Not including the Jackson 5's early records, Ricky Wilde's "I Am an Astronaut" is probably the most bearable pop record recorded by a preteen that I can think of. It was written by Ricky's father Marty, a music star and early British adopter of rock and roll, and features his sister Kim --
yes, that Kim Wilde -- on backup vocals. Furthermore, both Ricky and Marty co-wrote "Kids in America" when it became clear Kim had the family's clearest path to new wave immortality. "I Am an Astronaut," which came out in 1972 when Ricky was 11, probably retains its charm and miraculously avoids that cloying sound by sounding exactly what a curious preteen might have come up with after hearing "Space Oddity" for the first time. And the central idea about childhood fantasy, not to mention the melancholy absence of mum and dad, is touching. I left this off the glam mix (live now, if you know where to find it, wait until tomorrow if you don't), but decided to mainline it straight to your heart. Kim and Ricky are still working together. That's good.
