Hunky Dory

Bowies my piano man with most of the compositions for the first half of the album but the track "queen bitch" really made my ears perk up. There is an uneasiness/ hidden excitement throughout that keep me replaying bits and peices of many songs.

"Hunky Dory" by David Bowie. It's got some interesting moments. Bowie's eclectic style is apparent, and there are a couple of tracks that stood out for me. "Life on Mars?" and "Changes" have this undeniable charm. However, the album as a whole didn't quite grab me as much as I expected. It's diverse, for sure, but at times, it felt a bit scattered, like Bowie was experimenting with different styles without a clear thread holding it all together. I appreciate the artistry, but I guess it didn't resonate with me as strongly as some other Bowie albums.

One of Bowie's best! Side one has the 2 monster hits and is a group of mostly piano driven ballads that really show his troubadour side with ethereal lyrics and beautiful melodies (especially Life on Mars!) Side 2 shows the more rocking bowie and though the songs are generally lesser known they still tell you that whether he's rocking out or displaying his singer songwriter side, the results are always compelling. 4.5 stars

Good individual songs but not super cohesive as a complete album in my opinion. This would get better on Ziggy Stardust.

classic

More Bowie? At least this one was decent

Hunky Dory marked the beginning and the end. It marked the beginning of a persona that had been in the works for some time, needing an springboard for crystallization that would soon embody and define David Bowie for eternity. It also marked the end of the kind of outward expressions of admiration that is sprinkled throughout the album. Never again would he wax poetic about the likes of Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol and simply allowed the music, rather than the persons, to take root and showcase its impact on him. And impact is what has kept Hunky Dory from falling through the cracks over the course of fifty odd years, largely due to the presence of Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life on Mars? and Kooks. If those songs wouldn't have been enough to at least signal the world that David Bowie was due to be a supernova, then the world would have failed spectacularly. The poles that exists within Hunky Dory, the beginning and the end, is what makes this a potent and powerful entity in the Bowie discography; a near-perfect example of genius looking to burst at the seams.

Such a flawless album it needs more than five stars. Again, an album grooved on my brain and absolutely no need to play it again.

Oh! you pretty things

I don’t hate this but also I don’t want to listen to it..

Some of David Bowies best!

Some of the best songs every written here, but unlike Bowie on the album cover, they're not quite as interestingly dressed as they could be.

Hunky Dora has several iconic Bowie songs, including my favorite Bowie song (Queen Bitch). And several really solid songs. But also a couple songs I can’t rate above 3. I really like the overall package, and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. It’s the kind of album I can back to all along. But not quite essential, so I can’t pull the trigger on a 5 rating. Very close, but 4/5

Think of this as the proto-Ziggy Stardust album. It has some great hits (Changes, Life on Mars), but seems more like early Bowie than Starman Bowie. It's a great album though uneven.

3,5 Gutes Rock Album das in teilen etwas an little dark age erinnert.

Bowie again!!!! It's better than the last one on here. However only really like the 2 tracks that I already knew. Don't really understand all the hype around him.

Banger after banger Love everything side One Really love Fill Your Heart, positive vibes please The opening of Andy Warhol annoys me but I like the rest Queen Bitch is great too

Not my style at all and most tracks didn't stick out to me so much

Not a fan of this album

Always loved Bowie, didn't know what to expect from this album as I only knew a few titles. Great albums, every songs went together really well. Loved it and will certainly listen to it again and again in the next days

Love Bowie, especially his earlier work.

Квалитетан албум, допада ми се. 8/10

thank GOD i have a good album!! listening to this all the way through again makes me embarrassed about not including it in my top 5 bowie albums recently. i made notes on each song as i listened: - changes, oh! you pretty things, life on mars: these three just make me so happy. they might be huge and potentially overplayed (especially life on mars) but in this case i don’t think it matters. i love them. “mickey mouse has grown up a cow” will always be a favourite line. the first verse of pretty things makes me feel so cosy and the rest of the lyrics are just so Good - eight line poem: i have often called this my favourite on the album; it might be my most listened to i adore it - kooks: so nostalgic, makes me think of my mum i miss her - quicksand: so beautiful, has my favourite lyrics of the whole album. very powerful song that makes me cry under the right circumstances. - fill your heart - SO FUNKY lovlovlov - andy warhol - least favourite but still nice. easily still a four-star song at least - song for bob dylan, the bewlay brothers: nothing of note to say other than they are so nice to sing and enjoy and be happy at the existence of - queen bitch: if eight line poem isn’t my favourite then this is. i think that’s a popular opinion and it definitely should be

One of Bowies best, a good listen

It was scattered but I enjoyed it.

Ах этот магический Дэвид Боуи. На самом деле никогда по-большому счёту не был его фанатом. Но как же приятно слушать после долбящего в ушки панк-рока жестогоко. Life on Mars? супер приятная, всё очень музыкально и кайфово. Всё таки Дэвид был очень интересным человеком, со своим видением мира, которое очень ярко отражал в музыке. Уникальная манера исполнения, голос, песни, будто бы из других миров. Для меня не тупо топ, но слушать было довольно приятно. Плотная четырочка.

A very artsy record. May not be totally my time. Bowie's earthy voice has tremendous charisma and the drumbeats are fantastic. I did like a few songs like Changes.

Top notch art pop

For me, I think this record will require further listens; it's not all instantly catchy, which is likely a very good thing. Unquestionable genius of course though. Favourite tracks: Changes, Life on Mars?, Andy Warhol (FUN FACT: Metallica pay homage to the riff in Master of Puppets (at 6:19) - I thought it sounded familiar!), Queen Bitch.

hell yeah man

Started off very strong but then fell off on the last half

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

Some absolutely iconic songs here, probs because I loved Life on Mars the BBC series, but not all the songs vibed with me.

