{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2013}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox album | name = Earth vs the Wildhearts | type = studio | artist = the Wildhearts | cover = Earth_Vs_The_Wildhearts.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|1993|08|30|df=yes}} | recorded = 1993 | venue = | studio = * Wessex (London) * Mayfair (London) | genre = *Hard rock *alternative rock *glam punk *power pop | length = 49:21 | label = {{hlist|East West|Bronze}} | producer = {{hlist|The Wildhearts|Mike "Spike" Drake|Mark Dodson|Simon Efemey}} | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Fishing for Luckies | next_year = 1994 }}
'''''Earth vs the Wildhearts''''' is the debut studio album by British rock band the Wildhearts, released in 1993. The title is based on such B-movie titles as ''Earth vs. the Flying Saucers'' and ''Earth vs. the Spider''.
The album has been reissued twice: first in 1994 with the addition of the formerly single-only track "Caffeine Bomb", and again in 2010 with several B-sides from the period.
==Recording== Mick Ronson contributed one of the three guitar solos on "My Baby Is a Headfuck". This is believed to be Ronson's final appearance on record before his death on 29 April 1993. "We had the song 'My Baby Is a Headfuck' and it wasn't that great," recalled Ginger, "but we thought, 'If we can get Ronson to play a solo on it, then it'll work'… And Ronson wasn't around for very long, but I take solace in that it was the last of his recordings you got to hear… We got him to do one more take of the song because we didn't want him to stop playing. He nailed it the first time; we just wanted to listen to him."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Wilding|first=Philip|title=Ever Meet Hendrix?|magazine=Classic Rock|issue=155|date=March 2011|page=38}}</ref>
Sarah Cutts and Stevie Lange guested on the album at the request of the band, who wished to have a member of Cardiacs and the woman who sang the jingle for the 1990s Bodyform advert.
The breakdown on "My Baby Is a Headfuck" uses the riff from the Beatles' "Day Tripper".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Yates|first=Henry|date=2017-09-01|title=The Story Behind The Song: My Baby Is A Headfuck by The Wildhearts|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-my-baby-is-a-headfuck-by-the-wildhearts|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213135700/https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-my-baby-is-a-headfuck-by-the-wildhearts |archive-date=13 February 2019 |access-date=2021-02-06|website=Louder Sound|language=en}}</ref>
==Reception and legacy== {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Demalon|first=Tom|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/earth-vs-the-wildhearts-mw0000623050|title=Earth Vs. the Wildhearts – The Wildhearts|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=27 June 2020}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal'' | rev2score = 9/10<ref>{{cite book |last1=Popoff |first1=Martin |author-link1=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties |publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing |year=2007 |location=Burlington, Ontario, Canada |isbn=978-1-894959-62-9 |page=500}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Record Collector'' | rev3score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Wildhearts: Earth vs the Wildhearts|magazine=Record Collector|page=97|quote=The Wildhearts delivered British hard rock's best album of the 90s with their ''Earth vs...'' debut in 1993.}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Select'' | rev4score = 2/5<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Collis|first=Clark|title=The Wildhearts: Earth vs the Wildhearts|magazine=Select|issue=44|date=February 1994|page=78}}</ref> }} ''Earth vs the Wildhearts'' was voted the best album of 1993 by ''Kerrang!'' magazine in their yearly poll. In 2006, ''Kerrang!'' rated it No. 20 in a special publication of the best Rock Albums. Billy Morrison of Camp Freddy and Circus Diablo states that ''Earth vs the Wildhearts'' is one of his favourite albums of all time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lindsay|first=Andrew|url=http://www.stereokill.net/2009/03/interview-billy-morrison/|title=Interview: Billy Morrison (Camp Freddy)|publisher=Stereokill|date=15 March 2009|accessdate=14 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304230432/http://stereokill.net/2009/03/interview-billy-morrison/|archive-date=4 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On the 15th anniversary of the album's release, in 2008, the Wildhearts toured, playing the original version of the album in its entirety. On its 20th anniversary, in 2013, the Wildhearts reformed for a tour in which the original version of the album was played in its entirety nightly, followed by a second set of songs chosen by the audience.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewildhearts.com/2013/01/01/earth-vs-the-wildhearts-20th-anniversary-shows/|title=Earth vs The Wildhearts – 20th Anniversary Shows – Updated|publisher=TheWildhearts.com|date=1 January 2013|accessdate=4 April 2013}}</ref> One of the gigs on that tour, at Rock City in Nottingham, was recorded for the 2014 live album, ''Rock City vs the Wildhearts''. In 2018, the band went on a short tour playing the album in full, for its 25th anniversary.
