David Bowie - Young Americans [Remastered] (CD 1999)

Never considered one of Bowie's greatest albums, the remastered version brings to life some of Bowie and Visconti's most inspiring arrangements. The title track, Win and Fascination are up there with any of Bowie's greatest numbers, but Across the Universe and the overrated Fame, spiked with the presence of the ever-whinging John Lennon (who by now had been reduced to releasing the laughable Rock n Roll album, and had irritated the world with Imagine, The Plastic Ono Band, and Mind Games and would soon thankfully retire from the music business) bring the Album's authentic soul / R & B veneer down a notch or two. However, don't let that affect your enjoyment. This more than balanced out by the gorgeous vocal arrangements of Luther Vandross, Carlos Alamor's funky guitar licks and the cool saxophone of Dave Sanborn.

Markedly better than Diamond Dogs, and showing the influence of Bowie's tours of America in 1974 (see David Live double album) this is Bowie's interpretation of Philly Soul, or as he called it Plastic Soul. Excellent mid-period Bowie, if like me you consider his career began in 1969 with Space Oddity and finished in 1983 with Let's Dance.