Hunky Dory by David Bowie

From the Brink of Stardom

Hunky Dory was released in 1971 as David Bowie's fourth studio album after the albums David Bowie, Space Oddity (also originally released eponymously), and The Man Who Sold The World. These early albums featured a few of his most lasting singles and characters ("Space Oddity," "The Man Who Sold The World," "Changes," and "Life On Mars?"). However, it wasn't until the creation of Ziggy Stardust in Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars that he amassed a substantial cult following, and his previous work gained more recognition. In retrospect, Hunky Dory proved to be the buildup before Bowie burst into stardom.

Hunky Dory's chief acting character reflects the androgynous, glamorous characteristics that Ziggy Stardust would eventually wield. The album music swells with expansive pop, folk, and glam rock. Its catchy tunes feature an incredibly complete yet accessible display of Bowie's intelligence and songcraft.

Sad Music Monday

Yesterday the beloved, inimitable man passed away from cancer. After a full day of streaming bittersweet Bowie into my earholes, from Ziggy Stardust to Thin White Duke to Berlin to Tin Machine, I'm achingly eager to share a few odd things: David Bowie.

In a career spanning six decades of constant musical, personal, artistic, and cultural invention and reinvention: David Bowie's impact has long been and continues to be among the most memorable and influential. His thirst and talent for expression engendered the infatuating personae, which became the faces of his exploration as a musician, songwriter, and artist in endless shades of rock, folk, pop, glam, soul, electronic, and dance. Bowie quickly became and remains an icon whose influence spread throughout music, media, fashion, and pop culture.

Bowie's catalog is far too extensive to acceptably explore in a single post. Here I've chosen to share three albums, but please know that three albums aren't nearly enough to begin to grasp all that this wonderful man created. Outside of these three quality albums, there's plenty more Bowie to discover.

Hunky Dory | Low | Blackstar (★)

David Bowie continually drove rock and culture forwards as he voiced and celebrated the new and the strange. His legacy will be lasting and this truly would be a different, far less interesting world without him. I hope you enjoyed my mini-tour and I hope you realize it hardly scratched the surface.