Reviews (page 2 of 14)
Such a good album a perhaps my favourite by Bowie. Classic tracks like Changes and Life On Mars are definitely standouts as Oh You Pretty Things and the rocking Queen Bitch
Plenty of bangers. Top stuff
Banger after banger. I like how stripped back this one is
Zajebiste. Nie wiem czemu ale po prostu takie jest. Takie 4,5 w stronę 5.
A wonderful love letter to his artistic influences. Bob Dylan and Warhol are obvious, but I also hear a lot of Beatles and other psychedelic rock in here. Life on mars is one of my favorite songs of all time but Kooks and Bewlay Brothers were also great.
One of my fav Bowie albums so good
David Bowie doing David Bowie things, i.e. whatever he wants. Spoiler alert: this is another absolute cracker in his catalogue!
i personally don’t believe that there’s life on mars… but that’s just my opinion
I have no idea how Bowie’s Nazism has no impact on his almost universally accepted status as a national treasure, it can’t be the quality of the songs he wrote up to 1980, even though in the main those songs, including all 11 here, are of a remarkably high quality. Furrowed brow - 5 stars. Tom.
Pretty exceptional. Going to be difficult to find some better songs than on side A of this bad boy. Got a bit derivative towards the end, but it's David Bowie!
so many heart emojis for DB and this wonderful album - such fantastic storytelling he's quite the troubador on this one
The past and future collide to create an inimitable artist on this album. This to me is where the journey truly begins. A mission statement of sorts announcing we can go absolutely anywhere. The fact that cabaret piano is the driving force with some acoustic guitar accents thrown in makes it all the move miraculous.
I mean, what else do you want me to say?
Wasn't familiar with the album name, but now I am. This is full of classics and songs I love.
No big deal, Bowie just out here dropping several iconic songs on one album.
Genuine classic - captivating tracks and 3-4 tracks that are all time greats
fuck it no weak points
Great album, I am glad I revisited this as I didn't realize just how based Bowie was the first time. Edit: Bowie, I keep finding myself coming back to this. You were such a beautiful person. Weeks later I still find myself having these songs pop in my head.
A rare treat of a Bowie album brilliant the whole way through
Bah oui hein
Bowie est probablement le plus grand musicien de l'histoire moderne Playlist pick : Changes
Love it
god i love bowie… this album especially (ziggy still my #1 sorry not sorry)
Great record. Life on Mars is an all-timer. But the rest of it is so complete and vivid. I need to become a Bowie guy.
En fin, no hacen falta comentarios
Love it!
Only skip is Andy warhol
This David guy can really sing
MY FAVORITE!!!
Listened to this recently as a Bowie album showed up on here and got me listening to albums. It’s a great album and will give it a full listen again. It has a few of my favorite songs of his, particularly Life on Mars, which I’ve always loved. It’s really classic Bowie. Songs like Changes and Life on Mars are along his most well known. But you have so many great ones here. Oh you pretty things and Song for Bob Dylan are underrated gems. I loved Quicksand a lot on this listen. And I always forget how great Queen Bitch. Bowie at just about his best. I prefer Ziggy Stardust overall as an album, and I find it hard for me to find anything to match that as far as Bowie goes. But this is as close as it gets. 5
An absolute classic. The best that early Bowie has to offer - it lacks his later experimentation but more than makes up for it with the quality of the songs throughout.
Still sounds surprisingly fresh, despite some of the songs being played massively. Hearing this back to back with Queen also lends a helpful comparison, whereas Queen is pompous, over the top, and maximalist, Hunky Dory has moments of restraint and just damn good songs. The chord progressions are consistently interesting, whether it is a chromatic step up or step down, or shifting tonal centre on songs like ‘life on mars’. Although I am very partial to Bowies’s Berlin trilogy, this is hard to top as his greatest work.
Regarded by many as peak Bowie, and it's hard to build a solid case against this argument. Possibly the last example of Bowie feeling his way through an album, exploring a range of musical ideas which branch off in different, completely unrelated directions. Form hereon in, he became the master of committing to one singular idea, one unifying sound, per album. That is not to say Hunky Dory doesn't scan as a long-player, but it has a more unsettling, schizophrenic atmosphere than the albums which immediately followed this. Probably worth five stars for the singles alone, but Andy Warhol, Kooks, Queen Bitch and Song For Bob Dylan are all much more than fillers too. A class act even when apparently still refining his schtick.
I will always love David Bowie. Incredibly talented and he knows what to do to make the most of his medium. Lots of people try to do some heavy experimenting to turn their music into something new and unheard of in order to stand out, and they end up losing the plot. Bowie masters the fundamentals of music, and he understands why we listen to music and how to reach the listener and make a genuine impact. He’s held in high regard for a reason.
Hunky Dory is the first fully realized Bowie record. It's a brilliant collection that can be listened to without skips (though not every song is a stone cold classic like Changes or Life on Mars), and sees the confidence building required for his transition into Ziggy Stardust.
asdf
is it the absolute best bowie probably no, but is it so warm and beautiful that it brings me to tears yes, therefore 5 stars
A really wonderful album that has remarkable staying power. Bowie is brilliant. Lots of standouts here, but am personally most appreciative of "Eight Line Poem."
<3
Oh, and we were gone Hanging out with your dwarf men We were so turned on By your lack of conclusions
Top 10 all time album! 1. Life On Mars? 2. Changes 3. Queen Bitch 4. Andy Warhol
Yep
Amazing
I was not expecting this album to be THIS good. I’m very very pleased with how much I loved it 🤗
My first Bowie on this project, and one of my favorites too. Although I confess that I haven’t listened to it many times, I bought it on CD about 20 years ago, listened to it, loved it, then promptly forgot about it. I have listened a few times since, and it confirms my first impression. Bowie began redefining himself with Hunky Dory, and never stopped. That makes each album, era if you will, unique and memorable. I don’t know how many Bowie albums are on here, but this one definitely deserves a spot. Huh, I just looked it up - He’s got 9, the most of any artist. (Lennon, McCartney, and Neil Young are tied, but include group and solo projects, Bowie stands alone) 5 stars
Own this as a record already :) I luvvvv David Bowie and this one is one of my favourites from him
Yndisleg plata. Ein sú allra besta. Changes, Pretty things og Life on Mars? eru svo generational góð lög. Filler lögin líka áhugaverð.
