Homosapien is the second solo album by British musician Pete Shelley, released in 1981 by Arista Records in the U.S. and Genetic/Island Records in the UK. The album follows his experimental instrumental album Sky Yen (recorded in 1974 but released in 1980) and his work with the group Buzzcocks, who initially disbanded in 1981. Homosapien saw a marked departure from the punk stylings of Buzzcocks' records, being heavily influenced by the programmed synthesizer sounds and drum machines of synthpop, with the addition of Shelley on acoustic guitar. The title track was released as a UK single and was banned by the BBC due to "explicit" homosexual references, but was nevertheless a hit in several other countries.
Background
Homosapien grew out of rehearsals for Buzzcocks' fourth album, helmed by producer Martin Rushent. After experiencing a difficult year in 1980, Buzzcocks convened at Manchester's Pluto Studios early in 1981 to start work on the album. The majority of the songs that Shelley brought into these sessions had been written between 1973–75, before he had formed Buzzcocks and when he was still in his late teens.
Ultimately, the Buzzcocks' new sessions proved to be unsuccessful, exacerbated by EMI's refusal to pay an advance for the recordings, which put further strain on the band's already difficult financial situation. Seeing the tensions within the band and sensing that Shelley was in need of a break, Rushent halted the sessions on 9 February and suggested to Shelley that the two of them should decamp to Rushent's newly built Genetic Sound studio at his home in Streatley, Berkshire to work on new material.
Recording
Shelley and Rushent began recording tracks on 13 February. In addition to Shelley's 12-string guitar, the duo made use of Rushent's new technologically advanced studio equipment, namely a Fairlight CMI, module banks and analogue synthesisers, including a Roland Microcomposer.
Shelley subsequently left Buzzcocks in March 1981, Following the release of Homosapien, Buzzcocks would not release any new material for 14 years It reached the top ten in Canada and Australia, and fell just outside of it in New Zealand.
Due to contractual issues in the UK, the Homosapien album was first released in the U.S., The album was promoted there with college radio airplay and several concert dates from Shelley. Shelley wears a white suit with a green carnation in the lapel, a symbol for homosexuality originated by Oscar Wilde. and then again on 16 November 1981, Homosapien finally received a UK release on 15 January 1982. A third single, "Witness the Change", peaked at No. 63 on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart in May of 1982. A different edition with bonus tracks was issued by V.A.R. on 21 March 2006. On 6 June 2025, expanded editions of both Homosapien and XL1 were released by Domino Recording Company.
| rev2 = Q
| rev2score =
| rev3 = Rolling Stone
| rev3score =
| rev4 = Smash Hits
| rev4Score = 7/10
| rev5 = The Village Voice
| rev5score = B+
| noprose = yes
Gavin Martin of NME said that "Homosapien is the first chance to examine the solo Shelley over the full range of interests and emotions but it is a disjointed album... the problem is the bulk of the raw material is too ineffectual, often embarrassing and half realised, to give the songs a focal point which binds, injects or drives them with the necessary conviction or resolution... It lacks energy, urgency and desperation, something to grab on to: the power to wake you or make you or shake you up. A shame because Shelley still has a lot to give." Adam Sweeting of Melody Maker opined that by "leaving behind massed guitars and thunderous drums, Shelley and Rushent have evolved a richer and more varied dictionary of sounds... If it doesn't always convince, it's persuasive enough to warrant long-term investment." In The Trouser Press Guide to New Wave Records (1983), Trouser Press writer Steven Grant observed that "The turn to electronics doesn't signal a surrender to them", as "the songs, not the technique, remain paramount. Shelley seems to draw influence from a wide group of sources (such as the Doors and Marc Bolan), and the album cleverly sidesteps the trap of monotony that sometimes afflicted the Buzzcocks."
In retrospective reviews, Tim Sendra of AllMusic said, "The title track is the perfect example of the pair's vision for his new sound, combining robotic rhythms and otherworldly vocals, plus a bridge that is heart-stoppingly good even after hearing it a hundred times. The rest of the record may not have reached the lofty heights that song did, but there are plenty of moments where Shelley proves his inspiration worthy."
- Pete Shelley – vocals, instruments
- Martin Rushent – programming, instruments
Technical
- Paul Henry – art direction
- Trevor Rogers – photography
- Bruno Tilley – graphics
- Martin Rushent – mastering
Charts
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Chart (1982)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report)
| style="text-align:center;"|42
|-
|Canada (RPM)
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|}
Release history
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Label
!scope="col"|Format
!scope="col"|Catalog
|-
| United States
| 1981
| Arista
| rowspan="2"| LP
| AL 6606
|-
| rowspan="3"| United Kingdom
| rowspan="2"| 15 January 1982
| rowspan="2"| Genetic Records/Island
| ILPS 9676
|-
| Cassette
| ICT 9676
|-
| 23 June 1994
| Grapevine
| CD with six bonus tracks
| GRACD 201
|-
| United States
| 21 January 1997
| Razor & Tie
| CD with five bonus tracks
| RE 2126-2
|-
| United Kingdom
| 3 April 2006
| Western Songs Ltd.
| Remastered CD, same as Grapevine reissue
| VARCD001
|}
References
Bibliography