This ain't hunky dory, this ain't funky fresh, this ain't the bee's knees, this ain't jim-dandy, this ain't the cat's meow, this ain't something else. It's just pretty good. Probably his most overrated record in my opinion. Used to be one of my favorites, but grew off quite a bit. None of the songs after "Life on Mars?" hit quite as hard as those first 4 songs.

9/10

Great album

Starker Anfang, hervorzuheben sind vor allem: Changes, Life on Mars? und Quicksand. Teilweise sehr spirtuelle Texte, mit Bowies Stimme, welche in großen Teilen einfach über dem ganzen Album schwebt, umrahmt von tollen Instrumenten, vor allem Gitarre, Klavier. Lässt zum Ende hin aber nach.

Not much to say, but I haven't listened to Bowie's early stuff as much, but I love it. Really solidifies my love of the rest of his music in general.

I don’t know how somebody writes a brilliant song like “Changes”, and then comes up with the rest of the stuff that’s on this album. Although “Queen Bitch” was pretty rocking and sort of amusing.

I've never listened to David Bowie before. It's good but I don't really get the hype, sorry.

An ok album with a couple of objectively great pop songs. But it just doesn’t move me. I am not immune to Bowies charm but a lot of his music leaves me cold.

Fun! 4 stars. I like Bowie not the least for its queerness.

Changes is good the rest of it is just so so

Excelente

Album 227 of 1001 David Bowie - Hunky Dory Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Tracks: Changes / Life on Mars The 5th Bowie album out of my first 227. It was just yesterday, actually, that I wondered when I would get another. This is one of my favorites from Bowie. A solid album, throughout.

perus bowie hönöttelyä. aina mukaavaa kuunneltavaa. ei voi kuitenkaan liikoja kehuskella. paskahan se on laulamaan, eikä edes hasssulka tavalla, hyvähyvä... song for bob dylani hehheh kooks

Just not my thing

Bowie is awesome

A hard one - the 'known'/popular tracks are great.... but the lesser known tracks are just weird.

Incredible album from top to bottom. An all-time great.

Sublime as always

I quite enjoyed this! Multiple tracks I really loved, like queen bitch and andy warhol

Always good

a little bit weird and a lot bit good. maybe bowie at his peak here

Wo

3.5

Beautiful, dreamy music. Would be great in a movie soundtrack. New discovery: Oh! You Pretty Things

Timeless classic from one of the most gifted musicians.

I had never listened to a David Bowie album before now and I found this one pretty alright. I found Eight Line Poem in particular to be a standout and I had heard Changes and Life On Mars? before so it's nice to see the album that they sprang from. Overall I'd describe this album as "middle of the road", nothing spectacular but not bad at the same time.

Lots of great songs on this album. I was surprised by Oh! You Pretty Things, one of my favorites here and I've never heard of it before.

Overall not my favorite album of his, but David Bowie is absolutely a personal favorite, and the song “Life on Mars?” is one of the greatest songs that’s ever existed.

Go

5 stars

My main knowledge of Bowie begins and ends with the movie Labyrinth. A year or two ago I had tried to listen to the Ziggy Stardust stuff, but couldn’t really get into it. This album has some catchy songs with some questionably odd lyrics (looking at you, Life on Mars?). To my modern preferences, this has a dated sound to it and I have a hard time making the connection between this and the pop-icon I’ve been told Bowie used to be. Best tracks on the album are the first three and the last three.

I liked this Bowie album better than the others.

Strong album with Standouts in Changes, Oh You Pretty Things, Life On Mars, Quicksand, Song For Bob Dylan, Queen Bitch, and The Bewlay Brothers.

I was honestly slightly disappointed in this album and I say that as a Bowie enjoyer. I think this is one of his weaker works (granted he pumped out a lot of albums), but it’s still enjoyable.

I had never listened to a David Bowie album before, and I went in very excited. It wasn't quite everything I expected it to be, but still had some very strong tracks and none of the lows were very low.

Love it!

Decent Album, some classic tracks.

Goed pop album, David Bowie blijft een ontzettend muzikale creatieve geest. Ontbreken van (voor mij) grote hits houdt het in de hoge 4.

know it super well already, great album

Now this is what I’m talking about. When I think about lions of rock and roll music, Bowie stands shoulder to should with the greats. And beyond that, Bowie’s friendship with Andy Warhol as celebrated on this album is one of the central characterizations of the 70s for me. I sometimes feel like I missed out by escaping a heroin addiction and never sleazing out at the Mattress Factory. Incidentally, I recommend Bowie’s turn as Andy Warhol in the movie “Basquiat.” Sort of fun to watch a friend portray the likeness of a friend in homage. I imagine this isn’t the last time we’ll see David Bowie on this list. This isn’t even my favorite era of his. But a really great album all around. A groundbreaking artist in so many ways. Enjoyed from start to finish and enjoyed having the weekend to hear it a couple of times.

Not my jam, but I appreciate what it is and recognized some songs.

The A side here is top notch Bowie, but the B side is pretty spotty. I could really do without “Fill Your Heart”, “Andy Warhol”, and “Song for Bob Dylan”. “Queen Bitch” and “Bewlay Brothers” make it all worthwhile though.

3/5. A very unique pop album from someone who is lauded as the best art rock/pop artist. It contains some of his most personal songs but also some fun ditties that have not aged well. Among the rest of the songs, the off ones are good but by themselves, are not great. I don't think this is a bad album but it's not amazing.