Það er bara einn David Bowie.
music is love
I love Life on Mars. Thats my highlight. The whole album is incredible. "Take a look at the law man beating up the wrong guy"
The best Bowie record. I'm not taking any second opinions. This is peak Ziggy/Aladdin/Thin White Duke. Blackstar and Ziggy Stardust might lay a semi-legitimate claim to supremacy, but I'll be darned if Hunky Dory doesn't take the musical cake. I wonder if part of my love of this album comes from having associated it with a positive part of my life. When I hear the opening string chords of Changes, man, it just does something. Something indescribable. Speaking of chords, Bowie picks his harmonies excellently throughout this record. Not just in Changes, but in Life On Mars?, Oh! You Pretty Things, Quicksand... even the only noticeably "weaker" track, Song For Bob Dylan I won't repeat what tons of people have said. One interesting thing I've noticed, though, is that Hunky Dory is vaguely a concept album even though it's trying not to be. Side 1 is the self-reflection side, with Bowie looking at the youth of today (including himself), and his own children, and the ever-changing world, and just... pondering. (Also, thinking about cactuses.) Quicksand is such a fantastic culmination of everything "hunky-dory-Bowie" has to offer at this stage in his career. But the other songs are decent too. Especially that Life On Mars?. Time and time again we see a strong correlation between legendary songs and songs containing soaring string arrangements, and LOM is no exception. The reason I mention concept albums is because side 2 is completely different: it's a series of homages. Fill Your Heart is a goofy, light-hearted Biff Rose cover with some seriously great musical comedy. Andy Warhol and Song For Bob Dylan, I think you can work out for yourselves. Queen Bitch pays tribute to the (still-active) Velvet Underground and the quietly emerging pre-punk scene. And The Bewlay Brothers finishes off the album somewhat mysteriously – but after some digging, you'll find that it's a song of love and of regret, written about Bowie's schizophrenic older half-brother, Terry. The song goes all over the place, but lyrically, it's a vivid and heart-wrenching piece of poetry. Another reviewer wrote: "Bowie's undeniable talent comes through with a strength and softness like a velvet hammer." Agreed. This easily holds a candle to the other greats of 1971. In fact, it surpasses most of them. There's a reason Bowie has such a strong legacy. Hunky Dory, for me, is where it all began. 5/5 Key tracks: Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life On Mars?, Kooks, Quicksand, Fill Your Heart, Queen Bitch
Turns out I still like David Bowie
Great album, even with far less glam rock crunch from Mick Ronson in comparison to the albums immediately preceding (Man Who Sold the World) and following (Ziggy Stardust)
I was not familiar with this album but hot damn it was good
Changes - 10/10. Iconic Bowie tune. Everything fits together perfectly. Oh! You Pretty Things - 9/10. Excellent. Classic Bowie sound. Eight Line Poem - 9/10. Excellent, and more of the classic Bowie sound. Life on Mars? - 11/10. Goosebumps from start to finish, especially when the strings come in on the pre-chorus. Rick Wakeman on the piano and David Bowie vocals? This one goes to 11. Kooks - 9/10. Excellent tune, but not up to the quality of Life on Mars? before it. Quicksand - 9/10. Excellent. Fill Your Heart - 9/10. More of Rick Wakeman on the piano. What's not to like? Andy Warhol - 8/10. Weird, but in the Bowie style. Song for Bob Dylan - 9/10. Outstanding. Queen Bitch - 9/10. This cooks. Great guitar work, Bowie switching between low and high energy, all-around banger. The Bewlay Brothers - 8/10. Very good tune. Folk-ish rock. Well done. Overall Rating - 4.55/5 (9.09/10). This album features the collaboration of two of the all-time greats. David Bowie and Rick Wakeman. This album is definitely Bowie becoming Bowie. I hear the start of the Glam-Rock, over-the-top, Ziggy Stardust version of David Bowie. Awesome album.
David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971) On Day 138, I witnessed the moment "Bowie became Bowie." This album is a perfect shift toward a more singer-songwriter style, and he pulled it off with high-level artistry. It feels raw and introspective, offering a vulnerable look into his talent that differs from the experimental or glam sounds of his other work I’ve heard. The highlights were immense: "Changes," "Oh! You Pretty Things," and the vocal triumph of "Life on Mars?" were outstanding. I also really connected with "Eight Line Poem," "Kooks," and "Queen Bitch." Closing with "The Bewlay Brothers" was a masterclass in concluding a body of work. A definitive 5/5 for a great transition in sound.
Personal favourite Bowie album not one skip it’s the best thing ever
I love this album for so many reasons. Firstly it's just fucking brilliant, I mean just the first few notes of life on mars and changes beat most albums. Incredible. I cannot imagine an album that I would fall in love with as much as this. 5 stars is not enough
There aren't enough words to properly describe this album. Intimate yet grand, soft and tender yet powerful and moving. The range in tone, style and emotion is something only a great like Bowie could pull off. Truly a unique album from a unique voice and a special soul. Utterly brilliant
The first half is some of the best Bowie I've heard ("Life On Mars?" has long been a favorite). The second half has a few tracks that for anyone else would be great, but for Bowie are just alright. Overall, though, a great one. 4 1/2 stars
Hunky Dory is David Bowie's most introspective album, with lyrics that reframe society, influence, and himself
Love the deeper cuts of Quicksand and Queen Bitch. A true classic all the way around. Definitely has stood the test of time.
5/5 for life on mars alone x
Le premier chef d'oeuvre de Bowie.
