American Psycho

David Bowie - Young Americans



So here we have a young Brit writing a song about young Americans. Actually, I'm not entirely sure what the song is about because the lyrics are really just a pastiche of Americanisations. The cynical amongst you will be saying "It's Bowie, don't expect sincerity". Which is probably accurate to a degree, because Bowie made his name as a chameleon with an imagination, and this song typifies the fascination that the rest of the world holds for the young Americans.

Background vocal oohs and aahs abound, with Bowie's breathy vocals slightly reverbed over over a pretty standard, if entirely unremarkable, R&B musical backing, all bouncing piano, horns and bass, led by a sax line. There are a couple of notable points. Luther Vandross (yes, THE Luther Vandross) is singing backing vocals. There's also a direct theft of a line from the Beatles' A Day In The Life ("I heard the news today / oh boy").

So, on balance? Cool song. Pretty upbeat R&B fare. Not as camp as his later output. It doesn't really grab me by the naughty bits and make me want to dance, but it's not offensively bad in any way. I've never really gotten into Bowie (probably for that reason), but songs like this help you understand the influence that he wields and the respect that he is shown by modern alternative bands. Everyone from Radiohead to Nine Inch Nails have sworn fealty at the altar of Bowie and it's not hard to see why - opaque, if pseudo-deep, lyrical content; catchy choruses, highly competent musicianship, a dark pop feel but minimal evidence of the ugliness and warts of punk - all hallmarks, to one or another degree, of his acolytes. That said, he did contribute to the breakup of the Stooges, which would be considered unforgivable were it not for the fact that it's entirely understandable that not even his closest friends wanted anything to do with Iggy at that point in time.

Oh, and The Cure covered it at some point. Small world.

Verdict: Ziggy Nixon

Tomorrow: Van Morrison - Into The Mystic