Reviews (page 2 of 15)
My favourite Bowie album, the one I've already listened to a lot. Listening now though, while the singles are absolute bangers, the other tracks aren't consistently as good.
Bowies first great album, of many.
I find it really hard to place my opinions about Bowie. The songwriting is fantastic but I find it really hard to dig as a whole experience. Highlights: Queen Bitch and Changes
4.5/5
Coo
Absolute belter! The beginning of some very very special.
3.91 stars out of 5 for Hunky Dory. This album is loaded with Bowie classics, and fills in those with some very strong tracks. Quicksand, Song for Bob Dylan, Queen Bitch, are all amazing as well. This album definitely fills the requirement of an album you must hear before you die. Especially if you're tired of 90's Britpop.
Took me a minute take to it, but I ended up in the right camp. This is really good. It’s David Bowie becoming David Bowie. Changes is the only real pop classic on this, but it’s full of stuff that sounds like what he would come to be known for. It sets the table for ziggy stardust. There are some real jams in here, you just have to pay attention because it’s a touch more subtle, but it’s all there. My mom loves David Bowie. She gave her press of ziggy. Not sure how life on mars is new to me. Queen bitch, kooks, Andy Warhol. A shoutout to Bob Dylan. It’s a really cool listen. Feels like it was fun to make, fun to try new stuff. Guitar jumps out at you every now and then, sometimes it’s just the keys. His songwriting is sharp, and he creates worlds/characters in a similar way to the Beatles. Would like this on vinyl. A real gem here.
ch ch ch ch changes so many classics in 1 package, though i couldve just listened to changes 11 times for the same score
The best Bowie.
Would really be a 4.5
Favourite Songs: Quicksand
Really nice arrangements. Some of the singing is quite theatrical but the songs are good.
Standouts Changes Life on Mars Queen Bitch
Probably my favorite Bowie album. Even better than *Ziggy Stardust*, which is really saying something. "Life on Mars?" might be the single greatest song in Bowie's entire catalog. Just an astonishing piece of songwriting. The melody, the arrangement, the sheer theatrical absurdity of it all. It's grandiose, ridiculous, beautiful, and somehow completely sincere. Everything that makes Bowie Bowie, packed into four minutes. And the rest of the album is just an embarrassment of riches. I mean, come on. "Changes," "Oh! You Pretty Things," "Kooks," "Queen Bitch." One brilliant song after another. Even the weirder B-side stuff like "Andy Warhol," "Eight Line Poem," and "The Bewlay Brothers" is fantastic. I love that Bowie can go from these gorgeous, almost conventional piano-driven pop songs to something strange, unsettling, and completely off the wall without ever making it feel like two different albums. The weirdness isn't some distraction from the songwriting. It's part of what makes it so good. This is everything I love about Bowie distilled into one absolute masterpiece. 70s glam, rock and roll, theater, camp, art, and just the right amount of eccentricity. There's a little bit of everything here. The music hall theatricality, the literary references, the surreal imagery, the swagger, the humor, the vulnerability. It's simultaneously sophisticated and gloriously silly, and Bowie seems to understand better than almost anyone that those two things aren't mutually exclusive. What I especially love is that this is Bowie just before he fully becomes Ziggy Stardust. You can hear him figuring out all these different pieces of his artistic identity, trying on different personalities and sounds, and somehow producing something that feels completely cohesive. There's a freedom and playfulness to it that I think makes it even more appealing than *Ziggy*. As much as I love the latter, *Hunky Dory* feels a little less constrained by a concept and a little more like Bowie simply throwing every brilliant idea he has at the wall. And somehow, every single one sticks. It's theatrical without being pretentious, eccentric without sacrificing melody, and unmistakably a product of the early 70s while still sounding timeless. It's hard to imagine a better showcase of what made Bowie such a singular artist. An absolute masterpiece from beginning to end. Not a wasted moment. 10/10. Perfect.
Hit after hit. Even Kooks is pretty nice.
Lovely
A classic David Bowie (though aren't they all as he was the master of reinvention and experimentation). RIP Mr. Bowie. Truly one of kind.
Changes, pretty little thing into mars is spectacular. Top tier Bowie
Consider myself a Bowie fan, like this album obviously but it has an occasional weaker moment for me personally to being a top favourite, Andy Warhol springs to mind. Where as the best are up there. Wish it was a 10 score rather than 5, to give more variance, this would be a 9, can’t quiet give it the 5 as the odd art rock miss for me - 4 Star
when you start with a song from the Shrek 2 soundtrack, you know you're going places. And he keeps on going places
I listened to this album so much in Macc year it immediately takes me back there. It's solid gold from start to finish. A perfect album.
I’m really happy I got to listen to this today. It was a special treat.
Great album and great vibe. Bowie really is something special. This is one of the earliest albums I've listened to, and you can tell that he's limited a little bit. By that I mean this album doesn't have a laser vibe, but more a mellow, psychedelic vibe.
First time hearing this album though familiar with several songs. It was enjoyable though not as much as expected. I’m leaning I prefer later Bowie material. Marking a 4 to encourage return listen. 4/5
It ended better than it started. I admire Changes but I be never been able to appreciate it. However, Andy Warhol, Song for Bob Dylan and the last song were very cool. Bowie's always different, and this album has that too, but I liked other albums better. So, I am giving it a 3,5/5.
Liked Live on Mars?, Andy Warhol, and Song for Bob Dylan.
De momento, de los que he escuchado, el mejor disco de Bowie. Todo gags uno detrás de otro.
Probably one of his best albums including one of my favorite songs ever, Life on Mars. Still a pretty uneven effort with great singles and the rest not rally holding up.
chill flowing album. First song is memorable, rest are not. Right down the middle 3.
Feels like an otherworldly album, completely separate from any generation of music.
good timing because I'd just seen Absolute Beginners a few days ago and realised my life needs more Bowie immediately 5/5, no skips!!
I've always enjoyed this record a ton. It's bright and poppy glam rock for sure, but Bowie the eccentric really shines through on this one. Oh! You Pretty Things is definitely my favorite track. Who knew a song about the occult could sound so sweet?!
Life on Mars is a certified Bowie masterpiece. Changes and Queen Bitch are killer tracks as well. And you know a guy like me is always gonna dig Song for Bob Dylan.
So good that it made glam rock viable for like three years.
