Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (11/08/90)
Really-From: MasterMind <VNOZICK@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU>
I haven't seen any word of the new Prefab Sprout album _Jordan: The Comeback_
here on gaffa. Has no one heard of them (which I doubt), or does no one other
than me like them?
_Jordan: The Comeback_ is a welcome surprise from Prefab Sprout. The band has
a sound similar to the Dream Academy. This is their fourth album. The first
one, _Swoon_, has a sound which is indescribable. It is nothing like their
later albums. Their second album, _Steve McQueen_ (known as _Two Wheels Good_
in America, where Steve McQueen refused to release the rights to use his name),
has a country feel to it, with Paddy McAloon's lyrics. You may have heard the
songs "When Love Breaks Down" and "Appetite" (They seem to be more popular in
Europe. Here in America they seem to get little attention) Prefab Sprout's
third album, the title of which escapes me at the moment, was overproduced and
lacked the band's distinctive style. So _Jordan: The Comeback_ is
appropriately titled.
The following are the tracks on _Jordan: The Comeback_ (19 songs in all!)
Looking For Atlantis (The first single, and a poor choice, IMHO)
Wild Horses
Machine Gun Ibiza
We Let the Stars Go
Carnival 2000
*
Jordan: The Comeback
Jesse James Symphony
Jesse James Bolero
Moondog
*
All the World Loves Lovers
All Boys Believe Anything
The Ice Maiden
Paris Smith
The Wedding March
*
One of the Broken
Michael
Mercy
Scarlet Nights
Doo-Wop In Harlem
I recommend "Jesse James Symphony", "Jesse James Bolero", "Doo-Wop In Harlem",
"Jordan: The Comeback" (I think this is already a single in England), "The
Wedding March" (I love the big-band feel of this song.), "One of the Broken"
(Paddy (?) sounds great saying the first line 'Hi, this is God here.') and
almost all of the other songs. ("Looking For Atlantis" has even grown on me,
albeit, after about 20 listenings.) The album is much better than there last
attempt. It really is a comeback.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Valerie Nozick "...And then with the charm around him
vnozick@eagle.wesleyan.edu He loosened it so if it slipped between my breasts
He would rescue it..."--Kate Bush
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (11/08/90)
Really-From: Jon Drukman <jsd@gaffa.MIT.EDU> >Really-From: MasterMind <VNOZICK@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU> >I haven't seen any word of the new Prefab Sprout album _Jordan: The Comeback_ >here on gaffa. Has no one heard of them (which I doubt), or does no one other >than me like them? This album got a lot of press on rec.music.misc. I read a stunning review of it in Melody Maker and based on that review, plus the fact that the album was produced by Thomas Dolby, I knew it HAD to be mine. I was not disappointed. >_Jordan: The Comeback_ is a welcome surprise from Prefab Sprout. The band has >a sound similar to the Dream Academy. This is their fourth album. The first >one, _Swoon_, has a sound which is indescribable. It is nothing like their >later albums. I really don't like _Swoon_ at all. And I don't think _Jordan_ sounds like Dream Academy, either. >Looking For Atlantis (The first single, and a poor choice, IMHO) You're crazy! This song is WONDERFUL. When I first put in the disc and heard this, I knew the money was NOT wasted. >"One of the Broken" >(Paddy (?) sounds great saying the first line 'Hi, this is God here.') Yeah, that's Paddy. >The album is much better than there last >attempt. It really is a comeback. No argument there. Everyone should buy it. Maybe Tower Records still has it as their No Risk Disc? -- +---------------------- Is there any ESCAPE from NOISE? ---------------------+ | | |\ | jsd@gaffa.mit.edu | ZIK ZAK - We make everything you need, | | \|on |/rukman | -Fight The Power- | and you need everything we make. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (11/09/90)
Really-From: pwh@bradley2.bradley.edu (Pete Hartman) In <9011081541.AA16880@gaffa.MIT.EDU> Jon Drukman <jsd@gaffa.MIT.EDU> writes: >I really don't like _Swoon_ at all. And I don't think _Jordan_ sounds >like Dream Academy, either. why not? I've been considering buying the first two because of all the raves I've seen, but if someone whose taste is SO impeccable (right) doesn't like them, perhaps I should reconsider. Compare/contrast with _Two Wheels..._ if you could, since it's the album I'm most familiar with (although I have _From Langley Park..._ and _Jordan..._) -- ----- Pete Hartman pwh@bradley.bradley.edu Haazavaa?
Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (11/09/90)
Really-From: Jon Drukman <jsd@gaffa.MIT.EDU> >Really-From: pwh@bradley2.bradley.edu (Pete Hartman) >In <9011081541.AA16880@gaffa.MIT.EDU> Jon Drukman <jsd@gaffa.MIT.EDU> writes: >>I really don't like _Swoon_ at all. And I don't think _Jordan_ sounds >>like Dream Academy, either. > >why not? I've been considering buying the first two because of all the >raves I've seen, but if someone whose taste is SO impeccable (right) >doesn't like them, perhaps I should reconsider. I dunno, _Swoon_ is very "early 80's" sort of dry, stuttery, quirky kind of music. It seems like they were attempting to do lush songs on a small budget. True, _Jordan_ is sometimes overwhelmingly lush, but I think this is much truer to Paddy's vision of pop art as reinterpreting the old standard cliches and updating them slightly. His voice isn't as good on _Swoon_ either. I know why _Two Wheels Good_ worked better for me: Thomas Dolby. I think he and Prefab Sprout are a match made in Heaven. Where would we be without the crazy Fairlight arpeggios on "Appetite"? The workmanlike production of _Swoon_ leaves me cold, and the songs just don't grab. I think _Jordan_ is really the apex of their career, as an overall product, although there are single songs on _Two Wheels_ and _Langley Park_ that are quite outstanding. On the other hand, I know a few net.people who swear by Swoon and claim Jordan is tripe, so you may wish to tread cautiously with my opinions. Anyway, good luck finding Swoon - it's import only. Hard to get. BTW, the other Prefab Sprout album mentioned was "Protest Songs" and I think this sort of vanished... I'm not even sure if it ever was released - I think it was supposed to fit between Swoon and Two Wheels Good. -- +---------------------- Is there any ESCAPE from NOISE? ---------------------+ | | |\ | jsd@gaffa.mit.edu | ZIK ZAK - We make everything you need, | | \|on |/rukman | -Fight The Power- | and you need everything we make. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (11/09/90)
Really-From: David Heath <dave@boingo.med.jhu.edu> In rec.music.gaffa Jon Drukman <jsd@gaffa.MIT.EDU> writes: >On the other hand, I know a few net.people who swear by Swoon and >claim Jordan is tripe, so you may wish to tread cautiously with my >opinions. I haven't heard _Jordan_ (yet), but I do swear by _Swoon_. _Swoon_ and _Two Wheels Good_ are quite different, although there are a few songs from _Swoon_ that would not be out of place on _Two Wheels Good_ (_Technique_ and _Elegance_ come to mind). >Anyway, good luck finding Swoon - it's import only. Hard to get. I've seen copies at Tower Records a couple of times (and I don't get there often). >BTW, the other Prefab Sprout album mentioned was "Protest Songs" and I >think this sort of vanished... I'm not even sure if it ever was >released - I think it was supposed to fit between Swoon and Two Wheels >Good. I see this stated all the time. _Protest Songs_ says on the back that it was recorded in '85 AFTER _Two Wheels Good_. If you like TWG, then I would guess that you would like _Protest Songs_. If you are desperate for _Protest Songs_ and can't find it, try Music Machine in Owings Mills, MD. That's where I got mine. I'm pretty sure they do mail order. There phone number is (301) 356-4567. -- Dave Heath heath@cs.jhu.edu >-- >+---------------------- Is there any ESCAPE from NOISE? ---------------------+ >| | |\ | jsd@gaffa.mit.edu | ZIK ZAK - We make everything you need, | >| \|on |/rukman | -Fight The Power- | and you need everything we make. | >+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
pete@minster.york.ac.uk (11/09/90)
In article <9011080129.AA15848@gaffa.MIT.EDU> Love-Hounds@gaffa.MIT.EDU writes: >Really-From: MasterMind <VNOZICK@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU> > >I haven't seen any word of the new Prefab Sprout album _Jordan: The Comeback_ >here on gaffa. Has no one heard of them (which I doubt), or does no one other >than me like them? > >_Jordan: The Comeback_ is a welcome surprise from Prefab Sprout. The band has >a sound similar to the Dream Academy. This is their fourth album. The first >one, _Swoon_, has a sound which is indescribable. It is nothing like their >later albums. Their second album, _Steve McQueen_ (known as _Two Wheels Good_ >in America, where Steve McQueen refused to release the rights to use his name), >has a country feel to it, with Paddy McAloon's lyrics. You may have heard the >songs "When Love Breaks Down" and "Appetite" (They seem to be more popular in >Europe. Here in America they seem to get little attention) Prefab Sprout's >third album, the title of which escapes me at the moment, was overproduced and >lacked the band's distinctive style. So _Jordan: The Comeback_ is >appropriately titled. In fact ``Jordan: The Comeback'' is their FIFTH album, and ``From Langley Park To Memphis'' is either their third or fourth depending on where you live! I say this because ``Protest Songs'' was recorded after ``Steve McQueen'' but not released in the UK until after ``From Langley Park To Memphis''. I suppose it hasn't made it across to the States yet... Pete Fenelon (pete@minster.york.ac.uk)
jtd18848@UXA.CSO.UIUC.EDU (Julianne T Dunphy) (03/21/91)
Hi all! Just wondering: Does anyone like Prefab Sprout? I've got a couple of their albums and I was wondering if anyone knows if the new one is any good... By the way, ALL of kate's albums are PHENOMENAL!!!! Why argue about which are better??? (Especially between two as different as TD and HoL!) Listen and be amazed.... Julianne -- Julianne Dunphy jtd18848@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu "Mhhm, yes, then I'd taken the kiss of seedcake back from his mouth..." --Kate Bush
py64725@cs.tut.fi (Yli-Krekola Perttu Jaakko) (03/23/91)
In article <9103211457.AA22424@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> jtd18848@uxa.cso.uiuc.EDU (Julianne T Dunphy) writes: > >Just wondering: >Does anyone like Prefab Sprout? I do. >I've got a couple of their albums and I was >wondering if anyone knows if the new one is any good... I like "Jordan" more than the previous album. It's quite long, about 60 minutes, and contains no fillers. I like to listen it when driving. -*PYK*-