Planet England is a collaborative EP by English alternative rock songwriters Robyn Hitchcock and Andy Partridge. It was released September 6, 2019 by Partridge's label, Ape House.[1][2][3][4]

Planet England
EP by
ReleasedSeptember 6, 2019 (2019-09-06)
GenreAlternative rock
Length16:56
LabelApe House
Robyn Hitchcock chronology
Robyn Hitchcock
(2017)
Planet England
(2019)
The Man Downstairs: Demos & Rarities
(2020)
Andy Partridge chronology
Gonwards (with Peter Blegvad)
(2012)
Planet England
(2019)

Recording and songwriting process

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The recordings were first made in 2006 in Partridge's backyard home studio in Swindon, England, which Hitchcock jokingly described in one interview as "two old psychedelic pensioners rocking away in a shed in a back garden," but also noted that Partridge's well-known production and technical skills made his back-garden shed "the equivalent of the entire firepower of Abbey Road's Studio One." The songs were written together around Partridge's kitchen table, in what Partridge described as a "genuine 50/50 collaboration." Both men sang and played guitar; Partridge played bass and drum programming, and did most of the post-production. The recordings were not completed until 2018, when Hitchcock and Partridge got back together to mix them.[4][5][6]

Both Hitchcock and Partridge remarked in the press that their collaborative songwriting came unexpectedly easily, perhaps because of their similar life experience as vanguards of the 1970s/1980s alternative rock movement and similar set of influences, including Syd Barrett, The Beatles, The Kinks, and Captain Beefheart.[4][5] (The title of "Turn Me On, Deadman" references the backwards-masked phrase that can supposedly be heard in the Beatles' "Revolution No. 9.") Another collaborative album is planned.[7]

Critical reception

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Mark Smotroff of Audiophile Review said that the EP "initially underwhelmed me, but on subsequent listens [its] charms and strengths emerge," giving particular praise to how well the singers' voices work together, and the "unexpected chord changes [and] harmonic shifts" of the "McCartney-esque" song "Got My..."[8] Record Collector magazine said the EP was "a small eternity in gestation but is eminently worth the wait; a plump, luscious yield."[7]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Robyn Hitchcock and Andy Partridge

No.TitleLength
1."Turn Me On, Deadman"3:34
2."Flight Attendants, Please Prepare for Love"3:59
3."Got My..."3:40
4."Planet England"5:43

References

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  1. ^ "Robyn Hitchcock & Andy Partridge - Planet England". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  2. ^ "Robyn Hitchcock / Andy Partridge – Planet England". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  3. ^ Arcand, Rob (August 4, 2019). "Robyn Hitchcock and XTC's Andy Partridge Announce Collaborative EP as Planet England". Spin. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  4. ^ a b c Pearis, Bill (August 5, 2019). "Robyn Hitchcock & XTC's Andy Partridge finally releasing long-in-the-works EP". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  5. ^ a b Enos, Morgan (2019-09-03). "Andy Partridge and Robyn Hitchcock on Being Old Competitors and Now 'Dismal, British' Collaborators". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  6. ^ Hertweck, Nate (2019-12-08). "Robyn Hitchcock On Nashville Living, His 'Planet England' EP, John Lennon's Legacy & Making "Beatles Music"". Grammys.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  7. ^ a b "Robyn Hitchcock and Andy Partridge". Record Collector. No. 500. Christmas 2019. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  8. ^ Smotroff, Mark (October 3, 2019). "XTC Sensations - Robyn Hitchcock, Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers, On Two New 10-inch Vinyl EPs". Audiophile Review. Retrieved 2020-08-11.