Astronauts

***The Astronauts second album It’s All Done By Mirrors was originally released by All the Madmen in 1983 and finally gets reissued on vinyl for the first time. Original copies are now really sought after and on a lot of people's wants lists due to both its scarcity and its status among outsider art, free music and weirdly enough peace punk fans. It’s All Done by Mirrors is a stunning collection of explosive pop songs and traditional folk ballads and considered to be the pinnacle of the Astronauts recorded output. It’s easy to hear and see why. Musically it’s tighter and more focused than on the debut album Peter Pan Hits the Suburbs and lyrically it’s on another level. From Mark Astronaut's lyrical pen comes a woman dreaming of the Dorset coast whilst writing to her former lover (Seagull Mania); or the man on the street and his wife living out the final day before nuclear destruction (Typically English Day). Mark Astronaut really should been seen in the same light as Ray Davies from the Kinks with his observations of a time long gone. Three of the tracks feature legendary sax player Lol Coxhill. As with all Astronauts releases - totally under rated yet totally essential.