![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/www.itwriting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/image_4.png\" "\\"image\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nSince a second Hunter-Ronson album was out of the question, Ian Hunter assembled a new band for his second solo album. It was an excellent one, with Jaco Pastorius on bass, Chris Stainton on piano and organ, Gerry Weems on guitar, David Sanborn on sax, and Aynsley Dunbar on drums.<\/p>\n
The strength of this jazz-flavoured band along with Hunter\u2019s experiences as a new resident of the USA inspired some of the most thoughtful lyrics he would ever write.<\/p>\n
Letter to Britannia from the Union Jack<\/b> is a melancholic look at his old home country, which he saw as \u201ca victim of your history,\u201d a nation with a glorious past but a sadly unglorious present. The backing is tuneful but sombre.<\/p>\n
All-American Alien Boy<\/b> is more up-beat, a pounding seven-minute monologue on being a \u201cwhitey from blighty\u201d, with prominent bass from Pastorius, fine guitar work from Weems, combined with Sanborn\u2019s sax and female backing vocals to make a collage of sound. Hunter\u2019s singing is somewhat recessed in the mix, but full of passion and with some memorable lines, such as \u201cup and down the M1 in some luminous yo-yo toy\u201d, or \u201cthe women came from heaven, the men came out of some store.\u201d One of my favourites.<\/p>\n
Irene Wilde<\/b> is a more traditional Hunter ballad, and a song he still performs. A true story, says Hunter, based on his teenage angst encountering a girl he fancied at a bus station, who made it clear that dating was out of the question. Great melody, gentle backing and a heartfelt delivery.<\/p>\n
Restless Youth<\/b>, which closes side one, is the nearest this album has to a rocker, about a troubled boy in New York who is killed by a cop. Hunter blames his fate on \u201cpolitician thieves.\u201d As a political statement it\u2019s not convincing, but it does chime with Hunter\u2019s general view that the kids are all right, or would be if properly treated.<\/p>\n
Side two opens with Rape<\/b>, which describes (I think) a young man who commits a rape but gets off scot free because he is \u201csick rich and stoned\u201d and has a good lawyer. \u201cJustice just is Not!\u201d is the punning conclusion. Hunter\u2019s mentor Bob Dylan does this sort of song better; but it is a strong number nevertheless.<\/p>\n
Next up is You Nearly Did Me In<\/b>, which remarkably has most of Queen on backing vocals. The story is that Queen (who had toured with Mott the Hoople) just happened to be visiting the studio at the right time. It\u2019s another highlight of the album, a song possibly about drug addicts, \u201clost children of the night\u201d, with a great chorus, though exactly why the narrator is nearly \u201cdone in\u201d has never been clear to me. The close of the song is epic though. \u201cWhat ever happened to dignity? What ever happened to integrity? What ever happened to honesty?\u201d Sanborn\u2019s alto sax is gorgeous on this song.<\/p>\n
Apathy 83<\/b> is a kind of reprise to the song by the Stones, and according to Devine the title was handed to Hunter by none other than Bob Dylan, after what they considered a poor Stones concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. The two happened to meet soon after; Dylan asked Hunter what he thought of the Stones concert. \u201cInsipid,\u201d sand Hunter. Dylan replied, \u201cyeah, apathy for the devil.\u201d
The song takes that thought and applies it to the politics of the time; apathy is allowing evil to flourish. To my mind this is one of Hunter\u2019s best political statements as he rants against misdeeds in high places. Nice accordion from Dominic Cortese.<\/p>\n
The album closes with God (Take 1)<\/b>, a dylanesque song in which Hunter explores religion. \u201cI wanted to let people hear how it would sound if I really imitated Bob Dylan,\u201d said Hunter. The song is perhaps my least favourite on the album though, rather ponderous.<\/p>\n
All American Alien Boy is distinctive in Hunter\u2019s solo career, beautifully performed, expertly sung, lyrically thoughtful, melodic and jazz-tinged. It was well reviewed but, says Hunter, \u201cpretty boring on one level.\u201d It was a huge departure from the raucous energy of Mott the Hoople, much more so than the album before it. The kids couldn\u2019t relate and sales were disappointing. \u201cThe fact that it died commercially was a total bummer,\u201d says Hunter.<\/p>\n In a recent interview<\/a> with Def Leppard\u2019s Joe Elliott, the two reflect on the album. Hunter reminds us why Ronson was not on the album. \u201cMick was still with Tony [Defries]. Mick was going to get more than I got, so I said no,\u201d he says. \u201cBy the time I was the age you were when you made that record, all of a sudden that record made sense to me,\u201d Elliott continues. \u201cIt took 20 years but I got it. The title track is phenomenal, because not only is it an incredible delivery, like rap before rap, it\u2019s got the most incredibly beautiful bass playing by Jaco Pastorius, absolutely stunning, but it took me years to get my head around it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter says it was Ronson\u2019s favourite record of his, eventually, though not at the time.<\/p>\n Me, I love the album, though I wish it ended with Apathy \u201983.<\/p>\n All American Alien Boy (April 1976) CBS 81310 UK: 29 US: 177 Since a second Hunter-Ronson album was out of the question, Ian Hunter assembled a new band for his second solo album. It was an excellent one, with Jaco Pastorius on bass, Chris Stainton on piano and organ, Gerry Weems on guitar, David Sanborn … Continue reading All American Alien Boy<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\u201cYou put out Alien boy,\u201d says Elliott. \u201cI\u2019m 16 years old, and \u2026 what are you doing? You\u2019ve made this album for my dad. I want more of the first records. Where\u2019s all the rockers? It\u2019s all very clever clever.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"