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

I've always found Bowie pretentious and disingenuous

not a bowie fan but u cant deny hes pretty fucking good. would put any of the songs on a playlist but to listen to sometimes high/making art its perfect

Not every songs incredible, but changes, life on mars and queen bitch immediately found homes among my loved songs

Some all time great songs but also some forgettable ones.

so many classics on this, and I don't even consider myself a Bowie fan. 4.3/5 listened 3x

The first classic Bowie. Changes, Life on Mars, and Queen Bitch are some of the best songs all time. And then you have subtle burners like Kooks and Quicksand. Its weird to think, but Bowie would never sound this pure or unvarnished again.

Yup annetaan se 5 tähteä tämä on todella hyvä albumi. Sitten menin katsomaan reviews osasto 4.06 avg. Kerrankin ylpeä. Bowie on albumilla bowie. Ihmiset rakastavat Bowie. Bowie on semmoinen johon ihastutaan hänen ei itse tarvitse tehdä paljoa palvonnan eteen, senkus paljuna roikkuu saunassa, kun saunojat kuolaavat.. (yhdysamerikkalaisille tiedoksi sauna ALASTON tilaisuus!) Mutta possu onkin elossa --- gay guy in female group kinda situaatio --- syy bowien ihailuun olemukseen.... Ei tarinoi eikä loruttele.. onko siis vain tarinan henkilö... ei.. bowieta ei semmonen... henkilöleima..... ei kelpaa... bowie majesteettius pelkästään.. ei muuta sijaa anna itselleen.. siinä sala.. moni ei tajua kuinka suvereeniksi bowie päässä lokerointi.. pelkkä albumi kuunnellaan ja lokeroon LOKS loksahtaa kuin kansioaikoina.. nykyisn clickäänet tietovarasto paikoissa...... Moni ei tajua bowie mindfuck manipulation god.. antaa 5 star 1984.. meikä respect the mindfuck... siitä täydet..

This was honestly not my jam. The music itself was a light piano based pop sound. Which I’m not opposed to but it didn’t really resonate with me. Also the lyrics were kinda all over the place. Sometimes I liked them, other times, didn’t care for them. I mean the cultural value is interesting, being described as the beginning of Bowie becoming Bowie but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Not Bowie’s best, but a few songs were quite entertaining

Great album.

7/10

Can’t believe the guy from the labyrinth had a musical career! Not my style of music but still enjoyed listening to this album, especially the later tracks.

Whimsical

I’ll definitely be listening to this one again. So many lyrics!

The start of a really good run of Bowie albums

Pretty good.

Bowie is a fine man. Rich and innovative album -- a true favourite of mine.

Up until this album it struck me that Bowie stuck mostly to portraying characters.   The album starts off with a song about “me” and it's like an actor breaking the fourth wall. That vibe continues for the first 3 songs and I wonder whether the narrative has turned to a 1st person perspective, or if Bowie is actually talking about himself at this point. The characters are definitely still there, but it’s nice to have some variety. Bowie is over the brief proto-metal kick (The Man Who Sold the World) and back to his Avant-rock ways. Pianos, saxophones, keyboards, pianos, strings, unconventional time signatures, multiple transitions and movements in a single song – I still can’t fathom how an artist comes up with stuff like this. Standout tracks to me (mostly cliche) are 'Changes', 'The BewlayBrothers', 'Oh! You Pretty Things', and 'Life on Mars?'

4 great classics on there but the rest is just twee grandma filler to listen and I whilst knitting

Great songs, especially the first half, but not his best

I like it.

5 stars shut up

Честно казано е приятен, но не бих го слушала пак, освен Life on Mars, която е страхотна, другите ми се сливат.

Enjoyed!!

The album before the Ziggy Stardust period, starts with "Changes" and you can tell Ch-ch-ch-changes is coming and that's enough to make it 4 stars for me, add in "Kooks", "Oh! You Pretty Things", and "Life on Mars?" and you have a solid album. But you really have no idea of whats about to come...

Interesting

3 First time listening to a Bowie Album. 'Life on Mars' an epic song. 'Eight Line Poem' a nice surprise as never heard it before. Some songs samey but life on Mars lifts it to a higher level

Not heard this whole album before, good sound, David Bowie is not a good vocalist.

I liked the songs that I recognised. Ya' know his hits an shits. But ultimately I wasn't drawn to much else. Bowie is good but was he great. TBC

so GOOD, musical genius for a reason, a cohesive album but not necessarily to be heard in this order, reminds me why i loved the shrek soundtrack

Pretty good, some perfect songs but the album all in all isn't 100% perfect, I would give it 4.5 if i could.

Amazing: embarrassing to say I haven't listened to this before and it was as good as the hype made it out to be. A strong guitar and rock presence but paired with the imagination of lyrics and structure Bowie brings this was smth else. Ofc you have his iconic tracks but this whole album could be held as amazing. Not many skips in it at all. Will definitely be coming back and listening to this a bunch more and praying I get more Bowie soon.

For the first David Bowie album on this list I think this is solid 4 stars.

life on mars might be the best piano of all time. Rick wakeman of yes

This was tough to rate. Every song was really different than the one before or after it. Some really worked for me, but others seemed annoyingly pop-ish. I was settling in on 3 for most of the experience … but after I finished it, I found myself wanting to play it again. To hear the lyrics if nothing else. So that bumped it up to a final 4.

Uneven both in quality and in style. There were some good moments (mostly on Oh! You Pretty Things, Song for Bob Dylan, and Bewlay Brothers), but I often found myself wincing (during pretty much every other song). Was expecting to like this more than I did. Kind of crazy that Metallica used the Andy Warhol riff in Master of Puppets though. Favorite Track: Bewlay Brothers 4/10

The classic tracks on this are what raise it from being a fairly dull affair to the iconic work that it is.