Pas facile de faire un top Bowie mais celui-ci rank très haut. Tellement original. Hunky Dory par rapport à Ziggy Stardust c'est comme pour Neil Young avec After the Gold Rush par rapport à Harvest. Incidemment, c'est les mêmes années. Rick Wakeman est en feu. 4.75 étoiles
I’m not the biggest Bowie fan but this is a classic. Probably the Bowie album I would put on if I had to choose one. So many hits and some great album tracks like “Andy Warhol” (which Metallica rippped off!) Bowie perfection.
Eccentric. Playful. Unapologetically Bowie. Ladies and gentlemen, this is quintessential Bowie!
Any album that has “Life on Mars?” has to be at least a 4. This is a fascinating album that, to my ears, is an attempt to capture the musical zeitgeist of the 70’s like a time capsule. I hear everyone from Neil Young to Paul McCartney to the Velvet Underground to Cat Stevens. The only thing that holds it back from being a 5 is that so many of these homages feel like him doing his best imitation of that artist rather than building on their ideas to make something new. The highlights of this album are the songs that feel like they could have only come from David Bowie. But dear god are those songs highlights. Edit: ok after getting Ziggy Stardust, I went back to this album and am bumping it up to a 5. I think I actually might like it better than Ziggy Stardust? It’s just so tightly written!
Looove 'Changes' and 'Life on Mars'
Potentially in my top 10 albums of all time. Maybe. Every song a belter.
I'm not sure it gets any better than this. In my interchangeable top 3 Bowie albums.
I started this album thinking "come on Phyl you can't score every Bowie album a five". Turns maybe I can. I'm a fan of the early more whimsical Bowie as represented by the second half of the album, but I understand it's not for everyone.
Two Bowie albums in a week, although I knew this one coming into it. As I said for Young Americans, there's a minimum quality I expect with Bowie but he exceeds it here as this is one of my fave albums of his! His early 70s era is my fave, just great tunes and a great sound
wenisimo
With Hunky Dory, David Bowie marks a major stylistic shift toward a more theatrical and artistic sound. The second half of the album is largely made up of tributes and references to influential artistic figures and cultural icons. ++ : Life on Mars? Changes Andy Warhol Oh! You Pretty Things
Masterpiece , new wave , punk , glam , rock n roll dylan all together
oh this is a perfect album. 5/5.
Bowie was first and foremost an artist. He could have followed his muse into acting, visual art, literature, philosophy.. How lucky we are he chose music, so that we can have albums like this, where he turned his artist's eye and prodigeous talent towards crafting blissful gems of pure pop perfection.
What a treat to get this record on a Friday. Hunky Dory has 4 of my favorite Bowie songs in Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life On Mars?, and Kooks. Yep, I really like Kooks — I don’t know why that gets pegged as the worst track on the album so often. Fill Your Heart is the only weak spot to me. I’m pretty happy listening to Bowie’s singles collections, but I make an exception for a handful of excellent albums, and this is one of them.
This record is incredible. Its wild that this got greenlit in 1971. Its weird and zany, but also deep and cutting. He plays with rock, pop and blues. Its so flamboyant and out there, but never too much. I think I like every song on this record. I like that he's singing out weird things (Aliens, Oh! You Pretty Sing), but then also contemporary pop culture (Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan) and then life and love (Changes, Fill Your Hearts, 8 Line Poem). Its brilliant. David Bowie was a genius.
Straightforward five for me. Musically beautiful, lyrically great. Life on Mars is one of my favourite songs of all time.
9.5/10
My first and forever Bowie. From here, there was no looking back.
Absolutely fantastic. One of the best albums ever. Instant favoite.
Haven't listen to Hunky Dory in a few years but launches like an old friend with a salvo of perfect tracks. What strikes me still is just how simple the instrumentation is. Piano, drums, bass. Occasional guitar and strings and even more occasional brass. So simple yet so clean and the brilliance of Bowies songwriting of this period shines through. Signposts for so many that followed, and the exact blueprint for Suede, the influence of this album is undeniable. And to believe he got even better still.... Fave Track - Life on Mars Least Fave - Looks (mainly cos I can't stand the band of the same name). 9.5/10
Changes Oh! You Pretty Things Life on Mars? Kooks Quicksand Andy Warhol Queen Bitch The Bewlay Brothers
Hunky Dory is David Bowie's most introspective album, with lyrics that reframe society, influence, and himself.
Perhaps Bowie’s best, certainly his best early work. Absolutely chock full or memorable songs and brilliantly arranged and sequenced. Written primarily on piano, which gives it a different feel than his subsequent work.
Another perfect Bowie. Life on Mars and Queen Bitch alone are worth a perfect score.
Pop hits throughout, the start of a truly tremendous run.
9/10. Bowie is one of the greats—irreverent, bold, and with a creative vision worth studying. I love this. This album feels sharp and intentional, like every idea is fully realized.
David Bowie is an icon.
The album when “Bowie became Bowie.” As always, Bowie is ahead of his time in this 1971 album era hose influence can be heard years later
Bowie’s best.
IL TUE SMR WSH
I feel like this album for me is a great introduction to Bowie's artistry. I truly enjoyed listening to it. The writing, piano sounds, just, everything is amazing.
This album is great! The couple last songs not my taste but in general amazing record
Great to finally listen to this one. First side has all of the hits you've heard before and the second side has some underrated gems. He just keeps getting better and better from here.
I have been waiting so patiently for 248 days and I finally got my first Bowie album of the project. David Bowie is my favorite artist. This is my favorite Bowie album, and it contains my favorite song. This is the easiest five stars I've ever had.
Classic Bowie. Life on Mars remains one of the greatest songs ever recorded.
His best and most consistent album.
peak
Excelente!!!
