Reviews (page 9 of 15)
Some decent tracks such as Changes, Life on Mars, but not a fan of most
I absolutely love Bowie, but this isn't my favorite Bowie album. This album isn't bad, it just doesn't stand out too much amongst his other works. But regardless, a Bowie album is always a pleasure to listen to
4.5
Eh, not really my style
beautiful
Best Bowie I have had yet! I was hooked immediately by the first song, and listening to the whole album was a journey. This sounded like he was having a lot of fun, I will definitely relisten. Stand-out: Kooks
7/10 love the textures in this and the whimsy. Some classics and glimpses of bowie's future as an artist.
2 classics and overall very good. Bowie has a deep catalog
Really good album from start to finish.
Some tracks were catchy, but didn't have strong feelings about the album as a whole.
Ugh. So when we first got all the Bowie albums, I was so annoyed because none of them sounded like this one. This one is great.
Some true classics and some I hadn't heard before. Great album.
Side one carries a few big songs and then there's the rest. "Queen Bitch" is pretty cool with Mick's guitar riff. I don't really care for Bowie's delivery here. These are non-Taavicore melodies, not easy to follow and Bowie just goes here and there. Oh, there he is. Side two is only for the stronger fellas. Highlight: "Life on Mars?".
4.5
9.5 ★★★★½
Immaculate pop craft. "Life on Mars?" is a certified classic, and the rest of the album is filled with super solid pop tunes as well. 5 stars
4.5/5
There's some great stuff here -- notably "Changes", "Life on Mars?", and "Queen Bitch" -- but I do think it sags in the middle a bit and isn't quite S-tier Bowie. 4.5 stars
A pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good David Bowie album. Perhaps his first pretty good one that kickstarts the prettiest of 70s hot streaks. Probably only Pink Floyd and Steely Dan compare. Life On Mars? is a soaring, sensational standout. Changes, Oh You Pretty Things and Queen Bitch also top tier Bowie. It is not all Hunky Dory though. Eight Line Poem is a bit Hunky Snory whilst the Andy Warhol song and Belway Bros are incredibly Clunky Dory. Other than that though it’s pretty glamtastic and good.
I've tried to get into David Bowie so many times, but it simply never clicks. 3
Во-первых, я просто хочу Дэвида Боуи в любимых артистах. Во-вторых, это веселый альбом, который можно врубить в любой момент времени без угрозы для жизни, своей и окружающих. Лучшая песня - Changes.
I do think the first half is stronger than the second half. But I just lock into Bowie’s stuff so I’m never having a bad time. 5/5
hook after hook, bop after bop. Not a foul step in this album
An eclectic mix of quirky songs. The album has a generally uplifting feel. I wasn’t bored or waiting for the album to finish. The album doesn’t immediately excite me but it does feel very original and fresh so I will probably listen to it again. I like the lyrics, so I might try to memorise them.
3.5
Higher peaks and lower valleys than ziggy stardust. But the peaks are so high it warrants a 5
imagine spending your hard earned money to buy this record
This isn't an album I've sat down and listened to from start to end before. I've definitely heard songs from it, but it was great to hear them all in context. Not my favourite Bowie album, for sure
Definitely not my favourite Bowie album, but it's cool reading from the Wikipedia article that this album is when "Bowie starts to become Bowie", so it's interesting to hear that transition album. There are definitely sections and songs on this album that are very good and it's good to hear that he was able to carry that forward to future albums. 3/5
I think this is the Bowie I think of when thoughts of Bowie are invoked. Which isn't often, but I *understand* this Bowie. Anything Bowie post 1979 just confuses me.
One of the better Bowie albums. This might be the last one of his on the list. I came to like him more than I thought I would after listening to the 9 albums on the list. This one is a perfect one to close it off.
There are some iconic songs on here with Changes, Life on Mars and Oh you Pretty Things. But I thought the rest were mostly good but not great.
Heard this before but this is way better than I remember. First listen I knew it was a solid early effort from Bowie, but on a second listen, it still ranks among his very best.
Kind of like Bowie doing Harry Nilsson. Still feels uniquely him and some of his best singles/oddities on here but he definitely only gets greater post this record.
Some hits
Fun early Bowie
Absolute classic album. Hard to find any fault in it.
3.86/5 Me gusto
Started off great with an old classic "Changes" out of Shrek 2. After the first goodie though it kinda just got weird... Especially with the 3rd song "Eight Line Poem". Old classical type music at one point, But then some screeching theatre music at another point... Don't know how I feel about the album as a whole to be honest.
It's David Bowie - you either like him or you don't. Some great hit songs, and some aren't.
Shrek! That is about all that excited me though. Not a fan of his style of music. But I have definitely heard a lot worse than this. 3/5
This was my favorite of the Bowie albums so far but that could be because I listened to Metallica before this.
It was fine, not one of my Bowie favorites.
it’s a classic there’s not much to say
My favorite Bowie Album
its david bowie. first half legendary, second not as good
David Bowie really isn’t as good as people make out he is. Changes is good, and Life On Mars is great, but Kooks and Andy Warhol are just a bit shit, and the rest is forgettable. It’s three stars not two, but it’s only just three.
Sometimes I’m surprised at how good of a song Changes is.
Just a classic
Her jukser jeg og går tilbake til et album jeg hadde hørt på forhånd! Hunky Dory er ren stemningsalbum, og åpningen av Changes gir meg alltid frysninger ved tanken over hva som kommer. Det blir ganske sært til tider, men energien er så konsekvent og trivelig. En sann klassiker! Beste sanger: Changes, Life On Mars og Kooks
I maybe being a bit basic but this is my favourite Bowie album - which so happens to include by favourite Bowie song: Queen Bitch.
I’ve learned I’m not a huge David Bowie fan but there are some classics on here. Can appreciate the artistry
My favorite Bowie album. I love every song, even kooks.
The first half of the album, the annoying piano is so intense that nothing else can really breathe in the mix. Second half was brilliant. 3 seems fair.
