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Artist: Alien

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Alien Homepage

CD Title: Shiftin' Gear

 

Category: Hard Rock

Year: 1990

Label: Virgin (Scandanavia)

Catalog Number: 260 466

Personnel

Tony Borg all guitars, bass
Pete Sandberg lead vocals
Berndt Andersson keyboards
Imre Daun drums
Goran Edman backing vocals
Jim Jidhead backing vocals

Tracks

1.	Hold On Move On	5:02
2.	Give It Up	4:04
3.	Desperate Dreams	4:32
4.	Angel Eyes	4:30
5.	In the Dead of Night	3:45
6.	Midnight Jam	0:41
7.	Turn on the Radio	4:25
8.	Strangers in a No-Mans Land	3:59
9.	Don't Turn Me Away	4:34
10.	Neon Lights	4:24
11.	Hello How Are You	4:26
Total Running Time:		44:22

If you see any errors or omissions in the CD information shown above, either in the musician credits or song listings (cover song credits, live tracks, etc.), please post them in the corrections section of the Heavy Harmonies forum/message board.

The music discographies on this site are works in progress. If you notice that a particular Alien CD release or compilation is missing from the list above, please submit that CD using the CD submission page. The ultimate goal is to make the discographies here at Heavy Harmonies as complete as possible. Even if it is an obscure greatest-hits or live compilation CD, we want to add it to the site. Please only submit official CD releases; no bootlegs or cassette-only or LP-only releases.

EPs and CD-singles from Alien are also welcome to be added, as long as they are at least 4 songs in length.

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Existing comments about this CD

From: DRAGONFLY	Date: December 11, 2001 at 15:41
ALL STAR SWEDISH LINE UP. GREAT VOCALS WITH TOP NOTCH PLAYING. SOUNDS LIKE "RAINBOW" WITH PETE SANDBERG AT THE VOCALS. A PERFECT 10!!!!!!

From: José Carlos	Date: February 26, 2002 at 11:04
Buenísimo, Sandberg en su mejor disco, inmenso, uno de los mejores discos con sonido escandinavo.

From: EVERYBODY	Date: May 9, 2002 at 17:42
TO JOSE CARLOS---SAY WHAT?

From: Melodiker	Date: January 6, 2003 at 13:59
Auch die zweite CD ist ein muss ! Tolle Melodien & Songs ! 9\10 Musik die einfach Laune macht !

From: zazpi	Date: February 2, 2003 at 18:04
to everybody: jose carlos say : u must to learn speak spanish !!!!!!!!!

From: Melodiker	Date: February 3, 2003 at 12:34
to zazpi OK,help me to learn the spanish language !!!

From: thunder	Date: April 23, 2003 at 18:38
Eine der besten CD´s die je aus Scandi kam.

From: Teo_3

Date: June 6, 2003 at 20:24

Did you like the first album from ALIEN them you simply HAVE to buy this one as well!!.Hits Like "Desperate Dreams","Angel Eyes","In the Dead of Night" (a bit like Michael Bolton's "Tonight" also performed by Tour De Force?)and "Turn on the Radio" alongside Pete Sanbergh's and Tony Borgh's magical performance make this release simply essential for simply everyone.If you find it just grab with no second thoughts.

From: Great Dane	Date: August 12, 2003 at 8:44
I can highly recomend this one. I finally found it after years of searching.

From: Geoff	Date: May 24, 2004 at 22:34
This is the last Alien release I liked. Great melodic rock CD, but not in the same class as the debut. It's good stuff, consistently good songs and a recommended release. Great listen, but surely a drum machine?!

From: TIM (2)	Date: June 2, 2004 at 13:25
DEFINITELY a drum machine, not sure why they even listed a drummer (perhaps he just toured with them?). Some really good songs but Sandberg isn't the worlds best vocalist as he always sounds a bit strangled. He sounded better on the Snake Charmer "Smoke & Mirrors" than on here, and this was a much better CD. This doesn't match their debut, but is still pretty good stuff.

From: Dani	Date: October 4, 2004 at 13:23
Muy bueno. (El cantante recuerda, a veces, a Eric Martin). Pretty good. (Vocals are, sometimes, similar to Eric Martin).

From: Mike	Date: February 11, 2005 at 16:00
Good! Pete Sandberg is a great vocalist!! but this sure a drum machine!! Check out the cymbals!! 9.00!

From: Lovedrive	Date: February 14, 2006 at 12:06
No está mal, pero muy lejos de su primera obra maestra, cantada por Jim Jidhed

From: juan carlos

Date: February 24, 2007 at 21:58

He de reconocer que me ha sorprendido un poco el disco, muy buenos temas y la voz de Sandberg aceptable, claro que no al nivel de Jidhed IMO. La producción si no esta a la altura de los temas. La 1 está ok y la 2 es rockerilla, aceptable. Mis favoritas son "Neon Lights" lindo solo, "Desperate Dreams" "Angel Eyes" otro gran solo. En la 9 y 11 ya mas tranquilos en plan semi-acústicos, buenos. No un clásico pero está muy bueno como para una buena recomendación. 8.5/10

From: juan carlos	Date: February 24, 2007 at 22:27
"In the Dead of Night" "Turn on the Radio" (que también está en el "Best and Rare") y "Strangers in a No-Mans Land" (vaya tema que me gusta cada vez más! Acá la voz de Sandberg hace muchos cambios y se nota que es un buen cantante buen solo como en casi todo el disco), son tambien excelentes, Saludos.

