All American Alien Boy
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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All American Alien Boy
- Artist: Ian Hunter
- Rating:
- Release Date: 1976
- Total Time: 41:13
- Type: Lyrics are included with the album
- Genre: Rock
Review
After the relative success of his debut, it would have been very easy for Ian Hunter to continue in the glam-inspired vein that made that album so successful. Instead, he twisted his sound in a jazz direction for All American Alien Boy, a partially successful attempt to open up his sound from its traditional rock & roll routes. Since Hunter couldn't utilize the producing and arranging skills of longtime cohort Mick Ronson because of a dispute with Ronson's manager, Hunter took the reins himself and invited a diverse cast of session musicians that included everyone from journeyman drummer Aynsley Dunbar to jazz bass wizard Jaco Pastorius. The resulting album mixture of conventional Mott the Hoople-style rock and sonic experiments never truly gels, but does contain some fine tracks. The experiments are hit and miss: the title track is a funky, sax-flavored exploration of Hunter's adjustment to life in America that works nicely, but the interesting lyrics of "Apathy 83" get buried in an uncharacteristically bland soft rock arrangement. The songs that work best are the more traditional-sounding numbers: "Irene Wilde" is a delicately crafted autobiographical ballad about the rejection that made Hunter decide to "be somebody, someday," and "God - Take 1" is a stirring, Dylan-styled rocker featuring witty lyrics that illustrate a conversation with a weary and down-to-earth version of God. However, the true gem of the album is "You Nearly Did Me In," an elegant and emotional ballad about the emptiness that follows a romantic breakup. It also notable for the stirring backing vocals from guest stars Queen on its chorus. In the end, All-American Alien Boy lacks the consistency to fully succeed as an album but still offers enough stellar moments to make it worthwhile for Ian Hunter's fans. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, Rovi| All American A$! #*le (Album by Ricky Rude) | |
| All American Alien Boy [Bonus Tracks] (1976 Album by Ian Hunter) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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All American Alien Boy
| All American Alien Boy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Studio album by Ian Hunter | ||||
| Released | 1976 | |||
| Recorded | January 1976 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 69:34 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Ian Hunter | |||
| Ian Hunter chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
All American Alien Boy is the second solo album by Ian Hunter. Because of management issues, Mick Ronson did not appear on this album;[2] instead, Hunter brought in keyboardist Chris Stainton in order to act as a balancing force in the studio. Unlike his previous album, the album didn't feature any of his trademark rockers and he opted for a more jazzy direction. The album is a play off of Rick Derringer's 1973 album All American Boy.
In 2006, the album was reissued with several bonus tracks.
Track listing
All songs written by Ian Hunter
- "Letter to Brittania from the Union Jack" - 3:48
- "All American Alien Boy" - 7:07
- "Irene Wilde" - 3:43
- "Restless Youth" - 6:17
- "Rape" - 4:20
- "You Nearly Did Me In" - 5:46
- "Apathy 83" - 4:43
- "God (Take 1)" - 5:45
- "To Rule Brittania from Union Jack" - 4:08 *
- "All American Alien Boy" (Single Version) - 4:03 *
- "Irene Wilde" (Take 1) - 3:53 *
- "Weary Anger" - 5:45 *
- "Apathy" - 4:42 *
- "(God) Advice to a Friend" - 5:34 *
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- Bonus tracks on 30th anniversary edition
Personnel
- Ian Hunter – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, backing vocals
- Chris Stainton – piano, organ, mellotron, bass guitar on "Restless Youth"
- Jaco Pastorius – bass guitar all tracks, guitar on track 8
- Aynsley Dunbar – drums
- Gerry Weens – lead guitar
- David Sanborn – alto sax
- Dominic Cortese – accordion
- Cornell Dupree – guitar on "Letter to Brittania From the Union Jack"
- Don Alias – congas
- Arnie Lawrence – clarinet
- Dave Bargeron – trombone
- Lewis Soloff – trumpet
- Freddie Mercury – backing vocals on "You Nearly Did Me In"
- Brian May – backing vocals on "You Nearly Did Me In"
- Roger Taylor – backing vocals on "You Nearly Did Me In"
- Bob Segarini – backing vocals
- Ann E. Sutton – backing vocals
- Gail Kantor – backing vocals
- Erin Dickens – backing vocals
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ "Ian Hunter LP/CD: "All American Alien Boy"". Hunter-mott.com. http://www.hunter-mott.com/discography/all_american_alien_boy.html. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
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