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12 Bowie albums in 12 months: Hunky Dory

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Dave Amitri on Hunky Dory by David Bowie

My second dive into 12 Bowie albums in 2021 as someone who had never heard a Bowie album before now brings me to Hunky Dory

February introduced me to 1971’s Hunky Dory. It’s an album that I’ve seen referenced many times and recommended as one of the great Bowie albums so it was with real relish and anticipation that I dived in. Another brilliantly androgynous cover by the way. I’m looking at you Boy George… A quick look at the track listing and suddenly I had flashes of recognition. 3 tunes leapt out as “hits”. The ones that Radio listening Bowie  fans  would instantly recognise. I did a little bit of reading but I didn’t want to influence my view too much. A first listen and it is a hugely different album to The Man Who Sold The World with a huge reliance on piano and less of a rock album. It felt quite messy, eclectic with no definitive sound but in amongst the mess I was able to see that this was a seismic shift towards the Bowie sound. Whatever that is. And it has hits, massive, wonderful hits…

Changes is up first. I have some Proustian emotions from this song. Do I really remember the 6 year old me hearing this on a crackly radio in my Dad’s car? I think I do. I had older Radio 1 loving sisters who were more David Essex than David Bowie but something is there deep in my subconscious that I find comforting in this song. Anyway, back in the room how does one avoid cliches when assessing “Changes”? I’m sorry to tell you I don’t. Of course this is a huge change from the previous album. Melodic, soaring and emotive. I suspect Bowie was making a statement. It’s an incredible song. One I imagine Paul Weller, never one to hide his influences, leant heavily on when writing “Changing Man”. There’s a similar feel to my cloth  ears anyway. A great start for a hit lover like me.

 

Oh You Pretty Things next another hit I recognise and really like. It’s definitely a Bowie tune leaning heavily on piano. Piano I instantly recognise as from Elton John’s eponymous album, more on that later. Then there’s some piano that has a “Bohemian Rhapsody” drama to it which leads into a sound similar to a school teacher pounding a piano in the school hall. There’s even some   “Hey Jude” piano to throw into the mix. The verses are delivered as if in a musical drama by a leading man. Echoes here of The Man Who Sold the World. The chorus however is exquisite. Bowie finds the perfect tone for the delivery of those perfect lines. This is another fabulous song. Inventive, creative, like a Michelin starred recipe combining all those flavours to make an incredible dish. It is such a pretty thing.

Eight Line Poem is a bit of an imposter considering what comes next. Sandwiched between two colossus it manages to hold it’s own despite starting with some Claptonesque guitar. It all feels slightly off tune with more Elton piano. I can’t pretend to be a Radiohead fan but it sounds like something they might do. Excitingly for me this is possibly the first time I can hear Bowie’s influence on Billy Mackenzie. This is a song I can hear Billy covering. It would fit very nicely on Transmission Impossible. It’s a grower and quite lovely..

Life on Mars is up next and whatever I say next will not do it justice but I will do my best. It feels like the song has been everywhere this month as Perseverance made it’s final descent onto the surface of Mars.  The piano intro under Bowies vocal is straight from Elton’s “First Episode at Hienton”.  Which I promise is a huge compliment. I adore early Elton John and I think “Elton John” remains his best album. I can’t listen to “Hunky Dory” without thinking it was an influence to someone on Bowie’s team.  It was a stroke of genius if I’m  right because it adds a lusciousness to Bowies edge that is glorious. It’s an incredible song. One I’ve criminally overlooked over the years. If he betters this then I have lots to look forward to. Finally if Jeff Lynne didn’t base ELO entirely in that gorgeous string outro then I’ll see him in court for his defence.

