Hunky Dory

With this album, Bowie really achieved one of the highest accolades he had ever or would ever receive in his life as an artist: having a cover of one of his songs appear in the soundtrack of Shrek 2.

One of my favorite Bowie albums to date. Something about it is especially touching compared to later albumbs. It's tender and understated but also powerful. Bowie's undeniable talent comes through with a strength and softness like a velvet hammer. SO good.

I don't know why everyone hates "Kooks." "Kooks" rules. Without "Kooks," there is no Belle & Sebastian.

Ziggy Stardust before he became Ziggy Stardust. Inventive, creative, and a joy to listen to. Best track: Life On Mars?

I'll admit it, I have never listened to Bowie. I know him more as a pop culture figure and couldn't name a song if you asked. Was pleased to know many songs on this, but didn't know who sang them. Incredible album!

My favourite Bowie album. Simple but excellent songwriting. Some lesser known gems on here like Eight Line Poem which has more emotion with only a piano and a guitar in the intro than a lot of other bands have in their entire back catalogue.

6th Bowie album out of the first 411. Come. On. I don't think I have much effort anymore with Bowie reviews; my last one (which felt like last week) was for Aladdin Sane and I made commentary about how I felt like I could copy/paste my previous Bowie review.... and since that absolutely once again applies here, I'll just *literally* copy/paste, while replacing a few specifics. I stand by it: -------copy/paste------ Without looking, I'd bet I could copy/paste my review from _Aladdin Sane_. It's a catchy-at-first early 70s rock album that I slowly get tired of because I'm just not able to really be moved by Bowie's music. It's fine - starting with "_Changes_" which is perhaps his most famous cut and deservedly-so. It's admittedly timeless and very well-crafted musically ..... And the cut "_Life On Mars?_" is a nice diversion from the initial track - but then it just gets...Bowie-ish. And if you're a Bowie fan I can see how you'd like this but his voice is always a little distracting for me. On a positive note, aside from "Low" which feels to me like an Eno record that Bowie happens to sing on, this is probably one of the more-enjoyable or perhaps immediately-accessible records of his but I'll never voluntarily put it on. It feels like I always use his voice as a cop-out because there are plenty of artists who I listen to that I don't necessarily like the singer's voice and I like the music. It's as simple as this even if I can't articulate it well: I don't connect with his music on any emotional level - can just appreciate it from a distance. -----end self-plagiarism----- TL;DR: I don't hate his music, I just don't really *like* it or ever connect with it and after so many years don't really care that much. 5/10 2 stars

I should really give this a 4 based on individual track ratings, but the peaks on here are elite. Probably 5th or 6th best Bowie album. Life On Mars aside, Queen Bitch has always been the highlight for me. 1. Changes - usually skip this because it's so overplayed but it's shit hot 9.5/10 2. Oh You Pretty Things - a highlight 9.5/10 3. Eight Line Poem - Doesn't do it for me 5/10 4. Life On Mars - possibly the best track of the 70's 11/10 5. Kooks - used to find this kind of annoying but it's harmless enough 7/10 6. Quicksand - forgot about this 8.5/10 7. Fill Your Heart - quirky 7/10 8. Andy Warhol - It's alright 7/10 9. Song For Bob Dylan - another classic 9/10 10. Queen Bitch - Top 10 Bowie tune 10/10 11. Bewley Brothers - Love it man such a unique track. Starving for me gravy - 9/10

David Bowie has a unique sound all to his own and this album is a perfect encapsulation of that

Early Bowtie is tough to beat. Changes is an all time classic. This is a solid album all the way through. An easy 5 stars in my book.

There's nothing wrong with kooks!

An album that was certainly not up to the standard of singer-songwriters of the time, but it showed that Bowie was more than just a pop singer. (7/10) FT: Changes, Oh You Pretty Thing, Life On Mars, Queen Bitch

The awe-inspiring ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes, followed by sweet, enjoyable songs.

As my Polish friend zbig, may say — This kicks many asses

Great album, I've listened to it numerous times and it's grown on me, maybe even being better than Ziggy Stardust. Changes is such a great opener, one of the best actually. I also learned that a riff from Andy Warhol was the inspiration for one in Metallica's Master of Puppets. Who knew?

