "soul" and constant need for reinvention is what I like most about him.

[@anthonyblakely399]

In 1975…….Soul music……Funk music……Disco music….and Bee Gees that ruled The Airwaves and blew up the music charts EVERYWHERE!!!! David's music and personna was old and out dated and he was loosing money…..so he changed his personna and his music….he went into American Black music which included Jazz, Soul(R &B)music, Blues, Gospel, and Funk music……So….he made an album, Young American which featured all these musical style…….and when he released "Fame," that song went up the Billboard charts everywhere and David was in the Spotlight again because he had changed his vocal and style of musical instrument and reinvented himself….he took off the make-up and glitter clothes and started wearing smart looking suits and great looking hair and he became this swagged British white artist with the booming funky/soul voice……and then all of us made him our favorite artist.

[@willynilly2545]

Great. Please do FIVE YEARS by Bowie!

[@stellahalcyon9859]

That was the "Thin, White, Duke" era

[@pablolazaromartinez3541]

Very well you spotted the Beatles ' line! Also, in this álbum is a cover of a Beatles ' song , a song co written with Lennon,plus the performance of Lennon himself

[@vcstaff]

Check out PJ Harvey. She’s very similar to Bowie - in that her appearance, voice, themes, and musical style change with nearly every album. Other parallels are her artistic nature and story-telling ability.

[@davidmaholchic6146]

This is the content I look for on KZbin love you

[@dmgallibond469]

David Bowie, Prince, Freddy Mercury (of Queen). They were three artists and singers who were able to make switching up genres and exploring different musical styles feel effortless. Led Zeppelin played a lot of different styles, but they always sound like Led Zeppelin playing those styles. Bowie and Prince were especially adept at completely embodying different styles and sounding almost like a different artist, if that makes sense. It's interesting that as a fan coming from hip-hop you like the "Space Oddity" better than this song; as someone who grew up with the music of the 1970s and 1980s, "Young Americans" is probably my favorite David Bowie song because it taps into that soul music sound that was so prevalent on radio in my youth. Great reaction and nice analysis!

[@stevel2504]

Young Americans I'd just a brilliant, underrated album, cameos from John Lennon and features Luther van dross, masterpiece!

[@jadalan1047]

My favorite Bowie track. Thanks for reacting and analyzing -- keep up the great work!

[@briangray00]

Did you notice any difference in the characterisations between 69 Bowie and 75 Bowie?😃😃😄 I'm not being condescending in suggesting there's a huge time gap and 5 albums and stardom to boot in between. I'm 40 years older than you and grew up and marvelled at the time how he morphed between personas and musical influences and styles between those dates above, nailing all of them. There's more to come post '75. He's rightly renowned for shifting shapes, but he writes *great* *arresting* lyrics, the tunes are marvellous and his voice is so emotive. It could make a glass eye weep. At the time a lot of people were put of by the (over the top?) theatrically; If you buy the theatre though, he is golden.

[@robertmarlow255]

Between Space Oddity & Young Americans was Ziggy Stardust and, the Ziggy goes to America album, Aladdin Sane.

[@cynthiajennings5792]

Recorded at Sigma Studios here in Philly.

[@deirdredoyle9410]

I think the whole song is about the pursuit of the American dream - and how very different it is from lived experience and reality. I think Bowie had such empathy and depth, that he never comments on anyone - he becomes the person.

[@ChataCovers]

bowie admitted that he gets a lot of his lyrics by clipping out pieces of magazines and spreading them out covered face down then he uncovers them randomly and puts them together

[@toussaid5340]

Bowie is an S tier artist. In my top 5

[@mainmac]

Good catch on the Beatles line, that's not just coincidence. John Lennon sang on a number of songs on this album, one of the album tracks is a cover of Beatles' Across the Universe.

[@sapphoculloden5215]

I've always taken the line "she took his ring, took his babies" to mean that she got pregnant and they got married. Her getting pregnant was an act that "took him minutes. She kept on wanting him, sexually, though, even though this "took her nowhere", and she found herself stuck in a dead-end life.