I listened to it twice because I didn't really like it the first time at all. I am still puzzled by how overrated Bowie is. Sure there are a few great ideas in this album, but pretty much every song has something I hate. The vocals are either too quiet or too loud, melodies are dissonant to the point of his singing sounding out of tune, and most of the choruses are frankly just annoying, including Changes which might be one of my least favorite tracks on here. Maybe I need to get to a few different Bowie records to really get it, but what I'm hearing here is mostly just barely enjoyable. I'm sure I'm missing something here as the whole universe seems to disagree and this guy evidently influenced some of my favorite artists, and I will come back to this record sometime in the far future. Life on Mars and Song for Bob Dylan are actually pretty great.
Phenomenal. Favorites are Kooks and Queen Bitch.
Eitt af ótal meistaraverkum þessum heimsins besta manns, og jú, besta plata ársins 1971.
Oh man although all Bowie albums are good - this is so far the most straightforward easy album to love. Killer beginning, great middle and a good ending.
Yay! Can't go wrong with David Bowie! So many good songs, Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life on Mars?, Queen Bitch; and Kooks reminds me of his first album, an early 60's pop sound. I love the guitar riff on Andy Warhol and The Bewley Brothers is so weird, it's my new favorite song! Great album!
On “Hunky Dory,” David Bowie fuses glam rock, Beatlesesque pop and the drama of Broadway musicals to deliver some absolute bangers. "Changes" is a classic and "Oh! You Pretty Things" is an epic singalong anthem that I forgot was this good. "Life on Mars?" is another Bowie staple and "Queen Bitch" is one of his best hard rockers. There are some nice deeper cuts in between and a couple of oddball, experimental numbers but the strength of the highlights absolutely puts this in classic territory.
Typical expected quality stuff from David Bowie. It's an impressive sound that is built on foundations of good songs from a basic harmony+melody standpoint. Bowie isn't someone who I listened to enough of and this was a pleasure. There's a lot of dynamic tracks on this, and throughout I'm hearing cool bits that sound like other bands. Little bit of the Beatles, little bit of the Rolling Stones, even a little Van Morrison at times. I think that's always been a plus for him and his sound; that he can effortlessly explore and try new things and be confident that it will come out sounding good. "Changes" is one of the best songs of this era, and I love that oddly syncopated chorus line. It's so unconventionally catchy. Strong 4/5.
This is the record where Bowie really becomes Bowie. His sound and personality start to take full shape here, and it feels like the beginning of something huge. The album is special, playful, emotional, and full of ideas. The team around him is just as important. Rick Wakeman’s piano is beautiful and classy, and Mick Ronson’s guitar and arrangements give the songs power and color. Bowie moves through different subjects and moods with ease, but the record always feels fun and alive. And of course... “Life on Mars?” One of the greatest songs ever recorded. Easily top-tier Bowie, and honestly one of the most perfect songs in music history. The vocals, the build-up, the strings... everything hits. Bowie’s voice on this album feels warm and full of life. His writing is sharp, emotional, and sometimes strange in the best way. You can tell he cares deeply about every detail, from the lyrics to the production choices. A legendary album, the moment where the future Bowie starts to truly show himself.
Love
his 4th Album and he has yet to disappoint! He was just so smooth and never felt forced doing something more experimental. Salute to Bowie (4.0/5.0) slowly consider myself a fan of him
Not too bad, gained some appreciation for Bowie with this one. But wasn't blown away.
It’s hard for him to miss
oh man this rocks. second half definitely slows down a bit unfortch, which makes me want to give this a 4,,, but I haven't given an album a 5 in a while so teehee
David Bowie is obviously an all-star, and there's not a bad song on the album, but as a cap A Album it's just ok. Lots of different songs with different sounds stuck together. Luckily, it's got Changes and Life on Mars, so even if everything were dogshit it would still be good.
Fave songs - Oh! You Pretty Things Life on Mars? The Bewlay Brothers
Better than Ziggy for me
'changes' - GREAT start to an album, holy shit. immediate funk blast to the face. love the bass in the back. usually i think piano is jarring but it works here. 8/10 'oh you pretty things' - speaking about jarring piano...bowie sounds great here, though. a mild banger. 6.5/10 'eight line poem' - man WHAT are you talking about. gentle tune though. like it. but nothing interesting. 5/10 'life on mars' - come on now. 9/10 'kooks' - very bouncy. dare i say very abbey road. the piano is actually whimsical and entertaining here. title matches the song LOL. 7.5/10 'quicksand' - this song makes me want to sit in an old black leather chair and smoke a cigarette. 7/10 'fill your heart' - i actually adore the piano in a song for once holy shit. MUST go back to this on a sunny day. maybe an april. 8/10 'andy warhol' - another 'what are you talking about' song. still okay. this album is clearly pretty good. 6/10 'song for bob dylan' - Yeah. much more going on in this song than the others. very elton john to me. 7.5/10 'queen bitch' - i didnt expect anything impressive in the last half so im thoroughly surprised. 8/10 'the belway brothers' - man. what a closer. nothing to say. great album 8.5/10
Pretty good album. Couldn't get Adam Sandler out of my head!
Would I listen again: no Best track: life on mars Worst track: Eight line Poem. Surprise awesome track: oh! You pretty things. Weirdest track: quicksand Lyrics: aces. Great amazing. No skips?: no Cover art cool?: yea it’s cool. Notes: Very excited for this. Love Bowie but never got into deep tracks with him. Musicianship on Bowie music and the sounds are so great. Uch changes such a beautiful song. Never realized how Dylan esque some of his vocal choices were. I love yhe chords and music in Oh. You pretty things. Love the phaser piano on eight line poem. Uch life on mars such a perfect song. The ending is pure Lennon McCartney. All songs on this album are good that’s the baseline some are unforgettable and craveable Nd others are just good. Happy to listen but if I never heard it again I’d be fine. The problem is the amazing songs are so amazing it makes other great songs only seem good in comparison.
This isn't my favorite Bowie, but it's close, and has a few of his best songs in "Changes," "Oh You Pretty Things," "Life on Mars?," and "Queen Bitch." For me the rest of the songs generally don't quite hold up, though it's a really strong well crafted album. On the right day, if I'm feeling those other songs, this could be a five star album for me.
If there is Life On Mars, it won't be the same without David Bowie. Favorite Track: "Life On Mars?"
