It seems hard to believe, given the career full of revolutionary and hugely influential stylistic shifts that followed, that this superb record was only David Bowie's fourth. Yet HUNKY DORY ranks alongside ZIGGY STARDUST, LOW, and SCARY MONSTERS as one of Bowie's finest and most consistent albums. Ironically, it is one of the artist's least rock-oriented efforts, bearing little relation to what came before or after in his discography. Instead, HUNKY DORY covers a wide range of styles from operatic pop ("Life on Mars?") to low-key folk ("Quicksand") to English music hall ditties ("Kooks").
There are standout tracks, most notably the glam-rock anthem "Oh, You Pretty Things!" and the chugging, life-affirming "Changes," which went on to become one of Bowie's all-time signature songs. But HUNKY DORY is solid from beginning to end, thanks to the fine musicians, Bowie's excellent songwriting, and the artist's now-mature sense of performance. These qualities fold such wild cards as the tongue-in-cheek celebrity send-up "Andy Warhol," the psychedelic folk of "The Bewlay Brothers," and exuberant jam of "Queen Bitch," the album's only overt rocker, neatly into the deck, making for the first of Bowie's truly indisputable masterpieces.
Composer: David Bowie.
Personnel: David Bowie (vocals, guitar, saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano); David Bowie; Trevor Bolder (trumpet, bass instrument); Mick Ronson (vocals, guitar, Mellotron); Rick Wakeman (piano); Mick "Woody" Woodmansey (drums).
Personnel: David Bowie (vocals, guitar, saxophone, piano); Mick Ronson (guitar); Rick Wakeman (piano); Trevor Bolder (bass); Mick Woodmansey (drums).
Producers: Ken Scott, Ken Scott, David Bowie
Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.120) - Ranked #107 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "[W]ith a new pop sound that seems just as modern today as it was then." Rolling Stone (1/6/72, pp.63-64) - "...HUNKY DORY not only represents Bowie's most engaging album musically, but also finds him once more writing literally enough to let the listener examine his ideas comfortably..." Q (1/03, p.64) - Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever" NME (Magazine) (10/2/93, p.29) - Ranked #38 in NME's list of the 'Greatest Albums Of All Time.' NME (Magazine) (9/18/93, p.19) - Ranked #12 in NME's list of The Greatest Albums Of The '70s.
Remixing stinks! Warming up to Ziggy, this album of tasty,great tunes is just destroyed by being "re-mixed". The sound is now so bright that unless you have a "close and play" system, this classic album is unlistenable. I can not believe Bowie would allow this disc to go out (the Rykodisc "re-mix" is excellent) but being "enhanced" with his selling website, I see why.Pass on this one and all the other Island re-mixes. Submitted by slkmcdon (Elyria,OH) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Has its moments This album reminds me of Space Oddity, as it isnt balls-out hard rock the whole time, like The Man who Sold the World. This album definatley has its moments. Changes and Oh! You Pretty Things are both wonderful pop songs, and the vocals in Oh! You Pretty Things are to die for. Eight Line Poem is brilliant, the piano and guitar have a slight phased sound and the vocals are mindblowing. Unfortunatley the rest of the album doesnt follow this blueprint. Life on Mars? is an absolutely beutiful song, on every level. However, Kooks is kind of boring, seeing as its about his son and is obviously gonna be abit lame and sappy. Quicksand is a great flashback to Space Oddity. Fill your Heart is a cover song, and can be abit lame at first, but it does grow on you. Andy Warhol has got a strange, psychedelic beggining which also throws me back to Space Oddity, but the rest of the song is very very strange and hard to follow (especially the chorus). Song for Bob Dylan has a nice melody, but can get abit boring. Queen Bitch belongs on the Ziggy Stardust albumm, and the Bewlay Brother is yet another Space Oddity moment. Overall, as is all of Davids work aside from the 80's stuff, it is worth the money. Submitted by I_HATE_YOU_90 (Guelph, ON, Canada) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Under-rated how come nobody ever told me about this album? this is already one of my favorites... granted, the production is not phenomenal, but the writing is spectacular. Submitted by cannon (Boone, NC) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 0 of 2 found this helpful.
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