You know, the good thing for me about an artist like David Bowie having as many albums on this list as he does is that I can always rely on the possibility of getting an album of his and knowing that it will be cool and exciting to balance out some of the more uninteresting albums of the list. With that said, Hunky Dory is wonderful. Many have pointed to this as being Bowie's first great album, and while I haven't heard the three albums he released before this one, I can definitely tell that there's something special about this one. It's just a very nice demonstration of pure artistry that I really appreciate. Hunky Dory has a much stronger focus on piano than most Bowie albums, and I think it works well for him. Of course, I do enjoy the more rock-focused album like Ziggy Stardust or the more experimental albums like Station to Station, but there's something about the lighter orchestration behind Hunky Dory that I really like. It really allows David Bowie's songwriting to shine more so than on many other albums of his. Said songwriting is, of course, excellent. This thing has some of Bowie's finest songs. "Changes" may potentially be my favorite opening track that I've heard on an album of his. It feels nostalgic for me, okay? Then again, that could very well be because of Shrek 2, but the song is nice. "Oh! You Pretty Things" is delightful. I love the progression of this one, with the lighter verses being balanced by the energy of the choruses. I love it. Of course, if you want to talk about fun songs, you've got to acknowledge "Queen Bitch." This is probably the closest that this album gets to the sound of this album's followup, that of course being the legendary Ziggy Stardust album, and I really love it. This is one of a few songs on the album that were inspired by famous musicians of the time, with this one being inspired by Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, and it's definitely my favorite of the bunch. However, it's not my favorite song on the album. That honor has to go to "Life on Mars?" God, what a song this one is. This is easily one of the best songs in Bowie's entire discography. I think the vocals are one of my favorite parts on this one. The high note that he hits when he sings the song's title is just stellar. The chord progression is nice, I like the strings part, and the cinematic feel of the song is just the best. I adore this song. Admittedly, Hunky Dory is not my favorite Bowie album. I definitely prefer Ziggy Stardust, Station to Station, and Blackstar over this. However, Hunky Dory is still a wonderful experience and a major turning point in the career of one of the greatest artists in music history. It's Hunky Dory, okay? 5/5.
This is awesomeee! David Bowie you genuis! I’m just 4 songs in and I’m loving it. Very interesting music production too
90/100
Some gems that I know and love
The goat
eh 5 estrelas nesse, hein, tem jeito não. um album que tem a sequencia life on mars > kooks > quicksand não tem como. absurdo DEMAIS. sem contar o riffzinho de andy warhol que eh uma APELAÇÃO, convenhamos. gosto muito desse aqui pq ele nem tava PIRADO na droga, só um usuário normal fazendo música. eh o começo da melhor era dele e ainda nem eh o melhor de todos. coisa boa DEMAIS!!
Your honor I love him
Bowie never disappoints
I really like David Bowie, this album had some little known tracks and some really popular tracks. 5/5
i love it
For a record that came out in 1971, this has the air of a Greatest Hits album about it. It contains a couple of my favourite ever Bowie tracks. Life on Mars? and Queen Bitch. Back that up with Changes, Andy Warhol, Oh You Pretty Things and Kooks. And it's only 1971 FFS! I was never a massive Bowie fan but how can this be anything other than a 5?
Ok - for me, this is Bowie’s masterpiece. So many great songs in one collection. Hard to choose a favourite, but Life on Mars is still jaw droppingly beautiful 55 years later. Rick Wakeman is the extra ingredient that makes this the best Bowie album for me. His piano arrangements are perfect. Queen Bitch is clearly the link to Ziggy which followed on from this album…. Straight 5.
One of the best David Bowie albums? I do believe so 🙂↕️
Changes Oh You Pretty Thing Life on Mars Kooks Song For Bob Dylan Queen Bitch
Before I eve get started on this album we should all take a moment and realize that the song "Life On Mars" is the greatest song on this album. People might know Changes more, but Life On Mars is the greatest, dare I say of all of David Bowies songs. Although my personal favorite is Savior Machine off of The Man Who Sold The World. An album that should honestly be on this list above all other albums of his, but who am I to judge David has already been blessed with 9 albums on this list. 5 Stars.
Life on Mars, Changes are the shining stars on this album. But even the lesser known songs like Andy Warhol are great listening.
<3
Yeah, he cooked here
Sublime 👌
Альбом с которого я начал слушать Боуи и по совместительству первый альбом, купленный мной на виниле. Я обожаю Дэвида Боуи и этот альбом довольно быстро заслушал до дыр, но все равно он занимает важное место в моём музыкальном сердце.
Wow. I cannot believe that I have never listened to a Bowie Album all the way through. I was raised on the late 60s early 70s and I even live in the state where he gets his stage name from, but I guess my parents either didn't know about him or didn't vibe with him. But this album was fantastic! I know a few of his songs but the album was well laid out to keep you listening to it. The song that stands out as the outlier is Kooks but even that was comparatively good to a lot of other music I listen to. I loved Oh! You Pretty Things (spoiler, that's my playlist pick) and Queen Bitch. I really enjoyed Andy Warhol and the back half of the album where Bowie pays homage to other artists. Eight Line poem really stuck out to me as well -This is an album of hits for me and no misses really. 5/5, adding the whole thing to my rotation Playlist pick: Oh! You Pretty Things. CLOSE second is Life on Mars or Queen Bitch. I could add all three but trying to stick to one for this playlist and Pretty Things caught my ear immediately
ch ch ch ch changessss
This is a good early Bowie album
4.5⭐️/5 [03.16.2026] 03.28.2026
Album banger plein de tubes cultes
Un des meilleurs albums qu’on a écouté jusque là ! J’ai ce vinyle…. 2 fois je crois 😂 Des bangers sur cet album, je trouve qu’il est harmonieux dans l’enchaînement des tracks + spéciale dédicace à Claudine (la maman d’une amie) qui était fan de David Bowie
Décidément deux albums à la suite découverts dans American Horror Story! J'adore Life on Mars, je l'écoute régulièrement
Stunning. A very enjoyable album.
i love this album!!
Another really good Bowie album. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
Favorite Bowie album we've had so far
This is an album I wanted to purchase after I listened to it. I enjoyed every song.
Wow, I'm on a nice streak this week. 5 in a row! Starts strong, and then we get to one of the greatest songs ever written, life on mars. A lot of greatness here! 4.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes 55/227 (24%) Will I get: A nicer copy maybe
Classic album. This album has 3 fantastic songs in "Changes", "Life On Mars" and "Queen Bitch", but really, the whole album doesn't have a track to skip on it. What else is there to say?