[@TheWizardOfEgo]

Yes same here - they were young the marriage was unfulfilling as it was for a lot of women in those times - she wanted something that didn't exist this in this American dream(where have all of papa's heroes going) - It was wasted life plagued by debt, a brief encounter with a hippy , had to live for 20 years do we have to die for 50 more? her breadwinner begs on the bathroom floor (her husband is a drunk?) - I think it is the death of the American dream seen through the eyes of a women getting older and her dreams slipping away - like poetry there are many ways to look at it - Bowie tended to have a ideas that he put together in a jumble that gave a feeling rather than a story

[@the_judge_8262]

Backing singers featuring the then "unknown" Luther Vandross 😀😀

[@jonsher7682]

While the music genre is soul, it is not of the Southern gospel variant but instead Philadelphia, and you may be unaware of that difference because you might not know of the great migration of black Americans in the 20th century from the rural South, where which they fled poverty, Jim Crow and the KKK, to the cities in the North, especially Chicago but also Philadelphia, New York, Boston and others. In their exodus, they brought their music and adapted it to their new urban influences to produce blues and R&B or various shades depending upon the city and decade. As for the meaning of its lyrics, Bowie said he was not telling a story but instead focusing on a moment when a newly-wed couple don’t know if they really like each other and are bewildered about what the future might bring." The solo was a saxophone, which is not part of a horn section; the sax is a reed instrument; horns include trumpets and trombones; when saxes and horns are grouped together, they are called brass instruments. I get it's not your thing now. You grew up enjoying bass lines; you didn't grow up listening to jazz, blues or soul. But you might like it more if you understood its cultural and historical context. It's music that represents the most significant social and racial migration in American history and reflects the oppression, struggles and triumphs along the way.

[@unndunn1]

The first line in the lyrics “they pulled in behind the ‘fridge’” cracked me up. Not sure how you’d pull in behind a fridge. Bridges are easier. 😂

[@paulhagger3895]

Behind the fridge?? Lol. It's bridge

[@mattleppard1964]

Great song. Glad I subscribed to you, mate. The story is pure Americana, and the music is his Plastic Soul cocaine years. Do more! Scary Monsters is a fine album 🎉

[@MelissaP.]

Great reaction. I'd love to hear your reaction to Prince.

[@the51project]

He used cut-up of his own writings, and magazines, then he got a programmer to make software on mac that did it (wish I could find it). Byt cutting up hundreds of words and ramdom phrases, then picking them up at random - he actually created many of his songs. He's tapping into the Greek 'Muse' - that realization that there is an etheric/spiritual side of creation, and his cut-up process dips into the 'magical' spiritual world, that is our first home. Look for Bowe cut-ups and you'll find an old interview with him of the process, and one of his songs as a cut-up... creation.

[@chrisredditch]

Lyric Error - They pulled in just behind The Bridge - Not Fridge. Now it makes more sense :)

[@robertasirgutz8800]

This is Bowie's "Plastic Soul" period. Commercially viable.

[@rkw2917]

All Bowie songs have some message Certainly my favorite Bowie album David Sanborn on sax is very distinctive Once you hear it you might have flashbacks on listening to many other famous artists

[@larryweekley1796]

A good choice for your next Bowie song would be "I'm afraid of Americans"

[@laapache1]

your friend Ziggy , Bowie name during this period was Ziggy Stardust

[@maha77]

Please check out this bands early 80's synth classics: *YAZOO* - *_Don't Go_* & *YAZOO* - *_Situation_*

[@annakermode6646]

That is Luther Vandross on back up vocals

[@bobdelp2023]

HEY SYED! 😊 SO YEAH HIS CONCEPT ALBUM WAS ( ZIGGY STARDUST ) THIS WAS MY ALBUM, NO CHARACTER IN IT, I WAS 15 WHEN THIS CAME OUT AND IN 10TH GRADE SO! 😊 PARTYINGGGG HARD AND HEAVY MY FRIEND! 😊 SAME ALBUM AS THE OTHER HUGE HIT : FAME

[@BalbazaktheGreat]

Heh. Compare this with "I'm Afraid of Americans" which he did with NIN's Trent Reznor.

