Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
I Was Going to Be an Astronaut is songwriter Greg Laswell's gift to concert-going fans. He often changes the arrangements of songs from his catalog in performance. He decided to record these versions in order to accommodate numerous requests. The material dates from his proper debut album, 2006's Through Toledo, to 2012's Landline, with some interesting stops. Laswell played everything here and produced and mixed the set as well. These versions feel stripped down, almost "unmade" compared to those found on earlier releases. Opener "I Don't Believe It's Through" is a 2013 remake of "New Year's Eve." A lithe, broken love song, it's played on a Wurlitzer with clipped low-end electronic beats and sweeping harpsichord sounds, and vocal and ambient textures from the middle-eight on. There is a fine cover of the late Mark Linkous' (Sparklehorse) "It's a Wonderful Life" that's been performed, but never recorded. The inclusion of "December" will prove a treat. Long a feature in Laswell's concert sets, a different version was cut for Through Toledo, but left off. It's a melancholic waltz with piano and synth strings; his lead vocals are highlighted by a wordless, layered backing chorus. As one might expect, Laswell standards “How the Day Sounds” and "Comes and Goes (In Waves)" -- the latter is his most recognizable song from its placement in television shows and its near-ubiquitous presence on YouTube. On it, piano replaces guitar as the central instrument and the tempo is much slower. Despite its deliberately limited scope, I Was Going to Be an Astronaut will give fans something to discuss, debate, and perhaps delight in until an album of new material appears.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From €13,50/month
Greg Laswell, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Mark Linkous, ComposerLyricist - Greg Laswell, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Greg Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Album review
I Was Going to Be an Astronaut is songwriter Greg Laswell's gift to concert-going fans. He often changes the arrangements of songs from his catalog in performance. He decided to record these versions in order to accommodate numerous requests. The material dates from his proper debut album, 2006's Through Toledo, to 2012's Landline, with some interesting stops. Laswell played everything here and produced and mixed the set as well. These versions feel stripped down, almost "unmade" compared to those found on earlier releases. Opener "I Don't Believe It's Through" is a 2013 remake of "New Year's Eve." A lithe, broken love song, it's played on a Wurlitzer with clipped low-end electronic beats and sweeping harpsichord sounds, and vocal and ambient textures from the middle-eight on. There is a fine cover of the late Mark Linkous' (Sparklehorse) "It's a Wonderful Life" that's been performed, but never recorded. The inclusion of "December" will prove a treat. Long a feature in Laswell's concert sets, a different version was cut for Through Toledo, but left off. It's a melancholic waltz with piano and synth strings; his lead vocals are highlighted by a wordless, layered backing chorus. As one might expect, Laswell standards “How the Day Sounds” and "Comes and Goes (In Waves)" -- the latter is his most recognizable song from its placement in television shows and its near-ubiquitous presence on YouTube. On it, piano replaces guitar as the central instrument and the tempo is much slower. Despite its deliberately limited scope, I Was Going to Be an Astronaut will give fans something to discuss, debate, and perhaps delight in until an album of new material appears.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:45:40
- Main artists: Greg Laswell
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Vanguard
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2014 Vanguard Records ℗ 2014 Vanguard Records
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.