Feels like the last album he did for quite some time with obvious flashes of himself - Bewlay Brothers; Quicksand (both amazing) - in there, rather than whichever persona he had created. It's quite open about his influences, and it also feels like he's still trying on lots of different styles to see what fits. So you get some early glimpses of glam like Oh! You Pretty Things, and a VU homage/parody/rip-off, straight acoustic songs, show songs and all sorts of other stuff chucked into the mix. Also casually in the middle of it all one of the best songs of all time, and it opens with another all-time Bowie classic. Don't much care for Fill Your Heart or Andy Warhol, but I love everything else. It's a 5 alright.

This was an easy 5 for me. Been a Bowie stan for awhile now, and "Queen Bitch" is one of my all time favorite Bowie songs. Plus we got "Changes" and "Life on Mars," so come on we gotta give it up for this record. A lot of interesting subject matter on this one too. The tributes to Andy Warhol and Bobby D were cool to see. Also love hearing Bowie espousing occult teachings and getting freaky on "Quicksand." An all over good time album for me.

The album where Bowie became Bowie. He then spent the remainder of the decade being anyone BUT Bowie.

Not a big Bowie fan but I appreciate the impact and influence that he had on so many artists. For me, this is fine but not really special.

Wow instant classic

How could one give this album less than five stars? It features most of my favourite songs by Bowie where the presence of piano makes every one of them so melodic and interesting, intriguing. Perfection

Perfect from start to finish and “Quicksand” is one of the greatest songs Bowie ever wrote.

One of my very favorite albums by one of my very favorite artists. I misheard "Changes" when I was a young child and thought he was singing "Don't let them grow up in Olivette." Olivette is a suburb of St Louis, Missouri and I was amazed that this British bloke would get so specific. Like he was singing just to me. Bowie has somehow managed to maintain that intensely personal intimacy with my soul, even when he is singing about Mars, a place where I've spent much less time than St Louis.

This has never been my favorite of the "classic" Bowie albums, although listening again it seems I'm just being picky. What's a few lesser music-hall numbers when there's "Changes", "Oh! You Pretty Things", "Life On Mars?", and the goddam genius "Bewlay Brothers" ffs? Fun to trace the evolution of "White Light, White Heat" into "Queen Bitch" and then on to "Transformer" in hindsight. It's a 5*, glad to hear it again. Mark - if you like the more spooky/Nietzschean stuff (e.g. "Quicksand") but wished it rocked a bit harder, you'd probably like "The Man Who Sold The World", unlikely to be on here but (gun to the head) the better album

Don't need to relisten, ceritifed hood classic. Every song after Life on Mars could be Bowie farting into a microphone and it's still a Top 50 all time record

My favorite Bowie album. Life on Mars and Kooks are for me the highlights on a great album.

All y'all not giving this a 5 are the real kooks. This is some peak Bowie, elevated among an already great discography. Not a single weak point on here, and so many moments to savor individually. Album opens on an absolute classic, Changes. A catchy AF ode to the inescapable changes that time renders across us all. This bleeds over into the piano-led melody of Oh! You Pretty Things. Love the off-kilter sway of the chorus here. Built for shouting along to. Life on Mars? is up there with the best songs ever written IMO. And I love that Kooks is a song to his newly born son. Andy Warhol is a kooky one at the outset, but develops into a driven acoustic jam that, interestingly, Metallica interpolated a riff from into Master of Puppets. Queen Bitch is another energetic jam that taps a similar spirit to Suffragette City. I've listened to this album countless times and never tire of it.

arguably where Bowie reached his full potential. an eclectic mix that isn't incoherent, kind of like a Beatles album

Bowie was the greatest album artist of the 1970s, a period noted for great album artists (Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Kraftwerk...), and Hunky Dory was his first album where he organically combined his varied artistic passions. In the credits, Bowie is credited as "The Actor" (though his films may make you think otherwise). As such, the listener senses a multiplicity to this album, that of numerous roles being adopted. Since this was Bowie's lifelong creative persona, and since this is the first album where he fully expounds on this iridescent philosophy. Indeed, the opening Changes serves as a manifesto. However, don't believe that this album, for all its theatricality, lacks tenderness and heart. The piano-led melodies are at turns bombastic and fragile, and the whole record demonstrates that Bowie settling into the role of Bowie was in pursuit of his muse. Indispensable, and yes, hunky dory.