Fan of some of the tracks but not all, bewlay brothers, life on mars, song for bob dylan and oh you pretty things are great :)
Really enjoyed this, Some tracks weren't doing it for me. But changes and Life on Mars were always getting at least 4 on this one
At last, a Bowie album! Brilliant, this is Bowie at his best but then I think Bowie was always at his best. Changes, Pretty things, Life on Mars, how do you chose a best song from that lot....
Almost a 5 star album, if not for a couple skips. Still a fantastic LP, containing perhaps the most quintessential Bowie track in Life on Mars.
Fill your heart with love today, don’t play the game of time…
It's Bowie. It's amazing, even the ones I don't listen to often, The Bewlay Brothers and Quicksand
Some fun songs.
i like the first 2 or 3 songs, but the later songs just felt so annoying
A few good songs, okay album. 3/5
<3 love David Bowie
Liked it. Favourite track is Life On Mars 3/5
I saw him in the Barrowlands during his Earthling tour, and afterwards the first album I bought for a mammoth Bowie binge was this one. Love that it is for the most part lead by piano, there's some truly amazing songs on here. An easy 5 stars
Vakker musikk, med en klassisk bowie-sjarm. Snuser veldig på 5eren, men blir trekt ned av noen litt middels låter. Favoritt: life on mars
Perfect album
Very good but not his best
It’s about to be writ again - Bowie is awesome. Life on mars to me is such a beautiful song. Looking forward to listening to the lesser known tracks - hopefully not just filler. Great stuff. Queen Bitch is a great tune. Bowie is awesome. Easy 4 not sure about a 5. Nope this is a 4 - sorry David.
Good album! My favourite Bowie album so far
Kinda like most Bowie albums. Some killer songs and a lot that’s forgettable.
Probs my favourite Bowie album
Amazing first half, gets dumb when he starts to name drop.
Good. Classic Bowie. Four stars, man.
Hunky Dory is the first glimpse at what was to come in the Ziggy Stardust era. Solid Bowie. Not quite a 4. 3.95
Nice, some classics
A classic. Pretty good.
It was good
I liked this album way more than I thought I would! All together-
rockin album with many classic tracks
Oh yesss, uf de Dave hani mi scho vo Ahfang gfreud. Die tüüfi fründschaft vom Dave und mir bestaht erst sit Rotterdam 23. Aber so tüüf, dass er sich letzt Jahr grad ufs Podest als meistglosste Künstler katapultiert het. De Dave hani versuecht ufe und abe z lose und usezfinde welli vo sine unzählige lieder au wükli sehr geil sind, und trotzdem isch mer Hunky Dory nie wükli nöcher cho und han bis uf 2 lieder no keis kennt. Immerno grandiosi Musig, spassig, hüpfig, gueti luhne bringend, aber keis vo mine top 5 lieblings-Bowie-Albe. Aber wie immer bim Bowie isch jedes Album für sich spannend, dur welli Phasene er alles gange isch. Trotzdem isch das Album no unglaublich guet und git stolzi 4 Sternestaub
David bowie, kenn ich hauptsächlich vo es paar hits - wo mir au super gfalled -und finde ihn sehr sympa und ein stylisher typ. Ersti richtigi berührig zu ihm dur „Wir kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo“. Aso au ambivalent zwüsche musikalisch krass und drugs-addiction bezoge. anyway, ich erhoff mir eigentli insgeheim amigs, dass mir d lieder besser gfalled als sie dünd. Scho nice und ich gseh mich au i de 80er dur dunkli Strasse vonere grossstadt laufe. Eich e klassische fall vu 3.5 puntos.
Uf so sache hani mich au gfreut, mal so zwunge werde chli was vom dave zlose hans den am sunntig abed ufem heiweg im zug gloset und mues leider sege dases mich nöd so us de socke ghaue hett hend ja au am samstig abed no chli drüber gredet gha was das album für eh narrative hett aber han halt widermal usegfunde dasi eifach bim musiglose nöd so uf de text lose defür hetts life on mars druffe gha, plus pünkt für de leider doch numes Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois vo mir scusa dave, maybe next time
supi gsi wär stylisch 5* gäh, aber weni ehrlich bin sinds eher 4* :)
There's a couple clunkers here - almost every Bowie album has one or two, to keep it interesting - but the highs are stratospheric. I'd give it 4.5, but I can't say it's near enough to perfect to give it 5 as an overcompensation.
1001 albums #7 david bowie i love you all bangers!! 95/100
really enjoyed it
Absolute masterpiece. I was engaged with every song despite their dissimilarities is subject matter and musical styles. A classic.
Habe mir irgendwie mehr erhofft, weil David Bowie ja sooooo bekannt ist. The Bewlay Brothers ist ganz nett und das ganze Album hat irgendwie eine entspannte Atmosphäre, man erkennt David Bowie direkt wieder. Aber bei jedem Lied hatte ich das Gefühl irgendetwas fehlt
Fav: Life On Mars? Least Fav: Kooks After so many David Bowie albums that I’ve rated 4, I’ve finally found one worthy of a 5/5
I don't think I can say anything about David Bowie that hasn't been said before and probably a lot better then I can. I knew and like several of the songs on this album including one of my favorite Bowie songs (Life on Mars?). While not every song is equally good there is more than enough here to like.
Overall: 10/10 This is my absolute favourite Bowie album and I've listened to it an insane amount. I can't really pin down why it's my favourite Bowie but I love how much piano there is on this album and every song is so dang catchy that I can't help but sing along every time I hear them. I hope I don't get every Bowie album early on cause I love him and I wanna space it out, especially with the ones I haven't heard as often. Fav Song: Life on Mars? Least Fav Song: Eight Line Poem
bumping this up a star just bc changes is so good
Bowie sucks
Great album. First Bowie album listened to in its entirety. Favorite songs: Life on Mars?, Bewlay Brothers, Changes (in that order). Least favorite Kooks. 5 stars.
A stone cold classics. Changes, Oh You Pretty Things are phenomenal. Would give it a full 5 but I know I have Ziggy and Low to come which I like a lot lot more. The end of the Bowie whimsy
Some of Bowie’s greatest songs and some I wouldn’t piss on if the master tapes were on fire
Didn’t like majority of album. Changes, Kooks and Bob Dylan only things I liked The rest were too abstract
Considered the best Bowie album, my personal favorites remain “Heroes” and “Ziggy Stardust”. A bit too McCartneyesque for me, the songs “Changes” and “Life on Mars” got the nod for my Bowie playlist.
