865 Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen (1985)

 865 Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen (1985)

Studio Album - Sophisti-Pop



About the Act:

Prefab Sprout were a band from County Durham (UK) who were popular in the 80s. They were formed in 1978 and are officially still going, although only as a solo project for the front-man Paddy McAloon.


About the Album:

This was the band's second album and it is very critically acclaimed. 


My History with this Album:

None


Review:

I once almost met Prefab Sprout several times. I had the distinction of being tasked with switching on their equipment in rehearsal rooms in south Tyneside for a week, they liked it to warm up before they arrived. I was working for a guy who had a unit in the same complex and somehow I ended up being Mr. Switch-On.

So, "Sophisti-Pop", eh? I met that word about 10 minutes ago as I was Wikipediaing the band. Apparently it is a brand of pop in the 80s that blends in elements of jazz and soul. That does describe this music. Left to my own devices I might have called it "Art Pop". 

It's poppy, but only in some ways, kind of in the production and the delivery, which make it more accessible than it might have been. Musically it is quite sophisticated, and somewhat diverse. I guess describing it as pop with jazz and soul is not bad. It's soft, as opposed to hard, and there is an overall mellow feel. The textures used are diverse, with synth-pads and non-distorted guitars. There are few driving beats here, and while there are choruses, and the occasional hook line, these are not singalong classics, and some of the tracks even switch about style quite a lot. 

The sung delivery is also mellow, breathy and understated, wistful at times. The end result is a sound that is kind of "lounge", you could put it on in the background when your friends come round for fondue. And if that was all there was to it, you could imagine I thought it was lifeless. It's not.

Under the façade of soft nylon there is quite a lot going on. The lyrics are thoughtful and interesting, and touch on a range of themes including regret, heartbreak and infidelity. My favourite track is Horsin' Around, partly for the way it dips its toes into jazz more thoroughly, but mostly for the lyrics. Far from eschewing cheating, it is from the point of view of a cheater who regrets it. I feel like our culture could do with more songs like this, exploring the consequences of giving in to temptation. It's a sophisticated song. There are other good songs, and I don't understand them all. One of my favourite lyrics is "I have 6 things on my mind and you're no longer one of them".

Thomas Dolby (another 80s luminary) produced the album, and did a great job, but he had really good songs to work with. This surprised me by how sophisticated and thoughtful it is, and I had always known that the album was well-regarded. Now I know why. Pop does not have to be pap.


8/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/00kb6JZ1mB5KcekOkz3KtH

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMynaxX_I0z9QxsbwviqOkxNYTHnHxHOY

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McQueen_(album)



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