This was the album that got be into Bowie in the first place. Queen Bitch was the first Bowie song I ever heard that I was consciously aware of as being a Bowie song. This entire album is perfect. Obviously it's full of hits, but even the 'lesser' tracks shine. Quicksand and Andy Warhol are some of my most favorite tracks ever.

5 stars. I’m pretty familiar with this album. I lump it in with Bowie’s other great albums (Ziggy Stardust, Heroes, Station to Station). This one feels more like a collection of songs that some of my other favorites, but maybe I’m being too hard on him

Excellent album top to bottom with great music and clever lyrics describing life and society. Wide variety of themes and styles but it still builds momentum from one song to the next. Changes. Oh you pretty things, life on Mars, kooks, fill your heart. Andy Warhol.

Just an incredible record. A landmark album.

the first of (i assume) many bowie albums. more mellow than his later ziggy and aladdin sane records. beautiful and soulful melodies. the first half is somewhat stronger than the latter.

This underscores to me that I prefer later Bowie to the earlier stuff. Changes is great, but the rest is nowhere near the highs of Station to Station or Low.

I'm glad Bowie started doing cocaine after this album.

This is the first Bowie album we’ve heard that did not raise my appreciation for him in any way. I’m sure I’ll get hate for this but It just doesn’t speak to me lyrically or sonically in any way. I’d rather just hear the Beatles or the Kinks, as this album feels like worse version of their songs. “Queen Bitch” was a highlight for me.

this wasn't a bad album but this was TWO BOWIE ALBUMS IN A ROW and like the fourth overall so far... I've had enough of Bowie now thanks dickhead author. 2/5 just because the sheer amount of Bowie in this list is starting to annoy me.

Bowie sucks

Hunky Dory For a long time this was possibly my favourite Bowie album, although it has been superseded by others, and as a result I haven’t listened to this for quite a while. Of course it still is truly excellent. Despite on the surface being one of his most ‘conventional’ albums it really is full of odd little corners and strange/absorbing/literary/facist*/cryptic lyrics, all the while being carried by a cinematic musical momentum, whether folk, orchestral, music hall or guitar led rock. There are some fantastic strings and horns and brilliant arrangements and instrumentation. Also I only just made the connection that the producer, Ken Scott, is the same Ken Scott who was engineer for quite a few Beatles sessions.
*not really, he just mentions Himmler and homo superior a bit. I won’t necessarily go through song by song, as I genuinely like every one on here, but there are moments throughout that I love. The guitar in the intro of Eight Line Poem for example, or the Dr Who beeps on Andy Warhol and the acoustic guitar line intro. I like the music hall influences too, similar to Macca in that regard. And I’ve always loved the opening stanza of Oh! You Pretty Things. Also I took me a while to appreciate Quicksand, but it really is a superb song. I’ve also never noticed it before but the way he sings ‘still the days seem the same’ at 1.44 in Changes is very very Dylan. Life on Mars stood out today - not because I’m not aware of what an incredible song it is - but sometimes you hear something you’ve heard a thousand times in a slightly different way. Maybe it’s mood, what you are doing or how receptive your brain is but it just seems different and feels fresh. I suppose that’s the thing that separates the truly great artists (your Bowies, your Youngs, your Tamsin Archers, your Beatles, your Dylans) from the good, that the songs endure and evolve as time passes, you find moments or angles you never noticed before and it feels like a new song. It’s of course an easy 5. Not just a transformational album in his career but one of the greatest albums ever recorded. If he only ever released this album he would still be regarded as one of the greatest ever. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s amazing to think that David Bowie was still a relative outsider when this album came out and that it sold poorly on first release. There is a lot here that points the way to the directions that his music would take with complex cinematic arrangements on Life on Mars alongside pop classics and lyrics namechecking Warhol, Dylan and the Velvet Underground. My high point is Kooks, an utterly charming song dedicated to his new born son.

Peak Bowie. Doesn’t get better than this.