Great album. 7 five star songs out of 11 tracks. Not a bad score.
What’s not to love?
Strummy and sexy
Oh man look at those cavemen go
not my favorite album but Life on Mars is a goat
Great stuff! Bowie is a welcome joy and empathetic voice as ever. His songs never get old. Life on Mars is my favorite Bowie song and that really flavors my thoughts about this important album.
Finally, a David Bowie album that we can all agree is worthy of a 5.
Hunky dory means something is fine or ok. It does not mean essential. It does not mean classic. Something that you must experience before you die would not be considered hunky dory. “Hunky Dory” is hunky dory. “Queen Bitch” is great, “Life on Mars” and “Bewlay Brothers” and others are hunky dory I suppose, and “Quicksand” is not fine at all. The 1001 should not be about things that are just hunky dory, and there is too much Bowie here.
This was a 3+ album. Better than OK but not great. The bigger takeaway for me is that I consider Bowie to be the Lady Gaga of his time. That might sound harsh, but I conclude that he’s more sizzle than steak. Blasphemy, I’m well aware. I’ve heard consistently that Bowie is a genious…blah, blah, blah. I don’t hear it. There is some pretty good songs, but a lot more mediocre stuff than peak listening pleasure. I feel similarly about Lady Gaga although Bowie is more consistent than her. Gaga’s hits are fantastic pop music, but the rest is filler. Very disappointing. Her voice is fantastic though. What Bowie and Gaga share is a flair for the dramatic whether it be a spaceman persona or a meat dress. This gets attention, but the hype is definitely >> the product.
Favorite tracks: Changes, Quicksand. Versatile, great production. Bowie sounds great on this one.
-ok so i think i like this one more than Heroes but definitely less than Low. Wasn’t exactly sure what to expect after the other two but it seems to offer a slightly more traditionally ‘70s’ classic rock vibe. I liked some songs a bit more than others but overall enjoyed it. Queen Bitch is so good. 3.5 stars -Favorites are Changes, Life On Mars?, and Queen Bitch
Some decent songs, some weird songs. Mixed bag.
- 8/11 songs added to main playlist - Bit of a detached listen post Election Day - Another nostalgic listen - Never went through this front to back - Changes & Oh! You Pretty Things is making me feel a little better - So many different emotions. I can see this becoming one of my favorites - I just love David Bowie man - Might be the most talented musician of all time - Favorite song: Oh! You Pretty Things
Pretty much my only complaint about this album, and it’s something I’ve felt since my first listen of this years ago, is how very inconsistent it is. Not inconsistent in the sense that there are bad songs on here, rather, that the highs are unbelievably high, while the rest of the album is either good or just solid. A lot of this divide is within the two halves of the album. The first four songs (with the exception of the third) are genuinely perfect songs that are not only representative of Bowie as an artist, but of the direction rock went in in the ‘70s as a whole. After that, there are certainly great songs, most notably with the closer, but for the most part, I would consider the second half of “Hunky Dory” to be largely forgettable, at least in the grand scheme of Bowie’s work. Like I said before, the highs are as high as Bowie would ever get, but the consistency just isn’t there. Even though not every song on Ziggy Stardust blows you away, the baseline level of consistent quality is much higher than it is on here. Obviously that’s just an indication that Bowie was progressing as a songwriter, but as it stands, this album is still great because anything that has Life On Mars? on it is bound to be pretty special.
Hidden gem album Poetry and piano Dance delightfully
Rock. Pretty good, with some absolute classics, along with a few songs that didn’t quite hit. Very good though.
This might be my favorite Bowie album so far. It's simple and approachable, something that albums like Aladdin Sane can struggle with at times, but still really creative and catchy. This album sounds like a bridge between eras, where you can here some very Beatles-esque songs like Oh! You Pretty Things and Kooks, but then stuff that is more unique in style like Life On Mars?. Strggling to pick a favorite because I like Changes, Kooks, and Quicksand a lot. I think I'll go with Kooks since it's brand new to me.
Go to the dance with Bowie after he passed. Was not a big fan of the stuff I grew up hearing on the radio…namely Dancing in the Streets turned me off. His early stuff is better and Queen Bitch is an ear worm.
Some classics here. Not a full album's worth.
Not my favorite Bowie album but interesting nonetheless
Ok
While I'm a biiiiiiiit iffy on some of the more poppy and underdeveloped tunes here (but that might be a contrarian living in me), the epic scale and songwriting on the best moments here is nothing short of great. TVU influences, fantastic vocal performances, just loads of fun. Oh and obviously Life on Mars? is like one of the greatest pieces of music ever conceived or whatever but I sure hope I don't need to explain that one to anyone.
I can hear music in this - melody, texture, rhythm - but it doesn’t feel like music that lives in me. I’d be in the room for a few songs, recognize that it effects others and move on.
I dig it, good stuff.
This project has been a Bowie education. Didn't know Changes was his. For 1971 this sounds very refreshing. 3-4* Highlights: changes, life on mars
I am a certified David Bowie hater. I was prepared and expecting to give this a low rating. But I have to admit that this album wasn't bad To start with, I didn't realise Changes was his song - and I really like that song! Most of the songs were alright, it's his voice that I can't stand. Never really been a fan of Life on Mars? but I did enjoy Queen Bitch I was glad about the lack of offensive spaceship noises in this one (apart from the start of Andy Warhol which was highly offensive to my ears) Slight offensive noises and bad screeching aside, I am going to say this album was alright on the whole. I probably would have rated higher with a different singer 3 ⭐️
Not his best. Dry and unmemorable. Inchoate to say the least. The tone feels pulled in so many directions (psychedelic, acoustic, dance hall, American country?), that no single idea feels even remotely formed. Big fans probably see the roots of future success and glory, but for myself, only a moderate fan at best, it all seems slow, soft, and plodding.
