I POLLED the Megahertz - ILM Artist Poll #100 - Prefab Sprout - RESULTS

I for one approve of this strategic vote.

I'll start rolling out the final batch, when I wake on Friday morning (GMT+10), perhaps twelve hours from now. I'll drop a handful of the 'teens at a more leisurely pace in the meantime, starting with...

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#19
LIFE OF SURPRISES
from Protest Songs (1989)
Points: 224
Votes: 16 (0)
Youtube audio

That photo from the back of the single (arriving in 1992, to promote the best-of which shares its name) is presumably even further removed from the recording date, chronologically, than the official Protest Songs release. Maybe seven years!? LOL, oh well.

i didn't realise it wasn't released as a single until the best-of. they really have such an odd chronology as a band

Great song, it's nice that the Best Of gave it some recognition, albeit belated!

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#18
LIONS IN MY OWN GARDEN (EXIT SOMEONE)
Single A-side (1982)
Points: 269
Votes: 16 (2)
Youtube audio

Too low, etc, etc. High-five to the other first-place voter!

a lot of their early stuff feels like a weirder, proggier version of a certain type of smiths song

I didn't vote in this poll, but I'm enjoying the rollout massively. I like Prefab Sprout, but I never know whether I love them. I feel like they keep me at arm's length.

I love Lions In My Own Garden, and maybe it's one where arm's length works. "The rumours have started that we are both young" is one of my favourite lines by anyone. It's sort of low-key heartbreaking, once it sinks in.

i have no idea if it'll place and i didn't vote for it, but "real love" is by far my favourite pre-steve mcqueen track

i mean "radio love"

I gave minor points to "Radio Love" but I don't think many others did.

A weirdier, proggier Smiths would surely be the best band ever. :)

Also: verhexen! Hello!

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#17
SCARLET NIGHTS
from Jordan: The Comeback (1990)
Points: 272
Votes: 16 (1)
Youtube audio

"scarlet nights" into "doo-wop in harlem" is such a fantastic closing duo

^ Yes! This exercise has, incidentally, been exactly what I needed to finally properly absorb the later sections of Jordan.

This thread remains quite quiet but I'll drop one more now. I'll return in 6 or 7 hours to finish off the top 15.

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#16
LOOKING FOR ATLANTIS
from Jordan: The Comeback (1990)
Points: 281
Votes: 19 (0)
Youtube audio

Scarlet Nights is my number one.

Is there a more ecstatically beautiful song anywhere about the sweet release of death?

Nearly all of my ballot has now placed, and I thought mine was a fairly crowd pleasing one.

My ballot's about half accounted for, 4 of my top 10 listed already. Have hopes for most of the rest, but now wondering if Life's a Miracle or Bearpark will place. Haven't hit one on the nose, though Scarlet Nights and Cruel were only 3 different, me vs group.

Blue as water, Jordan's waters.
Blue as dawn and dawn will take you home.
Scarlet nights, waiting sleep, is overdue.
Scarlet nights, ending here on in, they're blue.

Sorry but I’ve never really got the second half of ‘Jordan’...

Too low, etc, etc. High-five to the other first-place voter!

― Nag! Nag! Nag!

Hi there! There's just something about Lions In My Own Garden. It's another one that I get stuck in my head almost daily and constantly hovers around my top 10 songs of all time list. Such an amazing and mysterious debut single. I mentioned Gary Mulholland's two books on the voting thread. The way he wrote about Lions in This Is Uncool was so brilliant and made me want to check it out instantly.

Scarlet Nights was the last song I cut from my list. Looking back now that seems like a ridiculous decision.

Looking For Atlantas might be my favourite Sprout opener. I love the energy the song has. My favourite moment is the way he sings, "and I know" in the very last part of the chorus.

Sorry but I’ve never really got the second half of ‘Jordan’...

― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Thursday, March 19, 2020 9:05 AM (thirty-five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

you mean the better half?

I'm glad this is here, i found it baffling that it was left off the 'best of' even a couple of years later (although it WAS on the video?!)

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i'm glad "looking for atlantis" made it this high. 0 votes in the jordan poll

yeah i love the bass (programming?) on on that song,

Less than half of my ballot has placed so far. With most of Steve McQueen still to come, there are a bunch that are clearly going to miss. I'm a little surprised about Dublin from Protest Songs and Electric Guitars from Andromeda Heights - would be surprised to see either this high.

Good morning!

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#15
I REMEMBER THAT
from From Langley Park to Memphis (1988)
Points: 283
Votes: 14 (1)
Youtube: promo video

nothing sounds as good as

my highest-ranked track from langley park

Maybe words never spoken, aren't they the ones worth hearing?

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#14
THE BEST JEWEL THIEF IN THE WORLD
from Crimson/Red (2013)
Points: 287
Votes: 19 (0)
Youtube: promo video

Nice on the 1st place voter - that's a great track to choose. Kind of like The Blue Nile to me, Paddy makes amazing what could be treacle with a lesser lyricist or singer. Such as

Woke up to the sound of pouring rain
The wind would whisper and I'd think of you
And all the tears you cried, that called my name
And when you needed me I came through
…

Remember yesterday, walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sand, I remember you
Through the sleepless nights through every endless day
I'd want to hear you say, I remember you oh oh

Best of the recent tracks by far. Think the fan made video is superior to the official version. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WnATZLcXuA

where can i procure a bag marked swag?

What do any of those assholes know?

Living on a thoroughfare, the police sirens a few bars from either end of the track still manage to fool me if listening at home.

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#13
THE SOUND OF CRYING
from A Life of Surprises compilation (1992)
Points: 302
Votes: 15 (2)
Youtube: promo video

hmm, i was led to believe that it was #1 across the earth.

I bought a VHS to DVD s/w package, in large part because these videos have never come out in DVD format. Wendy's short haircut reminds me of a girl from college, another layer of association.

What does celebrating the music of the spheres mean?

I always interpret those two 1992 tracks as being about McAloon breaking up with Smith.

my no. 1, way too low

"if you don't love me" is a breakup song, sure, but "the sound of crying" seems... extremely not

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#12
DESIRE AS
from Steve McQueen (1985)
Points: 315
Votes: 13 (2)
Youtube audio

Re: spheres, I took that line as being harmonious with nature. Could also be a reference to 1987's Harmonic Convergence? But guessing it's more the Wikipedia definition.

From Wikipedia: "The musica universalis (literally universal music), also called music of the spheres or harmony of the spheres, is an ancient philosophical concept that regards proportions in the movements of celestial bodies—the Sun, Moon, and planets—as a form of music."

"if you don't love me" is a breakup song, sure, but "the sound of crying" seems... extremely not

I think of it as personal heartbreak feeding into big existential questions.

Only just noticing the number of votes involved at this level. Impressive that "Jewel Thief" was on more than 2/3 of ballots. Only a handful of tracks in the top #11 beat that.

There are a lot of distractions at the moment (maybe Prefab fans are also shy?) so I guess it falls to me to say: "Desire As" -- rather good innit, LOL.

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#11
MOVING THE RIVER
from Steve McQueen (1985)
Points: 332
Votes: 20 (0)
Youtube audio