Track Listing

1. Modern Love
2. China Girl
3. Let's Dance
4. Without You
5. Ricochet
6. Criminal World
7. Cat People
8. Shake It

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44061 in Music
• Released on: 1999-09-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Original recording reissued

Amazon.com
David Bowie returned to recording after a four-year break with this relatively clean-cut 1983 album. Although offering another definite new direction for Bowie, with Nile Rodgers of Chic helping to produce a stylish post-disco dance sound, Let's Dance is a mixed bag. Much of the album's success was due to its three danceable hit singles--"China Girl," a sensuous Bowie/Iggy Pop collaboration, the distinctive "Modern Love," and the funky title track. However, much of the rest of the album is bland and vapid, marking the start of serious decline in Bowie's songwriting skills. A cover of Metro's "Criminal World" and "Cat People" are the only other strong tracks here. --James Swift

Customer Reviews

Lets Dance
David Bowie-Lets Dance ****


Alright, alright, alright, it is easy to see that Let's Dance is not David Bowie's best album, it is way far from it. But with that being said lets make it a point to say that Let's Dance is also not his worst album, way far from that as well. Everyone says that this was him trying to be commercial, well of course it was, this is David Bowie, he couldn't sell out if he tried because the man would get bored with it. Besides does no one remember the Young Americans album? I do and honestly I think it was way more commercial than Let's Dance, and I also think it was one of his weakest albums. The title track to that album is the closest Bowie ever came to selling out.

Let's Dance was really just another attempt at Young Americans but in a different danceable way. Both the title tracks are similar, though personally I feel 'Let's Dance' is far better as it has always been a favorite of mine as said as that might sound to some. 'Modern Love' is even more danceable then the title track if you can imagine. It is also the perfect track to open the album. Now 'China Girl' is easily the best song on the album, much as it was the best song on Iggy Pops first solo album The Idiot. Iggy Wrote the song and David created the music. I love both versions. Bowie's is a little more camp, obviously. After this the rest of the album is not by any standard, commercial. 'Without You' would have fit in along side 'Ashes To Ashes' on Scary monsters, as would 'Ricochet.' The two Metro covers 'Criminal World' and 'Cat People' are more or less my least favorite songs on the album and those seem to be the ones that most people enjoyed. I think they are dated, even seemed it when they were first released, and honestly are among the worst covers Bowie ever did. The album closes with 'Shake It' which really is just a continuation of the great title track, with what sounds like Barry Gibb on backing vocals.

Let's Dance is a fun danceable album with dark imagery. Stevie Ray Vaughn plays lead guitar and became a super star after this release with his own band Double Trouble. People who call themselves Bowie purists have this album, because they say it is not Bowie enough. Well there are many things wrong with that, for one you can't pigeon hole Bowie to one thing, or really multiple things, so there for you can't be a Bowie Purist, so go with your gut on this one.

Mistaken reinvention
Very much a product of its time, "Let's Dance" has not aged particularly well. It's a post-disco dance record by way of a superstar and is also easily his most uneven since "Young Americans" (another album that was a product of its time). And is he trying to look like Billy Idol on the album cover?

The good ones here are often borderline guilty pleasures (like the ultra-catchy and VERY 80s "Modern Love" and the candy-flavored "Without You"). As for the title track and "China Girl," the former is funky and goofy but even less graceful than "Modern Love" (and overlong in its album version), and the latter was better when it appeared on Iggy Pop's "The Idiot." Hardly essential Bowie, and the beginning of a slump that would last more than a decade, but even bad Bowie is usually still listenable (and still miles above most of the other carbon copy post-disco, watered-down new wave of the era).

Best cuts: "Modern Love," "Ricochet," "Without You," "Let's Dance," "China Girl"

Two Thumbs Up
What can you say? Every song on this CD is great!