Decent music, good separation, some songs I recognized. Prob not something I'd go out of my way to sit down and listen to
FIRE. I think a great introduction to Bowie. I just love how he can take like barely any instrumentation and turn it into a genuinely interesting sound. Found the middle a little dull but it picked back up and the beginning was peak as hell. Fav Songs: Life on Mars?, Changes, Andy Warhol, The Bewlay Brothers
David Heaven
Bowie at his… bowiest, maybe? A delicate and eclectic piano-driven branch between two very different, more rocking directions (The Man who sold the World and Ziggy Stardust). All over the place in the best way possible.
Amazing. Feels like a huge influence on Nirvana, especially, in a weird way. "Life on Mars" is such a heartbreakingly relatable song. Falters ever-so-slightly on the annoying final track, but the imperfection just makes it all the more perfect.
Spirited, and very emotion expressive, has solid ideas and a good sound design background dating back to the rock of old, reminds me of the style of beetles or other bands in the classic rock genre. Though there was a fair amount more singing than I would expect which makes me think it was branching into pop. Old and classic, lots of people love David Bowie so, here is another yesteryear album.
start of his streak to produce quality music. Favorite track: Life on mars other picks: changes, oh you pretty things, queen bitch
210/1001 QUÉ MARAVILLA! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
David Bowie is legend. Not much to be argued about. He is simply part of music histories very fabric. Very few artists ever reach, let alone continue to operate at, this level. Yet here we are, and here he is.
Obra maestra entre uno de los maestros del Rock. Se ha escrito tanto de ella que es mejor escucharla y disfrutar de ella. Otros discos de 1971: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV, Marvin Gaye - What's Going On?, The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers, The Who - Who's Next, Don Mclean- American Pie, John Lennon – Imagine, T. Rex - Electric Warrior, Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On, The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East, Nick Drake - Bryter Layter, Can - Tago Mago, Black Sabbath - Master of Reality, Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story, Carole King - Tapestry, Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate, Paul and Linda McCartney - Ram, Funkadelic - Maggot Brain Flamin' Groovies - Teenage Head, Faces - A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse, The Doors - L.A. Woman, The Beach Boys - Surf's Up RORY GALLAGHER - Deuce, NINA SIMONE - Here comes the sun, IKE & TINA TURNER - Workin' together, BADFINGER - Straight up ,Jethro Tull - Aqualung, Janis Joplin - Pearl, David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name, Pete Dello and Friends - Into your ears, Santana - Santana III Gene Clark - Gene Clark/White Light, Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey Joni Mitchell- Blue, Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson, Elton John - Madman Across the Water, Al Green-Al Green Gets Next to You, Kevin Ayers – Whatevershebringswesing, Sixto Rodriguez - Coming From Reality...
Not my type of album. I’ll never listen to this again
Listened
Нема што повеќе да се каже за овој албум. Ремек дело!
Pretty good album with lots of his best songs
Hit songs were good, but as an album it was a bit of a slog to get through.
David Bowie ist einer der von mir als Jugendlicher verschmähten Künstler. Ich habe Anfang der 70er Deep Purples In Rock gehört, da war Bowie mir zu leise. Was soll ich sagen, schön doof. Interessantes, abwechslungsreiches Album, dazu mit Life on Mars? einem von Bowies schönsten Titeln.
It’s Bowie. 5/5
David Bowie. Got a lot of his greatest racks on it, Changes and Life on a Mars being the best. Really interesting overall, a couple of songs that don't quite land but it doesn't detract from the album. It is very one-note instrumentally, which changes on his future albums.
2632 - Well produced pop rock with wonderful arrangements. The vocals are obviously some of the best of this era and it has a few of the best songs of the 70s. A
7.2 leaves a lot to be desires on a musical level but some amazing tracks lay here
Yes yes yes yes yes
Such an amazing album too, so easy to listen to, dreamy & ethereal. Old classics I'd forgotten, 'Changes', 'Oh! You Pretty Things' and 'Life on Mars'. New song to add to the rotation, 'Quicksand'.
Bowie had really found his voice by this album.
"Life on Mars" is one of the greatest songs of all time.
If anyone is giving this less than a 5 then they need to have a word, Queen Bitch alone makes it so, unbelievable album from one of the best to do it
It sounds like 2nd rate Beatles to me. 2nd rate Beatles is still pretty good. Favorite song: changes.
Fantastic album. I can’t give it a 5, but I give it a very high 4.
Full of good tracks
Never been a Bowie fan but this was actually surprisingly good LP.
***An ok album
Superb!! Hard to believe it is over 50 years old!
No notes
A couple of classics here. Also shades of good music to come.
Not my favorite Bowie era but still good
Wow I was surprised how many tracks I had missed when I’ve listened to this in the past. The whole album is loaded and might be up there for my favorite of his now. Rating: 4.8
Ohhhh yes
Classic - love this album. One of my favorites when I went down a Bowie rabbit hole in my earlier years and still stands up. The tracking is great - each song seems to be in the right place. Even my least favorite track, The Bewlay Brothers (still a good song), is just a great closer song.
3eme album écouté après 'Low' et 'Aladdin Sane'. Celui-ci est donc plus ancien, et je le trouve un peu moins original qu'Aladdin Sane. Je connaissais : Life on Mars? (++) J'ai apprécié aussi : Andy Warhol (très original) Song for Bob Dylan (guitare +basse) Queen Bitch (plus punchy) Les autres morceaux sont un peu plus faibles. =>3/5
Easy 5 for this one. There's a couple of songs that aren't amazing, but mostly this is Bowie at his best. Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Queen Bitch, Life on Mars. Fantastic.
Great album. Life on Mars is such an amazing song
'Changes', 'Life on Mars', 'Queen Bitch'... must I say more on what makes this an awesome album?
Not my #1 Bowie album - but still a great album.
He’s pretty creative, of course, but I don’t really enjoy sitting through the album.
I don't think we need to deep dive into this. It's classic Bowie, the man was a musical god.
3.5★. First half starts out strong with songs like Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life on Mars? and Quicksand, but the second doesn't maintain that level of, uh, fascination. But then the album closes with The Bewlay Brothers, a superstellar closer with a mysterious power that redeems the entire thing (WE WERE SO TURNED ON... by your lack of conclusions...!!!)
The first of many excellent Bowie albums
Another fantastic Bowie album, filled up with bangers.