[@TheWizardOfEgo]

Yes same here - they were young the marriage was unfulfilling as it was for a lot of women in those times - she wanted something that didn't exist this in this American dream(where have all of papa's heroes going) - It was wasted life plagued by debt, a brief encounter with a hippy , had to live for 20 years do we have to die for 50 more? her breadwinner begs on the bathroom floor (her husband is a drunk?) - I think it is the death of the American dream seen through the eyes of a women getting older and her dreams slipping away - like poetry there are many ways to look at it - Bowie tended to have a ideas that he put together in a jumble that gave a feeling rather than a story

[@spruce381]

It is soul man.

[@c.i.z.recordings8325]

His famous Ian-Curtis-meets-Wim-Wenders phase, but more post-religious than it sounds.

[@JosephHuntelvisnspiders]

The first line is not a fridge they pull in behind.

[@daniellastuart3145]

just listen to the Album is amazing

[@BalbazaktheGreat]

"Wow, very different." Like I said, not two Bowie tracks sound the same.

[@letitbesummer6536]

I’ve always loved this song but have no idea what he’s talking about. Will have to look at the lyrics more closely. I’m 🇨🇦 so our culture (in general) is different. Interesting take on the song. I love the beat and the soul!

[@vincentvancraig]

Yes, this was his “philly soul” period, a young luther vandross sings back vocals, along w/ many other highly talented philly soul musicians....bowie “kind of” discovered Luther, but more so what he did was give him confidence and let him shine because vandross was painfully shy...bowie even included a song written by vandross on the young americans album called “fascination”...this is one of my top bowie songs ever, my other face from this album is “win” that one REALLY sounds like trippy ass soul music, its crazy its out there....good catch on the beatles “sample/tribute”.....interpreting these esoteric words tho are a tiny bit futile, bowie was high as a kite on cocaine in 1974, amd in 1975 on the next album station to station is a whacked out masterpiece he made in a literal coke-storm, it’s completely bat-shit insane and glorious at the same time, it only has 6 songs on it....then, from 1977 to 1980 he slowly got more and more sober, layed way, way off the coke and drank quite a bit, then took some time off and hung out with his son after 1979, quit drinking for good, and was dead sober for the remaining 36 years of his life.....the next albums after young americans: station to station, low, heroes and lodger, and prob the one after called “scary monsters” was his big time prescient/genius period, he sobered up greatly, got very normal lookimg but ppl said “the straighter he looks, the crazier the music gets”, and it was true, the coming experimental period after young americans from 1975 to 1980 was crazy ground-breaking, IMO he kind of started the 1980’s post-punk, new wave era, there were others, but they pretty much all give bowie major props and major cred

[@terrypmusic]

Very good, keep it up

[@orjanstenbom2211]

I suggest you react to Bowie material in some kind of time-line-thing, to have a chance to sense the evolution of his music. Space Oddity you already done, ziggy too - so live version of Jean Genie would be a good follower. Walk In the Wild Side(Lou reed) Then Rebel Rebel, Fame, Golden Years, station To Station, sound and Vision, lust for life (Iggy pop), the passenger (Iggy pop) Heroes, Ashes To Ashes, Under Pressue(collaboration with Queen) Let’s Dance, I’m Afraid Of Americans.

[@widsof7862]

I think Luther Vandross is one of the backing vocals

[@dimestorephilosopher3308]

She wants a young American. This is a songwriter who grew up in a post WW2 UK with lots of US servicemen.

[@pablolazaromartinez3541]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@simonlucas5213]

Try 'Sound and Vision' next, and then realise it's from less than two years later

[@jasonremy1627]

Next up, try "Ziggy Stardust". You'll love it.

[@jonathanwright9613]

Very American sound to this track.

[@morrison62]

Bowie is one of the few people who is a true artist. He was always changing styles, both visually and artistically. Yet, it is all good and has a good sound to it. Now, SYED, you should check out the "Let's Dance" album. Alot of it was produced by Nile Rodgers, whose group CHIC was one of the premier disco eral groups who had an unbelievable rhythm guitar sound, including my favorite bass player, Bernard Edwards. Since your a big HIP HOP person, you will recognize that alot of CHIC hooks are used as samples. Anyway, the whole LETS DANCE album features, Nile Rodgers, one of the best rhythm guitarists, and an unknown blues player on lead, Stevie Ray Vaughan, mabe you have heard of him, but a nobody when he was on this album. The best track on the album, in my opinion,are Modern Love, China Girl, and Let's Dance.