Wish Bowie were still alive 😭

It’s Bowie. It deserves 5 stars for Life On Mars? alone. It makes me feel joyful

Great album,changes,oh you pretty things,life on mars,Andy worhol and queen bitch are all bangers.David Bowie was really amazing during the 70s.

One of his best!!

Some classics, changes + life on mars. Poppy with a cheerful tune. With a lot of spacy sounds, feels very 70s

rated 1 child predators out of 5

Great album

Mir persönlich ein bisschen zu pompös an manchen Stellen. Ich höre manche Beatles Anleihen, die können jedoch auch nur eingebildet sein. Bowie hat auf jeden Fall eine interessante Stimme.

It’s Bowie being Bowie, what more can I say?

Bowie rules. Hunky Dory is another example of his finger being on the pulse of pop/rock/whatever. Couple low's on the album but the highs are very high. (changes, life on mars, pretty things)

Standout track- Changes

IS THERE LIFE ON MAAAARS

Good Bowie album yuh

As good as it gets. Not a 5 because theres some misses, but god damn this is a good album.

Duh

Some good songs at the and some good at the start but it wasn't banger central

4th best Bowie album. I like Mitsy’s scale, 3.5.

3.7 rounding up to 4

euuhhhh 1/5

A few hits but a lack luster album

Love all the piano on this album...although some of it seems too theatrical... like the ending of old movies.

This was a fun one. I've heard most of these songs before, but never together in the context of the full album. Loved it.

Great album. I found some very nice songs in it.

solid Bowie right here

Isn't this supposed to be his first breakthrough? Considered by many as his best? Why does this suck then?

Some fun bops 4/5

A classic. Listened on 10/7/23

Ho perso la review scritta prima

Very eye opening. Bowie was so far ahead of his time.

Life on Mars? is one of the greatest song ever written. BEst Bowie album for me. The use of piano is also top notch

- Changes - A - Life On Mars - A+ - Everything up to Andy Warhol - great - Andy Warhol - a nightmare - Everything after that was okay, - Would have bought if not for Andy Warhol, and would absolutely listen to the first 7 songs again

Oh I've listened to this many times. For a couple of kooks, even the filler tracks are great.

Ok-ish but not my cup of tea.

Too whimsical

Loved this album when I saw him in Cleveland in 72. Never gets old. Unlike me.

One of Bowie's best, all the songs rock and it's a fun album.

Started off strong, then idk

I liked Life on Mars, Andy Warhol and Oh! Your Pretty Things Andy Warhol has an interesting acoustic guitar riff that sounds inspired by more Latin American styles

Very good first half. Weak second half.

5 punkte

typical bowie means atypical than anyone else. A nice album with interesting songs combined with catchy ones

I liked it, on average.

Life on Mars? is one of my top 5 Bowie songs. Filll Your Heart was real weird.

OK. I prefer higher-tempo Bowie.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes great tracks: changes oh you pretty thing life on mars? kooks quicksand andy warhol song for bob dylan queen bitch great album, beginning-to-end listen

A couple of classics on here and some riffs and lyrics that influenced some huge songs (Master of puppets, Mr. Brightside), but most of the album is not that appealing to me in any way.

High highs. A number of tracks don't seem to resonate.

Liked this, melodic, interesting. I often find Bowie's songs too repetitive (thinking of things like "Rebel Rebel"), but none of that here.

good album with some absolute bangers in changes and life on mars. i didn't know the others but they were enjoyable to listen to at least. this really feels like bowie finding his niche, and I'm here for it. favorites: changes, life on mars?, queen bitch

As a lover of Bowie this album doesn't miss, it's got that classic Bowie feel about it and is a album that brings pure chill and good vibes. One of his best albums for sure. Stand out tracks are Changes (shout out to shrek 2), Oh! You Pretty Things and Life on Mars? (One of my all time fave Bowie songs) but there isn't a bad track on this album. This album just lessens the stresses of life as soon as you start listening to it.

Classic Bowie with some lesser known bangers

Maybe there's something wrong with me but I find his music super goofy and I can't get into it at all.

Bowie didn't make a bad album. It's not at the top of the list of the better ones, but for me it's in the top 100 albums of 1001.

Mfing classic

Bowie had “it”. A great album from a star.

While I've tried so many times to try and get into Bowie's fascinating style and incredibly high production-value, I just unfortunately don't enjoy most of the music once I get into it. As much as it pains to say, for me this album peaks with the very first song and it was all down hill from there. Despite how much I *want* to like it, it just didn't click with me.

9/10

god damn I've listened to it and forgot how good it was

Again, this guy didn’t make a bad album. The last few tracks pulled this back to a 5

not a huge bowie fan sadly. was ok to listen to

Lost my notes on this one... Basically Bowie is hit or Miss with me, but this is one album of his I adore.

3.9 stars

Hits and generally good.

Sit back and enjoy

Amazing of course!

9/10 outstanding album. One of my Bowie favorites.

Bowie is definitely coming to form on this record. It wasn't a hit when it came out, but it really showcases Bowie beginning to find a signature sound. Because of this, though, it is a bit inconsistent as opposed to some of his later albums.

Not all the songs I liked but had some classics on it Spotify repeated the album and had not noticed was an enjoyable album.

