Forever Alien

Spectrum

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 12, 1997)
• Original Release Date: August 4, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise / Ada
• ASIN: B000005WLM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,135 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Feels Like I'm Slipping Away

2. Stars Are So Far (How Does It Feel?)

3. Close Your Eyes and You'll See

4. Delia Derbyshire

5. Owsley

6. Forever Alien

7. Matrix

8. Like....

9. New Atlantis

10. End

11. Sounds for a Thunderstorm (For Peter Zinovieff)

12. Liquid Intentions

13. Sine Study

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Since the end of the legendary Spacemen 3, my money has been on Jason Pierce and Spiritualized. But Pierce's old partner Peter "Sonic Boom" Kember has finally made an album that matches the accomplishments of the duo's first band. Kember has put down his Vox guitar and turned to vintage analog synthesizers, theremin, and vocoder, and he's made some of his trippiest music ever. (And that's saying something for a guy who once titled an album Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To.) High on the hit parade: the opening track, "Feels Like I'm Slipping Away," and "Owsley," a tribute to the infamous acid chemist. Turn off your mind, relax, float downstream. Jim Derogatis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectrum - 'Forever Alien' (Warner Brothers), February 17, 2005

By	Mike Reed (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

'Forever Alien' is the band's fourth longplayer. As some of you probably know,Spectrum's main player Peter Kember (aka Sonic Boom)was a member of the long defunct Spacemen 3. In fact, I believe that Spectrum truly is a branch of Spacemen 3. Especially with this CD. It's great! Kember now plays the theremin and analog synthesizer. A true slice of ambient drone heaven is to be experienced on 'Forever...'. Certainly may not be for the mainstream at heart, but then again,what really cool music is? Just an outstanding '90's indie space rock release that you're sure to get many trippin' plays from. I wouldn't have even known about this disc had not a friend informed me about it. Tracks that did it for me were the title cut,"Forever Alien" (maybe the best tune on the entire CD), "Feels Like I'm Slipping Away", their remake of Spacemen 3's "How Does It Feel?", "Owsley" and "Liquid Intentions". Recommended if you enjoy this genre.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Klang, November 21, 2000

By	Mr. A. Pomeroy (Wiltshire, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A mixture of ambient drone-rock and analogue synths, this is heaven if you're into vintage electronica - even the album cover is plastered with images of old EMS synths, and the music itself is a masterclass in messing about with old electronic instruments. Thing is, that's pretty much what it is - a guy messing around with old electronic instruments. Whilst reciting pretty bad poetry over the top, in a manner which reminds me of Neil from 'The Young Ones', but with synths. It's therefore an odd half-way point between the out-and-out weirdness of EAR and the tunefulness of Spiritualised, neither one nor the other.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Forever Average, June 26, 2000

By	J. Rossi (Downers Grove, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sonic Boom, aka Pete Kember, has had a varied solo output in the past decade. His early works were similar to his noisy, pop-sprinkled drones in Spacemen 3, complete with lyrics and all. Of late his efforts have relied heavily on ambience, working more with vintage syths, processors, and heavily treated guitar. This album falls somewhere in bewteen those two axis', but is not quite as good as either era. Per usual, the songs rely on one rhythym, one melody, one synth-driven part, and one kind of guitar noise. The songs don't vary within themselves nor from song to song. "Delia Derbyshire" is a song that melds the Sonic Boom of old with the Sonic Boom of now, and "Matrix," "Like...." and "The End" stick out above the rest for not being so bland. The other songs could have been better if lyrics had been omitted; most of the song structures aren't condusive to vocals. This album is from a transitional period in Kember's career and works only at showing what was and what was to come. Not terrible but not comparable to some of the work he had done earlier and has done recently.