[@lisanowka8669]

Background vocals Luther Vandross

[@EverendeverGroup]

Wow, from Space Oddity to this is a giant jump. You missed at least 3 different characters between these years. Check 'em out

[@sjw5797]

It's the story of a typical white suburban upper-middle-class couple. The first verse is about their youth. They marry, probably because of a pregnancy resulting from that first sexual encounter. In the second verse they are established as a couple. Out of boredom, and a desire to reclaim her youth, she has a brief affair with a young hippie...or is she only imagining it? The third verse reveals her husband's despair and feelings of emptiness. From then on its a riff on the husband's thoughts and feelings. He waxes mostalgic for the rock and roll of his youth. He thinks vaguely about suicide. He contemplates having an affair with a black woman...or maybe he has one? At any rate he is made uncomfortably aware of his privilege, and, at the same time, of his common bond with all of suffering humanity. In the end he just wants some kind of experience that is *real.* An experience that will break through the numbness and make him feel something.

[@SuprousOxide]

The first verse I take as two teenagers in a car by a bridge (not a fridge as those lyrics say), "She took his ring, took his babies" means she got pregnant and they got married. "Took him minutes, took her nowhere" means it was short and unsatisfying on her part. Then next verse she's fantasizing about someone roaming nearby, has to be better than the guy she married...

[@personalcheeses8073]

Ah that explains it. I thought I’d been singing it wrong all these years

[@thomasgruseck7971]

What a knock on us Americans for our notorious cultural amnesia, "Do you remember your President Nixon . . . or even yesterday?" No, we don't even remember yesterday. Lol.

[@SuprousOxide]

This was written right after Nixon resigned, so suggesting at the time people might have already forgotten Nixon is something.

[@rickycharlet3648]

1Thanks! If you want some rich, musical layering, try out ELO. if you want some driven blues turned to rock, try out ZZ top.

[@SyedRewinds]

Will do, thanks for the donation Ricky!

[@jonthomson8392]

👍👍👍👍

[@dannygriffith6185]

Bowie was( rightly ) called " the chameleon" of Rock & roll. Each new album was a new David Bowie. This is a nod to Motown..not really Southern music.

[@ronbock8291]

It’s actually his tribute to TSOP, the Philadelphia sound, which is distinct from Motown. A bit farther south, but still not southern.

[@lawrencesmith6536]

Wasn't this his "thin white duke" character? I especially like the album Alladin Sane. Came out betweenZiggy and Young Americans

[@jasonremy1627]

That didn't happen till Station to a Station.

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

between Ziggy and Diamond Dogs

[@kevindobson3701]

Can you please react to You can't deny it By Lisa stansfield Please

[@74900kdw]

Dis almost sounds like soul music..... Duh! Sorry I forget how old I am sometimes and how young some of you guys are. Yes it's soul music. Bowie did a lot of R & B and soul and even disco music.

[@nickprince8611]

Luther Vandross as a backing singer ... nothing more needs to be said ...

[@hollyr1208]

Bowie was god

[@sirslice7531]

Man, you're skipping around. What about his Ziggy Stardust days?

[@michaelthibault6106]

I'm not sure that there is a cohesive story in this song, but it captures the disappointment and cynicism of the 70s. A decade after the Civil Rights movement and other 60s progressive gains, everything just sort of fell into disarray and decay. Edit: Also, the couple times I saw him live in the 80s he switched the genders for the "sock on the jaw" bit.

[@wpollock1]

This is one of the weakest tracks on the album. "Right" "Fascination" "Someone Up There Likes Me" "Win" are outstanding. You really get the feel of the album from those four. David Sanborn on sax is really special on this album.

[@terryohara2284]

The word is Bridge not fridge. These apparent translations are idiotic. Just listen to it sonically.

[@michaelhoward900]

Loved the music but to me the words were just jumbles of nonsense.