Pero que épico era Bowie
Favorite songs: Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Eight Line Poem, Life on Mars?, Kooks, Andy Warhol, Song for Bob Dylan, Queen Bitch, The Bewlay Brothers
Classic hits with Changes and Life on Mars, three songs that are tributes or diss tracks to other artists, and overall weird vibes. Love it
Really liked this album. Had heard most of the songs before but never listened to it end to end. Makes ya feel like a nostalgic groovy spaceman
I’d pre-written the review. It was going to be a novella detailing my struggle to celebrate the melodic, ethereal genius, with the things I knew he’d done. Am I ok to cancel culture the 1001 albums? Would I drop him from five stars to four because of that? Turns out I didn’t need to worry. With the exception of Life on Mars, the album was ok.
This guy's copying Charlie's music in Always Sunny.
First Bowie album I ever owned, and I listened to it to death. So many brilliant songs. "Life on Mars" is obviously a standout. I listened to it in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering... Is there life on Mars? More importantly, what did it mean that Mickey Mouse grew up a cow?
This is probably one of my favorite David Bowie albums. It has quite a few famous classics on it but one of the tracks that stood out to me the first time I heard it was 'Kooks'. A theme for outcast weirdos being part of a family, warning the kid if he sticks around with them he's going to be "pretty kooky too". I have young kids now and there aren't many songs that capture how I feel like that one.
Better than Coldplay
For an artist famous for facades, Bowie is best when he's just Bowie.
David Bowie has made better
Solid
this didn’t really do it for me. it’s good! but maybe i expect more from bowie? it wasn’t ambitious enough and i was waiting for it to get weird. life on mars obviously unreal. 3.5 rounded down.
A fantastic album, although admittedly it starts off stronger than it finishes. Fun songs though, delightful piano in songs like kooks, and the usual energy. A little more of a mainstream feel.
I enjoyed a lot of this album but ultimately did not add any songs to the playlist.
Det hørtes ut som æ venta at det skulle høres ut, men æ likte det.
Bon album. Harmonies et accords vraiment intéressants
Bien.
I’m not a big David Bowie fan; it’s just not my vibe. However, I cannot deny how amazing he was as a human and an artist. The rating is based on him and what he did for music and art and the community.
アルバムを通してピアノが目立っていて、曲の継ぎ目がわかりにくいタイプ。ChangesからLife on Mars?の流れがとても良くて、壮大でフォーキーな感じ。 David Bowieのアルバムを通しで聴くのは初だけど、とても良い作品だと思いました。聞いていて楽しいし。
Well it's Bowie
I liked this one. I had thought that the first track was by the Rolling Stones and some other ones sound like the Beatles so I think this was a banner era record for him.
Album is decent but it has changes and life on mars on it so that adds a star
Kan vara min favoritskiva med Bowie. Life on Mars? och Queen Bitch bäst på en skiva där alla låtar är bra.
Pre Listen: 2nd Bowie album on here, neat. I know Changes from this album, as I got it on my playlist, but I've never listened to this album in full. As I've said from the last Bowie album I got on here, my relationship to Bowie music is enjoying a couple of his hit singles. Having explored his lesser-known catalogue to a degree, it's mostly the odd diamond in the rough to my ear. Notable Tracks: Changes - Great song, makes this album a 3/5 at the bare minimum. Catchy, well done rock pop with lyrics most can sympathize with. Favorite track. Life On Mars? - A significant highlight, love the story telling in the lyrics, the melody is great, and that piano is just superb. I do think the song goes on for a tiny bit longer than needed, they could've removed one or two bridges and it would've been perfect. Andy Warhol - Least favorite track. I don't know what the fuck David was smoking to make him think 'Yeah lets put 40 seconds of random beeping noises at the start and end of a decent song'. I know some artsy-fartsy dickheads out there probably drool over this song; to them, I hope your concussion is healing well. Post Listen: The album gave me Rolling Stones vibes a couple of times through, specifically the Stone's attempts at making more American-Rock/Blues type tracks. I got the same feelings on this album as I did from Ziggy Stardust. Overall solid music, it's just the majority are forgettable, a one or two tracks are flat out bad, and one or two are absolute gems. The piano is incredible throughout, and Bowie's singing is welcome most of the time. The lyrics are ok for the most part, and everything else is acceptable overall. I'm feeling this one between a 3 and 4, I hold Changes so close to my heart though I gotta give this a 4.
love changes
I heavily enjoyed the album. At first listen I thought it was sonically loud and spacey. I returned to during the week and found some notes of melancholy and almost bluesy songs.
Well, this project is making me a Bowie fan, despite myself. Another one I almost want to give a 5 to. 4 Boolean: True
fun!
Fantastic
Great songs, peak Bowie.
C’est top top top bravo Monsieur Bowie
i love david bowie smmm after this album!!, i listened aladdin sane before but didnt got really interested on seeking for more music of him if youre wondering if its worth to try it, TRUST ME IT IS
I just listened to Station to Station the other day and it's amazing to hear how far Bowie's music & style evolved in just five years. In fact, it struck me just how much influence that the "Sgt Pepper" era Beatles seems to have had on Bowie. A lot of the songs here could have been Beatles songs. He even sings a little bit like John Lennon. "Changes" sticks out because for at least part of it, he sings in the deeper vocal range that I tend to associate with Bowie.
Whilst it's not Bowie's best album it's still an amazing display of his skill as a song writer and a musicianm with some experimental but still catchy songs. 9/10 or 4 Stars.
Fun with "Changes"
This is a mixed bag of a record. Arguably it contains his greatest song in Changes but the weakness of some tracks is glaring. For me, Song For Bob Dylan is a piece of shit. Worthless and boring and an exercise in dull. The album, which some better critics than me have characterized as a kaleidoscope of sounds including art pop, glam, prog and proto-punk, is really a hodgepodge of Bowie figuring out a direction that will ultimately define his career. And that’s the problem. The songs are really not there. Other than Life On Mars?, Queen Bitch, and perhaps Quicksand, the album is an uneven affair with most of side 2 unenjoyable. I own this record and have since about 1975 when I bought it. I’ve played side one through the early 80s rarely flipping the record. Then I put it away. I saw Bowie live several times and I can only recall him playing Changes, Life on Mars and Kooks from this record. 50 years on it sounds a bit dated but the tracks I’ve singled out are still worth a spin. 3/5
It’s great, I love it, but it’s missing something that’s present in other Bowie albums… aura.
