Hesitant Alien

Hesitant Alien

by Gerard Way
Hesitant Alien

Hesitant Alien

by Gerard Way

CD

$10.49  $14.99 Save 30% Current price is $10.49, Original price is $14.99. You Save 30%.
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
    Choose Expedited Shipping at checkout for delivery by Thursday, April 4
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

The very title of Hesitant Alien conjures memories of David Bowie, just like how the album artwork evokes the Thin White Duke's iconic cover for Heroes (which was later repurposed for Bowie's own The Next Day). Such deliberate allusions are Gerard Way's sly nod to his audience, an admission of how he belongs to an art-punk tradition that stretches back several decades, but his first solo effort after the disbandment of My Chemical Romance isn't a re-creation of the glory days of glam. Way does indulge in T. Rex stomps and flirts with Bowie's interstellar swagger -- not to mention his cadence sometimes echoes Eno and he's savvy enough to thread saxophone into the background on "Get the Gang Together" -- but the heart of Hesitant Alien lies in the late '80s and early '90s, the time when all the arty strands of British and American post-punk converged on 120 Minutes. Sometimes Way creates a swirling, circular pastiche, sometimes he creates de facto tributes to individual bands ("Millions" is a dead ringer for prime Stone Roses), the two approaches blending to create a heady rush of sexy, stylish postmodern futurism. The clever thing about Hesitant Alien is, for as much as it consciously references the past, it's a record that never could've been played on college radio in 1990: the razor-thin guitars are too loud, the progressive pomp leans too heavily on '70s concept albums, Way retains the trappings of emo in his heated delivery but not his aesthetic. All this means that for as much as Way refers to other acts, this is a thoroughly original work, a vibrant reflection of all his artistic obsessions. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 09/30/2014
Label: Reprise
UPC: 0093624937210
Rank: 14617

Tracks

  1. The Bureau
  2. Action Cat
  3. No Shows
  4. Brother
  5. Millions
  6. Zero Zero
  7. Juarez
  8. Drugstore Perfume
  9. Get the Gang Together
  10. How It's Going to Be
  11. Maya the Psychic

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Gerard Way   Primary Artist,Bass,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Vocals
Jarrod Alexander   Drums,Percussion
Jamie Muhoberac   Keyboards
Tom Rasulo   Percussion
Sabina Olague   Spoken Word
Jason Freese   Horn
Mikey Way   Vocals
Ian Fowles   Guitar,Percussion
Matt Gorney   Bass,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion

Technical Credits

Gerard Way   Creative Director,Composer
Doug McKean   Engineer,Producer
Rob Cavallo   A&R
James Dewees   Composer
Jamie Muhoberac   Composer
Tom Rasulo   Engineer
Eric Ray Davidson   Photography
Tchad Blake   Mixing
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Andrew Law   Assistant Engineer
Xavier Ramos   Marketing
Don Blum   Composer
Ian Fowles   Composer
Alex Tenta   Design
Norman Wonderly   Creative Director
Gerardo "Jerry" Ordonez   Assistant Engineer
Lance Sumner   Assistant Engineer
Zach Mauldin   Assistant Engineer
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews