jordan_tar's Full Review: Hunky Dory [Remaster] by David Bowie
Featuring classic songs and a surprising mix of styles, "Hunky Dory" was David Bowie's first really great album.
What I love most about "Hunky Dory" is its way of displaying Bowie's personality. Who other than him could write a rock song about drag queens, follow it with a ballad about his schizophrenic brother, and not have the juxtaposition seem jarring or weird? It works because each song here is its own little world, with its internal logic, its way of putting things, its unforgettable melody.
And the melodies here are great. Several of these songs are Bowie standards, and even those that aren't remain lovely in their own contexts. But the music isn't all; what makes a David Bowie record so great is the singing, with all the dramatic yelps, subtle laughs, strange phrases. The musical atmosphere of this album is interesting: impossibly catchy piano sequences and sweet, acoustic jangling fill these songs - but not to the extent that they're more folk than rock. Often at the choruses, the songs break into straightforward rock that's worthy of the "Ziggy Stardust" album (which, in fact, followed "Hunky Dory").
But generally, the lyrical topics of the songs are less edgy - more down-to-earth, literally - than those of Bowie's later work. Here, Bowie sings about topics ranging from avant-garde art to the angst of the young.
The album opens with the classic "Changes", which itself goes through several changes over its course, from the distant piano of its introduction, to the soft verses, to the gentle rock of the epochal chorus, with which we're all familiar and which I will not deign to repeat. What's amazing about this song is its intelligent lyrics - how could something as philosophical as this song have become such a hit? Simple - it's incredibly catchy!
Next comes "Oh! You Pretty Things", which is just as good, if not quite as well-known. The song is structured similarly, with a clever opening piano sequence, and a great chorus: "Oh! you pretty things / Don't you know you're driving your mamas and papas insane? / Let me make it plain / Gotta make way for the Homo Superior". I love the sudden transitions from the drumless verses into the chorus.
"Eight-Line Poem" is soulful and charming, if a little enigmatic; the title is descriptive of the lyrics, which outline a vaguely Western scene. "Life On Mars?" begins quietly, and again builds elegantly to the choruses. On this song, with its full arrangement and back-up vocals, the mood of the album changes a little.
"Kooks" is a tribute to Bowie's son; the jangly guitar and crazy piano add charm, as Bowie sweetly sings "Don't pick fights with the bullies or the cads / 'Cause I'm not much cop at punching other people's Dads." "Quicksand" follows; melancholy instrumentation backs Bowie's comparisons of himself to various historical figures.
"Fill Your Heart" has a cabaret feel, with a tinkly piano, soft drums, and horns. It segues into "Andy Warhol", a weird song beginning with some spoken chatter and ultimately changing into a weird, vaguely exotic-sounding tribute to the artist. Bowie's admiration for Warhol was obvious; he wanted to join the Factory crew at one point, and later ended up playing Warhol in the film "Basquiat".
Next, "Song For Bob Dylan" is a tribute to the folk-singer; it begins slowly, then changes into a more normal rock song, whose rhythms and melody rise and fall over its course.
"Queen Bitch" is the best song on the album, and one of Bowie's best songs, period. I love Bowie's singing here; he sounds ecstatic and sarcastic as he views the people of the city from "the eleventh floor", critiquing the fashion choices of a drag queen, but ultimately falling in love with her glamor: "She's so swishy in her satin and tat / In her frock coat and her bipperty-bopperty hat / Oh God, I could do better than that!" (well, judging from the cover of the album, maybe not)
The album closes with the dark, tragic "Bewlay Brothers", a surreal tribute to the relationship between Bowie and his schizophrenic brother. The conclusion of the song is skin-crawlingly creepy; I won't ruin it for you.
And on this enigmatic note ends one of the best albums of David Bowie's career; only a few times would he reach the heights of this album. Every song here is different, but they're equally good, whether passionate or humorous, gentle or hard-edged.
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