Bowie's music for me is like a huge, placid lake of 'meh with a few brilliant peaks in it. None of them are on this album.
Man in wish I liked bowie more
Not my favorite Bowie album. Not that much of a fan of Bowie's piano ballads and a lot of the acoustic songs here. Changes and Life on Mars are also far from my favorite hit singles of his. The album does end pretty good with Andy Warhol, Queen Bitch and the Bewley Brothers though. Overall not too impressed. Ziggy is a better rocker and more commercially successful, The Man Who Sold the World was a stronger album as well, and anything he did after is way more impressive to me.
Absolutely peerless amongst albums of its type. A beautiful, beautiful album.
Arguably Bowie's best album. I prefer Black Star and I'll die on that hill, but this is still an incredible record
One of my all-time favourite albums. Beautiful melodies and moving vocals; an exciting blend of glam rock, cinema, pop and folk. Clear inspiration for so many of the best indie bands in the decades that followed.
Meh
I'm getting a little tired of every other album on this list being by Bowie. 2/5
Must confess that this is the first David Bowie album I’ve listened to. Aside from the two really well known tracks there were a couple of mediocre fillers and a couple of really decent songs (Andy Warhole, Queen Bitch) which certainly sound like a blue print for the music that was to come in the 70s. Need to listen to more of his albums to understand where this sits in his catalog.
Never listened to this as a full album before. A handful of absolute classics, but drops off in the middle, not feeling Quicksand / Feel your heart
Enjoyed this one. Not totally my bag, as I've never been a huge fan of his vocal tone and melodies, but there are some great lyrics and solid songwriting. Enjoyed how this album is more pianocentric too.
much better than blackstar, classic 60s-70s rock
¡Gran álbum!
Perfect from start to finish and “Quicksand” is one of the greatest songs Bowie ever wrote.
Some great songs and a few oddballs. Love Bowie
Not my jam.
Never actively listened to David Bowie. Excited to hear some of his stuff today. I’ll add my favorite tracks down below: * Life On Mars (I was familiar with this one already) I’m on the last song and nothing has really captured my attention. David is not my jam I think.
Kooks, mars, changes. Rest is kinda blah. Listened 4 times
Det finns de som tycker Changes är världens bästa låt. Kanske, kanske inte. Jävligt bra är den iallafall. Tycker nog att Life On Mars? är strået vassare. Alla låtar var inte i samma klass men klart värt att lyssna på.
Hade velat gillar Bowie mer. Men inte tillräcklig många bra låtar för att bli knockad. Changes är ok. Life on mara mkt bra. Andy Warhol -låten var överraskande bra.
Changes och Life on Mars? är enastående bra låtar, det visste jag sen tidigare. Inte lyssnat jättemycket på Bowie generellt och efter en första genomlyssning så tyckte jag nog att resterande var sådär. Gav mig dock fan på att verkligen ge den chansen och den växte helt klart efter totalt 5-6 lyssningar. I princip alla låtar är bra förutom Oh you pretty things, Kooks och Fill your heart som är svagare och/eller lite jobbiga.
Delicious album
I liked this a a lot more than “Ziggy Stardust….” Just had a lot better songs. First 5 tracks alone is banger after banger. Right now it’s a light 3.5/5. Could move up more on multiple listens
Classic. A little weird.
Can see why it’s on this list, but not my taste, personally.
Enjoyable
Hunky Dory! What can I say about this album except "chilling"? Bowie's music sends chills down my spine, and this masterpiece of an album is no exception. I opted to listen to it in vinyl, a choice which added to the already existing goosebumps. From "Life On Mars" and "Changes" to "Oh! You Pretty Things" and "Queen Bitch", every single song of this album is perfect. Despite its perfection however, I do not consider it to be Bowie's best work, something which speaks volumes about his musicianship. Nevertheless, it would be an insult to Bowie to rank this anything lower than 5/5. Without any shred of doubt, 5/5, no questions asked.
David Bowie is One of the fantastic heroes of the World.
Man, I'm only a quarter of the way through this list and I've already got half of the Bowie albums on here. Well, for now I have nothing to complain about. I absolutely love this album. The blend of 60s and 70s pop rock for this super unique and forward thinking album is great.
Quite good, I liked the hits (life on mars, changes) overall not the best Bowie
8/10
Comfort Album no. 1. Brings back memories of my parents, their daffy mates, playing with the bubble machine in a wooded garden and squat parties in derelict 18th century mansions.
This feels so Bowie and so good. It was cohesive made sense and was fun. Musically everything worked together and had such a unique beautiful quality. Love Changes, Pretty Things and Queen Bitch
I like about half the songs on this album. The other half are not bad. Favorites are Changes, Oh You Pretty Things, and Queen Bitch.
This is easily my favorite Bowie album so far in this project. Love the musical compositions and lyrics and emotions. I like that the piano is featured in a lot of it, and the layers it adds. Just a quality album overall, and feels very David Bowie!
# Playlist Track - Life On Mars? # Notes - Hard to pick a favourite for this! I already knew half the album, but "Kooks" was a pretty cool surprise! - Creative, interesting, fun throughout.
I wouldn't say this album is hunky dory but it might just be dory.
just great, a lot of iconic stuff on this album
Classic shite
mmm me likey the tunes
Very enjoyable album with a few great hits!
Clean, pleasant, it stands out reaching higher levels when compared to most of the other albums so far
Great listen. I was expecting more but I know that not every album is gonna be a masterpiece. This has some solid songs throughout to compensate. David Bowie's sound never deteriorates and it just keeps going forward. Best - Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life on Mars, Quicksand, and Song for Bob Dylan Worst - Eight Line Poem and Andy Warhol 3.50-3.75/5
Var en vibe, en del sanger jeg ikke hadde hørt fra bowie
Old, I guess.
New to me, but a classic
Pretty vanilla music for a guy with a wild reputation.
Pretty good album. I already knew and liked a couple of the tracks: Changes and Life On Mars?. After another listen I got into some other tracks like "Oh! Your Pretty Things" and "Queen Bitch". Interesting that people regard this album as the one where "Bowie became Bowie" (where he settled into his sound). Also interesting that it didn't become popular until after the next album was released (Ziggy).
