David Bowie
Hunky Dory


4.5
superb

Review

by Brendan Schroer STAFF
April 15th, 2022 | 29 replies


Release Date: 1971 | Tracklist

Review Summary: The beginning of David Bowie as we know him today.

Chapter IV: The Birth of a Legend

Even before Hunky Dory was released, the British public got a nice glimpse of what direction David Bowie would take his career in: the alternate cover of The Man Who Sold the World. Whether or not they were aware of it at the time, they were witnessing the birth of the androgynous, glammed-up persona that Bowie would experiment with for the rest of the 70s. The long blond hair, the satin dress, the expressive pose… it all creates a definitive link between the formative Bowie of the past and the idiosyncratic Bowie of the future. And with the artwork of Hunky Dory, the transformation was complete: the singer-songwriter pulling his long locks back in a pose inspired by Hollywood Golden Age actresses Greta Garbo and Lauren Backall. This was a new era for Bowie, and his image certainly wasn’t the only thing that changed.

After all, Hunky Dory also serves as the true launching pad for his classic glam/art pop sound, something the Thin White Duke would soon become synonymous with. Gone are the heavy guitars of The Man Who Sold the World, now replaced by Rick Wakeman’s elaborate piano melodies and Ken Scott’s orchestral synths. In fact, the subject matter of the opening track “Changes” pretty much says it all: Bowie gives us an autobiographical account of his intentions to distance himself away from the typical rock music of the time, as well as being able to finally call his own shots. The peppy piano work is simply infectious, and Bowie sounds much more confident behind the mic than on past efforts; you can really tell he was putting a lot of passion into the finished product, something that continues on the rest of the songs.

Another development found on Hunky Dory is the increased complexity and eclecticism of Bowie’s songwriting, both musically and lyrically. Some of these tunes are simply impossible to even predict if you haven’t heard them before; for instance, “Oh! You Pretty Things” is never content with staying on the same key for any given moment. Then there’s the sweeping, cinematic ballad “Life on Mars?”, a song whose harmonized guitar leads and dramatic vocals act as a precursor to what Queen would do a few years later. In fact, there are quite a few parallels you could draw between Hunky Dory and Queen’s future musical direction: the latter’s love for pastiche and camp can be found in songs like the light folk rock romp of “Kooks” and the Velvet Underground-inspired ode to drag queens “Queen Bitch”. Still, the way Bowie approached that element of his work on Hunky Dory set him apart from his other glam rock contemporaries. Not only was he paving the way for most of those artists, but he was also turning his quirks and idiosyncrasies into a singular style and approach he could only call his own.

I don’t think I’ll be breaking any hearts when I say that Bowie was never one of the best singers on a technical level, but the amount of energy and personality he puts into these performances pretty much renders that point moot. Going back to “Life on Mars?”, much of the reason that song is so celebrated is because of how Bowie delivers his surrealistic lyrics; the song tells the story of a girl who wants to escape the doldrums of reality, but the fucking gusto Bowie puts into that chorus is enough to make one swear by every word he sings. There’s a certain conviction in his voice that’s infectious, even on something as silly as the brassy swing of “Fill Your Heart”, in which he puts on a strange over-the-top voice. Perhaps the best example of his unique vocals and penmanship - apart from “Life on Mars?” - comes in the form of the lovely folk rock ballad “Song for Bob Dylan”, which is obviously about the legendary singer-songwriter of the same name. The genius of the tune lies in the fact that no one seems to know whether Bowie was being reverent or sarcastic with his appraisal of Dylan; somehow, his vocals and obtuse lyrics could tiptoe that line perfectly.

“Idiosyncratic” is the word of the day, ladies and gents. Hunky Dory was the true birth of David Bowie, and serves as an excellent glimpse into his beautifully unusual style; this was the first time that he was given full creative control, and he had immediately proven why he should have been given the reins from the beginning. Hunky Dory wasn’t just Bowie’s creative breakthrough (his commercial breakthrough would come with the next album), but an absolute classic in its own right. If you’re new to his work, this is a fantastic starting point that embodies everything that made David Bowie an incredible artist.



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Comments:Add a Comment 
Koris
Staff Reviewer
April 15th 2022


21957 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Four goddamn years in the making!



Anyway, I'm really glad I finally returned to this discog. I was incredibly tempted to give Hunky Dory a 5, but I think I might reserve that for another album later in the discog review :]

parksungjoon
April 15th 2022


47231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

man who sold the world rules hard so does this

Koris
Staff Reviewer
April 15th 2022


21957 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Agreed on both accounts. Man Who Sold the World was a great precursor to the music and lyrics found on Hunky Dory

parksungjoon
April 15th 2022


47231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

dude yes! yesss!!!

Koris
Staff Reviewer
April 15th 2022


21957 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeGw5QyX8Qo

someone
Contributing Reviewer
April 15th 2022


6954 Comments


Hunky Schroer

Koris
Staff Reviewer
April 15th 2022


21957 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

😏😏😏

Gyromania
April 15th 2022


37468 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Nice one. This album is excellent but it does have a bit of filler on it imo. I love how from here on out Bowie continued to redefine himself with each subsequent album. Each record brought something new to the table and had its own unique sound and style. I'm all the way at earthling atm in my discography run and I can safely say this is easily the most interesting and enjoyable discography I've ever heard

Gyromania
April 15th 2022


37468 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Also worth noting that if any discography is worthy of multiple 5s, it's his: Ziggy, Station, Monsters, Low - all equally amazing for different reasons

Koris
Staff Reviewer
April 16th 2022


21957 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Yeah, Bowie might be one of the only discog reviews where I give more than one album a 5. That’s just how stellar a lot of his work was

Koris
Staff Reviewer
April 16th 2022


21957 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Ngl, I'm really excited to get to many of Bowie's other peak records now

parksungjoon
April 16th 2022


47231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

one of the best discogs ever made

Koris
Staff Reviewer
April 16th 2022


21957 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Yeah, it's one hell of a catalogue

parksungjoon
April 16th 2022


47231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

i rarely agree with people anymore re: consistent discogs but man 70s bowie

Koris
Staff Reviewer
April 18th 2022


21957 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

For sure. I'm especially excited to get to Berlin-era Bowie :]

Colton
September 16th 2022


15757 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

i’m just stoned or Life On Mars is incredible? ?

Colton
September 22nd 2022


15757 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

@sput guitarist bowie fans: this is one of the most fun things I've ever learned. I literally have to stop myself from playing it over and over https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBeOUb0BjVs tab is like $3

zakalwe
October 25th 2022


40148 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Me dad went to see him in ‘69 said he was shit.



Rowhaus
June 23rd 2023


6461 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

controversial opinion, but HD > ZSatSFM

Hawks
May 29th 2024


93615 Comments


Gonna jam tonight. Figured it was probably time I heard some more Bowie considering I've only ever heard (and love) Ziggy Stardust.



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