The tipping point, where Davy Jones completely disappeared into David Bowie. Inconsistently brilliant, relentlessly creative and idiomatic beyond belief. The best was yet to come, but the high points here are top-tier Bowie. Favourite tracks: Changes, Pretty Things, Life On Mars (!!!!!!!), Queen Bitch

Not all of this works for me, but most does, and those songs are great. The closer, The Bewlay Brothers, has just hit me like some weird force.

Changes is such a jam of a song. Soooo easy to get into. Life on Mars? is also such a jam. I knew those songs pretty well going in but not a whole lot of others. Very different vibes overall from some of the other Bowie albums we've listened to which tracks (and I love). Andy Warhol's intro was a bit loopy I dig it. Also apparently there is a riff in Master of Puppets that paid homage to this song. Went back and listened and it's clear as day. Queen Bitch rules also I know that's a popular one. All in all an above average album with a few serious jams on it. Knocking a star because it doesn't live up to other Bowie I've heard which is probably unfair but it's my rating so suck it.

Oh you pretty thing!

Again, I am surprised how I could miss basically the complete work of David Bowie. It's a great album that had been unknown by me until today.

Very original feeling songs, really enjoyed them. I didn’t like David Bowie before but I do now. I think it’s the fact that the songs are fairly unpredictable in tone and cadence, but at the right amount so it’s not crazy

what a ride. this ablum is like forrest gumps box of chocolates (or paul mersons bag of Revels). you might get an absolute all time belter of a song, you might get a mime stuck in a phone box or you might get a song that didn't make it on to mary poppins. still throroughly enjoyable and it feels weird giving it a high score when there are songs on there that i would happily never hear again but the belters, well they're the reason everyone has such a hard on for Bowie.

I was late at the Bowie party. Like really late. In 2004 David Bowie canceled a concert at Roskilde Festival. The festival administration had a hard time finding a replacement. But they found a band: Slipknot. Lol! I was excited, 'caus Slipknot was more down my alley. However, at the festival I had a conversation with a girl who was really into Bowie, and she opened up my views on him. In the following years i bought a couple of his albums, and now I really enjoy his musical universe. Honky Dory is one of my favourite albums. For me, the start of the album is the best. My top tracks are "Changes", "Oh, you Pretty Things" and "Life on Mars?".

I'm always going to be happy to see David Bowie on this list. This is early 1970's Bowie, and it feels like a Bowie not fully formed, still exploring and finding his way, with the best of his work ahead of him. I see shades of what's to come, with Bowie exploring themes found in his other work (youth and pop culture, art, politics, philosophy) with the sense of individuality and surrealism/absurdity that became his hallmarks. Many of the songs here feature piano, but a couple of the later tracks show glimpses of glam rock and punk. The songs vary a lot in subject matter and feel, so I don't find it to be a very cohesive album, and there are a few tracks that, while not horrible by any means, I would probably seldom reach for as a Bowie fan, just because there are so many others that I love more. Obviously “Changes” and “Life on Mars?” are classics. I'm glad for the opportunity to hear him in his earlier career even if I consider it before his peak. 3.5 Lyric of note, from “Quicksand”: "I'm not a prophet or a stone age man Just a mortal with potential of a superman, I'm living on I'm tethered to the logic of homo sapien Can't take my eyes from the great salvation of bullshit faith If I don't explain what you ought to know You can tell me all about it on the next bardo I'm sinking in the quicksand of my thought I ain't got the power anymore Don't believe in yourself Don't deceive with believe Knowledge comes with death's release”

Another classic. Pushing boundaries, but not so strange as to be inaccessible or unenjoyable.

Restoring the messy remains of classic rock with pop purpose lovingly swiped from Black sources, at its best this is a signpost for the road too infrequently travelled by proggers. At its worst, he proves susceptible to the same tendencies. In the middle, he pays tribute to Warhol and Dylan by name, but not to Lou Reed, even though Queen Bitch doesn't exist without the Velvets. Then again, two bouts of overt hero-worship is probably enough for one record. Freaks, kooks, and queers everywhere are addressed directly for maybe the first time ever. And how about those camped John Lennon vocals? Some of his best.

Some decent songs, some weird songs. Mixed bag.

