programme. He then sang "Fame" and "Can You Hear Me?" live on CBS's The Cher Show on 23November. Critical reception Young Americans was released to a generally favorable reception, particularly in America. Billboard wrote that the album "should not only endear Bowie even more to his current fans but should open up an entirely new avenue of fans for him", and selected it among their "Top Album Picks" for the week of 15 March 1975. It was further described by Record World as his "most compelling album to date", while Cashbox called the artist "the brightest star in the pop music constellation with this latest RCA release". Amongst mixed reviews, some enjoyed certain tracks but disregarded the collection as a whole. Rolling Stones Jon Landau praised the title-track and thought that "the rest of the album works best when Bowie combines his renewed interest in soul with his knowledge of English pop, rather than opting entirely for one or the other." Record Mirror described the sound as "spasmodic, awkward, frustrating" and having "a joyless energy". Several critics were negative. Reviewing for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau described the record "an almost total failure" and said "although the amalgam of rock and Philly soul is so thin it's interesting, it overwhelms David's voice, which is even thinner." He nonetheless appreciated Bowie's renewed "generosity of spirit to risk failure" following Diamond Dogs and David Live, which Christgau had found disappointing. Writing for Phonograph Record, John Mendelsohn felt the album was overall very weak, finding the melodies "as good as non-existent", and further criticising the lyrics and Bowie's vocal performance. In the NME, Ian MacDonald felt the record was more of a transitional one, created out of a confused state of mind not knowing where to take his career next. Nevertheless, he greatly enjoyed it despite its flaws. In Melody Maker, Michael Watts praised the backing band, the title track and "Fame", but found the record too "pastiche" to be credible and Bowie's worst release up to that point. Influence and legacy Retrospectively, Young Americans continues to receive mixed reviews from critics and fans. Erlewine felt the album was affected by a lack of strong songwriting. Although he praised the title track and "Fame", he concludes "Young Americans is more enjoyable as a stylistic adventure than as a substantive record." Douglas Wolk regarded it as "distinctly a transitional record" in Pitchfork, stating: "It