Entertainment For Lively Minds
Prefab Sprout
Posted by RobertC on 28 August 2009 - 8:00am.
what with all the hoohaa re. the Sprouts at the moment, I'm considering a preliminary expidition. I had the Faron Young 12" at the time, which I was very fond of, but the little else I heard my adolescent self immediately disregarded as fey and limp wristed ( not Keef ), not to mention the jumping frogs business. However, is it time for reassessment, as they have a few of theirs in my local Library. They're not a sort of English Steely Dan type thing are they, god forbid ?
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Prefab Sprout - not Keef
I do not think that you are wrong.
The jumping frog was a
The jumping frog was a misfire, a throwaway daft lyric that became their defining moment - best to start with Steve mcQueen, quality songwriting, try the deluxe version with the acoustic disc. From there move to Jordan the Comeback - the last third is fantastic and then Andromeda Heights.
The production on all of them can be a little 'of it's timme' but the writing is spot on.
As a detour, go for paddy McAloon's 'I Trawl The Megahertz' as glowingly reccomended on here many times.
Just saw Steve McQueen remastered
on Amazon for only £3.78 so at that price, it's on its way. I think I'll trust in the reputation of this album and hope I'm not disappointed.
is that definitely the remastered one?
Still £9.99 on other sites..
Absolutley
Double checked. Amazon uk plus postage, came to just over a fiver.
Thanks!
Off to amazon...
Lisbon
I've been in there again looking for related stuff, and this is weird. if you mention ' remastered ' in your search it shows ridiculously high prices. However, when I searched this morning I only used the album title. This is where it gets confusing. The details for both are exactly the same : SONY 2007 2 Discs.
This is certain. The former does not mention remastered in product information, but, product details are the same. I am hoping they are indeed correct. If you want to hang fire, I can let you know for sure when I receive mine early next week.
'If you want to hang fire'
Fire hung.
Look up this blog middle/end next week.
I'll let you know what I eventually received.
Its high risk but maybe get
Its high risk but maybe get them out of the library??
Good luck
Steve McQueen
is the one to start with definitely.
Not mentioned so far:
Swoon, their debut, the most arch and for the confirmed only. From Langley Park to Memphis is their most 80s-produced and does contain the jumping frogs, but also in Cars and Girls, Nightingales, I remember that, Venus of the Soup Kitchen some of their best songs.
Starter
this is on amazon for £4.68:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kings-Rock-Roll-Prefab-Sprout/dp/B000WTNDOO/ref=...
It's a good starter as it has singles, album tracks & some b sides (Nero the Zero is a particular favourite).
I'm picking up
a best of called Life of Suprises and Andromeda Heights from the library today. As mentioned earlier, I got a very good deal on amazon for Steve McQueen ( trigger happy compulsive coffee finger I'm afraid ). The only other time I bought an album with no real prior knowledge was a Sandy Denny anthology. I don't think anything can get near that, but even halfway would be top quality.
Life Of Surprises
is an excellent 2CD retrospective, including album tracks and even the theme to 'Where The Heart Is', another sublime song.
Different collection
Life Of Surprises is a single Best Of, the one you are thinking of is called 38 Carat Collection.
Ooops
Corrected stand I.
Nero the Zero - help
I used to love two PS B sides - can't remember what they were called - maybe one was Nero- my memory is hazy but one referred to Captain Barclay and his regiment and the other opened with 'I have lived in Devil's Cross(?) though it's not famous for me, that's an opening line of an ancient song of mine...' Can anyone name these tracks for me so I can try to track them down again? Cheer.
Nero The Zero
This is indeed the title of the tune. It's Neville's Cross - an area of Durham.
aces
- many thanks
aren't they not on spotify?
you can try before you but or indeed never buy and just listen to it for free!
Jordan The Comeback
In my opinion this is Paddy McAloon's masterpiece. Steve Mcqueen is an amazing album and From Langley Park To Memphis has some brilliant songs on it. The chorus of The King Of Rock N Roll may be throwaway but the rest of the lyrics definitely aren't (see below)
The dream helps you forget you aint never danced a step
You were never fleet of foot, hippy.
All the pathos you can keep for the children in the street
For the vision I have had is sweeping
New broom, this room, sweep it clean
Anyway back to Jordan, it has everything. Songs about Elvis, God, Heaven, Jesse James. It even has Jenny Agutter on it. Yes the production is very clean, very of it's time but the songs are amazing.