Farcically, this is the first time I have listened to a Bowie album from start to finish (case in point, I had always assumed that Life on Mars would be on Ziggy Stardust). I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t as earth shattering as I wanted it to be, but that isn’t to say that it isn’t a great record. Life on Mars is one of the best songs ever committed to vinyl and Changed is a great track also. 4/5.
nothint memorable sorry
Loved it Really lovely album
Deece to pretty good 7
8.5/10
Queen Bitch
I liked this album more this time through. Bowie really was a great artist; there's just too much stuff to sift through to find the best bits IMO. Life on Mars? has quickly become on my favorite tracks of his and I listen to it quite regularly. Changes is great but everyone knows that. Queen Bitch grew on me this time around.
Heard it before. One of the coolest things about the album is that a riff from Andy Warhol was used in Master of Puppets by Metallica. What an influential album, lots of bangers as well 4/5
First time really listening to David Bowie.
no
Is this old-school pop music? Is it rock? I am unsure. I did like the kickoff with Ch-ch-ch-changes. This may end up my highest rated Bowie. 3?
I’ve heard this before and I own it. Bowie really established the base for his 70s sound here, even though it continued to evolve, and he’s firing on all cylinders. He was firing on all cylinders throughout the 70s and 80s so maybe he upgraded to a 10 cylinder engine for this one. Every song is a banger and a classic and it’s organized perfectly from start to finish, and he wasn’t coked out enough to make the production real thin the way coked out producers do.
Just brilliant really x
#234/1001 🇬🇧👨🎤 What more is there to say about DB? This a near perfect album, the weakest track being Song for Bob Dylan, but the bar is so high throughout. Best Tracks: Life on Mars?, Changes, Oh You Pretty Things, Queen Bitch, The Bewlay Brothers, Kooks.
I liked the first track
Is there a better 4 track opening anywhere else? Biwie is a legend for many reasons, but he wrote some absolutely incredible pop tunes. Maybe his layer stuff has a bit more depth, and it lacks one of his persona for a bit of theatre, but this shows talent pure and simple. The album dies off a bit towards the end but i dint care.
Quite good
It is a very iconic album with some of his most iconic songs like Life on Mars? and Changes but I did find some of the songs weird 😭 Like, it's good, just weird. I loved Song to Bob Dylan and The Bewlays Brothers
3.5
Mi favorita era The Bewlay Brothers hasta que sonó esa bajada horrible del final. Así que Fill your heart y Song for Bob Dylan.
funky, lovely talented David, but i couldnt really connect with this album.
Best Song(s): - Oh! You Pretty Things - Life on Mars? - Kooks - Queen Bitch
Glorious
Perfect Bowie
I prefer old Bowie to new Bowie, but this one was pretty hit or miss. A few bangers, a few forgettable ones and a few that tried too hard
So many bangers. I’ve listened before and will listen again.
Interesting piano. Couple of more boring songs
I'm not sure about this era of Bowie. some of it feels like Elton John at a cabaret. I guess that's part of what people like about him? hard to connect with this, for me. But I would never have listened to this on my own so I'm glad I was now forced to. fav tracks — Life on Mars? Quicksand and Queen Bitch
Not he's absolute best but definitely a superb album. Just prior to him reinventing himself in a series of different albums each year. What an artist
Not exactly my favorite bowie record. That being said it has some all time songs on it. Just overall I dont think it has everything it needs. Life on Mars might be one of my favorite early songs if not all time. Its so good from start to finish. Also im less enthusiastic about changes but its still a good song if not overused in movies especially. Then the rest of the record other than queen bitch is just kinda ok. Nothing else stands out. Andy worhol just has a crazy intro but im jot big on it as a whole. Its all just ok otherwise. Give him a little more time and he turns into a true artist. A generational artist. Just here hes kinda treading water other than some big hitters. And thats OK caue I know what he does
Pre-Berlin Bowie! Opens with one of the best pop-rock songs ever and just keeps it up. Even the weakest songs on the album (Warhol+Dylan) have great melodies - should have sold better when it came out.
Banger
I recognize a bunch of these tracks by title, but I've never sat down to listen to this album start-to-finish. Before embarking on this 1001 albums project, I hadn't listened to any David Bowie albums start-to-finish. This is now my 5th album, and I think I like this one the more than the other ones, which were no slouches either. And the fact that there are still 4 more Bowie albums to go on the list has me looking forward to them. Maybe this whole thing is turning me into a David Bowie fan? I think I'll be adding this to my list of albums to listen to again.
Ok album
not my favorite bowie but it’s still a pretty good album i think andy warhol’s my favorite. the start and end are incredible. i feel it kinda dips in the middle.
Loved the little alien-sounding dudes in Bewlay Brothers. Why does David Bowie need to ask if there's Life On Mars.... like he doesn't already know
Repeat listen
Bowie's fourth album has the outstanding "Life On Mars?" as well as about two or three other terrific songs, but the rest is for completists only. The thin, dry sound of this record doesn't help either, and its Bowie's sharp songwriting (and the occasional string section) that allow the better songs on here to bloom despite the arid conditions.
Oh tiens, encore un album de David Bowie. Joie. Et oui, ça faisait longtemps et ça ne me manquait pas. Je dois maintenant en être à 4 ou 5 albums rien que pour lui dans cette liste et ça devient un peu ridicule. Je n'aime pas David Bowie. Et oui, je sais que le type est extrêmement influent. Quand je dis que je n'aime pas David Bowie, je ne dis pas que c'est nul ou que c'est surcoté. J'ai bien conscience de l'importance du gars. Mais si je n'accroche pas, je n'accroche pas, y'a rien à y faire. Et c'est pas en me forçant à en écouter plusieurs dans cette liste qui me fera changer d'avis, au contraire. Quant à cet album, parce que c'est de ça qu'il s'agit, il ne m'a pas parlé. Comme d'habitude. Quelques titres ou passages me sortent de ma torpeur, mais dans l'ensemble, l'album n'a fait qu'une seule chose : me rappeler que David Bowie, ce n'est tout simplement pas pour moi.
About as perfect as a pop rock album can get, I'd say.
Not as dark or jazzy as Low yesterday, but still cool and weird in the ways that I like David Bowie to be.
