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

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?!)

https://img.discogs.com/BsGY0uEtAmcOGaGBDNuqVkloDBU=/fit-in/600x458/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10481538-1498335700-4844.jpeg.jpg

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!

https://images2.imgbox.com/74/4e/yMWJxTPm_o.jpg

#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?

https://images2.imgbox.com/be/19/lOwKhz7e_o.jpg

#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.

https://images2.imgbox.com/6c/a8/fZibOe0C_o.jpg

#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

https://images2.imgbox.com/76/3a/W2CgCnbu_o.jpg

#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.

https://images2.imgbox.com/13/09/Xd9vJE3C_o.jpg

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

surprisingly high, but it's a truly fantastic lil song.

I'm turkey hungry, I'm chicken free

SM/TWG is an album of Tetons - pinnacle after pinnacle. Also, "sylph" - what a great word to use.

Surprised at the high placement for Moving the River. That was my lowest nom off the album.

I've grown to really like 'Moving The River' simply through the strength of the lyrics.

https://images2.imgbox.com/ef/ea/QlCMOPTI_o.jpg

#10
WE LET THE STARS GO
from Jordan: The Comeback (1990)
Points: 337
Votes: 17 (0)
Youtube: promo video

Moving the River is my favourite from the second side of Steve McQueen. I probably should have voted for more Steve McQueen tracks - I heard it years before any other Prefab album, before my fandom really kicked in, so I always take it for granted a bit.

I like how We Let The Stars Go is about Michael Jackson:
"I wrote this in August 1988 - the day Michael Jackson played Leeds. I had tickets but I gave them away because I love Michael Jackson and I thought it would spoil the dream. And I'm glad I did 'cos I wrote this. It's a phrase that could've been in any song over the last 40 years - 'we let the stars go'. Its very Hollywood."

http://www.ferhiga.com/prefab/entrevistas/psf_trk1990_eng.htm

Apparently Sound of Crying started as being about Michael Jackson too. Paddy McAloon originally wrote the song in April 1990[1] for a proposed biographical album about Michael Jackson, who he was fascinated by. The verses originally listed unhappy things that had happened to Jackson,[1] while the original lyrics of the chorus were "Only the boogie music / Will never, ever let you down".[2][3][4]

He should definitely recycle "Only the boogie music / Will never, ever let you down".

Somehow I encoutered the title of "Stars" years before I actually heard it. I recall imagining that it was about about a hostage situation!

^Good god. The typos!

https://images2.imgbox.com/42/35/ggdf69Ga_o.jpg

#9
THE ICE MAIDEN
from Jordan: The Comeback (1990)
Points: 356
Votes: 17 (2)
Youtube audio

YEAH

a deep dive into Prefab Sprout is *exactly* what i need at this moment

very high on my ballot, brilliant song

Popping up from my quarantine hole to cheer this, it was my #1

Incredible song, kind of encompasses the full measure of this band’s and McAloon’s brilliance.

death is a small price for heaven

I love The Ice Maiden, the intro sounds like it should be the music on an Amiga platform game.

You're the Ice Maiden
Today you meet your match
Girl when I burn
Hell nothing's the same
I'll singe your pretty blond lashes
We're talking fire
We're talking flame
We're talking ice into ashes

Love what I assume is the double meaning of “match” there

My #2, I love how it's about ABBA. If I'd voted in the lyrics poll I'd have taken "death is a small price for heaven".

Ice maiden was my number 3, everything about it is amazing. My fav moments: the ringing guitar and echoing scream during the second bridge, the almost imperceptible key change, when the groove really kicks into gear after returning from “all these nights I’ve dreamt of you”

GIRL WHEN I BURN, HELL NOTHING’S THE SAME
I’LL SINGE YOUR PRETTY BLONDE LASHES

one of my fav tricks of paddy's is his use of drastic key changes, not a half step or a whole step, but big intervals. ice maiden has a key change up a fifth, and it's a super cool effect, because he's playing the same chord that open the song, but the harmonic context makes it feel so different.

scarlet nights and the jordan title track have these kind of big interval key changes too, but they're a lot more noticeable

https://images2.imgbox.com/68/e7/FVkw6qB4_o.jpg

#8
CARS AND GIRLS
from From Langley Park to Memphis (1988)
Points: 369
Votes: 18 (1)
Youtube: promo video

My #1. The most affectionate-sounding diss track ever.

does heaven wait
all heavenly
over the next horizon

It's so... durable. It felt like their biggest hit here when I was a child (not much competition really: only "Appetite" seemed to get much radio play otherwise) and it has always sounded fresh to me. I let it play twice just now after fetching the video. I virtually never do that!