Astronauts & Heretics

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Astronauts & Heretics
Astronauts & Heretics (Thomas Dolby).jpg
Studio album by
Released27 July 1992
Genre
Length43:16
Label
Producer Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby chronology
Aliens Ate My Buick
(1988)
Astronauts & Heretics
(1992)
A Map of the Floating City
(2011)
Singles from Astronauts & Heretics
  1. "Close but No Cigar"
    Released: 27 April 1992
  2. "I Love You Goodbye"
    Released: 29 June 1992
  3. "Silk Pyjamas"
    Released: 14 September 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Billboard positive [2]
Entertainment Weekly A− [3]
NME 5/10 [4]

Astronauts & Heretics is the fourth studio album by English new wave/synth-pop musician Thomas Dolby, released in 1992. It was Dolby's last studio album until 2011's A Map of the Floating City and his last album to be released as a vinyl LP.

Contents

The album was met with some success in the UK. However, according to Dolby, the album went largely unnoticed in the US due to poor distribution by Giant Records and the popularity of grunge at the time.

After asking Dolby for help with his studio equipment, Eddie Van Halen agreed to play guitar on two songs on the album: "Eastern Bloc" and "Close but No Cigar", including a Van Halen-style solo on the former.

There were also several other guests including drummer Budgie of Siouxsie and the Banshees.

The music video for "Silk Pyjamas" was filmed on location in Cuba.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Thomas Dolby, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Love You Goodbye" 5:58
2."Cruel" 3:08
3."Silk Pyjamas" 3:38
4."I Live in a Suitcase" 5:29
5."Eastern Bloc ("Europa and the Pirate Twins Part II")" 5:19
6."Close but No Cigar" 4:27
7."That's Why People Fall in Love" 5:28
8."Neon Sisters"Thomas Dolby, Matthew Seligman 4:54
9."Beauty of a Dream" 5:04
Total length:43:16

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart (1992)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [5] 123
UK Albums (OCC) [6] 35

References

  1. AllMusic review
  2. Billboard , 14 November 1992, p.55
  3. Entertainment Weekly , 6 November 1992, p.67
  4. Page, Betty (15 August 1992). "Long Play". New Musical Express . p. 30.
  5. "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 15 June 1992". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  6. "Official Albums Chart Top 75". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 4 August 2022.