Kooks next. Follow that! Luckily for me it strikes an immediate chord. My boys music era was the noughties. An indie landfill wasteland to some. To my boys as important as any era as is the way of these things. Because of this I am aware of the band “The Kooks”. They were indeed indie and part of the whole Brit school movement. I suspect they were set a project to build a sound from a song and they went the whole hog and went for name and sound. It is uncanny. They built a career on this song yet it doesn’t appear to be referenced anywhere. Give them a listen it’s astonishing… The song is ok. It feels a bit lazy after what went before but I don’t  know how you follow “Life On Mars”

Quicksand is a beautiful lament which moves the album on to it’s second phase. It’s another instantly recognisable Bowie song even though I hadn’t heard it before this project. I love it’s easy flow and swimmy feel. I can hear it’s influence in The Blow Monkeys “Animal Magic” Dr Robert’s vocal delivery and the string arrangements. It’s the sort of song I was hoping to discover

Fill Your Heart is a strange little song. It’s more stage musical that wouldn’t be out of place on Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Himself”.  I’m also instantly put in mind of The Monkees Davey Jones again in Bowie’s vocal. I don’t know why it’s here.  Anyone?

Andy Warhol now. My brief reading telling me that this is the first of a trilogy of tribute songs. It makes perfect sense that Bowie would want to create a tribute to Warhol. I’m sure he saw himself in the unique, slightly eccentric, visionary artist. What doesn’t make sense is using some chanting rhythms that wouldn’t be out of  place on an Adam and the Ants over a Spanish  guitar, flamenco hand clap. An odd song that to me is more Picasso surrealism than Warhol pop art.

Song For Bob Dylan is tribute number two. Strangely again it starts with 80s Clapton guitar and becomes straight up mimicry of Dylan unless I’m missing something. I’m not sure about the song and less sure how fans of Bowie would feel if their hero was given this treatment by one if his contemporaries. Maybe Dylan loved it. Maybe you do to.

Queen Bitch is a tribute to The Velvet Underground apparently. A band I admit I know nothing about. It’s a great upbeat slice of rock. Post punk new wave guitar and vocal 8 years before it was invented. It has driven me mad.  I cannot find nor remember the song from that era that has lifted the riff from “Queen Bitch” maybe The Buzzcocks mixed with Mink Deville’s “Spanish Stroll”. If someone could help… Brandon Flowers has admitted to it being an influence on Mr Brightside which is clear in the lyric and delivery. My clear favourite of the tribute trilogy.

The Bewlay Brothers closes and it just sounds like a Bowie song should sound to me. Hints of “Space Oddity” otherworldly vocals, lyrics left open to interpretation and more than a hint of mystery. I’d imagine Bowie fanboys spending many happy hours picking it apart. Brett Anderson on the other hand made a career out of it. Fair play to him there is much about Suede to love. It’s a great finish to the album for me.

In conclusion Hunky Dory reaches astonishing highs and I’m looking forward to listening to it again away from this over analysis. Unlike The Man Who Sold The World I will return to this often. I stick with the view that it’s quite messy and by that I mean I doesn’t flow and is a mix of styles that don’t necessarily fit together as a whole piece. I assume Bowie was still searching. I hope that overtime I see it how others do.

There is do much written about Bowie and this album that I don’t expect to have found anything especially new. But my view as an outsider looking in might offer a different perspective. This is the album where I think I’ve started to “get” Bowie. I’m excited for what comes next.

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Comments

  4. Re. the Elton (Tumbleweed, ha!) connection. The single Space Oddity was produced by Gus Dudgeon with help from Paul Buckmaster, both heavily involved in Elt’s early 70s recordings. And Ken Scott moved from Abbey Road to Trident Studios at the urging of Reg ‘n’ Gus, when he was still heavily involved in working on their albums. All very incestuous and cross-pollinated…if not vain, and many other last names.

    Sorry Dave, pushing ahead of the dames there… Very interesting analysis, btw.

    • More than the cross pollination, was the fact that they both were both recorded at Trident Studios, using the same, very distinctive piano.
      Ken Scott replied to a query on a Steve Hoffman thread:

      “It was a Bechstein grand that, according to Recording The Beatles, was built in 1898. It had a tremendously bright sound that unfortunately was lost when the sound board had to be replaced. Because of it’s inherent sound it was remarkably easy to record. Two, maybe three, microphones and just a little eq.

      The discography for the piano is astounding.
      Bowie – Space Oddity to Aladdin Sane
      Elton – Elton John to Madman
      Beatles – Hey Jude
      Queen, Supertramp, Carly Simon, Genesis, Harry Nilsson and so on.

