1 post tagged “prefab sprout”

Let me start by stating my position clearly. Prefab Sprout's 'Jordan: The Comeback' is quite possibly the best album ever recored.

It is what a concept album ought to be. It does not bind itself to single strict conherent idea, but rather follows a series of themes to create an aural pathway through nineteen tracks. It winds its way past desire and regret through Jesse James and Elvis round about love and religion. Along the way the verbal masterstokes of Paddy McAloon's wordplay are brought to life by the rich deep colours of Thomas Dolby's production.

This album was released in 1990 and was the eagerly awaited follow up 'From Langley Park To Mepmhis', which spawned the earworm of a hit single 'The King of Rock 'N' Roll'. For me 'The King..' conjures up very vivid memories of 1988. It was the sound of my summer. So I was keen to hear what pop masterpiece the oddly named group would launch into the new decade. And yes, was I in for a good time..

'Looking for Atlantis' kicks things off in an upbeat style familar to fans of  '..Langley Park..' with its 'woooowoooowooooo' vocals and jangly guitars. A thumping beat keep this swiftly moving along, while Paddy tells of a love close to hand, which is constantly overlooked in the search for bigger and better things.

The musical pace slows for a gentle sweet story of the desire older man feels for a younger foal, perfectly accompanied by a spoken cameo by actress Jenny Agutter, softly but firmly intoning the theme of this song, 'I want to have you.' It's a tale of aching desire and foolish hearts that, without fail, brings a tear to my eye. If there is a jewel in this album, 'Wild Horses' is it.

We go off on a slightly surreal tangent with the tale of the totally cool 'Machine Gun Ibiza', before returning to tales of love past with 'We Let The Stars Go'. We drift through this song about a dying ember of a love, once bright,that can't be rekindled and into the upbeat and even funky 'Carnival 2000', before we first hear Paddy as the voice of Elvis / God in the title track of the album. It is the first of the religious themed tracks, a jangling sing a long of a track, which leads us to the Wild West siblings 'Jesse James Symphony' &  'Jesse James Bolero'. Lyrically they tell the story of a boy born to badness, musically they are a respectively a lullaby and a dance.

Thomas Dolby's sweeping production really comes to the front on 'Moon Dog' where the whirling beeps and echoes a life adrift above the earth before the anthemic rock feel takes us into stellar territory. The typically obtuse lyrics only add to this pseudo stadium rock anthem.

The next quarter of the album is dedicated to love and romance. 'All The Wold Loves Lovers' tells a cautiously cynical tale of love, as we hear the confessions of man who understands how sickly young lovers can appear, whilst knowingly admitting that there is a definite charm to the warmth that only sweet romance can bring. We then go on to hear tales of naive boys, ice cold women and a sweet child yet to be born but already named as the beautiful 'Paris Smith'.

The last section of the album is spiritual both in subject and feel. We hear the voice of God once drifting back to remember the way things used to be, as 'One Of The Broken' becomes a piano led hymn. Next Lucifer sends his apologies to God through to the archangel 'Michael', before an acoustic prayer for 'Mercy' requests the ulitimate forgiveness. We return to the thumping pace set at the start of the album with 'Scarlet Nights' ringing out a booming stadium rock sound, until the band reign it all back in for the rich closing harmonies of 'Doo Wop In Harlem'.

'Jordan' certainly has tracks which fit neatly onto a Greatest Hits package, with a strong reflection of the 80's / 90's stadium pop / rock sound, but it is a package best listened to as a whole. The outstanding production weaves a golden musical thread around the separate lyrical strands to form an exceptional body of work. If you like perfect british pop music with a strong lyrical twist, then look no further than 'Jordan: the Comeback'. This is by far the best example ever recorded, a classic of the genre.