In a drunken moment I once told Martin McAloon that it was their best album by miles. His answer
"I know, I played on it"
This is
A good place to start
http://www.amazon.co.uk/38-Carat-Collection-Prefab-Sprout/dp/B00002MVSA/...
This should be, but most definitely isn't due to massive production errors on Jordan The Comeback where they managed to miss off the last 4 songs!!!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Classics-Prefab-Sprout/dp/B001Q70...
They do
suffer from production issues pertinent to the time - the syn-drum/squelch-bass/hard-lacquered sound of that period.
For personal as much as aesthetic reasons, Steve McQueen will be one of the greatest albums ever made - as far I am concerned
However, it's probable that Jordan: The Comeback is their greatest achievement.
I have an inkling, given what I know of your other tastes, that actually you may well like the idiosyncratic Swoon and pared down Protest Songs better than either of the above.
A better/more comprehensive selection than Life of Surprises is one called The Collection - which is here:
http://open.spotify.com/album/6sI4itd8x9AdZks4MBfsF6
They are well represented on Spotify - so that's a good way to investigate.
Sadly, McAloon's solo I Trawl the Megahertz is not - but I urge you to seek it out. It will make you cry.
As for being a British Dan - they are not. No-one is. There are parallels but Paddy is kinder and more succesful with women than Donny or Walt.
Hence, more sigh than sneer
Wonderfully informative
and droll as ever. Thanks. I just know that Megahertz will be up my street, and I've a feeling that I will like Steve McQueen, because no matter whatever else, I was born and will die a pop tart.
Not forgetting
Paddy MacAloon's three songs contributed to Jimmy Nail's Crocodile Shoes OST:
http://open.spotify.com/user/dr.pill/playlist/5fcXY679yjNCOoeRHOphik
Protest Songs
Their most underrated album, and with some real gems (Life Of Surprises, Till The Cows Come Home…). Not been mentioned here so far, so I thought I would.
Yes to Protest Songs
Life Of Surprises is a brilliant track and contains my favourite Sprouts lyric ever.
Never let your conscience be harmful to your health
Let no neurotic impulse turn inward on itself
Just say that you were happy, as happy would allow
And tell yourself that that will have to do for now
Agreed
One of my all time favourite lyrics, that. Having read the rather melancholy interview with Paddy in this month's issue, it sounds like he could do with taking his own advice.
To anyone looking to delve into Sproutland - enjoy, but be wary of Andromeda Heights and The Gunman... both scoring high in terms of the Fromage Factor.
I would start with Swoon
and move onto Steve McQueen Langley Park and Jordan Andromeda Heights and The Gunman don't quite hit the heights but they do have their exquisite moments.
Swoon is a remarkable achievement for a first album.
agreed
every track is a masterpiece. I liked Steve McQueen too but felt it lost momentum as it went on. Haven't heard it for over 20 years though.
Buy the lot
They are so cheap, there's no reason not to.
If you want to suck a couple and see then like most I would recommend Steve McQueen and Jordan as the best. The Gunman is probably the weakest but even that has Laredo on it.
For a compilation, go with the two disc 38 Carat Collection thingy.
Can't wait for the "new" album....
Can't stand the production on Steve McQueen
This album has dated badly which is a great shame because the songs are ok but the production is everything that's bad about the 80's sound.
My favourite band
I could single out individual songs, but instead I'll just recommend an order in which to listen to the albums. This is not in my personal preference order (Jordan would be top for a start):
1. Steve McQueen
2. Jordan: The Comeback
3. From Langley Park to Memphis
4. Swoon
5. Andromeda Heights
6. Protest Songs
7. The Gunman (and Other Stories)
"The Collection" (formerly "38 Carat Collection") is a good alternative introduction, and features some non-album singles and b-sides including the debut "Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone)". "I Trawl The Megahertz" is a very good solo album, though very different and definitely not a starting point. Finally, as someone who gets easily bored with acoustic guitar and vocals, I'm pleased to say I can heartily recommend the acoustic re-recordings of much of "Steve McQueen" which came out in 2007. Some genuinely improve on the originals.
Glad to see so many Prefab fans on this site...
How freaking great is the new album?!
:)