I've only hear some of Bowie's hits before, but this album has definitely made me want to hear more. There were a few songs that were sub-par, but over all this was great. I guess there's a reason he's held is such high regard. 4.5/5

"If she says she can do it, she can do it - she don't make false claims" One of my favourite lines in rock music. Classic album from Bowie's prime. I love it

Good start but falls off quickly for me. And I do like Bowie and he has been influential, 100%, but this album just isn’t it

Good album which tails off towards the end. Amazing musical talent but requires more quality control.

an absolute classic and it makes life nice

BANGERS

Hey, it's Bowie. And a very good David Bowie album at that. Life on Mars? is an old favourite of mine, and the whole album holds up very well.

meh

Bowie nearly at his best, and in one instance, reaching it (Life on Mars?)

Another album with some amazing songs by David Bowie. I think it should always be an automatic 4/5, and if most of the songs are great, then an easy 5. This time the legendary "On Mars" put a shade on the rest of the album, so I didn't really enjoy other tracks the same way. I will give it another go in the future, but for now it's just 4 stars.

Bowie 4eva

4.5

Enjoyable but didn't have any of the big hits. Bowie occupies the sound of the times well here for '71

Beautiful. This is prime Bowie.

One of the many legendary Bowie albums. Can you imagine living in the 70s and listening to this album for the first time? A mystical experience, for sure. Well, so many artists whose music has enriched our souls over the last 40 years probably went through that experience. Changes, Life on Mars, Andy Warhol are complete classics and are widely played even today. This is a total 5

Better than average Bowie, based mainly on the overall musicality but also for the (relative) restraint he shows in not overdoing things, as he usually does. Several plus songs, too, starting with "Changes" and thru "Life on Mars" and quite a few excellent, even earwormy hooks.

First four songs are amazing. Quality really takes a dip after that.

Eh. Could take it or leave it

Probably not his best, but it's Bowie and there are some classic songs on this album.

It's David Bowie- I'm going to love it

Another great Bowie album. I'm not sure it beats "Station to Station" to being my (current) favourite but it was a great record with some real classics and a few tracks new to me that I enjoyed a lot. An amazing voice and brilliant instrumentation, making for just a wonderful experience. It was cool hearing the origin of that riff that I know from Master of Puppets, which happened to be an homage made by Burton and Hammett to Bowie, so that's nice. (Kooks. Such a silly word!) Favourite: Life on Mars?

David Bowie’s formula. One big hit to start the album, a few mediocre songs to round out the first side, and some weird shit on side B. Don’t have it, but don’t love it

This was a little bit on the dull side, which was surprising to me given Bowie’s reputation, but the big hits are as awesome as expected.

Outstanding

This was David Bowie's gateway to himself. Already well established by the time he put out this album, the change in songwriting and some notable songs like Changes and Life on Mars? primed him to create Ziggy. Listening through this album takes a little effort, but it's worth it. 3.5/5

3.5 Good but doesnt wow me

can't believe he stole that song from shrek 😔

Love it!

Listened Before? N Back-to-back Bowie! Kinda cool. This one was not as good as Ziggy. I think he was doing some solid work here but hadn't quite refined the sound yet. I really liked it, don't get me wrong but it just wasn't as polished as his later stuff. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Life on Mars?

There are some fantastic songs on this album, but it peters out a bit towards the end and suffers from a bit too much self-awareness and late '60s/early 70s experimentation (at the expense of actually good music). Think it's a three star album.

Some classic Bowie creativity here. Not as flashy or artistic as the later material but some bops and high levels of talent.

Hunky Dory is a really well-crafted album. It loses a bit of momentum toward the end, otherwise it would easily be a 5★.

We'll see if this is one of the boring Bowies are one of the great Bowies. Turns out it's his most approachable album with some real hits. Great listen.

Hunky Dory by David Bowie is a timeless and influential album that marks a pivotal point in his artistic journey. Released in 1971, it showcases Bowie's remarkable songwriting and eclectic musical influences. Tracks like "Life on Mars?" and "Changes" are enduring classics, displaying his ability to craft poignant and thought-provoking lyrics. The album's production is lush and diverse, incorporating elements of folk, glam rock, and art pop. Hunky Dory exemplifies Bowie's chameleon-like ability to reinvent himself and push musical boundaries. While every track may not be equally groundbreaking, the album remains a testament to his unmatched creativity and innovation, solidifying his status as an icon in the world of rock music.

Classic rock, I guess? Some oddball elements, like radio voices

So this is my 7th Bowie album in the 1001 project, and I am still no closer to understanding why he is revered as much as he is. That said, this is a solid album and the best of the 7 I have listened to. Changes and Life on Mars are very pleasant songs so I will be charitable and give this 4/5

Awesome album. Life On Mars is one of my favorite songs. Also Changes. And overall great songs all over. Gotta give it a 5.

Discazo 8/10

Favourites: • Oh! You Pretty Things • Life on Mars?

Just some of the best pop songs

Bipperty bopperty

Couple decent songs but Bowie has never done it for me

Love it

It’s not my favourite Bowie album but it does have a few bangers.

Låter som musik i mina öron.

Day 3: Some excellent tracks - really liked changes, life on mars, queen bitch, and bewlay brothers. Elements of others were also quite nice and musically impressive, but a lot of it was almost too dramatic/stylised to the point it ended up being quite annoying. It's unlikely I'd listen to it in its entirety again, but individual tracks worth a revisit

David Bowie is like a less talented Davis Bowen

I don't normally go back this far in Bowie's catalogue but I should because Hunky Dory is an excellent album. It's light, breezy, not too complicated even with the lyrics inviting you to get way too in depth about Crowley or whatever. I like the piano-driven Bowie, and of course everyone loves Life on Mars.

Pretty cool record! Might have to give this a few more listens to really appreciate the record. Queen Bitch is probably my favorite so far.