Three classic songs, plus a bunch of others that sound like they could be Ziggy outtakes or B-sides. Still, that isn't half bad, right?
While Kooks and Fill Your Heart have that jangly, late-60s Brit rock sound that is unmistakably dated and doesn't hold up all that well, the classic singles (Changes, Life on Mars, Queen Bitch) really elevate this, and some of the tracks I knew less well have that wonderfully alien, timeless Bowie feel (Andy Warhol, Oh! You Pretty Things). So...uneven--but still great.
really good bowie album, some of my favorites are on this project
Any David Bowie album is a safe bet for a good item. There were a few tracks here that were excellent, but I'd heard most of them many times before. The interleaving tracks were a little quiet and slow, or just not very noteworthy. Life On Mars is probably my all-time-favorite Bowie track. Four stars.
This is a great album.
What’s there to say? Another great Bowie album. No weak tracks. “Life on Mars?” is a damn near perfect song. Bowie continues to be at his best here.
Another Bowie album, starting to get a handful by now. Not too shabby, but definitely not his best either. 'Changes' and 'Life on Mars?' were a few levels above the rest for me. All in all decent, but as I'm not a major Bowie fan to begin with it didn't really lift any eyebrows. Strong 3.
I'm not sure how many Bowie albums we've had at this point, maybe 5? Anyway, this was definitely one of the better ones. You have the hits with "Changes" and "Life on Mars". "Life on Mars" is a really cool song, I remember listening to it when I saw the BBC tv series with the same name. Actually I found a lot of music from that show, wonder if it still is any good. Anyway the rest of the songs are ok but it's no Ziggy Stardust. Some are actually really good that I hadn't heard before like "Queen Bitch". Bang in the middle 4 for me.
2/5
Bowie delivers. That's it. Unique style. Definite breakthrough in 1971. 4.5/5.
I own the CD of this album, and I've listened to it before. Even before I got the CD. One thing I really like about this album is its ability to fuse the (at the time) new sound of glam rock with the well-established sixties sounds of baroque pop and more traditional pop rock, while also bringing some new (once again, at the time) sounds to the table. A majority of the album is piano driven, similar to what Elton John was doing at the time, and what Billy Joel would do soon after. The lyrics are especially good, with recurring philosophical aspects. They were relevant when the album was released, and much of them can still be applied to today's world.
Much preferred this over the newer material he's put out. 4/5
Formidable
Okayish.
3.5
Het album schiet krachtig uit de startblokken maar gaat halverwege wat sukkelen. Plaatkant 1: aha, eindelijk eens een onbetwist meesterwerk van David Bowie in de vorm van Life on Mars, en nog meer goed spul. Plaatkant 2: mwah, vulling en namedropping. Maar zeker niet slecht, al met al.
Dit album heeft nog veel te veel jaren '60 klanken en spelerij. Tegelijk zijn sommige muzikale grapjes daadwerkelijk wel leuk en goed uitgevoerd. Ik ben geen fan van de artiesten die een knipoog van Bowie krijgen. Maar hij doet dat wel weer bijzonder goed. Het is niet een eigen klank, maar het zijn toont wel de veelzijdigheid van de man.
Bowie is zo'n artiest waarbij je het gehele oeuvre zou kunnen luisteren en de albums met elkaar zou kunnen vergelijken. Nu heb ik bij Taylor Swift al zo'n project gedaan, dat was ik niet van plan bij Bowie. Al heb ik bijna alle albums wel een keer geluisterd. Dit album zou ik nu niet 1-2-3 gekozen hebben als ik de beste albums van Bowie uit zou moeten kiezen, maar aan de andere kant heeft de beste man zoveel albums gemaakt, zoveel alter-ego's gehad en zoveel iconische nummers uitgebracht (verspreid over al die albums), dat het ook niet makkelijk maakt om een selectie door te voeren. Dit album markeert blijkbaar een overgang en dat maakt het op zichzelf wel interessant. Maar afgezien van een paar aardige nummers, mis ik toch een beetje de context van die zogenaamde overgang van rock-georienteerd naar Ziggy en Aladdin Sane. Misschien omdat het begint met vrij veel "Beatlesque" nummers naar wat meer verhalende en theatrale nummers. Ik vind het ook nog steeds wel heel duidelijk Bowie, maar dat komt misschien ook wel door zijn specifieke zang. Ipv overgang, zou je ook kunnen zeggen dat het overal een beetje tussen in valt als album. Ik vind het overigens wel weer grappig dat hij een Velvet Underground nummer heeft gemaakt, dat dan weer veel beter is dan wat Lou Reed en zijn drugsmaten zelf maakten. Maar dat maakt nog niet dat ik dit album een 4 zou geven, het blijft een redelijke 3. Bowie kan ik altijd wel goed aanhoren, dat scheelt.
Sounds like being sad or introspective at an event where you're supposed to be having fun and then having complicated feelings about that. Life on Mars? Kind of carries. There's good songs other than LoM? But nothing comes close to how good that song is Legendary Song: Life on Mars? Great Songs: Changes, Kooks, Queen Bitch, The Bewlay Brothers, Oh! You Pretty Things, Andy Warhol Mid Songs: Quicksand, Fill Your Heart, Eight Line Poem, Song for Bob Dylan Low 8-high 7
The Breakfast Club is one of my favorite movies and I love the use of "Changes" thematically in the film. I don't listen to David Bowie but I respect his contributions to music and appreciate his sense of optimism.
Love David Bowie getting to do his music - a couple of the songs are a little out there for me personally, but I love his voice and the fact that this album lets his lyrics and harmonies stand for themselves.
Boner alert
It's like art.
Nice album with some solid tracks. Gets a Bowie bump I think but I like this one.
Classic symphonic rock
Ja ja, m'n achtste Bowie en als ik het goed heb komt er hierna nog één (Low). Het album begint met een nummer dat ik ken en dat vind ik wel lekker. Dit album is sowieso best oké. Ik weet niet of het vloeken in de kerk is, maar ik vind het een beetje klinken als een Beatles album. Met vanzelfsprekend wel een stukje theater erbij (met Life on Mars? als hoogtepunt van de musical). Verder begrijp ik nog steeds de obsessie van de makers van deze lijst met Bowie niet. Maargoed. Een 3 levert dit wel op, ik kan het goed hebben. Misschien ben ik een veranderd mens inmiddels.
