Fun fact: I just discovered a few weeks ago what ‘hunky-dory’ actually means. An expression to denote something that is going ‘fine’ or ‘well’, I find curious that I never assumed that there was a deeper meaning behind it, for me it was always the title of one of David Bowie’s most highly regarded albums, and an undisputed classic: Hunky Dory, released today 50 years ago, it was Bowie’s 4th album, and he took the world by surprise, as the album represented an artist that was taking his creativity to a whole other level and manufacturing an essential collection in the process.

After taking time off from touring, Bowie sat down to write songs in a new light and subsequently formed a new band that would accompany him through his golden years in the 70s. The result was a record that sounded significantly different from the previous, The Man Who Sold The World. These songs flirt with art-pop and are more influenced by piano-based ballads and tunes. Of course, Bowie’s theatricality was starting to take the spotlight, and this album is where his revered artistic persona started to find itself.

This amazing album opens with a bang: the first track ‘Changes’ and its main piano riff are quite a groovy hook. One of Bowie’s most recognizable songs, the track reflects on the artistic changes he had to make to reach his eventual stardom. But it is not regretful, and musically, its addictive groove and Bowie’s excellent vocal performance are a showcase of the realization that maybe all these changes were coming anyway. Moreover, the song could be seen as an introduction to the experimentation that would define the singer’s kaleidoscopic career and his public figure.

Furthermore, Hunky Dory packs great tributes to Andy Warhol, Lou Reed (‘Queen Bitch’) and Bob Dylan; the first two being evidence of the influence The Velvet Underground had not only in this album but in Bowie’s career at large and the latter presenting his newfound penchant for poignant balladry. The song ‘Kooks’, dedicated to his newborn son, is another hue in this album’s pallette, influenced by early 70s Neil Young. However, right on track four there’s one of the best songs David Bowie would write in his storied career: ‘Life on Mars?’.

The lyrics in this track, part storytelling, part tongue-in-cheek critique, are full of bright imagery. A girl that goes to the movies only to realize that the movie is just a representation of the sad reality she lives in. Is amazing how affecting the chorus is while being so surreal. Sailors, cavemen, a lawman, is there life on Mars? It is the freakiest show! ‘Life on Mars?’ is the pivot and a pillar of Hunky Dory, one of Bowie’s true masterpieces. Moreover, this song, being part of the album, was not universally recognized at the time, however, 2 years later it would be released as a single, harnessing the singer’s Ziggy Stardust era to actually reach the ears it deserved. The praise was unanimous.

There were a ton of classic albums that celebrated 50 years old this year. The beginning of the 1970s is truly a time when music proliferated and bloomed in never-before-seen ways. Independent artists were defying popular standards; there were big rock bands, spreading their raw and powerful genre to big stadiums and arenas; soul artists were extending the life and boundaries of the genre only to give birth to one of the most popular music forms of today by the end of the decade. And then there was David Bowie.

With Hunky Dory‘s textures, moods and its shiny production, Bowie would highlight his sensational approach to songwriting and passionate penchant for cathartic moments, which would be unique to this record. Further down his career, Bowie would approach all these in a new light, with his musicality transforming as his artistry evolved, but Hunky Dory is the transition. It is the moment this English songwriter that bloomed among peers of the so-called British Invasion, started to take flight, reaching for the stars, a place he never came back from. For the next stage he would inspiringly greet us from there, but contemplating the voyage is a marvel.