      I have heard many pianos in my time but I have never heard a better “rock” piano than that one.

      Cheers,

      Ken“

      • Wow. That answers that then. It’s remarkable that it wasnt just a sound I recognised it was the same bloody piano! No sign of it being lowned out to Ms Smythe, music teacher, Smalltown Primary School? Thanks so much for that info brilliant..

        • You’re welcome!
          Hunky Dory was the first Bowie album I bought, when I was ten, and remains a favourite. The “big boys” from the choir trip I’d been on were praising Aladdin Sane, but the shop assistant said this was a better introduction.
          It’s probably the most melodic of his albums. TMWSTW hadn’t set the world alight & maybe he was considering that he’d make his money by having his songs covered (Peter Noone recorded Oh You Pretty Things)

          Of course, no sooner had he recorded Hunky Dory, he changed direction again with Ziggy Stardust (You’ve got a treat next month!) and finally clicked with the public.

  5. Great work! I think you are pretty much spot on.

    You can see/hear why Bowie loved Fill Your Heart so much. It’s full of goodness, kindness and love. Just forget your head and you’re free! He has a lot of fun singing it and it gets the second biggest production on the album (after Life On Mars?). Rick Wakeman’s solo in the middle is beautiful.

    All the songs on side two are tributes, the first being to Biff Rose and the last to his brother.

  6. Lovely piece of critique, making a pleasant change from “experts”, by throwing in less than obvious influences and influenced. Looking forward to the rest of ’em.

  7. Bowie was really getting into his stride with Hunky Dory wasn’t he? It’s pointless to rank music, but if my calculations are correct (that Pinups is not included in the 12, why would it be 😉 ) you’re really going to enjoy July

  8. Wonderful. I’m glad you liked it because that is the Right Decision. I was worried you might dismiss it as sub-Elton John piano nonsense. But that opening run of songs is truly unbeatable. I’m not as much of a fan of side two as most people, though.

    But yeah, one of his best, and it’s thrilling to hear him finally finding his feet as a performer and songwriter. I was listening to the Space Oddity album the other day, and while it’s good it still sounds like a guy unsure of who he is, so waffling about aliens instead.

    The only bit on Hunky Dory is that line, “my mother, my dog and cows”… ugh. Such ugly phrasing, and so tiresomely arch. That line always feels like two bits of polystyrene rubbing together.

    • Thanks Arthur. I just tried to be honest and say it how I heard it. I must admit I didn’t dive too much into the lyrics other than they have a bit of an Edward Lear nonsense poem feel.

      • Bad lyrics don’t usually bother me too much to be honest. Just occasionally a line sticks out, and that particular one has bugged me for years.

        I can even stand Robert Plant’s Tolkien stuff… “In the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair……” (He met a girl in the darkest depths of Mordor? Has he even read Lord of the Rings?)

  9. I don’t listen to much of side one these days. I think probably because it is a little too twee and singer-songwriter Elton-style with an arty, oddball twist. Also the production for Life On Mars is too overblown and sickly for me, the lyrics draw too much attention to themselves for the wrong reasons. I guess I also know those hits too well. Quicksand is a standout however. But The Bewlay Brothers, my God! It is peak Bowie, one of the finest things he ever did, a masterpiece. The rest of the album doesn’t really reach those heights.

  10. Enough mentions of Reg from Pinner – it’s one of Rick Wakeman’s high points as a session musician. He still plays these songs when he does a solo piano tour, and usually extemporises on top of what you’ve heard recorded.

    The whole abum is an absolute triumph. My favourite Bowie work by a mile; so very glad you were transfixed and convinced too.

  13. The Sainted Dave was the Pied Piper for the dire 1980s.
    Scary Monsters, Heroes, Ziggy Stardust et al was part of their syllabus, along with crap hair.

    You must have heard “Let’s Dance?”

    • While never likely to add to the the stellar 12-album run DA is focusing on, LD was, imho, the last halfway Bowie album.

      The next two, Tonight and Never Let Me Down, were both irredeemably awful.

      Despite each new release thereafter being hailed as the dreaded “return to form”, I never again bought another new DB album.

      • You are missing out, JG.