Pretty great early Bowie, and from what I can tell, his first really good album. It still suffers from the over-theatrical and messy presentation of an album like 'Aladdin Sane'. But the actual batch of songs this time around is much stronger. The opener 'Changes' is one of his best songs, period. That chorus is both catchy and utterly baffling in just how weird and jittery it can feel. It's one of those songs that feels so subtly off, and I love it for that. 'Oh! You Pretty Things' is pretty funny because it takes about half the song for the real chorus to kick in - but I do really like the spacious piano playing on this one, and the album in general. 'Life On Mars?' is one of Bowie's most celebrated and iconic tracks, and for good reason: it's a dynamic, explosive rock opera with giant, sweeping strings and matching colourful, abstract imagery. Definitely not one of my personal favorites, but I can see why people would love it. 'Quicksand' feels more stripped back and organized when compared to everything else here, with just a nice and natural acoustic feel to the whole thing. There's something very uplifting about the string melody on this one, which is a stark contrast to these very pessimistic lyrics. 'Andy Warhol' also has a super tight, punchy acoustic guitar lead. I guess the song itself was supposed to capture Bowie's admiration for Warhol, but the whole thing feels like a backhanded compliment if anything. 'Queen Bitch' is pretty neat; it has an almost punk rock feel to it, and the vocal delivery is nothing short of Lou Reed worship. And 'The Bewlay Brothers' is a pretty fantastic closer. Just these lush and heavy, yet mysterious acoustic guitar chords, and what sounds like a high-pitched reversed guitar sample. I just really love the atmosphere of this song; it feels like a one-man trek through a vast, empty desert. Some pretty incredible moments here, and some not so incredible ones. Definitely, I'll always prefer the post-Eno Bowie albums to some of his earlier ones; they feel more focused. But still really enjoyed this one.
I'm mixed on this album. Some bangers, but a lot of songs that are either meh to me or A Bit Too Much ('Andy Warhol' being a big one). I continue to not understand the Bowie hype. Standout Tracks: Changes, Queen Bitch Rating: 2.5
This was a really special album, I can't wait to listen to it again soon.
David Bowie again - but this time it might be different. “Hunky Dory” is a somewhat disjointed collection of different styles. But I’ve read that David Bowie began to become “Bowie” on “Hunky Dory,” and I actually have an idea of what that might mean. The approach is absolutely promising and combines catchy song passages with unusual structures. In any case, I’m now really looking forward to the follow-up album, “Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.”
Mix extraño
Great stuff. 70s Bowie is definitely the best Bowie
A solid pop song effort from Bowie that starts out strong then slows on the back end. However it finishes with one of his very underrated songs The Bewlay Brothers. Is There Life on Mars?
ch ch ch ch changessssssssssssssssssssss love this album and love u bowie. so good tracks vocals on point and the sounds this album makes are just magical. really liked it but some songs not as good as others... Andy Warhol is da goat.
Quite great
The hits don’t stop coming with David Bowie. Fantastic record. 5/5
One of my favorite David Bowie records. How can you not love this record. If someone wanted to know about David Bowie. This record would be one I would share. Great music, good production, great songwriting.
Holy crap did I actually just like a Bowie album
þessi plata er svo fokking góð
An excellent album, and amazing to think that better was still to come from Bowie.
Not my favorite Bowie, I think his pop psychedelic schtick was refined and improved upon in just about every way with Ziggy Stardust, but this still has some really incredible tracks on it. Queen Bitch in particular really gets me rockin’
Very good album. David was one of the greats.
Original Bowie Changes Oh! You Pretty Things II Life on Mars? Kooks Fill Your Heart
My second favorite artist of all time. And his first masterpiece. Life on Mars and Changes alone give this 5 ⭐️
this one has SO many good singles, im lorvin it.
Bowie is always snazzy
Не самый мой любимый альбом Дэвида Боуи, но Hunky Dory содержит множество гениальных песен и общепризнанных хитов. Каждая песня со своим уникальным настроением и подачей, но пока это еще не тот мощный и великий Боуи. Думаю здесь слишком большой разброс настроений.
I like Bowie but don’t really think of myself as a fan. I reflexively thought 5 when this came up, but it doesn’t quite hit me to warrant that. Some all-time classic songs, though.
One of my all time favs. Nothing new to say about it, but I love it from start to end. 10/10
Enjoyed this album quite a bit.
Day #39 I am familiar with the album name and cover and it has many well known songs (Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life on Mars) but I don't think I ever listened to the album in a serious way from beginning to end. It is very good I must say. "Changes" has been one of my favourite Bowie songs since long. The album is more piano driven and has really beautiful songs which I was not yet familiar yet (like Eight Line Poem and others). Kooks has nice Beatles vibe, understood that song was created/recorded while he just became a father. I wonder if the band "The Kooks" got their name from this song. The album is listed as one of his best works. I might need few more listens but it will definetely go yo my vinyl wishlist and looking at my ratings in belongs to the pile of 5 stars.
Easy 5*. One of my favorite records.
changes me gusta y después es un decline total. nunca me pegué una siesta tan buena en el COLEGIO como escuchando este álbum.
perfection
This is such a kind and beautiful album. While listening I felt a real sense of maturity and warmth running through the whole record. Bowie’s voice and presentation are excellent here, full of character and emotion. The instrumentals are fire. The arrangements feel rich and carefully built without ever becoming overcomplicated. What stands out most is the storytelling. Every song feels like it has something genuine to say, and the whole album flows with intelligence and heart. Hunky Dory is one of Bowie’s most complete and satisfying works. Mature, melodic and full of personality. A true classic.
41 minutes - no skips - so fuckin good
its great except Andy Warhol
10/10, 5/5. Yeah some of the tracks on this can be a bit hokey but this is Bowie beginning to soar and I love it
4/5 some standout tracks
Stunning album. Very accessible though for early Bowie and very Beatles influenced (Martha my Dear, Lady Madonna). Also contains at least 2 of the best songs ever written. Nice bass playing too!
