Last of the Ghetto Astronauts

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Last of the Ghetto Astronauts
Last of the Ghetto Astronauts cover
Studio album by Matthew Good Band
Released 1995
Genre Rock
Length 52:01
Label A&M Records
Producer(s) John Shepp
Professional reviews
Matthew Good Band chronology
'Last of the Ghetto Astronauts'
(1995)		 Raygun EP
(1997)


Last of the Ghetto Astronauts was the debut album of the Matthew Good Band. It was released in 1995 on a budget of roughly five thousand Canadian dollars.

With the singles "Alabama Motel Room", "Symbolistic White Walls", and "Haven't Slept in Years", the album achieved incredible popularity. It gained the title of highest-selling independent album in Canada, a title it holds to this day.

The album features Matthew Good on lead vocals and backup guitar, Dave Genn on keyboards and guitar, Geoff Lloyd on bass, and Ian Browne on drums.

The band was originally going to go with another name ("Snowaxe" and "Gandalf" have been mentioned by Matthew Good), however a radio station in Vancouver played "Alabama Motel Room" and announced the band as the Matthew Good Band, at which point it stuck.

Last of the Ghetto Astronauts has two album covers: the original, independent cover, with cursive writing along the bottom and the band name featured prominently, and the subsequent production company release, which uses block letters and a different text layout. Both albums have the same pictures.

[edit] Trivia

  • Two of the songs on Last of the Ghetto Astronauts were re-released on the EP Raygun (1996). Whereas the recording of "Alabama Motel Room" on Raygun is identical to that which appears on Astronauts, the Raygun version of "Haven't Slept in Years" is completely redone (to the satisfaction of many fans).
  • Surprisingly, not a single electric guitar was employed in the recording of this album. All guitars heard on the album were either acoustics or acoustics run through Marshall amplifiers. (The difference is fully realized when one listens to the electrified "Haven't Slept in Years" on Raygun.)

[edit] Track Listing

  1. Alabama Motel Room (3:18)
  2. Symbolistic White Walls (4:30)
  3. She's Got A New Disguise (6:17)
  4. Native Son (4:52)
  5. Vermilion (4:49)
  6. Every Name Is My Name (4:00)
  7. Haven't Slept In Years (3:23)
  8. Radio Bomb (3:09)
  9. Fearless (5:15)
  10. The War Is Over (7:56) / Omissions Of The Omen* (4:32)

Omissions of the Omen is a bonus track hidden in The War is Over

[edit] Personnel

Note: Terry Brown mixed tracks 1 & 2
Except "Alabama Motel Room", music by Good/Lloyd/Browne
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