Good start. I hate the intro to Andy Warhol I had a bad time with this album

It finally happened after 500 albums, I got an album that I just listened to in my free time. I hadn't listened to this album in over 3 years and then just listened to it 2 days ago. I'll just say as a very big Bowie fan, this album would probably be a 4 if Changes and Life on Mars wasn't on it. This album cam be really hit or miss. Life on Mars is one of the top 10 greatest songs ever written and then kooks is one of my least favorite Bowie songs. The second half of this album also falls off. Low 5.

First half is varied, brilliant and flows so well. Second half is more mixed but the last couple of tracks are great. The first great Bowie album.

Easiest 5-star on the list

Already my favourite artist by several miles, so this is an easy review to write; I've owned and loved this album for more than 40 years. It's just wonderful. Absorbing, moving, thrilling, yes quirky (if you must), unique. Life On Mars is simply a masterpiece. Quicksand is another one. Anyone musical will find something of interest here. I miss him.

I first heard this album as a child and it’s been a lifelong friend. Wonderful.

Never tire of listening to this

Still not sure Bowie isn't a Martian.

The first album that I actually know entirely! This one should be nice, I haven't listened to this record from front to back in a few years. It used to be my favourite Bowie album, but with time I started liking others more and kinda writing this one off. But let's gooooo Changes has a wholesomeness that is present throughout the record. This listening will be kind of a trip down memory lane, as this was big for me in my teen years. This specific song was great to have at that weird, difficult time. Oh! You Pretty Things really takes me back damn. I remember looking up the lyrics to this specific song. It was probably the first time I heard of the The Mamas & The Papas (if that line really is a reference to them). Bowie really had a way of writing for and about "weird" people. Those that felt different, in one way or another. And this record really speaks to that. Life on Mars? really is one of the best songs of all time. That chorus makes me want to sream-sing every time. And another case of Bowie writing some astute and interesting lyrics while keeping a pop sound. The "lawman beating up the wrong guy" line reminds me of "a cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest and a queer threw up at the sight of that". Yeah Kooks is honestly over-hated. It's a fine track, nothing that, in my opinion, ruins an album. Sure I wouldn't be mad if you skipped it, but I'm not mad at its inclusion. It does take the whole "I'm different" thing to the cheesy side. Quicksand is similar to Eight Line Poem in that it's more of a poem than a song, but the lyrics are more interesting to me. And the fact that it actually has instrumentals too I guess. Another track that I remember looking up to get some help in understanding. Bowie rarely went sad, but when he did he sure went in. Fill Your Heart sounds like a sibling to Kooks, but I do like it better. I don't know what he was trying to accomplish with that beggining to Andy Warwhol but it surely changed the mood. The song's good though. He continues with the homages to then contemporary icons in the next song, and while it is good, it doesn't hit quite the same. Queen Bitch is so much fun. The Bewlay Brothers is another track that always kind of just happened. I like it, but the meaning doesn't speak to me. I love the second half though. Overall, this was a great experience, It was nice to revisit this album and the time in my life that I associate with it. But even outside that, this record definately deserves its reputation as a classic. It has some of Bowie's best material with maybe a couple songs that could be skipped. Absolutely worth a listen! Bye