Not bad. Changes is a solid song. I also liked the Bob Dylan song, despite not particularly caring for Bob Dylan himself. Felt like the album got stronger towards the end, but I'm more inclined to guitar-based music. Still enjoyable enough
Поразительно красивая и изобретательная классика рока 70-х. Альбом Hunky Dory отличается совмещением выразительной мелодичности с откровенным новаторством того времени: в одних и тех же песнях может быть как запоминающийся мотив, так и питч голоса и прочие навороты. Лично меня альбом поразил своими главными треками, которые расположены в первой части. Если на заглавной Changes я размышлял над оценкой альбома, то уже на Life On Mars? у меня не осталось никаких сомнений. Я сделал трек громче и молился, чтоб после него среди оставшихся композиций была хотя бы одна стоящая, чтобы альбом был полноценным, но он оправдал мои ожидания вполне. После первых четырех треков изобретательность Дэвида Боуи не закончилась: все композиции на альбоме уникальные, запоминающиеся, весьма мелодичные. Выдающийся вокал Боуи придает им то ли светлую, то ли мистическую атмосферу. Этим альбомом хочется жить и теперь точно хочется поставить его в один ряд с классикой не только 70-х, но и всего XX века или даже всех времен. Обязательно к прослушиванию (!!!) и заслуженное место в списке 1001 альбома. Космические 5/5.
I have honestly not been a huge fan of other Bowie albums but this one hits the spot for me.
Nice
One of the great albums of all time . Faultless
One of his best, no doubt about that. Excellent album and not much, if any, filler so I enjoyed it as a whole album which is nice.
me recuerda a mi mamá jdosjfkfjf mamita te kiero
Great listen. Distinctive Bowie vibes and a bunch of repeat value. Changes itself is fantastic to have around, and i don’t think any other songs met that moment but still stayed strong. The Bewlay Brothers was a pleasantly strong ending track too - though I wasn’t in love with the end of the song Favs Changes Life on Mars Andy Warhol Bewlay Brothers
Or is it Honkie Dorie?
I liked it but definitely not as good as the other Bowie albums we’ve had on the list so far.
First time I feel like I'm close to "getting" Bowie. Still, I get a feeling like he's out to prove he's the most creative and intelligent person there. The lyrics don't feel genuine, but somewhat pretentious. The first half of the album is four stars, the second half drags along with songs that don't land.
:) Ne vem zakaj sicer preferiram druge Bowie albume, ker ta je še zmer amazing. Prve dva komada sta bangerja ("Changes" in "Oh! You Pretty Things"). Oh, pa "Life on Mars?". <3 V glavnem, js sm sam vesela, da sm bla solidno let istočasno na planetu k Bowie & da sm padla bolj v njega, dokler je bil še živ. Pomojem bi bla ful annoyed sama s sabo, če bi mi ratal všeč šele posthumously (kar je fukneno, who cares). "Fill Your Heart" mi je bil zmer zabavn - tak mal, neresen. Pozabila sem, kok je "The Bewlay Brothers" amazing. (Ha, jutri bo 55 let kar so komad posneli!) Fak, na splošno sm očitno pozabila, kok je cel album dober!
I liked this a lot more than the Beatles, and there were a handful of strong choices, still though, does this qualify as one of the best albums ever? We’re going to have a large sample size, and so I’m going to put this in the middle
I have thoughts. Felt like I was listening to a weird funky version of elton john in a universe where he never existed and big dave copied his vibe. I liked the sax in Fill Your Heart and Life On Mars was my favorite. Otherwise it felt like I could’ve spent my time maybe listening to something else :/
Feels like Bowie becoming Bowie. The lyrics just drip with angst and the piano-forward production makes the lyrics shine. Favorite tracks: 1. Changes 2. Oh! You Pretty Things 3. Fill Your Heart Big fan of the transition between Fill Your Heart and Andy Warhol.
I'll always have a soft spot for 70's British rock, so even though I haven't listened to a ton of Bowie, the overall sound is still pretty familiar. This felt like leafing through my parents' old photobooks — there's gold-tinged hue that settles over the whole album. A good album for a lazy Sunday morning. Eight Line Poem is such a treasure. Bowie's howling and the wailing guitar are nigh indistinguishable, and he just pours his heart onto the track. Might be my favorite track on the album. Changes and Life on Mars? are well-tread territory but this is the first time I really listened to the lyrics and I just gotta say #wow. Kooks really irritated me for some reason. It feels very out of place. I wish I had a better explanation than that. The songwriting is sincere and assured, but hearing all of the different styles he was trying out, I get the sense that Bowie was still settling into his musical identity here. God, Bowie has such a unique voice though. Not the most technically proficient singer, but the personality is just bursting at the seams. The player in me is a big fan of how piano-forward the instrumentation is on a lot of the songs at the front half of the album, especially on Oh! You Pretty Things and Fill Your Heart. The production feels really open and airy, and the flow of the album has a nice ramp up and down. Just like for Hard Day's Night, you can see the foundation being laid for later albums like Ziggy Stardust here. My true rating is a 3.5 but I'll round up to 4 here since there's no half stars. Favorites: - Changes (a bit overplayed but a banger) - Eight Line Poem - Life on Mars? (for my money, Bowie's best song) - Quicksand - Fill Your Heart - Song for Bob Dylan - Queen Bitch
Bowie’s voice reminds me of Bob Dylan, neither can sing. However, it does not obscure the obvious musical talent displayed in this album. Very strong start to the album with tracks 1-7 where several tracks has its own unique moment and instrument that jumps out. - The musical motif and the sax at the end in Changes - The (beat drop) when the drums and bass hit in Oh! You Pretty Things, - The slow opening and closing guitar solo in Eight Line Poem, - The orchestral instruments and whatever the flute sounding instrument is in Life on Mars. - The Piano & Sax in Fill Your Heart Great variety of instruments and uniqueness of tracks. Classical, Jazz, and Rock are all constant themes throughout the album. Goes 2 for 4 to end the album with the Warhol and Queen Bitch being my least favorite tracks. Overall an 8.5/10.
Beautiful and some of his all time best. I don't think it's without skips though, but very few feel accessory
Beautiful album. Life on mars!
The guy was a genius. Great album.