This confirmed a minor complaint I have with Bowie. There are always some amazing concepts but the execution isn’t quite what I want. It’s sparse. I want a horn line or more from the accompanying vocals. To say it differently I just want Bowie doing everything he does but with a more assertive producer.

About half of this album was great. The other half felt like they were studio demos that really weren't fully realized.

It's a god awful small affair To the girl with the mousy hair But her mummy is yelling no And her daddy has told her to go But her friend is nowhere to be seen Now she walks through her sunken dream To the seat with the clearest view And she's hooked to the silver screen But the film is a saddening bore For she's lived it ten times or more She could spit in the eyes of fools As they ask her to focus on Sailors fighting in the dance hall Oh man, look at those cavemen go It's the freakiest show Take a look at the lawman Beating up the wrong guy Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know He's in the best selling show Is there life on Mars? Amazing. There really arent any words which do justice to this album, its just outstanding and absolutely deserves to be on a list of the albums that everyone should hear. 5/5

Not really listened to a full Bowie album before. Few bangers and some weird stuff.

The quintessential David Bowie. This is possibly my favourite album of his. The one from the Bamford family vaults, the original vinyl still languishing on a shelf and very much loved. I was four when my parents bought this so it became part of my musical upbringing. I sat reading the lyrics whilst they spun the vinyl and sang Kooks to me. Which they did for years afterwards. I still have a card somewhere from my father saying, thank you for “taking a chance on a couple of Kooks “. The song still makes me cry. But even more than that, each song is so well crafted and feels like it belongs here. It contributes to the whole. There is not one song that I don’t love.

This album is more consistent than Heroes. While it includes the classics ‘Changes’ and ‘Life on Mars’, they don’t overshadow the rest of the album. I enjoyed his song about Bob Dylan.

Somehow, this album is not in my extensive David Bowie collection and it's a serious gap because this is fantastic. Bowie's songwriting on this album is exceptional, the production is interesting and spot-on, there's a breadth of style and subject matter — it's brilliant. There's a lot of Bowie on this 1001 list, but so far, no complaints from me!

Yeah this is a good one. Funny, I played it for Sadie a few months ago and didn't care for it as much as I did back in college when this was on constant repeat. But today it hit just right. It's not quite a five, perhaps, but the great ones are among his greatest. Life on Mars might even be his best song ever, which is saying something.

Perfect Bowie album

This album rules, and it's such an intrinsic part of my music DNA and language, just omnipresent for so long. It's a perfect record. An absolute joy to see albums like this pop up when they do.

Bowie is my Nr.1 artist of all time wich means that I both love his music but also look very critically on it... That said Hunky Dory is not his best but it's in the top 5. Every songs is somewhat special and interesting. A truely great album 8.5/10 (5/5)

top 5 bowie

A banger of an album from Bowie, defo in his top three. Queen Bitch is the stand out ‘not greatest hits’ track

Not my favourite Bowie album by any means, but it does have some of his best songs in the singles. It does drag a bit in places, particularly towards the end. I was actually looking forward to the end, which leads me to think of this as a 3 star instead of a 4.

Picked up at the end, strong side B. I'm not a big Bowie fan and I only really like the ziggy stardust album, I can see why fans are into this record.

Desta vez não senti tanto constrangimento por não conhecer nenhuma música. Pareceu-me mais pop do que os outros que já apareceram na lista do livro, e menos interessante.

I guess giving me one of the highest-rated albums after one of the lowest-rated albums (Kid Rock, no less) was the generator’s way of apologizing to me. Also, interestingly, this is the first time I’ve had an album from an artist with a least 7 (in Bowie’s case, 9) and I feel like it’s about time. Anyway, Hunky Dory is a great album, with the great melodies and show-tuney atmosphere making it unique, especially in masterpieces like ‘Changes’ and ‘Life on Mars?’. What more can I say? It’s a ubiquitous classic, and a breath of fresh air after Kid Rock (I’m still mad about that album).

A casual Bowie fan may not know any song besides Changes but this is an album full of wonderful songs. He was 24 when he recorded this. How can someone be this good at that age? When I was 24 I was a complete dough head. Life on Mars is probably the second best known song. Was he referring to John or Vladimir when he said "Lennon's (or Lenin's) on sale again"? He took that one to the grave with him. There are other lyrical gems in this song such as ""see the mice in their million hordes". I think I saw a T-shirt that said that but that might have been a dream. Quicksand touches many buttons because of, among other things, the names mentioned and the overall darkness. It's a song that has so much depth and so many deep messages. I have the mental capacity to understand some of the lines like "Can't take my eyes from the great salvation of bullshit faith" but I have trouble figuring out most of this song. For example I have no idea what he's saying about Himmler and Churchill. Like the Lennon vs Lenin question, it's too late for him to explain but perhaps he will tell us all about it on the next Bardo. The album also has a lot of clever keyboard playing by Wakeman. His piano on Fill Your Hard and Quicksand really shows his prowess and he sticks to the piano on this album leaving the synths, meletrones, etc. for his Yes years. The freedom Bowie allows his pianists shows on Fill You Heart as Wakeman soars adding so much personality to that song. Bowie did the same with Mike Garson, generating the same result, on the title track to Aladdin Sane. Mick Ronson also shows his brilliance on songs like Eight Line Poems. Queen Bitch is the album's trans / crossdresser song which was a topic a lot of artists addressed around then. If I understand this one, Bowie is checking out Sister Flo, a trans woman, saying how swishy she looks and saying "I can do better than that". When touring his next album, Ziggy wearing a miniskirt proved he could look better than Flo.