The inclusion of the keys and Bowie clearly finding his voice right before ziggy stardust makes this album so enjoyable. Changes and life on mars are the clear standouts but personally eight line poem was on repeat, what a beautifully produced song
Great songs. Love the piano sound. Bowie’s voice is amazing. Nothing here to not like.
Probably the least pretentious and folkiest Bowierecord. Contains two of the best songs ever written in Life on Mars? and Changes.
A few brilliant moments among mediocrity.
Inoffensive but not interesting
You can hear him becoming Ziggy Stardyst on this album. So many great songs.
I'm too sick atm to give a good review so. It was a'ight. 3/5
more bangers on this than I expected
This is one of my favorite Bowie albums, possibly my number 1 favorite. He didn't have his big break until Ziggy Stardust, but I can only imagine how thrilled his new fans were after discovering that album to realize he already had this gem in his backlog.
3.5
Thank you Shrek 2 for making me seek out Bowie at a young age, and also confusing me about Black Sabbath's song also titled Changes.
This was a good album... Just not the energy I had been expecting. I recognize that there are some hits on this album, but I was ready for Space Oddity levels of intensity and this is just a kinder, gentler Bowie. I can appreciate it, but I'm glad that so much more substance was coming down the pike for David.
1. changez - 1.5 2. pretty - 1 3. poem - 1 4. marz - 1.5 5. kookz - 1 6. zand - 1.5 7. heart - 1 8. andy - 1 9. dylan - 1 10. bitch - 1 11. brotherz - 1
Bowie’s best works were his earlier ones hands down
Früher Bowie, rockig 3/5
Bowie Schmowie. I'm getting a bit sick of him. He takes up too much real estate around here.
Bit strange for me but some good ones - might go for a second listen
Wow, I had no idea 'Changes' was Bowie. There are several good songs but there's not a ton that grips me. It certainly has a distinct Bowie sound, however.
More rock and more fun than Elton John.
hes cool i like his music. i'll probably have most of his discography listened to before this website gives me another one his albums
IS THERE LIFE ON MAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAA-AA-AARZ? Also, Changes has one of my favorite intros in the classic rock canon.
One of my very favorite albums by one of my very favorite artists. I misheard "Changes" when I was a young child and thought he was singing "Don't let them grow up in Olivette." Olivette is a suburb of St Louis, Missouri and I was amazed that this British bloke would get so specific. Like he was singing just to me. Bowie has somehow managed to maintain that intensely personal intimacy with my soul, even when he is singing about Mars, a place where I've spent much less time than St Louis.
Yet another fine album by David Bowie (but not entirely distinctive, to me). I feel like there's a few artists and bands--and David Bowie is one of them--that really strain the guidelines of this project, as it often feels like we get more albums by some artists than feels fair, largely because we won't ever get a greatest hits album even when it could open us up to more albums by other artists. Greatest hits, of course, aren't really in the spirit of this project, but I feel like we could have enjoyed "Changes", "Oh! You pretty things", "Life on Mars", and "Quicksand" from this album, and called it a day (OK, maybe "Andy Warhol" too). Nothing wrong with the rest of them, but this isn't really a concept album, and it feels like David Bowie's still settling into finding his (ever-adapting) voice on the rest of the songs. (And yes, I recognize that I'm likely way off with this impression, given how highly ranked the album is by so many people and publications.)
I doubt I've listened to side two more than a handful of times though I've listened to side one countless times. Hard for me to rate other than as a 5 because it's been such a part of my life. Amazing song writing and vocals.
This one took me a few listens to appreciate. At first I wasn’t sure about it, but it’s growing on me with each listen. On my first listen through I was a little confused at critics calling this the album where “Bowie begins to sound like Bowie,” because a lot of it sounded to me like retreads of The Beatles or Velvet Underground. But I suppose lyrically it does begin to introduce us to the weird themes Bowie would explore during the Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane periods. While Bowie was a master of stealing from his influences to create a pastiche, which is on display here explicitly as he name drops people like Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed, what can’t be overstated is this album’s influence on future musicians. The high-pitched two note guitar part at the end of “Andy Warhol” clearly influenced The Cure’s “10:15 Saturday Night” — they idolized Bowie. And if you haven’t seen Robert Smith perform “Quicksand” with Bowie on his birthday special, go to YouTube immediately — this is also where Smith met Bowie’s guitarist, Reeves Gabrels, who now plays in the current iteration of The Cure. The one that blew my mind the most was “Queen Bitch.” Do these lyrics seem familiar? And I’m phoning a cab Cause my stomach feels small There’s a taste in my mouth And it’s no taste at all It could’ve been me Yeah it could’ve been me It’s impossible that this isn’t a direct influence for The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” which blew my mind the first time I heard this album and realized I’ve been listening to that song for 20 years without realizing it. And that’s what’s fun about this 1001 albums project — even if I don’t always love the albums on here, it’s really cool to see the direct lines through music history once you understand it. Also, “Oh! You Pretty Things” influenced the author who wrote The Tomorrow People, which was adapted into a kids’ show I watched growing up on Nickelodeon. I’m pretty sure it also influenced the song “All You Pretty Things” by one of my favorite artists, Darren Hayes. 4/5 — I’m not sure I love every single moment of this album, but there’s some really good stuff here. Aside from classics like “Changes” and “Life on Mars,” there’s a lot of experimentation and interesting lyrics, and it’s a fascinating stroll through music history.
Absolutely epic album. No two Bowie albums sound alike. It makes them all essential listening. I’d call him the “anti-Morrissey”.
Was so happy to see this album come up. One of my life goals is to listen to more Bowie. Changes is an all time fave! Discovered other songs I really like too. Andy Warhol Song for Bob Quicksand Such a great sound and beautifully engineered album. Would give it five stars but this was a first time listen.
Hunky Dory may be when Bowie gave the middle finger to anyone telling him how he should sound or what he should do. So many genres and influences are identifiable and he owns them all. My fave track is Song for Bob Dylan.
Brilliant
Classic
Another great Bowie album. another 5. Man did this guy could make music. Life On Mars is just beautiful.