Sympa mais pas incroyable J’aime bien la guitare
Very good Who knew I'd like Bowie so much
great, excellent, peak Bowie (IMO)
Really liked it! All of the tunes were very catchy despite still having depth. I appreciated the storytelling, general message of anti-preachiness. The song structure was also perfect. Everything I want from a pop album.
album bangs
Really liked it more than expected. Solid 4
ehhh. i think it's a 3/5. Idk i think for sure the Life on Mars? track should be on a list of 1001 songs you should hear before you die. This album is well put together but i've come to the thought that the album is a beatles-esque pop record with lyrics that serve as a stark contrast to uplifting pop music of the 70s. I think it's good, but I don't think you'll have incredible regrets if you don't listen to this before you die. Out of 10 I'd probably give this a 6 or 7, i'm not sure. I didn't love it. I think it's a little bit forgettable as well. I sat with this album a bit more over the weekend and I seemed to like it less and less than first listen. I just think it’s not worthy of being on this list. Maybe it’s important, but Bowie seemed to refine this very sound and lyrical content on following albums. I think it doesn’t deserve to be on the list.
Nice
Not his best, but he has no bad albums
Genuinely a superb album. It’s just surreal enough and artful enough to counteract the pure pop. Always something new to discover but it feels like home. Never boring.
This is #day716 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… just two days ago I got Ziggy Stardust, which, of course, I rated a 5, and now another Bowie record. I don't really mind. Except this doesn't quite rank among my favorite works of his. Yes, I know, this is Bowie becoming Bowie, and there are "Changes," "Oh! You Pretty Things," and "Life On Mars?", but... there's also more to come down the road. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day717.
es imposible para mi poner algo malo de la musica de bowie
Retro grade
An amazing piece of work, but doesnt live up to some of his later stuff
fav tracks life on mars queen bitch the bewlay brothers least favourite fill your heart
What else but a five for Hunky Dory? The first half of this album ‘til Quicksand is just so charming. The second half held its own too. A brilliant album & the start of all boundary-breaking things to come from David Bowie—the changes before the starman. Five. STAND-OUT SONG: “Changes” HONORABLE MENTIONS: “Quicksand”, “Life On Mars?”, “Queen Bitch”, “Oh! You Pretty Things”
I liked the more acoustic sound of this album. Bowie didn’t have to hide behind a character to make this album good.
Not at all what I expected
Hard to say if I like this album more than Ziggy Stardust, but it's totally possible.
I wanted to like this more, but just didn't connect with it
Czy my oceniamy te albumy bo są naprawdę dobre, ciekawe, nowatorskie czy po prostu lubimy osobę, która je nagrała? Bo imo poza trzema bangerami to nie jest najlepszy Bowie, i said what i said.
Idk not a huge glam Bowie guy
Not my favourite Bowie record but still solid, changes is generational.
this is great. oh you pretty things is a personal favourite - i purchased it as a single on itunes on my ipod touch circa 2012. the album as a whole is a strong 4.5 but it earns a 5 due to nostalgia points.
I'd heard a lot of the songs before! I never knew they were David Bowie's. I liked it a lot.
Good album!
David Bowie continues to be one of my favorite artists on this list
top albuns pra dar vontade de viver
Awesome album!
I’ve never listened to a David Bowie album before. This album was more piano heavy than I would have expected. More like Elton John perhaps. But I really enjoyed it a lot.
Vähän haukotuttava tapaus tämä hunkkidory. En vieläkään saanut kiinni david bowiesta.
Onhan se hyvä klassikkolevy, vähän sekoilua, siistejä melodioita ja riffejä. David Bowie on David Bowie. Jotenki vaan vähän tylsän kuulonen tuotannoltaan. Rumpumiksaus jää ontoksi. Mukava kuunneltava kuitenkin, vähän ehkä turhan pitkästyttävä paikoitellen.
Back when Bowie was acoustic - him over piano is so good. Changes and Life on Mars are obvious hits but Queen Bitch and The Bewlay Brothers are so good too. I believe that Mr. Brightside is heavily stealing from Queen Bitch and I can't find anyone who agrees with me online. Anyway. I don't like the Bob Dylan / Andy Warhol hero worship songs but I like him being like "these two guys are cool" then spending his career trying to be them. Awesome album and less dated than a lot of his later stuff.
Brilliant. Not a weak track, a star is born.
stuning album
Seems like Bowie usually hits four stars for me. Fun one.
A classic album, fastastic.
Bowie’s tribute album - Kinks, Dylan, Warhol, Lou Reed/VU and, with incredible foresight, Belle and Sebastian.
Better than other DB albums.
Algoritmo travou no David Bowie? Pra 1001 discos e é o terceiro em quatro dias que vem pra mim “randomicamente”. Por sorte, esse é o meu disco favorito da carreira inteira do Bowie pra mim. Quicksand é uma das músicas mais lindas e tocantes que já ouvi, junto com a fabulosa Life on Mars. Perfeito do início ao fim e nenhuma “skipavel”
he’s such a weirdo and life on mars is so good. other songs i hate.
Brilliant work by the orchestra.
2.2/5 I've never been a big fan of Bowie and this doesn't really get me going. A couple of good songs but nothing I would revisit.
Yuh
Classic, great singles only reason not a 5 is because later albums were so stellar
Realy f'ing good, but as is common with Bowie there are one or two less perfect tracks.
nice
I love Bowie. This album tells a much bigger story in a childish perspective I give it a listen later but for now I just rate it 4/5 but maybe in the second listen it gets a perfect score who knows
This is probably his first truly great album even though TMWSTW is pretty underrated.
Cool beans. Shows a lot of promise that delivered in so many ways throughout his entire career.
David Bowie continues to be the king of non stop bangers.
Always creative and interesting but not necessarily entertaining all the way through.
4/5
It's not as thematically strong as other Bowie albums, but does contain some of his best individual songs.
Bowie pretends to be a Beatle in much of this but no bad thing. Rick Wakeman’s piano emphasising this. The weakest tracks sit in the middle, Kooks and Quicksand not hitting as high for me. Changes is the standout track by a country mile.
The album that helped me understand Bowie. He’s so cool, this album is so good, it’s Beatles-esque but he’s doing his own thing. Yes please
My second favorite Bowie. Go dancehall!
