During the period of lockdown which we were subject to in recent months, I occupied much of my time listening to music, and I acquainted myself with several albums which I had not previously explored in detail. One of these was David Bowie's 1971 release Hunky Dory.
I had long been an admirer of Bowie's work, but Hunky Dory had escaped my full attention. This was partly because the album had been cited as a favourite and a major influence by a few people, critics and broadcasters, whose judgement and taste I did not really trust or respect. However, examining the record in detail has been something of a revelation.
Whilst the "Ziggy Stardust" album leaves the listener open-mouthed and awed with its glitz and directness, Hunky Dory's appeal is rather different, with its mystique, and a seamless and fluent self-confidence which is truly remarkable and humbling.
Hunky Dory is striking for its maturity, as well as its lyrical sophistication. The subject matter and general ambience imbue the album with a vaguely enigmatic, "arthouse" sensibility, but equally and ironically these traits probably render it relatively inaccessible to some people. The production is clear and uncluttered, and the depth of melodic invention hold the attention and the interest.
Several of the songs on the record (Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, and Life On Mars) are among the most recognisable and famous of Bowie numbers, but it is the remaining tracks which truly determine the record's tone and atmosphere. "Eight Line Poem" is a prime example; the piano sounds great, as it does throughout the album.
Some of the motifs and characteristics which were permitted full rein later are in evidence here, but they are employed more sparingly and less ostentatiously.
"Life On Mars" is hugely affecting, although its grandeur, and the arguably bombastic arrangement, might serve to obscure its genuine strengths and virtues.
There is much stylistic diversity on Hunky Dory, but it is clothed and masked slightly by garb which is peculiar both to Bowie and to this album - "Fill Your Heart" springs to mind. The poetic complexity is both adroit and convincing.
One of the highlights of the record for me is "Quicksand", a strident and dramatic composition which comes across as choate and sincere. It is given an effective arrangement, with some tasteful strings.
"Andy Warhol" and "Song For Bob Dylan" are both typical of the traits which suffuse the album. Again, Bowie ventures beyond the "obvious" and exhibits the grasp and the vision which separated him from his contemporaries.
"Queen Bitch" is both a nod to Bowie's influences of the time, and also a taste of what was to come shortly thereafter. Its relative directness and "decadence" add variety to the Hunky Dory diet. The closer, "The Bewlay Brothers" is stunning, and a highly appropriate way to round off the album.
Overall, the record exudes a zest and a cohesive ebullience which Bowie seldom matched elsewhere in his oeuvre. The arrangements, by and large, are appealing in their organic naturalness. The artist does not sound as though he is trying too hard to impress or dazzle people. The strength and originality of the material, and the ideas, are sufficient to carry the work.
If I was to choose a favourite David Bowie album, it would not be this one. It is less direct and outlandish than "Ziggy Stardust" or even Aladdin Sane, but it is brimming with creativity and inventiveness. It still sounds extraordinarily urgent and mature. A work of beauty, wonder and expressiveness.
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