Page 10 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 1975
Bowie combines English rock with soul
By JOHN VANORE
Music Reviewer
I’ll bet this is my most timely
review. Just as TAMU’s very
own Secret Society of Swishes
writes in to Listen Up, looking
for acceptance, another release
by our favorite twinkie, David
Bowie, hits the record racks.
About two months ago I told
you how Bowie’s stage act,
when transferred to vinyl,
sounded like nothing more than
eighty minutes or so of heavy
breathing. Well, he has a new
album, this one hot out of the
recording studios, and I thought
I’d see if he could redeem him
self after “David Live.”
“Young Americans,’’ the new
pearl of wisdom, shows darling
David on the jacket looking
about as masculine as Olivia
Newton-John (Sorry, Olivia!).
As usual. His PR men have been
telling writers lately that he is
not, was not, and never has
been queer, hoping to help
change his image. But the
pretty face, bracelets, and ef
feminate grasp on the cigarette
(probably a Virginia Slim) make
him look like more of a queer
than before.
Back to the album itself. The
title cut is all over the airwaves,
for better or worse. Musically,
it’s not bad. The run-on lyrics
sound like some sort of off-the-
wall socio-political commentary
on American life. Personally, I
thinK it’s too heavy on the saxes
and congas, since Tm accus
tomed to Bowie’s forte being
rock and roll, rather than a
reggae/soul sound.
“Win” is like nothing Bowie
has ever done before. Soft
guitars and Negro blues-style
back-up vocals in a nice slow
song make for a fine ballad.
“Fascination” has got to be
the best selection on the album,
and his best offering since
“Rebel Rebel.” It shows a lot of
Stevie Wonder influence,
which is not bad at all, and it is
also reminiscent of some older
Foghat. The lyrics actually
sound intelligible. Considering
some of the turkey tongues on
this LP, listening to “Fascina
tion” was a sheer delight.
“Right,” which closes Side
One, is an attempt at copying
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pure, undiluted soul, and it
doesn’t come off well. It endsup
as one of those songs that floats
in a sea of mediocrity. Some
flashy guitar playing in an in
strumental interlude halfway
through the song falls sadly
short of salvaging the song.
Side Two opens with "Some
body Up There Likes Me/’afair
tune very strong on saxes (a la
Bowie) and vocal back-ups
Bowie seems to be losing confi
dence in his ability to hold his
songs together by virtue ofhis
own singing, and he needs help
here.
Remember “Pinups,’ where
Bowie did his own interpreta
tions of English rock and roll,
circa 1964-67? 1 thought it was
great, and so did almost
everyone else. Well, he’s lost
his knack for doing other artists
stuff, if this, his most recent
album, is an indicator. Redoes
"Across the Universe,” that
Beatles’ number, and tocallita
total abortion would be to over
rate the song. It starts off like a
45 rpm record played at 16, and
it doesn’t get any better.
Bowie’s voice isn’t right for this
kind of stuff, and he should
know it. I was shocked because
John Lennon went so far as to
play guitar on this mess. Nuff
said here . . . this song just
plain stinks.
“Can you Hear Me con
tinues in the vein of “Win, soft
and smooth. I guess he’s trying
real hard to change his image
from the old days of Ziggy Star
dust.
Bowie’s old self creeps
through in “Fame, ” which is a
good song for the bump. Its
lyrics are cynical — an artist
slipping in here and there to let
it be known that success hasn’t
really gone to his head.
Commenting on this albumas
a whole is like the proverbial
glass of wine. An optimist says
it’s half full, and a pessimist
labels it as half empty. So it is
with this album — is it half de
cent or half lousy? Do you like
soul? Or English rock? How
about the two combined? What
you get on “Young Americans
is a mixture of two styles, stirred
gently with a dash of Bowie, to
produce something new, uni-
que, and, for the most part, en
joyable.
Thanks to Ernie at Musidand
for supplying me with the copy
of the album used here.
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AUSTIN (AP) — Sen. Bob Gam-
mage said Monday his proposal to
inform Texans about the new con
stitution will cost the state between
$400,000 and $900,000 before this
November’s vote.
The Senate Committee on the
Texas Constitution approved
Gammage’s bill that would go
beyond the standard publishing re
quirements concerning any prop
osed change in the constitution.
Gammage, D-Houston, told the
committee that the bill would per
mit the secretary of state to prepare
and mail explanations of the state
charter.
The explanations, in tabloid form
would he mailed to residential and
non-commercial postal patrons at
least 30 days before the election.
Information on how to obtain
Spanish-language versions of the
explanations will be printed in
Spanish on the front pages of news
papers in the state.
The current constitution requires
only that the Secretary of State pub
lish summaries of the eight amend
ments of the new constitution in
major newspapers before the elec
tion. He is also required to send
copies of the amendments to each
county clerk.
Gammage told reporters after the
hearing that “it was the sense of the
committee to spend whatever was
necessary in this very important
matter. ”
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