1. Absolute classic, iconic chorus. Immense album opener. 2. Enjoyed too. Nice piano ballad with classic Bowie twist. Strong. 3. Nice wee song - didn't really pick up though. Felt like an interlude. 4. Another all time classic, great! Chorus will be stuck in head all day. 5. Cute little song, almost nursery rhymey. Enjoyed! 6. Enjoyed this song - quite explosive 7. Another cutsey love song, fan of it for sure. Not the stuff I'd usually listen to. 8. Wtf was he on when he made this! It's fun, similar to some Syd Barrett stuff. 9. Another fun wee song (sensing a theme here). Can see how songs like Starman came not long after this. 10. Enjoyed this one. Good delivery and fun guitar riff. Playful. 11. Banger. Love the lyrics and vocal delivery. Maybe my favourite apart from the big 2. Great closer. Overall a great album - first Bowie one I've listened to back to back. 8.0/10
Solid overall with some fantastic hits. Some of the songs didn't hit as much for me as like an album like Let's Dance's non-hits. Will put in the rotation.
This was Hunky Dory
Life on mars is so good. I'm usually very picky but this is a 10/10 song!! Amazing album
It's not Ziggy Stardust but I can see why it's alot of people's favourite Bowie record. Shivers down my spine during Life on Mars. The second half of the album struggles to live up to the hype of the first half. 4/5
An iconic album, the precursor to Bowie's alter ego era, Ziggy Stardust. A pure classic. The first song will always remind me of handsome Shrek riding a horse (donkey). 'Life on Mars?' is iconic, too. 10/10
Terrific album.
Haven't heard this in a long time. Feels very folkish a lot like Bob Dylan.
I've learned a lot from these albums, about decade trends, genres and certainly my own tastes and thoughts on music in general. None beyond Bowie has challenged me more in that last catagory, I have been putting in the time to figure it out, reading what I can and listening over and over. His vocals still tend to be the weak point for me but the music is always interesting and varied. I'm glad there have been and continue to be artists like him pushing themselves to new levels allowing other people to connect with something complex in a way that only art can do. I wish it connected with me more, maybe it will one day. Queen Bitch and Changes are still both excellent.
Possibly Bowie at his most baroque and clownish yet still incredibly sincere. My favorites are Andy Warhol, Life on Mars?, and Oh! You Pretty Things. It’s kinda giving flamboyant grandpa.
Think I have to envelop myself a bit more into Bowie's world to understand the depth of his creativity. I enjoyed a lot of this record, but I don't know how much I'll return to this as a "project." Obviously, a lot of talent went into this, and he really knows what he's doing in creating a specific atmosphere surrounding an album! Favorites: Eight Line Poem, Life on Mars?, Andy Warhol, Queen Bitch
I think(?) this is my favorite Bowie record, definitely of his classic period. The piano suits him very well, lends very well into the whole freaky cabaret thing he always chased. Easily the best collection of songs of any of his records, even though some of his other records had higher peaks.
Mijn eerste Bowie plaat! Mijn verwachtingen zijn heel hoog … Hoewel ik het niet het beste Bowie albumpie vind, kan ik er wel oprecht enorm van genieten. Het blijft een waanzinnige artiest die steeds weer nieuwe dingen bleef proberen en ontwikkelen.
Interessanter maar niet beter dan Ziggy stardust. Het is wat persoonlijker omdat hij nu niet schuilt achter Ziggy stardust. Het zijn meer hele goede losse flodders dan een geheel album. Het voelt wat zoekend, nummers zoals song voor bob dylan en Andy warhol zijn een beetje domme nummers die cringe overkomen (een beetje jeugdig pretentieus). Al met al erg leuk maar soms nog wat onsamenhangend en wat minder verfijnd dan op bijv Ziggy stardust maar dat maakt het ook wel weer boeiend.
Sinds Ziggy Stardust ben ik echt waanzinnig fan geworden van David Bowie. Hunky Dory is vlak daarvoor opgenomen met vrijwel dezelfde band, en hoewel er zeker overlap is, is dit album net wat meer ingetogen. Met de piano en akoestische gitaar als leidraad voelt het iets meer gestript dan Ziggy. Maar wat een meesterwerk is het weer: ongekend creatief, prachtige melodielijnen en fascinerende teksten. David Bowie is simpelweg buitenaards.
This early David Bowie album is considered one of his best, most notably for its diversity. "British pop, orchestral works, art-rock, folk and ballads" that emerge to form glam rock". Like Changes. Oh! You Pretty Things, Life on Mars?, Kooks, Andy Warhol, Queen Bitch. A few songs that I didn't like but overall a very good album.
Mmmm me gusta al principio
Not my favorite Bowie, but highlighted by a couple great songs it still stands up.
Changes, oh you pretty things and life on mars are my favorites
One of Bowie’s stronger outings, i like how its a more piano based record this time around and the transitions were seamless. Both beautiful and epic at the same time, no one could really do it like him. Im usually VERY picky with Bowie albums and almost never give them 5’s, this is one of the few 5’s to me. Standouts are Oh You Pretty Thing, Life on Mars?, Kooks, Fill Your Heart, Song for Bob Dylan, Queen Bitch and Bewlay Brothers.
Miss you Dave
Standard Bowie sound. After a few Bowie albums it does get hard to describe them in a new way. Eight Line Poem is very satisfying for some reason. Lyrics convey a lot of feeling and atmosphere in so few words. Life on Mars is obviously a classic track. I like the kooky intro to Andy Warhol. Oh and the guitar slaps too! Queen Bitch is pretty much punk. Album end has weird vocal effects, which is quite appealing. Best track - Andy Warhol, Queen Bitch 3 stars - it's classic Bowie sound, but not much outstanding
I'm very familiar with Changes, Kooks, and Life On Mars?, yet I've listened to this whole album once. Relistening to it now has me feeling all of its bombastic bursts of energy after the cinematic build-ups. Overall, a very good album and I would absolutely listen to it again.
love david bowie</3
Another Bowie album where I knew singles, but not as familiar with the album. Unique and still sounds good decades later. Favorite tracks: Life On Mars, Changes, Queen Bitch
Bowie is second only to the Beatles in creating album masterpieces. 5/5
Like it was fun but like every once in a while I’d try to listen to what he was saying and I just went, bro what are you on about. And then Aladdin sane started playing and I grooved out for a bit.
Fantastic from start to finish.
Eerste LP die ik zelf ooit kocht, toen ik 10 jaar was 5 sterren!
7/10 Favorites: Life on Mars?, Quicksand, Queen Bitch
"Life on Mars" is really good. I am honestly surprised at my lack of opinion on the rest of this album. I want to like it because my opinion of David Bowie is really high but ultimately I don't strongly like or dislike it. 3/5 probably would not listen to again
Widely touted as the best Bowie album, i think i agree. Queen Bitch is my favourite Bowie song as well, Ronsons driving guitars over whats basically a love letter to Lou Reed. Epic.