==Track listing== {{track listing | all_writing = Ginger | title1 = Greetings from Shitsville | length1 = 4:32 | title2 = TV Tan | length2 = 4:30 | title3 = Everlone | length3 = 6:30 | title4 = Shame on Me | length4 = 3:58 | title5 = Caffeine Bomb | note5 = reissue only | length5 = 2:39 | title6 = Loveshit | length6 = 3:57 | title7 = The Miles Away Girl | length7 = 5:37 | title8 = My Baby Is a Headfuck | length8 = 4:27 | title9 = Suckerpunch | length9 = 2:59 | title10 = News of the World | length10 = 5:49 | title11 = Drinking About Life | length11 = 2:03 | title12 = Love U Til I Don't | length12 = 5:04 }}
{{Track listing | headline = Japanese edition bonus tracks | title12 = Show a Little Emotion | length12 = 3:02 | title13 = Down on London | length13 = 4:39 }}
{{Track listing | headline = 2010 reissue bonus disc | title1 = Nothing Ever Changes but the Shoes | note1 = from the ''Mondo Akimbo a-Go-Go'' mini-album | length1 = 5:40 | title2 = Crying Over Nothing | note2 = from the ''Mondo Akimbo a-Go-Go'' mini-album | length2 = 3:50 | title3 = Turning American | note3 = from the ''Mondo Akimbo a-Go-Go'' mini-album | length3 = 6:24 | title4 = Liberty Cap | note4 = from the ''Mondo Akimbo a-Go-Go'' mini-album | length4 = 4:18 | title5 = Splattermania | note5 = from the ''Don't Be Happy... Just Worry'' mini-album | length5 = 4:07 | title6 = Something Weird Is Going on in My Head | note6 = from the ''Don't Be Happy... Just Worry'' mini-album | length6 = 4:51 | title7 = Weekend (5 Long Days) | note7 = from the ''Don't Be Happy... Just Worry'' mini-album | length7 = 4:25 | title8 = Dreaming in A | note8 = from the ''Don't Be Happy... Just Worry'' mini-album | length8 = 3:31 | title9 = And the Bullshit Goes On | note9 = B-side | length9 = 5:23 | title10 = Show a Little Emotion | note10 = B-side | length10 = 3:03 | title11 = Dangerlust | note11 = B-side | length11 = 6:16 | title12 = Down on London | note12 = B-side | length12 = 4:40 }}
== Personnel == Credits adapted from liner notes.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Earth vs the Wildhearts|type=liner notes|others=The Wildhearts|publisher=East West Records|year=1994|id=4509-94859-2}}</ref>
'''The Wildhearts''' * Stidi * Ginger * Danny * CJ
'''Additional musicians''' * Willie Dowling – piano, keyboards * Ritch Battersby – drums on "Caffeine Bomb" * Stevie Lange – backing vocals on "Loveshit" * Mick Ronson – guitar solo on "My Baby Is a Headfuck" * Sarah Smith – saxophone on "Greetings from Shitsville"
'''Production''' * The Wildhearts – production * Mike "Spike" Drake – mixing, production * Ted Jensen – mastering * KK – engineering * Mark Dodson – engineering, mixing and production on "Suckerpunch" * Simon Efemey – production on "Caffeine Bomb" * Ian Huffam – engineering on "Suckerpunch"
'''Visual''' * Marcel Leilenhof – front cover photography * Steve Double – band photography * Hunt Emerson – illustration * Jonathon Cooke and Borkur Arnarson – Blue Source sleeve * Shoal – art direction
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.thewildhearts.com/historyi.shtml DO ANYTHING: The Life and Times of the Wildhearts]
{{The Wildhearts}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1993 debut albums Category:The Wildhearts albums Category:East West Records albums Category:Bronze Records albums