Halloween Song: “I See Spaceships”

In my recent review of Chicago singer-songwriter Phil Angotti’s 2022 album Once Around Again, I mentioned that he must be absorbing good habits from the numerous tribute shows he does around town. The list includes The Beatles, The Kinks, The Bee Gees, The Zombies, and Squeeze. He’ll be performing two John Lennon tributes tomorrow at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. The following post, originally run quite a few years ago, highlights Angotti’s knack for incorporating elements of classic 1960s rock into his original compositions.

“I See Spaceships” might be the only rock song that simultaneously evokes The Byrds and The Who while spinning a tale of intergalactic visitors who love to party. Amazingly, this whirlwind of vintage rock from Phil Angotti’s [2013] Life And Rhymes CD was conjured by just three musicians: Angotti on guitars; Casey McDonough on bass; and Brad Elvis on drums. If you’re looking to create a Halloween playlist, you could sandwich this Roger McGuinn/Keith Moon homage between the lighthearted “Mr. Spaceman” by The Byrds and the more ominous “They Are Among Us” by the Chicago band The Redwalls.

“I’ll tell you my story but you won’t believe me,” Angotti predicts as the song kicks off. He describes how the little green men who crash-landed their saucer in his garden are now driving his car, and staying up late to party. Angotti, a 1960s fanatic, specifies these Martians are listening to LPs (as opposed to streaming) and watching movies. They’re also often intoxicated, which might explain why their calls for help to their planet have gone unanswered. Maybe they keep dialing the wrong number. With all the rowdy behavior going on, it’s tempting to think Angotti’s homeowner is near-sighted and is really watching the neighborhood teenagers.

Whoever they are, this guy isn’t about to do a Clint Eastwood and tell them to get off his lawn. “I hope that they stay here, at least until Sunday,” Angotti sings. “I See Spaceships” has a rousing instrumental coda featuring Angotti, McDonough, and Brad Elvis, with a snippet of Orson Welles from his notorious War Of The Worlds radio broadcast layered on top.