Jon Astley - But Is It Commercial?

This is the excellent opening track on Jon Astley's excellent second album 'The Compleat Angler'. Obviously venting his frustration on the music industry's insistence on everything sounding commercial, the track itself is a quirky, but, yes commercial sounding little slab of clever 80s pop. Released in 1988, the album failed to capitalise on the modest success of the single 'Jane's Getting Serious' from his first album 'Everybody Loves The Pilot (Except the Crew)'. After this, he gave up releasing his own stuff and went back to producing other people's material, most famously, 'The Who'.

[@devoncattell]

I love his catchy songs with witty lyrics that aren't dumbed down - such a rare thing. His masculine vocal style and attention to diverse arrangements gives a beautiful texture to the songs too. Wish he'd made more albums.

[@malmnn]

I had this cassette until it finally broke from many, many repeated playings.

[@Phoenix85006]

Hahaha, this is how old I am: I have a cassette, that contains a song that I 'thought' was called "I Can Do That" by Astley, but I can not find it anywhere! Is it on The Compleat Angler under a different title? I recorded it off a radio staion in Phoenix called the Key (KEYX). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[@michaelanderson2881]

I used to hear this guy in regular rotation on WHTG, Eatontown NJ. I thought I remembered them saying that every single sound on this album, with the exception of the electric guitars, was performed on a Fairlight, on which this guy was a programming expert.

[@1354867]

His Dad owned a Fairlight CMI as he always liked to be ahead of the game in technology, that's where he got the experience with programming it, Jon is one of my cousins.

[@aemelnick]

I loved this song then and I still do. I hated the fact that it wasn't a hit. Why, oh why, isn't this album on iTunes? And why won't Pandora let me create a Jon Astley station?

[@stephenchase3352]

If youre here, youve made it. LoL.

[@SpreadingtheMuse]

This is the only other song I've heard of his that even approaches Jane's Getting Serious. Meanwhile, even though he's mad about having to make his music "commercial," the other side of the story is artists who have one good song on their album to "trick" people into buying it, with the rest being totally off-the-wall unlistenable. We can all name several artists who have done that. (Sophie B. Hawkins and Spacehog, we're looking at you...)

[@haybill3000]

"Let's put this love to the test" is very good, too.

[@waikibz]

Been There, Done That, Whats next...unfortunatly for us "No Mas". The world was not ready for this guy. I was told that that he employed the talents of many a super star, to do work on this LP. Can anyone expand on this? {Eric Clapton Guitar solo Janes getting serious}

[@1354867]

Jon mastered some tracks for Eric Clapton and in return he played guitar for him on the track Janes Getting Serious. His dad Edwin Astley was my first cousin twice removed.

[@droz1000]

great track, bold production and he clearly is the 'Q' of music production. Love his voice. I belive he also produced a number of """alan parsons projects"" great vocal!