David Bowie - Hunky Dory

While Space Oddity and The Man Who Sold the World were nice slices of vintage 1970's Bowie, they didn't have the hit potential of Hunky Dory. This is where Bowie managed to strike a balance between his general weirdness and solid rock and roll that appeals to both androgynous beings from outer space as well as the general populous. Many of Bowie's best songs from the 70's are on this album. "Changes," "Oh! You Pretty Things," "Life on Mars?" and "Kooks" are all fantastic, and those are just highlights from Side 1.

Hunky Dory takes the psychedelic folk of Bowie's earlier work and adds hefty dose of pop to the mix, which makes for a tasty glam concoction which is neither too heavy nor too light in its cosmic or sexual themes. If you've ever wondered what glam was all about, this is as good a starting place as anything in the T. Rex or Roxy Music stable. Pound for pound this is probably my all-time favorite David Bowie album.