From: Melo	Date: April 11, 2007 at 4:19
Mein Lieblings Album von Alien ! insgesamt etwas griffiger,deshalb gefällt es mir auch ne Ecke besser,als das Debüt ! Anspieltipps ? schwer zu sagen,da so ziemlich alles genial ist ! Vielleicht Desperate Dreams und Turn on the radio ! 9,5 Points !!!

From: YIRO SEVENTH

Date: October 1, 2007 at 20:45

Aqui ya no me suenan tan escandinavos como en el primer disco, sino que intentan dirigirse a un hard rock mas standard, dando por resultado un material decente con buenos tracks si, como es el caso de "Hold On, Move On", la semi acústica "Angel Eyes" e "In The Dead Of Night". Al contar con un cantante como Pete Sandberg con una voz tan diferente a la de Jim Jidhed, el resultado final se resiente y, aunque no es un mal disco, de ninguna manera se acerca a la gloria del primer álbum

From: lalorock	Date: December 8, 2007 at 16:26
Gran disco,lleno de hermosos teclados y melodías impresionantes, temas como Desperate Dreams,In the dead of night,Neon lights(mis favoritas),son joyas que te harán delirar de gusto,claro este album no es tan mágico como el ALIEN 1988,pero vale tenerlo y escuchar esos temazos con este Pete Sandberg que le dá otro estilo al grupo,8.5/10.

From: shoemaker	Date: April 18, 2008 at 20:04
Sandberg suck!

From: Zoner	Date: August 5, 2008 at 9:13
AOR heaven with Scandi sound! 9/10

From: metalhead4life	Date: January 1, 2009 at 20:43
When compared to the first Alien - S/T this one is disappointing. Songs aren't as good all around. 70/100

From: reading	Date: March 24, 2010 at 13:26
Musim pochalit Sandberga. Pesnicky Turn on the Radio, In the Dead of Night, Desperate Dreams, Angel Eyes a Dont turn me away su skvelo napisane, zaspievane a umelecky dobre zvladnute a najmä sa mozu rovnat tym skladbam za cias este Jima. AOR Forever!!!!

From: rick kerch vzla

Date: April 1, 2010 at 22:22

Alien released this album which is somehow less AOR and more Rock instead with plenty of vintage keyboards added but wait!,the album is a very good one indeed,not the mellow sound of the band a 100% but still kicking hard stuff."Hold On Move On" has the powerful mix of,as i said,vintage keys with solid guitar,"Give It Up" is a very good song,sounds like a harder FM (the band) track but the next song "Desperate Dreams" bring us back to the AOR territory,a good song with memorable chorus,"Angel Eyes" is a killer ballad,"In The Dead Of Night" another AOR wonder,"Turn On The Radio" has a good chorus line,"Strangers In a No Mans Land" is a highlight here along with "Neon Lights" and the beautiful ballad "Hello How Are You"..Pete Sandberg sang the album in a kinda Bon Jovi way (in some parts sounds just like it).Good album,90/100

From: edwithmj	Date: December 5, 2011 at 11:18
This is definitely my favourite Alien release. Not as good as other bands but still a good melodic rock band by all accounts. Give It Up, Angel Eyes and Turn On The Radio are the best tracks for me.

From: Tito	Date: December 8, 2011 at 19:58
Alien went more on a 'sleazy' way and less AOR. I think that's why three more members left the band. I didn't like the production here. Pete sounds strangled as TIM said and the drum sounds is horrible. Some songs are demos recorded in '89, such as "Hold On Move On","Desperate Dreams","In the Dead of Night". Some good songs and ballads, but this album is far of be a winner. 7/10

From: titothetitan	Date: October 27, 2017 at 11:57
I commented this album in 2011 with some wrong info. The original line-up dissolved in late 1989 due musical differences. Nevertheless Pete and Tony released the album using drums and keyboard machines. For me, the production sounds annoying as hell and ruined the songs. The re-release restores some of the demos recorded by the original members and sounds so much better.

From: titothetitan	Date: November 29, 2017 at 7:33
The worst drum sound and one of the worst productions I've ever heard.

From: titothetitan	Date: February 14, 2020 at 20:43
I'm listening to the remastered release [with some additional demos] the sound may be better but the drum machine simply annoys me. And where's Ken, Tony, and Jimmy with his magic keyboards? The demos of some of the songs sounds so much better than the 'high-polished' production what happened to this band!?

From: plastic sheet	Date: July 2, 2023 at 9:40
Perfect. The lead singer is awesome.

From: Hofmann

Date: December 30, 2024 at 8:06

If you put aside the disappointment of mostly bassist Ken Sandin, that Shiftin' Gear was released under the Alien moniker (and not a solo album by band leader Tony Borg), it's actually not far behind the debut. Good singles were Angel Eyes and Turn on the Radio, very good songs. My fave is the splendid Strangers in a No-Mans Land, luv it. Sound of this album is quite good, not perfect, but certainly no worse than the 88 original mix of debut. A well done album, some fillers perhaps, but lots to be happy about and not to be missed for fans of this band. Smooth vocals and yes, Sandberg could pull off Only One Woman live too. I do agree some with titothetitan, not the best drum sound, but not annoyingly bad either. Dark Eyes had better sound, but lacked in the song dept to many fans. Tony Borg looked just like Ritchie Blackmore at the time, with the dark hair, hat and all, obviously an influence. Fun live clip: https://youtu.be/LdLOIR-PARc Jidhed and Edman, decent backup singers

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