Not So "Hunky Dory"?

Hunky Dory introduced a kinder, gentler David Bowie after two heavy albums laden with mythological imagery and pleasant dread—not that this album doesn't also include heavy doses of the latter.

Bowie announced the outlook flip on the chipper opener "Changes" and then doubled down on the even more so "Oh! You Pretty Things/Eight Line Poem" in which he describes a comfortable domestic scene while at the same time announcing a generational, even perhaps an evolutionary change— one that he makes clear he was ready to lead.

He continues addressing a dissatisfied generation looking for escape in "Life on Mars" and then goes 100% domestic on "Kooks". He ends the side in the "Quicksand" of his previous albums' darker imagery, referencing the occultist, painter and poet Aliester Crowley in whose "uniform" he says he's immersed, as well as the S.S. monster Himmler. He describes himself as "living proof of Churchill's lies" and then, showing not a hint of modesty exclaims a FriedrichNietzsche-ian belief that "he's not a prophet or a stone age man, Just a mortal with potential of a Superman". Bowie delivers in song the reading in which he's obviously immersed himself.

"Quicksand" is a song made for the end of a record side. Without a side-flip the album would chug right into Biff Rose's purifying "Fill Your Heart". What's a refreshment as an album side starter, would sound abrupt and perhaps even ridiculous with but a few second break in between.

Bowie's "what happened to you, Bob?" "Song For Bob Dylan" is one I bet now he'd prefer he could take back, but at the time it made sense to yearning fans, which is how it was intended. No doubt many fans of early Bowie felt the same way about the "Let's Dance" stadium Bowie. Then comes Bowie's swishy "Queen Bitch"—a high energy Velvet Underground tribute that sets up the magnificent, mysterious, still chilling "The Bewlay Brothers".

Hunky Dory swings wildly between Bowie's otherworldly preoccupations and scenes of domestic tranquility that serve to humanize and ground—if just for a short time—an artist searching for his next move. Of the albums in this box set, Hunky Dory is the most grounded and listener-relatable, though with lines like "A crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me" there's plenty of disturbing imagery that's lost none of its potency all these years later.

When you've been listening to an album for more than forty years, you have certain sonic and visceral recollections and expectations. Sitting down to listen first to this box set reissue, I had to temper expectations somewhat because I'm reviewing new speakers and new amplifiers.

When "Changes" began, the sound was different in ways that made me confident I was hearing a remastering that was more a 're-imagining" than an effort to reproduce the sound found on the original, on the EMI 100 reissue cut from analog tape, on the '80s era Japanese pressing (RVP-6126) and even, believe it or not the Rykodisc digitally remastered double LP (the second disc contains bonus tracks).

Of course I couldn't be sure until I listened to all of those on these new speakers and amplifiers. How was the sound different on this reissue? Bowie's voice sounded recessed. It didn't project. The snare drum snap on the opening track lacked the familiar crackle.

Though side one was different than expected and somewhat soft—you could even say a bit muffled and lacking in high frequency energy—it wasn't a fatal flaw until "Andy Warhol". The acoustic guitars on that track should be hard and jarring. They sound purposely congested, compressed and bright on every other version I have of this album, but on this reissue the guitars sound positively polite. That cannot be right. It is not right.

Please listen to the interview I conducted with Ken Scott who engineered this album and Ziggy Stardust as well Procol Harum's epic A Salty Dog and some of The Beatles.

Without reference to other pressings and if you are not familiar with this record—if other versions are not imprinted in your brain—this is a pleasant sounding record but it lacks the bite and transient sparkle found on the other versions. Perhaps it's purposeful because all of those were purposely brightened for commercial purposes and this reissue corrects a "wrong". I don't know, but the other problem with this reissue is that it sounds spatially somewhat flat, though inner detail resolution is outstanding.

Has this album been "digitally remastered"? I don't know and I don't want to speculate because that's not the issue. The issue is how does it sound and how does it make you (me) feel?

To me it sounds fine—as long as you don't compare it to the others. Do that and it sounds somewhat soft and constrained. "Andy Warhol" does not at all sound right. Perhaps Bowie or Ken Scott, or Ray Staff or all of them have decided to mellow it out. That's all I can think of because it certainly does not sound like any of the other issues of that song that I've got. On some systems—especially bright lean ones—it might sound tonally better than the others but spatially it will still sound kind of flat.

As far as I'm concerned, based on sound, the value and collectibility of the 1997 EMI100 reissue (724382144915) will only increase—especially when fans get to compare that one with this. I'm disappointed. The packaging and pressing are top quality. The other records in the set will be reviewed as soon as possible.

StonedBeatles1's picture

Did I forget to say Bollocks!?

bkinthebk's picture

Hunky Dory is the album that was going to push me over the edge to buy this box. Will have to settle for listening on TIDAL and continuing the search for an impossible to find UK 1st press or EMI 100.

PeterPani's picture

on Wanted to buy it 1998 already and did not get it then. Now a NM copy was incl postage $150...

