''You'd Prefer an Astronaut'' is the third studio album by the
American
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** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
band
Hum
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Science
* Hum (sound), a sound produced with closed lips, or by insects, or other periodic motion
* Mains hum, an electric or electromagnetic phenomenon
* The Hum, an acoustic phenomenon
* Venous hum, a physiological sensation
...
, released on April 11, 1995, by
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
as their
major label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...
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
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth ma ...
". It became Hum's highest charting song, reaching 11 on
Hot Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
and 28 on
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...
; it regained popularity a decade later after being featured in a
Cadillac
The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
commercial with actress
Kate Walsh. The song and its video were also featured on the television show ''
Beavis and Butt-Head
''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American adult animated series created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor, ...
''.
The album spawned two other singles, "The Pod" and "I'd Like Your Hair Long", although neither received the commercial success of "
Stars
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth ma ...
".
Legacy
Discussing ''You'd Prefer an Astronaut'',
Deftones
Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five ...
frontman
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno (born Camillo Wong Moreno, June 20, 1973) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist and contributing guitarist of the metal band Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project groups Team Sl ...
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
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' listed the album as an overlooked masterpiece.
Track listing
#"Little Dipper" – 4:44
#"The Pod" – 4:38
#"
Stars
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth ma ...
" – 5:09
#"Suicide Machine" – 5:58
#"The Very Old Man" – 2:45
#"Why I Like the Robins" – 4:58
#"I'd Like Your Hair Long" – 5:26
#"I Hate It Too" – 5:59
#"Songs of Farewell and Departure" – 6:16
Personnel
Hum
*Jeff Dimpsey – bass guitar
*Tim Lash – guitar
*Bryan St. Pere – drums
*Matt Talbott – guitar and vocals
Technical
*Keith Cleversley –
production
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References
External links
Cleversly on getting the guitar sound for the album*
{{DEFAULTSORT:You'd Prefer An Astronaut
1995 albums
Hum (band) albums
RCA Records albums