So so good. Just the best. All of my favorite Bowie songs in one magical place.
This is the perfect example of catching up with albums you have no excuse not to have in your collection. I knew Changes and Queen Bitch, and Life on Mars seems familiar. Changes I always kind of hated because it showed up in a Classic Rock context and feels annoying in that context (and honestly, that context was just uncool for me back then). In the album context, it's just classic. Highlights, basically all of it, but "Oh You Pretty Things" "Life on Mars," and "Queen Bitch" especially, and I really enjoyed coming back and reassessing "Changes."
Top 5 maybe top 3 Bowie for me. Whimsical but weird in places, great stuff
This is a great record. Standout songs for me are the stories told on "Oh, You Pretty Things" and "Is There Life on Mars?," the proto-punk "Queen Bitch"; "Changes," of course; and the intriguing closer "The Bewley Brothers." And the gender ambiguity of the cover and "Pretty Things" is something I've always loved. Not all the songs are equal to the best ones, so I'd probably give this 4.5 stars if we could get more incremental. But since we can't, I'll go with a 5.
great
I only knew the hits from this Bowie album and man, have I been missing out. It’s a playful, hippie Bowie, and such gorgeous songs! I have been playing this on repeat since it came up in the list. It’s a new old favorite.
David Bowie. Enough said. (Although I'm a little biased it was still a sonically pleasing album with impressive, catchy, and unique instrumentals in songs that I was less familiar with. All round great collection of songs.)
Classic David Bowie. There are some really great songs such as "Changes", "Oh! You Pretty Things", "Life on Mars?", "Queen Bitch" and "The Bewlay Brothers", but then you also have the slighly quirky "Andy Warhol". In my opinion not as good as the preceding album "Man Who Sold the World", and definietly not as good as the subsequent album "Ziggy Stardust", but nonetheless, still a great album.
Så jävla bra. Nästan så jag tycker att det här är hans bästa. Det är såklart fusk att han plockat in Rick Wakeman. Han är för bra. Varje gång han dyker upp vet man att det är guld på g. Svårt att se hur David Bowie står ut med hans brölighet.
Best album on earth. A classic
Love this album, classic Bowie with great hooks, inventive melodies, singalong moments. One of my favorites from him.
Wow. I always liked David Bowie but never actually had a change to listen to it. This album is full of hits, no skipping, great for playing while being at home.
Great album, so different from the ones i heard so far. 4.5 stars
Outstanding even for Bowie. Starts with three bangers out of 4 songs and the rest is good 4.55
Just perfect. I had heretical thoughts the other week, when I got Ziggy Stardust and thought it could maybe be better than Hunky Dory, but order is now restored. From the very first opening bars to the bluntly insane final moments, it's got everything. Sweetness and light, in songs like Kooks, and depth and darkness on Quicksand, and everything in between. It's also, for me, Bowie's vocal peak taken across the whole record. There isn't a hint of croon or pastiche, and some of the power (the SAILORS bit of Life on Mars) is incredible. This will, it turns out, always be the David record for me when push comes to shove.
Love! Especially changes and life on mars!! And Andy Warhol and Oh! You Pretty Things
Bowie..... Such a treasure. And here in his prime. 5 stars is not enough.
What a wonderful selection from peak-era Bowie. This record is among his best, showcasing the wonderful qualities of his artistry. It is infinitely listenable, but always creative, always unique. Perhaps no other artist (maybe Reed, maybe Morrissey) can simultaneously convey authentic connection and emotion while retaining a serious detachment and a sense of snark. I experience it here, but I can't wrap my mind around how those two sensibilities can coexist in the same artist, much less in the same track, even less in the same line. This album is Bowie at his most musical. Every song is wonderful to listen to and wonderful to think about. "Life on Mars?" gets me all up in my feelings every single time. Five stars.
ch ch ch ch changes
I love me some Bowie! This is one of my favorites by him.
Wow geweldig album, wat een artiest
Great album
A big fan. Classic Bowie, interesting and innovative sounds over a melodic piano (which I'm a sucker for). Some songs explore themes of existentialism while others are odes to loved ones. A wide range provides for a fun listen
Just wonderful. Beyond the famous singles tracks like Queen Bitch and Kooks are bangers.
Approaching his mid-20s, Bowie truly came of age with this album, announcing it on Changes. With Mick Ronson and Rick Wakeman in the studio, his sound developed its addictive familiarity.
Goated young Bowie
Probably the greatest album ever🥰 Bowie at his absolute best on this one, early Bowie best for me - I love every song on here, still have my vinyl copy, that I played yesterday with all the crackles 🤩
This is one of my favourite albums of all time, every song is incredible and just screams Bowie in the best way. Just wish I could have seen him live.
9.7/10
Undeniable quality
I adore this album. Literally moving today so my vinyl is in transit, but I will dig the album out and spin it. Queen Bitch along is worth the price of admission. Song for Bob Dylan is a touch week, but still, five fucking stars.
I'm weird when it comes to Bowie -- and music in general, too, but that's another topic. While I appreciate (and love) early Bowie, I think he flew highest during his "later" period. 'Lodger', 'Outside', 'Blackstar' are my favorite albums of his. That being said, 'Hunky Dory' is the first time Bowie really found his feet, sound wise. I prefer this to the Ziggy Stardust-era, especially loving the lyrical quality of all the songs here. 'Oh! You Pretty Things', 'Changes' and 'Life On Mars?' are all highlights of Bowie's career, 'Andy Warhol' is a genius song, 'Quicksand' and 'Fill Your Heart' are amazing tunes. But there's something lacking here -- maybe it's the sense of adventure that's underlying all the other albums of his that I mentioned above. It's a great pop record -- but nothing more.
One of my top albums.
Fun/light pop album that repeatedly references Nietzsche and Crowley.
Better than ziggy ?
Just fantastic from start to finish.