Kerosene's picture

Hi Michael, I would like to know what do you think about 1991 Ryko Analogue reissues, that were digitaly remastered?????.Apart for the contradiction behind I got Ziggy Stardust and it sounds not so bad.Do you know the history behind this edition?They did not finish the collection ( I think they stopped in Diamond Dogs).And why they calledn Ryko Analogue?

rkellner's picture

I second this request. I have a copy too and would be curious to hear your thoughts vs an EMI 100

alexdias's picture

I have both an UK early press (late 70's probably) and this transparent Japanese from Ryko that I believe is from the early 90's. The Japanese press sounds excellent and is more open and detailed than the UK one.

essmeier's picture

In my experience, RCA Japan did a good job across the board in the 1970s and early 1980s. While every title I've heard isn't necessarily the "best" pressing of that particular title, they're all uniformly good and eerily quiet.


alexdias's picture

it's certainly extremely quiet and it looks very good too. It's a 3 side issue with 4 bonus tracks. There's a AAA printed on the cover but, as we all know, sometimes it doesn't mean much.

thomoz's picture

I have seen MF complain about the Ryko vinyl,
I think it was in the Bowie Unboxing video here a week or so back.

I myself have the 6-lp S&V box and rarely play it. EQ is a little hot, just like the cds.

Michael Fremer's picture
Too hot, just as this reissue seems, well not "cool" but dullsville....
Stu02's picture

Some of us mortals only have domestic later pressings. How do you think these would compare. Thanks for your reviews. Have enjoyed reading them for some time.

Jay's picture

Is this softness likely to be related to tape deterioration rather than the mastering process?

Michael Fremer's picture
I don't know, nor do I know if it was digitally mastered so rather than speculate I just felt it responsible to describe how it sounds.
Jay's picture

There are a lot of rumours flying around about the source of this set so it's definitely best not to speculate.

Auric G's picture

dusted off the old EMI 100 stampers.

bkinthebk's picture


Was your copy noisy at all? There have been complaints about this on hunky dory, especially at the end of each song on both sides.

rockinroni's picture

Mike seems like all the big record companies know how to produce now is digital records. like the eagles reissues the rush reissues beatles stereo Led Zeppelin etc.
Kevin grey has just opened his dream mastering studio Cohearent Audio
where he states it is now one of the few mastering studios in the entire world that can make a all analog master like sterling sound.
As well Acoustic Sounds’ CEO Chad Kassem purchased The Mastering Lab (TML) from the estate of legendary mastering engineer Doug Sax earlier this year.Judging from Chad Kassem's past accomplishments in record production I expect the New Mastering Lab to be the best in the world, state of the art facility where he will continue to produce more state of the Art records.
I love the fact that we have these companies here in the USA, and we are leading the world in Quality state of the art production of Analogue records.
These records from Analogue productions Quality records will totally destroy anything else any other format period sound wise.
When you get their products its only praise not like Friday music's packaging or MOFI's poor sounding silver label records.

Drastic Plastic commissioned Kevin grey at Cohearent Audio to remaster Mott the Hoople, All the young dudes,and pressed at Quality records pressings. limited to 1000 numbered copys on 200 gram vinyl. This is a great success.
To learn more watch my latest youtube review video here. thanks for taking the time to watch enjoy.

john ryan horse's picture

Have we compared these new Motts - this is the first I've heard of them - to the Ray Staff Absolute Analogues from about 15 years ago...Quite lavish in terms of notes, graphics, sturdy covers, likewise numbered limited to 1000 each, and of course way better than any editions of these albums prior or since. Bob Irwin did a decent job on the Legacy CDs a few years later.

geoffpiano's picture

I bought my Five Years box in Norway the day after Bowie passed, and - to my ears (which are very particular), this Hunky Dory sounds wonderful. Now, I don't know if there is a difference between the European and American box set pressings, but from what I hear on my reissue, the high frequencies are just fine - and in the case of Andy Warhol, the guitars are every bit as brittle yet ballsy as they should be.

I don't know if this makes any sense, but the sonics seemed better after the first playing, too...

I certainly would not recommend Tidal's version over this reissue. No competition whatsoever, in my view. However this reissue was mastered, the end result is excellent and well worthwhile

hans altena's picture

Late in reacting, but I finally gave my old Hunky Dory (a 1981 German pressing) to a friend in need and bought the remaster on vinyl and was pleasantly surprised. I can see what Michael means about the space, but compared to the rather dull sounding German pressing, where everything is sounding under a sort of haze, this one has far more detail, and is more in your face while the dynamics are pretty good for a digital remaster from analogue tape. So I bought the others too, up until Alladin Sane, and experienced the same thing. Maybe these editons are pressed here in Europe and differ from what the USA gets. I stopped with those after Pin Ups, because there the originals I bought in the seventies were unbeatable.

atomlow's picture

I have a RCA black label of Hunky Dory that has some surface noise. When I listen to that black label I hear a triangle. Bowie is in the middle and further back in the mix but it's right in the pocket. The left and right sides are more in front (guitars, bass, strings etc.) so it seems like I can hear it like an upside down V. This new reissue everything is straight across, it seems they've pushed the vocals up in front with everything else and it loses the 3D image. This reissue sounds good but it becomes a little fatiguing on the ears and at times it seems Bowie's vocals are compressed so you don't get the sense you are sitting in the studio with him singing. I don't find the reissue soft at all, it's almost the opposite.