        There is much pleasure to be had from Buddha Of Suburbia, 1.Outside, hours…, Heathen, Reality, The Next Day and Blackstar. I’m a sucker for Black Tie, White Noise, Earthling and The Tin Machine but they may be a step to far for you.

        I’m really looking forward to the next box set which leap frogs Tin Machine and dives straight into solo nineties.

      • You’re not missing out, JG.

        I’ve tried with Buddha Of Suburbia, 1.Outside, hours…, Heathen, Reality, Black Tie White Noise, Earthling and Tin Machine. I’ve come to the conclusion that in the period between the brilliant Absolute Beginners and the brilliant Where Are We Now he didn’t release any brilliant songs. But Blackstar is one of his best albums.

        • Just realized I did get the first TM album, after that nada. No real interest in doing so either.

          Did see him on his last tour though (first time I’d seen him since the days of Aladdin Sane) and he was terrific

        • Gawd, he’s one depressing sumbitch! I understand why he’s much-loved here (UK bloke, grim … National Treasure …) but I live very happily without listening to anything he’s ever done more than once. He’s either camping it up or drearying it down. Talented, yes. Charismatic, yes. But jeez … no, thanks, thanks all the same.

          • Oh, come on. Don’t you like Pop music? Pretty much all of it is camped up. Even Mick Jagger. In fact, especially Mick Jagger.

            Put Rebel Rebel on and despite, or partly because of, those gender bender lyrics, you’ll find yourself fist-pumping the air with excitement.

            • Ah the old “don’t you like?” argument. I got this from Junes when I said I didn’t like Prince – his response was “don’t you like funk?” I don’t like Elton John, either – don’t I like rock music? Glam/camping it up is a UK thing, from panto and music hall roots. I can think of very little US pop that camps it up. Not taking it seriously is something else entirely, and can be done without either sending it up or camping it up.

        • I certainly don’t love that. It’s almost parodically Bowie, but by Bowie.

          I jumped the good ship DB after ‘Lets Dance’ (great album), and apart from the Buddah album (which is also ace) I don’t think I ever heard anything further that inspired me to invest listening time. The thing is, that still leaves more than a dozen albums worthy of eartime earlier in the canon.

          • My point was, how can someone who doesn’t think the dire 1980s is shite, not have heard a Sainted Dave album?
            It’s like supporting Arsenal and not knowing they play in red.

            I’ve heard Sainted Dave albums, and I avoid him like the plague.
            It only takes 35 minutes!

            Sounds all a bit phoney, or, if you like, “strummer.”

  14. thanks for the recommendations, guys, but my album and CD units are groaning under the weight of releases I’ve probably played once or twice and then never again. Not pointing any fingers here, but Eels, Lamchop and Wilco are just three of the acts who are seriously over-represented in my collection

  15. Well done Dave. I’m a lifelong Bowie fan and it’s great to hear your appraisals. I saw Bowie play The Bewley Brothers at Hammersmith Odeon 2002. I don’t think he had played it live before and it was bliss a magical moment.
    I look forward to reading your reviews in future.

    • But it’s a bit of a buzzkill isn’t it. Not like pop from when I was a youngster, he has to bring all this pathos, drama, emotion into it, and camp it up *rolls eyes*

  19. If you want some more information on Hunky Dory, there’s this 45 minute interview with Ken Scott.
    The host is a bit annoying, but Ken Scott is quite informative.

  21. To paraphrase the Miles/Kind of Blue quote – Hunky Dory is the Bowie album for people why’s don’t like Bowie. I can’t imagine anyone who likes pop/rock music not enjoying at least some of these songs.

    It’s almost perfect and for me his best album. Shows him off as a consummate songwriter.

  22. At the risk of being contrarian: Hunky Dory has never been my favourite Bowie album – I’d much rather listen to Diamond Dogs, or Aladdin Sane, or Station to Station – or any of the “Berlin” trilogy…

    …I’ll get me coat…

  23. Jack Wild had it right.

    Dodger once, can’t be helped.
    Dodger twice, twat.

    Wise words from the Artful Dodger himself.
    Wrote plays too… and played in gaol for Reading.

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