Peak Bowie. Just on another level as always. Nothing has been the same since he left us.
Already a fav
Awesome
My introduction to Mr. Bowie! I love every song!!!
This was the first early Bowie album I listened to, having got into him via his singles plus especially the Earthling album. This was thus the album that made me appreciate his earlier stuff. Also, listening to this 10 years after Bowie's death, I realise it makes perfect sense that Bowie's last public performance was of a song from this album (Changes, at an event organised by Alicia Keys). It also makes sense that Lorde's Brit Awards tribute was of Life on Mars? another sobg from this album. Let's not talk about Kooks (which is only okay and thus stands out like a sore thumb) and just call this what it is, a great album.
A classic of course - should be on any self-respecting music lover's list
not god himself can make give this less than a 5 this album makes me want to get my life together at 2am, sense of hope and wonder and all the above you feel
Hot take: det här är ett bra album
Bästa Bowie ändå.
Bowie bäst!
Det här behöver vi inte diskutera
Love this album and the feelings it gives.
More than a few bangers. Brilliant pop. 5
One of my favorite albums of all time.
I’m starting to think I like David Bowie. This album is a blast to listen to and I can’t even think of a reason to give this album anything other than a 5. Short review here, but I got nothing else to say other than ‘good album’.
Very good album, lots of classics on the album. One of Bowies best.
I mean it bowie
Amazing piece, did you know "Changes" from this album inspired the song of Dumb Ways to Die?
Don't normally go for Bowie but parts of this album slap.
5 out of 5. This is where Bowie clicked for me.
Day 167 Superb album, there’s no one like Bowie. Highlights Changes Kooks Andy Warhol
Wow, just wow. Ground breaking and brilliant.
Bra!
This era of Bowie was so punk rock before punk was even a thing
За life on mars пять тысяч звезд. Бритиш поп мьюзик в своем прайме. Софи на обложке выглядит замечательно.
Как объективно оценить альбом, который повлиял на становление твоих вкусов в музыке? Что было бы, если бы он мне не попался в 18 лет? Есть ли жизнь на Марсе? Ответы на эти вопросы мы не знаем
Definitely my style of bowie
Rating: 9/10 One of David Bowie’s many incredible classics. When I think of the start of the modern music era, it’s the late 60’s and it feels like this came along to just be so refreshing and unique. Great lyrics and delivery here, the A Side is just full of amazing songs, I love Queen Bitch, and The Bewlay Brothers might be arguably my favorite song here. Works so well as a closer and the mixing and layering of the instrumentation are great. He even has a song for our guy Bob Dylan. 4.5 is the accurate rating but let’s make it a 5 here
Bowie is forever. The peak of what rock music can accomplish.
I thoroughly enjoyed this! I love how weird and distorted it gets towards the end of the album. Personal favourites are “Andy Warhol” and “Queen Bitch”.
Love it! it's a wonderful album! It's been a long while since I haven't heard it, but it was great to revisit it :)
Changes HOT start, love this song so much. And then Life on Mars - Bowie truly one of a kind
Delicioso maravilhoso com algumas das músicas mais lindas do mundo
Bowie’s second best album (after ziggy stardust). Every track on here is gold.
No well Bowie XD Co tu się dużo rozpisywać. Fajen
it's illegal in some counties to give this anything less than five stars.
Introduced me to my future favourite artist
Love it. Im surprised I've never heard something so classic
Woahhh bowie!!!!! I maybe a bit bias in this album because i really like him👉🏻👈🏻 My favorites are changes, oh! you pretty things, life on mars⭐️
I love Bowie, his image, his creativity, his vulnerability, and his music. A story teller who embodied his art completely.
This is an absolute classic. It was amazing listening back to this after a number of years, and hearing the threads of the influence it's had on so much music since.
Best Bowie
Amaze
フックのある曲が入っていてアルバムとしての完成度も高い良盤。
another pop entry from david bowie. after taking a little rest, david channels more of his songwriting, this time writing music from a piano instead of a guitar. the album is written poetry and is a tribute to the arts. bowie is really getting his redemption arc this year, especially compared to past reviews; these albums i get recommended, i eat them up every single time. what i really like about bowie is that in his massive discography lasting almost half a century, he's got something for every kind of person on earth. his musical stylings be damned, he was essentially one of the greatest talents that had a strong passion and unfiltered respect for human expression. i would have loved to meet him.
It's weird. I have heard Bowie all my life. His songs play at key points in movies and TV shows, his songs come on the radio at the right time, and there is always some sort of list or article or media piece about him where his countless songs are brought. All that to say, I have never listened to this album all the way through before. I have heard most of the songs before, no doubt, just never listened to it all. It's a great album as numerous others have written. Lot's beautiful moments throughout the album, but that front half is loaded in my opinion. This one was easy to repeat listening to after I heard it all. It's one of those I'll be listening to for awhile now. Biggest Hit (limiting to one) - Life on Mars? Biggest Miss (if I had to choose) - Kooks, this one just doesn't fit as well for me. Hidden Gem - Oh! You Pretty Things
I loved it, a great listen for the drive home after class. big fan indeed, especially of “Life on Mars?”
Incredible album. A top 10 for me. No notes.
So good!
Never go wrong with Bowie
Life on Mars
Such a great album, David Bowie is tea. I don't know if this reached perfection but it's close and very close to my music taste
Fav tracks: changes, eight line poem, life on mars?, fill your heart, queen bitch No skips for this album. Listening feels like drinking a warm cup of tea and watching your favorite videos as a kid
favorite tracks: oh! you pretty things kooks quicksand
Shrek version of Changes is better but still a 5
I love this album and have listened to it before. Really like the flow of the album, and the arrangements/piano, the vocals are great too, really front and centre. Queen Bitch hits different on this listen, such a banger. Same with The Bewlay Brothers, weird and great closer. No skips, one of my favourite Bowie albums
Loved it when I first heard it and still love it today - the sense of play and whimsy, combined with strong melody makes this the best Bowie album in my opinion.
