Bjorn Viberg 2009-05-10

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Hunky Dory being Bowie's 1971 release and his 4th studio album starts out with a bang with "the amazing track "Changes", and another great track is "Life on Mars?". The booklet has many fine photographs of Bowie posing in many outlandish outfits. It also contains all the lyrics and we also get a list of whom plays what on the album. 5/5.

Pat Lamorgese 2009-04-28

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

This is one of the definitive rock releases of all time. From the opening chords of "Changes" to the last song, Bowie's songwriting, Wakeman's keyboards, Ronson's guitar playing and orchestration is second to none. "Oh, You Pretty Things" features a piano intro, with sparse arrangements around complex keyboard changes, which break into a poppy chorus. "Eight Line Poem" is exactly as imagined, with no percussion, just piano and some slide guitar by Ronson. It segues into one of Bowie's most dramatic works, "Life On Mars" with a chromatic dropping keyboard that climbs the other way on the pre-chorus. The effect concludes in a powerful chorus, with swirling strings and stunning vocals that create an incredible effect. "Kooks" has a strong string arrangement that breathes bouncy life into this pop song. "Quicksand" is another dramatic opus, with string creshendos and sparse acoustic guitar against Bowie's naked voice. "Andy Warhol" has a spoken introduction which bounces from speaker to speaker, before a catchy acoustic guitar lick by Ronson brings us to a tale of Bowie hanging with his buddy, Andy. Another of Bowie's heros is referenced in "Song For Bob Dylan", which is written and performed in Zimmerman style to better emphasize the artistic respect. "Queen Bitch" rocks from start to finish, with fuzzy guitar and harmonic chorus. "The Bewlay Brothers" is the album's most unusual song, a tale of Bowie's brother and his problems with strange loops and vocal effects. This is one of my favorites, and a true essential release. You will see it referenced on most credible lists of "must have" releases. Enjoy it.

Sid Crowe 2009-01-14

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Bowie has done so much and if your looking for a bit of everything you can buy The Best of. In my opinion if you are looking at this album you have found the best of. with tracks like - Changes - Life on mars and The Bewley Brothers etc
Favourite track - Andy Warhole.

UneFleur DeCactus 2008-12-26

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

I knew the album before I bought it. Some of the songs we almost forgot after listening David Bowie in the 80's. This is different and something you got to have in a collection. "Life on mars" is one of my favourite of all time. If you like it, then get Ziggy stardust and Aladdin Sane... etc.

prospero72 2008-12-19

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

REVIEW: What a weird album! On "HUNKY DORY" Bowie combines the Anthony Newley-induced music hall of his first British LP with the sonic whoomp! of "THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD" and the more singer/songwriter conventions of "SPACE ODDITY" in order to come up with a really unusual conglomoration of a record. And so the dude jumps from cutsey-pie outings like a cover of Biff Rose/Paul Williams' "Fill Your Heart" (cheesy cabaret) and "Kooks" (written for his son Zowie) to the eerie, acoustic guitar apocalypse of "Quicksand" (with its name dropping references to occultist/black magician Aleister Crowley, Nazi Himmler, Greta Garbo, etc.; and pessimistic attitude toward religion - "Can't take my eyes from the great salvation/of bulls**t faith." - and life in general) which was either an inspired slice of mayhem or pure lyrical drivel. "Changes" became a belated pop hit, and an anthem for many an alientaed adolescent in the early seventies. "Oh! You Pretty Things" only hints at the decadent, (homo)sexually-charged Ziggy Stardust character that Bowie would be forever linked to. But the record's best moments comes via a series of artistic portraits/tributes/homages that he fashions on side two (on CD: tracks 8, 9, and 10): the odd-sounding yet brilliant "Andy Warhol", the Lou Reed/Velvet Underground-inspired rocker "Queen B**ch", and the melodic "Song For Bob Dylan" which are absolutely stunning. Yet it is the somber, doomsday-ridden closer "The Bewlay Brothers" (with its haunting melody and drunken English climax) that provides a surefire testament to Bowie's genius even though it seems a mile removed from the striking pop of "Life On Mars?" and the slight (yet pretty) poesy of "Eight Line Poem". Definately a curiosity. HARSH LANGUAGE: about 6 words. VIOLENCE: about 5 instances. SEXUAL REFERENCES: about 4 references including inferences of homosexuality (i.e. the cover shot of Bowie in drag). DRUG REFERENCES: none.


HIGHEST BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART POSITION: Number 93

HIT SINGLES: "Changes" (BILLBOARD: Number 41)