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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

You'd Prefer an Astronaut

Hum

1995

You'd Prefer an Astronaut
Album Summary

This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.

You'd Prefer an Astronaut is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band Hum, released on April 11, 1995, by RCA Records as their major label debut. The title of the album is a lyric lifted from the song "I'd Like Your Hair Long". The album has sold over 250,000 copies since its release, mostly due to the second single from the album, "Stars". It became Hum's highest charting song, reaching 11 on Hot Modern Rock Tracks and 28 on Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks; it regained popularity a decade later after being featured in a Cadillac commercial with actress Kate Walsh. The song and its video were also featured on the television show Beavis and Butt-Head. The album spawned two other singles, "The Pod" and "I'd Like Your Hair Long", although neither received the commercial success of "Stars". Discussing You'd Prefer an Astronaut, Deftones frontman Chino Moreno said, "This is a heavy record, and it's where Deftones get a big part of our influence from, tone-wise." In 2016, Sam Blum of The A.V. Club listed the album as an overlooked masterpiece.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.97

Votes

35

Genres

  • Rock

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Reviews

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Oct 12 2024
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4

This album isn't on Spotify, but they have albums from 93 and 98 available. So I'll listen to them instead. My guess is that the 93 album will be underground and heavy, the 98 album will be soft as shit, and I'm just going to assume the 95 album was transitional. That's how 90s bands worked, these guys will be no different. The 1993 album is really cool. Sounded like helmet. That "not metal, not grunge, not punk, but kinda like all three" sound. There's heaviness, there's a bit of groove, there's an indie vibe. I really rate this, and will listen again for sure. The 1998 album is a bit softer, but we're not talking pitchshifter levels of change. Not as interesting as the earlier album though. I can hear more Nirvana in this one, oddly. Based on this, I can say that this green album was probably grungy, reasonably catchy. Overall this is getting a 4/5. Best rating I've ever given an album I didn't listen to lol.

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Oct 12 2024
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3

This was fine but to me sounded like a whole lot of post-punk/hardcore fare (Hüsker Dü, Dinosaur Jr., Pavement and so forth) without adding much anything new.

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Oct 12 2024
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3

There's a certain type of guitar sound that I have a really visceral, negative reaction to, and this is it. It's that heavy, muddy sound. I don't know why, but I just don't like it. Some of the songs were pretty good though, especially the last one. 3 stars.

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Oct 12 2024
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3

I don't normally like this style of music but this was pretty decent

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Oct 12 2024
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3

A very good if not generic accounting of the alternative rock scene in the mid-90s. I can't say any of this really defies expectations or impressed upon me very strongly. But, I first *discovered* music in the mid-90s, and so this is all very nostalgic for me, even if the album itself is new. Don't love don't hate, is what I'm saying.

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Oct 12 2024
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2

At first it seemed promising, as it really sounded like rock, however as the tracks progressed it fell flat for me, it didn't achieve intensity and the music dominated over the vocals making it diffuse and causing it to pass without pain or glory.

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Oct 12 2024
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2

Very much of its time. Whininess and all.

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