Brabo demais
This is not the best David Bowie album, but it makes me happy and it’s a 5 in my heart
I think this a really strong album with some fantastic songs. The whole package doesn’t quite gel for me, but I’ll forgive the eccentricities.
Bowie's first true masterpiece. The first of many.
It was Hunky Dory
David Bowie's music can do no wrong. This album is one of my favorites of his. The songwriting, the acoustic pop, Bowie's voice, they're all fitting together great.
One of his bests
Any album with Changes, Life on Mars? and Queen Bitch is gonna be at least 3 stars. Featuring a personal fav in Andy Warhol gets it up to a 4.5, and even though the rest of the tracks don't stand out in any Forever Track™ kinda way, they are all some combination of fun/interesting/of a piece so Hunky Dory gets a 5 from me Not sure I need to listen to the whole album again any time soon, but I appreciate it as a statement!
Top tier Bowie; this one was never really in rotation for me but most of the songs are familiar and deeply felt classics.
Mais Bowie sendo Bowie. Menos de 300 discos gerados e já peguei ele incontáveis vezes. Não estou reclamando, afinal, ele é meu artista favorito. Esse disco é quintessencialmente Bowie. É o álbum mais Bowie junto de Ziggy Stardust (que ainda não gerei!). Sua cadência vocal é completamente inconfundível, a temática das canções, a instrumentalização muitas vezes barroca e outras vezes operática… é tudo que se deve esperar de um álbum de David Bowie, e eu particularmente nunca fico farto dessa combinação milionária. Suas letras são tão comoventes e profundas, mesmo mantendo sua ilusória simplicidade. É um disco tremendamente consistente no que entrega, talvez até mesmo o mais consistente da discografia do artista, junto de ★. Álbum divertido. Canções como Kooks possuem arranjos tão brilhantes e coloridos, é difícil não sorrir às ouvindo. Acho mágico a forma com que Bowie emprega uma variedade tão grande de gêneros e influências. E só pra irritar, vamos combinar que David Bowie faz o Bob Dylan mil vezes melhor que o próprio Bob Dylan! 5/5
Favs: changes, the belway brothers, quicksand
Incredible album. Every song is unskippable. Full of classics, but a few lesser known gems (to me), and a great listen all the way through. I loved it so much I listened to it again right after finishing.
Changes and Life on Mars are so incredible that the rest of the album could be blah and I’d still rate this high, but there’s no filler on this whatsoever. A certified classic.
Gran álbum
Every song on the album is a different aspect of the best parts of Bowie. Unique and beautiful
ngl i love how bowie can sing the most miserable and depressing lyrics in a fun and dancing way, it’s beautiful
I was prepared for this to be a good album on the basis of just a couple tracks, and Life on Mars can do a lot of heavy lifting, but I found something interesting about almost every one of them. Bowie isn't an artist I choose, but I always find him compelling.
This is my fifth Bowie album on my list. It is one I've listened to multiple times before and own. It is my favourite from his before I started this list and still is my favourite. I will find it hard to have it proven to me that it is not his best.
Bowie at his most interesting. And some all-timers on here, eg Queen Bitch, Changes, and the wonderful Life on Mars.
Bold and creative. Would probably not get signed today. It's really odd at times. I like some of it and can appreciate the artistry of the songs that are not for me. A classic for good reasons. 5/5
Exceptional album. Was my intro to Bowie 35 years ago and occupies a special soft spot. It’s articulate, exploratory and beautiful.
Love this
Top drawer Bowie
Definitely one of his top albums. But I still like Ziggy better.
What a silly, sweet man.
bowie prima dell’era del travestimento, primitivo e puerile scrive i testi coi pastelli colorati e le melodie su uno xilofono di legno. bewlay brothers dev’essere stata scritta pochi minuti prima di addormentarsi perché suona come quando—ancora da mezzo sveglio—spiritelli onirici escono allo scoperto da sotto al cuscino e ti s’intrufolano nell’orecchio. è tutto molto innocente e circense perfino.. l’ultimo giorno del terzo anno di liceo ho comprato questo cd alla galleria del disco. l’anno prima avevo preso unknown pleasures dei joy division, episodio che denota un considerevole abbassamento di depressione adolescenziale e segna l’avvento della camicia da uomo performativa nel mio vestiario come un oroscopo musicale. quell’anno il sole era in dandy e venere retrograda.
Absolutely no notes. Glam perfection. Nobody ever did it quite like Bowie did.
A classic
10/10, innit
Classic
Wow
Probably not the best David Bowie album, but I enjoy listening to this so much. Just so fun. It has some of his best work (Life on Mars, Changes), although some songs are a bit more weak. And Quicksand is a seriously underrated track.
Approachable Bowie, while still being quirky. The music is dynamic and BIG. Catchy hooks.
Ten album zasługuje na 4.5 ale nie da się wstawić takiej oceny
One of the best albums by one of the best artists. Quicksand is such an underheard song and has such depth. Life on Mars? has such a unique sound. Changes is such an easily popular song in how easy it is to listen to while not being simple. This review is much worse than the album; give it a listen.
There are too many albums on this list. Many of them don't live up to what an album should really be. This is an Album, not just a playlist of songs. Each song is an event, with time and care invested in the outcome. They are distinct from one another, yet sonically form a united whole in the final product. Quicksand was the stand out track for me that may get overlooked.
Amazing album. Intimate yet powerful, the production is so good it feels like you're in the same room. All the songs are beautifully written and performed with no weak tracks. Absolute banger.
This is where David Bowie truly started to come into his own as a songwriter.
What a genuine pleasure when an album has three mega hits AND the rest of the album could have been hits too. Bowie is probably the genius that everyone has always said he is. Everything on here is a banger, he even faked me out with Andy Warhol, weird start into one of if not the coolest riff on the album. Obsessed with this album, easy 5.
This dude fucks so hard. First time listen, loved it. I want to own a copy of this record, it's so good and plays so well. Changes alone warrants an entry in Dimery's list but that's just the starting point. Holy shit is Mr Brightside pre-chorus ripping Queen Bitch? Truly a singular artist, no one has had the creative career of David Bowie. I can't wait for the next one 5/5
Creative, original, wild, captivating. Bowie.
