The Man Upstairs (album)

The Man Upstairs
Studio album by
Robyn Hitchcock
Released2014
Recorded2013
GenreFolk pop
LabelYep Roc
ProducerJoe Boyd
Robyn Hitchcock chronology
Love From London
(2013) 		The Man Upstairs
(2014) 		Robyn Hitchcock
(2017)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(70/100)[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

The Man Upstairs is the twentieth studio album by Robyn Hitchcock. It was released on August 26, 2014 on the Yep Roc Records label. The album comprises ten acoustic songs, all produced by Joe Boyd, noted for his work with various folk acts in the 1970s.[2]

It contains five original songs by Hitchcock and five covers of songs by the Psychedelic Furs, Roxy Music, Grant-Lee Phillips, Norwegian indie-rock band I Was a King, and The Doors. I Was a King's Anne Lise Frøkedal also plays guitar and sings vocal harmonies on the album. The album's cover was created by musician and artist Gillian Welch.[2]

In 2020, Hitchcock released an album of outtakes from the Man Upstairs sessions, The Man Downstairs: Demos & Rarities.[3][4]

Reception

The album was well received by critics: according to Metacritic, the album has received an average review score of 70/100, based on 17 reviews.[1]

Track listing

No.TitleComposerLength
1."The Ghost in You"Richard Butler, Tim Butler4:28
2."San Francisco Patrol"Robyn Hitchcock4:19
3."To Turn You On"Bryan Ferry4:10
4."Trouble in Your Blood"Robyn Hitchcock4:42
5."Somebody to Break Your Heart"Robyn Hitchcock2:21
6."Don't Look Down"Grant-Lee Phillips5:08
7."Ferries"Anne Lise Frøkedal, Frode Strømstad3:02
8."Comme Toujours"Robyn Hitchcock3:08
9."The Crystal Ship"The Doors, Jim Morrison2:27
10."Recalling the Truth"Robyn Hitchcock4:26

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[5] 49
US Top Current Albums (Billboard)[6] 184
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[7] 11
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[8] 45

References

  1. ^ a b "The Man Upstairs - Robyn Hitchcock". metacritic.com. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Monger, James Christopher. "The Man Upstairs - Robyn Hitchcock". Allmusic. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  3. ^ Bill Pearis (7 August 2020). "Robyn Hitchcock covers Nick Drake, Pink Floyd on new rarities album for Bandcamp Friday". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  4. ^ Darryl Sterdan (7 August 2020). "Reviews: Robyn Hitchcock, The Man Downstairs: Demos & Rarities". Tinnitist. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Top Current Albums". Billboard.biz. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Robyn Hitchcock Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  8. ^ "Robyn Hitchcock Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2018.