plorentz's Full Review: Hunky Dory [Remaster] by David Bowie
After nearly a decade of recording, first doing absurd Vaudevillian numbers about gravediggers (with horrible head colds) and obnoxious little gnomes, later psychedelic folk (on "Space Oddity"), bombastic imitation prog, and proto-punk and metal (on "The Man Who Sold the World"), David Bowie delivered a bona fide, early 70's, pop singer-songwriter album. Something with a sound - if not the look, or lyrics - that might stand comfortably on a shelf between albums like "No Secrets", "Honky Chateau", "Rumors" or (for Pete's sake) "Tapestry".
Yes, "Hunky Dory" had plenty of pop art, sci-fi, and androgyny - but it was all done with a nod to the Brill Building and Tin Pan Alley.
Dropping the bombastic guitar attack of "The Man Who Sold the World" and the hippy folk of "Space Oddity", Bowie delivers a set of mostly piano driven songs, often with dramatic orchestrations reminiscent of Gus Dudgeon's work with Elton John right around the same time.
Not only is the sound new, focused, and consistent, but the songs are brilliant, from the jazzy cabaret of "Changes" and the deliciously sleazy tribute to his fans "Oh You Pretty Things", to the gorgeous and spare "Eight Line Poem".
"Life on Mars" is a sweeping epic with eerie lyrics ("take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy") that have grown more and more relevant and revealing in the 30 years since they were written. Just try not to get goosebumps or choke up when he pleads "Is there life on Mars?" Without question, one of Bowie's finest acheivements as a songwriter. (Barbara Streisand actually covered "Life on Mars" for her "Butterfly" album in 1974.)
Elsewhere, he delivers folky tribute to Andy Warhol, and a rocking ode to Bob Dylan that sounds like something The Band might have come up with. "Kooks" is confessional folk reminiscent of Joni Mitchell's late 60s albums, and "Quicksand" foreshadows his Berlin period - full of dark imagery and references to Himmler, Churchill and Garbo.
The album ends with a look ahead and a look back. "Queen B*tch" is a fabulously trashy rocker that signals the direction he would take on his next few albums, while album closer "The Bewlay Brothers" is a wistful folky ballad with the proggish fantasy lyrics which might have been a holdover from the "Space Oddity" sessions.
"Hunky Dory" is Bowie's first real masterpiece, and one of the great pop records of the 1970s. Listen, and weep.
CAVEAT EMPTOR: There have been numerous CD issues of all of Bowie's albums on all sorts of different labels. RCA editions are to be avoided at all costs.
Rykodisc mounted a massive, and extremely successful Bowie reissue campaign in 1990 (coinciding with the "Sound + Vision" box set and a "greatest hits" tour). Ryko's reissues have excellent sound, lyrics, and bonus tracks. They are also all out of print now, and can cost you as much as $30 through eBay, etc.
Bowie signed with Virgin in the 90s and Virgin once again remastered and reissued the Bowie catalog in 1999. They also have excellent sound, better overall package design, more pictures, lyrics and production notes. They do not include any bonus tracks (this may be a plus or a minus depending on your point of view). They are deceptively billed as "Enhanced CDs" (usually this means they include video clips, additional photos, etc.); however, the only "enhancement" is an annoying offer to join "Bowie.net", a paid-subscription "Internet Community". The Virgin editions are still in-print and widely available at normal CD prices.
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"Hunky Dory" by David Bowie
Virgin Records
Originally released on RCA Records 1972
First re-master on Rykodisc Records 1990
Virgin re-master released 1999
Producer: Ken Scott
Songs: Changes - Oh! You Pretty Things - Eight Line Poem - Life on Mars? - Kooks - Quicksand - Fill Your Heart - Andy Warhol - Song for Bob Dylan - Queen B-tch - The Bewlay Brothers
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