## In-Depth Review of David Bowie's *Hunky Dory* David Bowie’s *Hunky Dory* (1971) stands as a pivotal moment in his career and in the evolution of art pop and glam rock. The album is lauded for its lyrical depth, innovative musical arrangements, and production finesse, as well as its enduring influence on popular music. This review examines *Hunky Dory* in detail, focusing on its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, and concludes with a balanced evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## Lyrics **Narrative and Poetic Range** *Hunky Dory* is celebrated for its lyrical richness and thematic diversity. Bowie weaves personal introspection with cultural commentary, often blurring the line between autobiography and fiction[1][4]. The lyrics are accessible yet layered, inviting repeated listening and interpretation[4][6]. - **"Changes"**: The album opens with this anthem of reinvention, addressing generational conflict and the inevitability of transformation. The "ch-ch-ch-changes" refrain is both catchy and thematically resonant, encapsulating Bowie’s own artistic metamorphosis[6][8]. - **"Oh! You Pretty Things"**: Here, Bowie explores Nietzschean philosophy and occultism, referencing the rise of a new generation poised to upend the old order. The song’s apocalyptic optimism is both unsettling and infectious[3][4]. - **"Life on Mars?"**: Perhaps the album’s lyrical zenith, this surreal narrative follows a disaffected girl seeking solace in media and imagination. The lyrics juxtapose mundane reality with fantastical escapism, posing existential questions that resist easy answers[6]. - **"Kooks"**: In contrast, this track is a whimsical, heartfelt ode to Bowie’s newborn son, mixing parental advice with playful eccentricity[4]. - **"Quicksand"**: Bowie delves into existential despair, referencing Aleister Crowley, Nietzsche, and Buddhist philosophy. The lyrics are dense and allusive, reflecting a search for meaning amid chaos[4]. - **"The Bewlay Brothers"**: The album closes with this cryptic, haunting piece. Its lyrics are intentionally oblique, reportedly inspired by Bowie’s relationship with his half-brother and themes of identity and duality[8]. Overall, Bowie’s writing on *Hunky Dory* is both personal and universal, often enigmatic but always evocative. The album’s lyrics are a tapestry of references-philosophy, pop culture, personal history-woven with wit and emotional resonance. --- ## Music **Stylistic Shift and Arrangements** *Hunky Dory* marks a significant shift from the hard rock of *The Man Who Sold the World* to a warmer, piano-driven art pop and melodic rock sound[3][4][8]. The arrangements are intricate yet inviting, blending genres with effortless grace. - **Piano as Centerpiece**: Rick Wakeman’s piano work is central, providing both melodic foundation and emotional color. The piano’s prominence gives the album a theatrical, almost cabaret-like feel, especially on tracks like "Changes" and "Life on Mars?"[3][4]. - **Orchestration and Texture**: Mick Ronson’s string arrangements add lushness, particularly on "Life on Mars?" and "Quicksand". The use of acoustic guitar, horns, and subtle electric guitar embellishments creates a rich sonic palette without overwhelming the songs[4][6]. - **Genre Fusion**: The album traverses folk ("Kooks"), baroque pop ("Fill Your Heart"), proto-glam ("Queen Bitch"), and art rock ("Quicksand"). This eclecticism is unified by Bowie’s melodic sensibility and vocal performance[4][7]. - **Vocals**: Bowie’s singing is expressive and dynamic, ranging from the gentle intimacy of "Kooks" to the soaring drama of "Life on Mars?" and the theatricality of "Queen Bitch"[6]. The music of *Hunky Dory* is both experimental and approachable, balancing complexity with accessibility. Its melodic inventiveness and stylistic variety remain fresh decades later. --- ## Production **Clarity and Warmth** Produced by Bowie and Ken Scott at Trident Studios, the album’s production is notable for its clarity, warmth, and attention to detail[3][4]. The sound is lush but never cluttered, allowing each instrument and vocal nuance to shine. - **Mixing**: The mix prioritizes the piano and Bowie’s vocals, ensuring emotional immediacy. The arrangements are layered but transparent, with careful placement of strings, horns, and backing vocals[4]. - **Engineering**: Ken Scott’s engineering expertise contributes to the album’s polished yet organic sound. The acoustic elements