Made From Technetium

Man Or Astro-Man? | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 1997)
• Original Release Date: September 9, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Touch & Go Records
• ASIN: B0000019M8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,862 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #59 in Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists > Surf Guitar

Track Listings

1. Lo Batt.

2. Jonathan Winters Frankenstein

3. Don't Think What Jack

4. Junk Satellite

5. 10 Years After World War 4

6. A Saucerful of Secrets

7. Breathing Iron Oxide

8. Muzak for Cybernetics

9. Structo [Mr. Microphone Mixup]

10. The Sound Waves Reversing

11. Theoretical Sounds of Slow Motion

12. Static Cling (Theme From)

13. Evert 1 Pipkin

14. Weightless at Zero Return

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars StarCrunch's swan song, June 20, 2006

By 

MantoM "speye_21" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Made From Technetium (Audio CD)

To like this album takes an appreciation for the subtleties that separate the songs as each as that 'similar sound' feeling despite the songs being very different. This album is probably geared more for Astro-Man fans than the casual listener. However, there are some nice gems that anybody would like such as the sound waves reversing with it's cleverly inserted 50's sci-fi quotes. Lo-Battery is a cool intro to the album and one of the few times you'll hear Astro-men singing. But what really makes this album stand out from earlier Astro-Man offerings is the raw guitars. Gone is the twang.

Made From Technetium is about as close to present day modernism as the Astro-Men have travelled. Earlier efforts were obviously from the past while later efforts illustrate what happens when you don't watch your step and fall into a wormhole. Those looking for more 'edge' from the Astro-Men will find it here in full gamut. Took me a great while to accept this album, but once I did I started using it as a pace keeper for my long rush hour drives in Chicago traffic on the Kennedy Expressway. Once Mr. Microphone rolled around, I knew it was time to stomp on the throttle and get there. The tempos are appropriately placed along the album's length not tiring the listener's ear out before it's over. Think of a slow steady build in the background as opposed to an extravert's spotlight. Starts fast, slows down for a while keeping a steady pace, then picks it up again at the end after a brief rest for the final kick.

More singing on this album than any other Astro-man album if that means anything....but I wouldn't call it singing as much - voice acting probably more accurate. Much like the accompanying EP of it's time, 1000x, Made from Technetium integrates sound FX more into the songs instead of merely laying them on top, or at the head/tail like on previous efforts. This album is a very cohesive effort by the Astro-Men and a sign they've arrived on the big stage.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Man or Astro-man?, April 6, 2000

By 

Trade Rat® (Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Made From Technetium (Audio CD)

This, along with "Eeviac: Operational index and reference guide, including other modern computational devices", is one of the Man or Astro-man? albums I listen to most often. The CD layout is, as always, just beautiful, and the quality of the songs are superb. From the hypnotic "The sound waves reversing", to the mesmerizing, "Theoretical sounds of slow motion", just beautiful music. And don't miss the amazing combination of "Evert l pipkin" and "Weightless at zero return".

Man or Astro-man? is the only band in the world that could make an air-raid siren sound good ("Muzak for cybernetics", track #9).

5.0 out of 5 stars MAN OR ASTRO-MAN? A PRIME NUMBER ONLY DIVISIBLE BY ONE AND MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?, May 22, 2006

By 

Unlucky Frank (Lalaland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Made From Technetium (Audio CD)

This year the theme for my wedding will be space monkeys. I'll be renting a giant inflatable romper room. I'll be serving mushroom tea to my family and friends. And for dining and dancing music I'll also be hiring MAN OR ASTRO-MAN? to play my wedding. I only hope I can afford the fuel for their jetpacks. My future father-in-law thinks it might be a little bit too much.

How much is too much to pay to hear MAN OR ASTRO-MAN? on the most important day of my life?