Obvs a good ‘un
Brilliant album. Packed with classics. Original, influential, class.
Perfect. Really high quality, the ones I knew and the ones I didn't (for some reason I'd only ever really thought I'd listened to side 1, but side 2 had quality to spare. Turns out I've had Queen Bitch in my head for years without knowing it!
Start of the soundtrack to the 70s!
This is among Bowie's best, in my opinion. Or at least this is the Bowie I like best. This and his Berlin phase.
enjoyed
What can you say about David Bowie. The man can bend time and space with his voice. Every song on here is a banger. Standouts are Changes, Life on Mars and the Bellway Brothers.
It's really good. I'm tired and it is really good. Maybe "Andy Warhol" doesn't hit for me completely, but the more I hear the rest, the more groundbreaking it sounds. I hear a true artist coming out of the shadows on this record. I mean, "Changes" and "Life On Mars?" on the same record is crazy. By far, this is Bowie's most artistic statement I've heard from him on this challenge. I've heard three different albums from him (Station To Station, The Next Day, Hunky Dory) and they all sound drastically different. If there was a man who could pull off musical dress-up while still sounding identifiable the entire time, it's David Bowie. It's true art-pop/rock. It's art, in general. It's a pretty thing (9/10, 5/5 on this scale)
On HYVÄ
Fanitin pienenä Hectoria ja kuuntelin Sudenkorentoa tietämättä että sehän olikin käännösiskelmä. Kiva kuulla myös idolin idolilta 20v myöhemmin se alkuperäinen. Melko maaginen biisinikkari.
A lot of this is new to me, even being a modest Bowie fan. Really good stuff, and a 4 star album for sure but then the remaining tracks at the end brought this to a 5 for me.
No one asks me what my favorite song is any more, but when they did, it was always a Bowie song. The Bowie song changed periodically, but it was always a Bowie song. For a long time, it was Changes. I love that song. If you put a gun to my head and told me to sing a song with no mistakes, this one would probably be in the running. This album also has a few other runners up: Oh You Pretty Things, Life on Mars?, and Queen Bitch. According to Spotify in this moment, I have 20 Bowie songs on my "Liked Songs" playlist, but only 2 or 3 from each album. Despite my unending love for Bowie, I don't often listen to full albums of his work. I've never listened to Hunky Dory all of the way through, but now that I am, I can say that it's all delightfully Bowie, but I'll stick with my 4 aforementioned standouts for now.
Dad- NA Mom- 9.5 Mike- NA Lori- 9.5 Michael- 9.5 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 9.5
What is the most powerful song to you? I was asked this question before and it’s a very tough one but eventually I realised the answer… ‘life on mars’ I could literally go mad on linking every line to something personal in my life right down to the ‘norfolk broads’ and the ‘my mother my dog and clowns’ lines. It’s one where I can just make uncanny personal references, all I will say is that verse 1 feels like 1 part of my life then verse 2 is another. I get it’s a bit ‘sad’ but this song just shows the power of music for me. The other songs are great, Changes brings me back to the horrible histories parody. Kooks really isn’t as bad as the reputation it’s given and I find it really fun. Quicksand is a masterpiece. Andy warhol is brilliant I especially love the weird intro. Queen bitch is one of the best rockers bowie ever did. Then the Bewlay brothers is one of those perfect closers. 5/5
I started to enjoy 70s+ David Bowie much later in my life - after I'd seen him live on the Sound+Vision tour. This album harks back to his 60s stuff with the famous songs thrown in too. It gets added to the albums I need on vinyl. 5/5
Bowie's first great album. Changes and Life on Mars are two of his greatest tracks.
Hands down, all-timer. Influential on so many levels.
Absolutely amazing album
His first or second greatest record
Second half a bit weak, but first half oh so strong. Maybe a four.
Fantastic album. Lyrical mastery mixed with interesting and catchy music
Let me start by saying that I have a tremendous bias for David Bowie. This was the music of my "I feel miserable and I need to not feel miserable" music. The day he died, I went in to work early and put on my Bowie playlist and when the first notes of "Life On Mars" dropped, I started sobbing uncontrollably. I've never shed tears for a celebrity before or since. But this was my guy. A more rational opinion would acknowledge that "Eight Line Poem" and "Fill Your Heart" ain't that great, "Andy Warhol" isn't much aside from a cool guitar riff, and impending fatherhood made Bowie maudlin on "Kooks" (although this a song I sing to my dogs, so I obviously don't hate it) and I don't know what he's on about in "Quicksand" (but the music's great, so I don't really care). I rarely focus on lyrics and Bowie could often be inscrutable, but "Changes" is not that. Unpretentious, pointed prose that comes together melodically and resolves in a great chorus. Life On Mars is a seminal piece of music and never fails to make my heart swell. "Queen Bitch" has one of the all-time great riffs. "The Bewlay Brothers" is a devastating song about Bowie's schizophrenic brother. "Oh! You Pretty Things" is joyous and "Song For Bob Dylan" that serves as both send-up and tribute is a lot of fun. Any album with "Changes," "Life On Mars" and "Queen Bitch" is getting an automatic five stars, but even without those three giants, I think this album might still earn it. One of the best from one of the greatest English-language artists of all-time.
Life on Mars is one of the greatest songs of all time. Also, Rick Wakeman is a beast
Absolute Classic. Bowie was formative for me and this is one of the albums that did it. Love how weird it gets towards the end, but the the first half is the winner for me.
The first part up until Life on Mars is amazing, but the rest of the album is very good too
Bowie at his best ❤️
Bowie’s first masterpiece. Certainly not his last.
a few songs I knew, never did an in depht of bowie
Welp.. turns out I really like this version of Bowie A LOT. I did not come across a mid song until Fill Your Heart. Beyond personal taste these are well constructed, driving songs that stay with you. YMMV on the songwriting but they are up my alley.