are captured with warmth, while the occasional electric guitar or orchestral flourish adds drama without excess[3]. - **Innovative Touches**: Experimental elements, such as the backmasked guitar solo in "The Bewlay Brothers", hint at Bowie’s future sonic adventures while remaining grounded in the album’s melodic core[3]. The production on *Hunky Dory* enhances its musical and lyrical strengths, achieving a balance between sophistication and intimacy. --- ## Themes **Identity, Change, and Cultural Reflection** Thematically, *Hunky Dory* is a meditation on identity, transformation, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world[1][4][5]. - **Reinvention and Self-Discovery**: "Changes" and "Oh! You Pretty Things" address the necessity and inevitability of change, both personal and societal. Bowie anticipates and embraces the fluidity of identity that would define his career[1][6]. - **Alienation and Escapism**: "Life on Mars?" and "Quicksand" explore feelings of alienation, the allure of fantasy, and the struggle to find purpose in a confusing world[4][6]. - **Tribute and Influence**: Bowie pays homage to his artistic heroes-Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed-while simultaneously staking out his own unique voice[3][4]. - **Family and Intimacy**: "Kooks" offers a rare glimpse of Bowie’s domestic side, blending sincerity with eccentricity[4]. - **Ambiguity and Duality**: "The Bewlay Brothers" delves into themes of brotherhood, mental illness, and the multiplicity of self, leaving interpretation open-ended[8]. The album’s thematic cohesion lies in its embrace of uncertainty, difference, and impermanence, expressed with beauty, style, and charisma[4]. --- ## Influence **Legacy and Impact** *Hunky Dory* is widely regarded as one of Bowie’s greatest achievements and a landmark in popular music[4][8][9]. - **Art Pop and Glam Rock**: The album helped define the art pop and glam rock genres, influencing countless artists with its blend of theatricality, introspection, and musical innovation[4][5]. - **Songwriting and Production**: Its sophisticated songwriting and production techniques set new standards for pop and rock music, inspiring musicians to experiment with form and content[4][9]. - **Cultural Resonance**: Songs like "Changes" and "Life on Mars?" have become cultural touchstones, covered and referenced across generations[6][9]. - **Bowie’s Artistic Identity**: *Hunky Dory* is often cited as the moment when "Bowie starts to become Bowie", discovering the voice and style that would shape his legendary career[3][4]. The album’s influence extends far beyond its initial release, continuing to inspire artists and listeners alike. --- ## Pros and Cons | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Lyrically rich and thematically diverse, blending personal and cultural commentary[1][4] | Some tracks may feel slight compared to the album’s high points ("Fill Your Heart" is sometimes cited as less substantial)[9] | | Innovative, piano-driven arrangements with lush orchestration and genre fusion[3][4] | The eclecticism, while a strength, can make the album feel less unified to some listeners[4] | | Warm, clear production that highlights musical and vocal nuances[3][4] | "The Bewlay Brothers" is seen by some as overly cryptic or inaccessible[8][9] | | Iconic songs ("Changes", "Life on Mars?", "Oh! You Pretty Things") that have become classics[6][9] | Initial commercial reception was muted, and some tracks may be overshadowed by Bowie’s later work[3] | | Marked a turning point for Bowie, influencing art pop and glam rock for decades[4][5] | Some listeners may find the album’s introspective tone less immediate than Bowie’s more theatrical later albums[4] | --- ## Conclusion *Hunky Dory* remains a towering achievement in David Bowie’s discography and in the history of popular music. Its lyrical sophistication, musical inventiveness, and production finesse combine to create an album that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. The record’s embrace of change, ambiguity, and artistic exploration set the stage for Bowie’s subsequent transformations and left an indelible mark on the musical landscape. While not every track reaches the transcendent heights of its best moments, the album’s strengths far outweigh its minor flaws. *Hunky Dory* endures as a testament to Bowie’s genius-a work that rewards close listening and continues to inspire new generations of artists and fans.