Frontloaded but great
top 3 bowie
Good, good, very good
On one hand, “Changes” is a classic rock song for the fucking history books. So is “Oh! You Pretty Things,” and “Life On Mars” is life-defining, heartwrenching, one of the best songs ever written. On the other hand, “Kooks” actively kinda sucks, as does “Fill Your Heart.” Also, a lot of these songs don’t add up to nearly as much as the general reception would imply, many of them count more toward what I feel is a presence of dead weight in this album. It’s not that it’s bad, not at all, just… very overrated. 6.6/10
Probably the best of Bowie’s pre Berlin apprenticeship albums.
I'm trying to imagine being 15, 16 or 17 in 1971 when this album came out, seeing it in a record store, buying a copy, and putting it on the turntable when I got home. What a delight, trip, and weird experience. There are three songs that became classics, of course, but the others are familiar and show early hints of Bowie's genius. I seriously don't know what I would have thought had I been that teenager. Would I have liked it or been disappointed it wasn't all as catchy as Changes? There are a few songs I'd never heard before, like "Andy Warhol", surprisingly interesting once it got going past the intro. "Song for Bob Dylan", the second to last song, is different from all that came before, but reminds me of other Bowie songs, maybe from a later era? I'm not enough of an expert to identify it properly. Is it 4 stars? 5? Good lord, how does one judge? I enjoyed it all. Going with 5.
Excellent, no notes
oke
day 6 — Hunky Dory — David Bowie (1971) genre: art pop runtime: 42 min rating: 2.5/5 fav track: life on mars? thoughts: i think i need to listen to more of his music to rlly get a feel for it. life on mars? is prettyy good and overall this wasn’t a waste of time. i think i will revisit it bc some of the songs didn’t click for me on the first listen
Strong album overall with some bops that push it into 4 territory.
ну этот я хорошо знаю. если отбросить усталость от более поздних альбомов, этот вроде довольно боп + лайф он марс конечно
no
As I own about 220 of the albums on this list on either vinyl or CD, I tend to get one album a week which I know very well. This is this week's example. I went through my Bowie period as a pretentious teenager thinking it would impress girls (clue: it didn't and it doesn't. Just be clean and have a nice haircut - girls find that infinitely more impressive 😅). So, I played Hunky Dory dozens of times. I wrote lyrics on my college folders. I replaced my original personality with a fake Bowie-lite persona. I'd make mixtapes for girls I liked which would invariably include some Bowie. And still girls didn't find me attractive! Anyway, I genuinely loved Hunky Dory then, and listening again today with no desire whatsoever to change myself to impress the ladies, I still bloody love it! NB: I'm starvin' for me gravy!
A: Saknar "Heroes" där han tagit mer droger (baserat på musiken). Helt mid? Några helt bra delar men inget som fick mig o OMG MÅST LÄGGA TILL DEN I SPELLISTA X, Y och Z... 2/5 D: Väldigt personliga och utstickande låtar, vilket omedelbart får den att bli bättre än de flesta (bar is in hell). Orden var också goofy. Tycker den var bättre än Heroes. 3/5
Look, I might give this a four in the future, but I really only care about "Life on Mars?".
Such high highs
bowie has such an insane knack for melody. i feel like his craft gets more refined later down the road but loved this
david bowie half, etwas besser als die anderen (oder ich hatte einfach ein offeneres ohr für david bowie...)
wow i did not realize every song ever written was on this album. many lyrics that continue to be ever meaningful in our hellish developed world.
Need to listen more often actually
What a day! Our dog dissappeared and it was super panicky, frustrating but thank god he was found in less than 2 hours so I am finally at rest despite dealing with some issues at work. So what it has to do with today's album? Well probably nothing, Hunky Dory is a masterpiece and just what I need to get through today. This is obvious 5 stars.
Brilliant album. The hits are hits for a reason, but every song is fantastic and the flow of the album is perfect which each song being similar, yet still completely different. Really enjoyed it. 4*
Better than the other one
Favorite song: queen bitch
It's just a flawless album Being driven by piano instead of guitar is nice as well
I honestly enjoy Bowie's later work more, but this was still an enjoyable listen and a great foray into his early experimental work. Always love Changes, and Kooks, Andy Warhol, and Queen Bitch were some of my other favorites.
Bowie at his Bowie-est. Life On Mars is an all time classic, and while it isn't all my favorite, a really solid album overall.
Bowie's unique twist on popular sounds was a refreshing listening experience.
I don't think I've listened to a Bowie album all the way through before, I just know the (many) more popular songs. It was done well!
An album from Bowie in his series of incredibly consistent work and this shows it well. Well written, well performed and interesting the whole time. Changes and Life on Mars are classic songs. Nothing mind blowing here but very very good.
I just really don’t like Bowie, I don’t like his voice, I don’t think he did anything particularly groundbreaking with his sound given the eras he was in. The hype has always baffled me.
I mean, this album starts with one of the best Bowie songs of all time. Starts strong, lost me in the middle, but came back in the second half with Queen Bitch. Kind of sounds like a musical soundtrack at times, but in a weirdo way that is so classic Bowie. Overall, a solid early Bowie work, and a good first album of his to listen to all the way through. Favorite tracks: Changes, Queen Bitch
Loved this
amazing and wonderful!
andy warhol
Bowie is always a good listen
Transitional album from one of the best to ever do it. Such an easy listen where he’s using his muses to transform folkish tunes into something more dynamic. Also Andy Warhol is and always will be one of my favorite Bowie songs.
I guess this was kind of the beginning of "PRIME BOWIE"? Some great tracks on here. The lows are kind of low for prime Bowie (such as the novelty tracks for Warhol and Dylan, IMO) but the highs are as high as anything he did.
Even Bowie doesn't deserve as many entries as he has on this list. However, this one is an absolute gem!
Good album. There's a few skips, but Life on Mars? is one of his best songs.
Two incredible highlights in Changes and Life on Mars, but the rest of the album is a mixture of very solid glam rock and slightly more forgettable acoustic tracks.
Some classic Bowie tracks. Overall average album though
Anothe Classic from Bowie .Life on mars is a fave