David Bowie “Hunky Dory”
File this under “No kidding.” I consider side two of this record a lost gem. Who cares if this album is holding an outside straight of massive Bowie classics (Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life On Mars, Queen Bitch), that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate it in this forum, does it?
The problem is the powerhouses tend to overshadow the real gems here. Some folks I know skip Kooks! That’s got to be the best song on this record! It’s kind of like Bowie roots, with a Kinks sounding composition. And Quicksand is great as well, a well orchestrated ballad with rock band climaxes. The ultra catchy Fill Your Heart is another beautiful, piano-led, tune.
I never could follow the lyrics to this record, but I didn’t try too hard. With Andy Warhol and Song For Bob Dylan following (before the undeniable Queen Bitch) it’s a wonder people consider The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust the better record. Anyway, that’s more of a Ziggy record than a Bowie record.
Hunky Dory is as classic Bowie as you can get. CLASSIC BOWIE!
“Kooks”
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I know this is an old post, but i can’t resist commenting. The brilliance of “Hunky Dory” is, I think, that it’s the bridge between Bowie’s old, twee, Deram style and the new, hard-rocking Space Cadet style he was about to adapt. Bowie let his pageboy haircut grow out, both figuratively and creatively. And holy crap is it a satisfying album — not a dud on it.
The Matching Mole August 6, 2008 @ 3:24 pm