A perfect album.

This masterpiece is my favorite Bowie's album (or one of two may be). Perfect voice, sound and theme. This album is in my Top Ten of all albums ever heard. Thank you for listening it again. Every track is a musical and vocal bomb!

Fun, experimental, weird, lovely. A grand old time, all hail Bowie

This is so fun and joyful

What’s the best pop song ever written and why is it Life on Mars?

The Best David Bowie album by a mile. Masterpiece

The earliest classic Bowie record. Not as glamorous as Ziggy Stardust but it has so many good songs! In my eyes this is a must listen.

Truly a classic. Life On Mars? has been getting stuck in my head on and off since listening.

An impeccable record and the first classic Bowie album in my mind. Almost a greatest hits compilation at the time of release, and so glad that Bowie decided to give us this art pop masterpiece before going full glam rock.

Hunky Dory is where Bowie becomes Bowie. I don’t need to explain my score any further.

Big Bowie fan and this one is among my faves. Such fun songs

His first truest great album, setting the stage for his work until he goes to Berlin.

5/5 love david bowie

Fantastic classic album from the legend. All killer, no filler.

David Bowie was geen mens volgens mij, maar een soort van buitenaards wezen die ons de meest fantastische muziek heeft gebracht. 4.5

Great album <3

Incredible. Really good stuff. Had a good time doing yard work while blasting this.

all killer, no filler

Wow majorly classic album. Lucky for me, I have also heard this one before. So cool of me to have heard this one. Another album closer to death. Queen Bitch and Oh You Pretty Things are pretty perfect unstoppable all-timers. What else can you say? My biggest issue with Bowie is he is so overplayed on every jukebox and corner of the earth, that many of his biggest songs I am sick of hearing, but that's just not a factor in this 1001 albums situation. Even listening to the first song "Changes" (which I don't even like that much) I'm like "YUP, PERFECT SONG" - you can't deny it. Life on Mars? > Oh You Pretty Things > Quicksand > Andy Warhol > Queen Bitch > Fill Your Heart > Changes > The Belway Brothers > Eight Line Poem > Song for Bob Dylan > Kooks A few of the album cuts are kinda dull but the bangers pull it all up to a 5 star album

I LOVE BOWUE LOVE THE PRETTY THINGS LOVE KOOKS QUICKSAND BEST SONG EVER

At one point this was my favourite Bowie album. I've sort of gotten way more into his later stuff, but I still have a deep appreciation for this one. It was played a lot in college.

Unbelievable how so many classics can come from one album

who is hunky dory???

Great album!

One of my favorite (somewhere in the top 50-75 range) albums of all time. Although he has a number of tracks worth hearing before this, I see Hunky Dory as Bowie’s first masterpiece. An earthbound yet eclectic work of art, Hunky Dory began my fascination with Bowie’s work around a decade ago. The bombastic catchiness many of these songs offered was quite new to me then and the record still feels fresh now. Changes is a classic opener, Bewley Brothers is a chilling closer, Life On Mars? is one of his, or anybody’s, very best songs full stop. There’s some sort of palatable charm and measurable charisma on every song and in every cranny of this album. Oh! You Pretty Things is a favorite of mine too. Not only is it a bipolar banger musically, it’s one of the first examples I think of regarding Bowie’s uncanny ability to paint imagery with his words. This is a pretty solid set up for the project Bowie had been working up to for a few years, Ziggy Stardust. But at the same time, it’s very impressive how convincingly his pulls this set of ideas so shortly beforehand. It’s fun to listen to this and hear the breadcrumbs like Queen Bitch leading to his glam rock to come. Mick Ronson’s guitar playing and orchestral arranging is another element in the midst of fully blossoming here. But before Bowie blasts off into the stratosphere on his next release, the height he reaches here is vastly impressive and not to be forgotten. Easily 5 stars, 9.5/10 overall.

The beginning of the 70s Star Dust era kicks off with an absolute banger.

Not all Bowie albums are a 5, but this one is. One of his best; one of my favorites.

More 70s! Bowie this time, let's go! I've not listened to this album all the way through before and I have high hopes going in because, well, it's Bowie. Standouts are "Changes," "Eight Line Poem" - I really liked the slide guitar and the interesting lyrics - "Life on Mars," "Quicksand," and "Queen Bitch" - has some killer guitar. I could almost list each track here, they are all very good, but these were my tops if I had to pick. The piano in this album is incredible and Bowie's lyrics are unmatched. Each track is a great little story. The themes are varied and interesting. Each song is light and airy feeling yet has so much substance jammed into it, instrumentally and lyrically. Hunky Dory flies by, the album was over before I knew it and it definitely doesn't overstay its welcome. I really vibed with this one. It's hard to find any flaws and I could see myself playing this record over again. This is easily my first 5 star album here.

Very stripped back, lots of acoustic guitar. This album is a nice change of pace for Bowie with lots of folk influence. Dude never missed.

I never considered myself a Bowie fan until I participated in this project.

I prefer elton's tap dance song

Heh. yeah. A favourite Bowie album and has been in my collection for more than 40 years in every format conceivable. Normally under the rules of engagement with this site I'd listen to the album now. I am not going to as I listened to it two days ago. 5/5.

Fun Classic bowie Oh you pretty thingssss

5 stars. Right, now time to listen to the album.

High 4

His first truly great album