Resident Alien

by Spacehog

Overview

British but based in New York, Spacehog's publicity material would have you believe the group resurrects the glam heyday of vintage Bowie and Mott the Hoople (even disingeniously referring to them as "the band who fell to earth"). It's all well and good to set your sights high, but the hype creates expectations that Resident Alien is incapable of delivering, despite the blatant Ziggy Stardust vocal inflections of "Starside" and "Zeroes." There's no doubt that this awkwardly-named combo attack their chosen retro-glam vocation with panache, flash, and good humor, but there's ultimately not a lot of substance behind the theatrical pose and fat Gibson runs. With few exceptions (there's no denying the preening bulls-eye of "Never Coming Down") the songwriting tends to be fairly frothy. Still, I'd take a dose of Resident Alien any day over yet another cold dish of serious, mystically dour, faux-acid rock Doors/Led Zep wannabes. Ironically, by homogenizing the Brit-glam sound in their manner, Spacehog may just succeed in bridging to U.S. audiences who often have difficulty relating to the "Britishness" of the latest U.K. wave. ~ Roch Parisien

Product Details

Release Date:	10/24/1995
Label:	Sire / Elektra
UPC:	0075596183420
Rank:	42885

Tracks

1. In the Meantime
2. Spacehog
3. Starside
4. Candy Man
5. Space Is the Place
6. Never Coming Down, Pt. 1
7. Cruel to Be Kind
8. Ship Wrecked
9. Only a Few
10. The Last Dictator
11. Never Coming Down, Pt. 2
12. Zeroes
13. To Be a Millionaire...Was It Likely

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Spacehog   Primary Artist
Johnny Cragg   Vocals (Background),Percussion,Drums
Royston Langdon   Guitar (Bass),Organ (Hammond),Moog Synthesizer,Vocals
Antony Langdon   Moog Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond),Vocals,Guitar,Juno
Richard Steel   Guitar

Technical Credits

Langdon   Composer
Scott Hull   Mastering
Carl Plaster   Drum Technician
Royston Langdon   Composer
Gareth Hodgson   Composer
David Voigt   Assistant Engineer
Antony Langdon   Composer
Spacehog   Producer,Mixing
Bryce Goggin   Producer,Mixing
Todd Vos   Assistant Producer