This is possibly my favorite Bowie album. He throws a lot of different styles and moods at us. "Changes", the opener's title is fitting because the album is so full of them and it sums up his career to that point (and beyond). "Life on Mars" gets a lot of votes for Bowie’s best song ever and is one of many songs on the album that could only have only have been written by Bowie. "Kooks" is a hilarious tribute to his newborn son. Speaking of tributes, the Dylan and Warhol "tributes" didn't go over to well with their subjects. "Queen Bitch" sounds out of place, like it belongs on the album he'd be releasing the following year and the final cut, maybe my favourite, "The Bewlay Brothers" is cryptic and haunting. Bowie’s voice and lyricism are at their peak. I love the arrangements, Rick Wakeman's piano playing and the acoustic guitar. Hunky Dory is a snapshot in time, nothing like the album before or after it.

It’s getting close to peak Bowie. His summit would of course be Ziggy Stardust, but this is pretty close. Its generally mellower and has quite a bit of piano work and strings and features some of his best songs which include Changes, Life on Mars (which IMO is one of his most beautiful songs) and Queen bitch. Overall, this is album is amongst Bowie's very best and that's saying a lot.

A decent album. I’ve come to the conclusion that I like but don’t love Bowie as an artist. I like some of his music on this album, such as Changes, Song for Bob Dylan, and Andy Warhol. Solid 3 for me.

Changes, Oh, You Pretty Things, Life on Mars (best song), Kooks, Fill Your Heart, Song for Bob Dylan, Queen Bitch and The Bewlay Brothers. His first real glam rock album and it fucks. Only a couple part that make me not give it 5 stars.

Soft 4 Queen Bitch is a 5, Life on Mars, Quicksand

Fantastic album. This is the type of David Bowie I've been waiting to hear on this list. 4.5/5 FS: Changes, Pretty Things, Mars, Quicksand, Warhol

What more can be said about this, it the best bowie I've had (so far)

Скучно

The first of many perfect albums by Bowie.

Bowie's vision starts to take flight here. Life on Mars? and Queen Bitch are stone cold classics. Quicksand is an underrated gem. It's not 100% perfect but that will come later from Bowie. Still, it's a damn good album.

For my money, this is Bowie's best alongside Low. This is not his most innovative or excentric record, but he did manage to make one of the best glam rock album out there, filled with melodies that gets stuck in your head forever. It has the simplicity of just being fun to listen to but there's a dark twist that is implicit to those songs. I don't know, I just think this album is particularly exciting.

One of the great Bowie's albums, but still far from his Berlin's trilogy.

This one is not even in my top 5 David Bowie's album, but it's still a very great one. Changes, Oh You Pretty Thing, Life On Mars and Quicksand are top-tier songs.

Het album dat David Bowie voorgoed op de kaart zette. Genesteld tussen Bowies eerdere akoestische werk en de glamrock van Ziggy Stardust, Hunky Dory was bepalend voor zijn latere geluid. Sterk album met interessante en diverse nummers. leukste nummer: Oh! You Pretty Things "Andy Warhol" is een van de drie tribute nummers van het album. Toen Bowie het voor Warhol speelde vond hij het zo lelijk dat hij de kamer uit liep.

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

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

Bowie is pop... Sort of? Kind of not any one thing. And this is one of his best. An easy 4 for me. And I'm sorry happy that Trent Reznor introduced him to me as a teenager.

10/10 Filled with classics (changes, oh you pretty things, life on mars) but also beautiful gems (kooks, the bewlay brothers) that will keep me coming back to this.

This was fine. Starting to think Bowie's more hit and miss for me than outright iconic.

This album is gay-rock-art-glam with hints that Bowie is a poetic alien. I think most people getting to know Bowie's work generally start at this phase of his career (although I started at Low thanks to NIN), and it's a good place to get to know his work. I've know Changes since I was a kid and later realized that it's quoted at the beginning of The Breakfast Club. Of all the songs, Life on Mars? gets me right in the feels - I have to catch my breath nearly every time I hear it. Oh! You Pretty Things, Kooks, Andy Warhol, and Queen Bitch are all fab. Great Bowie album.

This album has some of my absolute favourite Bowie songs on it. Life on Mars, Changes and Andy Warhol alone make this album great.

I was born missing the gene responsible for appreciating David Bowie. That said, this challenge has made me listen to four of his albums so far (only four more to go, sigh). I didn't mind this. I like a handful of his songs and one of them is on this album ("Queen Bitch"). I prefer him here with the acoustic sounds, although methinks I could hear The Beatles' influence in here, which is probably why I didn't mind this.

One of David Bowie's finest albums. Elegantly crafted, wonderfully melodic songs, with a surprising softness and effortless charm. It’s simply arranged and surprisingly… I guess the word I'm looking for is quiet… compared to the oft-noisy and rock driven Man Who Sold the World that came before it. It's like Bowie took off the kabuki mask for a minute and we could really connect with him in a way that doesn't always happen. To that end, Bowie also took a less stylistic approach to his lyricism on this album that works so well. These are probably among the most straightforward and accessible lyrics he ever wrote and the album is so much better for it. "Queen Bitch" really doesn't belong on Hunky Dory in a lot of ways. It's on another track stylistically from the rest of it. That said, it's still my favorite song on the album and a top 5 Bowie song for me in general. I wouldn't remove it for anything. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Queen Bitch, Changes, Life on Mars?, The Bewlay Brothers, Quicksand, Oh! You Pretty Things, Eight Line Poem, Andy Warhol, Kooks, Song for Bob Dylan, Fill Your Heart

happy to discover "life on mars". what a jam, though idk what david wants to say here after just a first listen. a jam throughout!!! so very pop. honestly not great vocals in a number of songs but i am v entertained

I love this album. Changes is a great song. David Bowie is great at making big and epic songs.

Probably my second favorite Bowie Album. Definitely a continuation of Ziggy Stardust. Life on Mars is that standout imo

One of Bowie's best. Some absolute banger classics here - Life on Mars? and Oh, You Pretty Things particularly go hard. Bowie knows how to keep you captivated for a whole album's length, too - there wasn't a single point that felt like a slog to get through.

Really great album. Distinct songs with wierd chords structures and lyrics, but somehow it just works

Started really well, first 2 songs are great, but after that it gets worse. I still don't really understand this insane Bowie hype after having listened to 2 of his albums

My love for Bowie is through the roof, this album has Life on Mars which is just the best to belt out, his vocals are on point. Brought down in small part by limited notoriety of other hits on here, but amazing regardless

3.5

Starts slow and gets better

Epic album good from start to end

Another one of my personal favorites. I love the different era's of David Bowie, but on some of his early album there are a few tracks that don't really hang together - that isn't the case here. While the whole album has a "sound", each track is remarkably different and fun. Key tracks are "Changes" and "Life on Mars?", but I also love "Oh! You pretty things" and "Andy Warhol".

Really liked the instrumentation (piano, orchestra vibes) Very calm album Kind of a coming-of-age album Bowie's voice is irritating though, especially when he tries to do his sing-talk voice ew Might put this on in future but probably won't come back to it 3

Enjoyable but forgettable.

Not sure why I didn't really like this. It just rubbed me off the wrong way.

Now we are talking! This album marks of the arrival of Bowie in my book!

Really enjoyable Bowie album. Sounds a bit stripped back and folky (a lot of piano driven songs) but with that touch of Bowie quirkiness and flamboyance. One of my favourites.

Classic Bowie.

Much better than Ziggy for me, great album

4.5/5

A total and complete classic! (I'm 10 albums in on this thing...and this is the first album that really belongs on the 1001 list)

Good, not great Bowie.

So many classic Bowie songs here. And really no songs I disliked. So yeah. It's a great album.

very good

Its taken me a long time, but the older I get the more I understand and enjoy Bowie. He truly is an artist and uses every tool at his disposal to create art. There probably won't be another one like him. This album sounds so much of its time yet somehow so futuristic. So good.

Easy listening, and nobody does it quite like Bowie

Rick Wakeman has said this is the best album he ever made: "... It’s faultless, such great musicians, there wasn’t anything that wasn’t right about that album." "Changes." "Andy Warhol." "Oh, You Pretty Things." "Life On Mars." All four of those songs are very high on my list of favorite Bowie songs. I think it's telling because Wakeman plays piano on most of them, but still Bowie songs. If it was just these songs alone it would be close to a 5. But the other songs... Some are really strong, like "Eight Line Poem" and "Kooks", but there are some that are definite b-sides, like "Fill Your Heart," which I felt was supposed to be more tongue-in-cheek than anything else. "Song For Bob Dylan" has a guitar feel more like Queen, but still it's pretty good. "Belway Brothers" has a bit of a cartoon-y end, which is... odd... And then it's over. And you're kind of hoping for a better ending, but no luck. I'm glad that Bowie shifted to more of a piano-based album, it really shows how much he expands in his ideas. "Kooks" is one of the songs he resurrects from his very very FIRST album. It still works, too. But ultimately, I can't give this a 5. A 5 is an album I would come back to again and again and listen to it start to finish. "Belway Brothers" and "Fill Your Heart" are just.... not as good as the other songs. And putting "Belway Brothers" at the end like that puts a sour taste in your mouth, like a bad aftertaste on a desert to an exquisite meal. It's a really good album and has some of my favorite tracks, but it's just not great.

So I love his previous and next albums (The Man Who Sold the World and Ziggy Stardust), maybe my two purest favorites of his. I'm a rocker, what can I say? This was different. And I guess that's why so many people love it - because he did a total 180 from his first few albums and did it repeatedly for the next decade, and kept being a chameleon his whole career. Between the heavy doses of piano and a little bit of fun, Side one sounds like the Beatles and Elton John - not copies of it, but channeling that sound and doing his own thing. Changes is so prophetic for Bowie himself - a classic. Oh You Pretty Things reminds of When I'm Sixty-Four with the jangly but upbeat piano, though it starts by borrowing from the back half of A Day in the Life. It nicely segues into Eight Line Poem (a hidden beauty). Kooks also gives me that Beatles feel, a little circus pomp and whiz. Funny lyrics in advice for his son. Life on Mars? is another classic - a bit of early Bowie mixed with the soon to be Ziggy Bowie in its soaring style and space-y focus, but with an Elton feel given how piano-driven it is. Quicksand also feels like a bit of old Bowie - Space Oddity simplicity and bleakness. And for all those costume changes on Side One, Side Two is then a completely different animal itself and from track to track, with 4 out of 5 homages. I didn't care much for his one remake Fill Your Heart, other than noticing its fairly upbeat tempo. The next three all perfectly fit their inspiration. Andy Warhol is strange (but surprisingly decent). Song for Bob Dylan feels like a Dylan tune (mixed with some Skynyrd Tuesday's Gone) and its lyrics do the man justice, but putting a different spin on his legacy (pleading for his return). Queen Bitch is a perfect channeling of Lou Reed by Bowie. It sounds like a Velvet Underground song only better. It is my favorite track on the album and now one of my all-time favorite Bowie songs. The Belway Brothers feels like it should've been on Side One, or maybe it's meant to close Side Two in the same way as Quicksand - another bleak, stripped down tune. As I was listening to the album (repeatedly) I felt like I was going to land on a 4. But in writing up my comments I found myself admiring and respecting it even more.

"Oh! You pretty things" is bomb😊