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

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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

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.

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#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!

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#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

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#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!

cars and girls punished me for not voting for it by lodging itself in my head for a week straight. one of paddy's best vocal performances, love the way he whispers the "hot rod"/"new god" line.

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#7
I TRAWL THE MEGAHERTZ
from I Trawl the Megahertz (2003)
Points: 380
Votes: 16 (0)
Youtube audio

*heart eyes emoji*

really one of those staggering works of art that i hope to someday match in writing

my #2. totally obliterates me every time i hear it.

if i ever listened to it in a car, i would crash.

I feel compelled to allow 22+ minutes before the next entry.

Didn’t vote for anything from Megahertz as I see it as a complete piece, but if I had would have been this.

lol the first 5 songs on steve are in the top 6

Seems Megahertz ended up half way down my ballot, but it was immediately amongst the "no brainer" entries in my earliest from-memory shortlist.

lol the first 5 songs on steve are in the top 6

I have no idea what the sixth song is though. Blueberry Pies? An early single?

i know what it is

shares a name with another famous song by a famous british band

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#6
FARON YOUNG
from Steve McQueen (1985)
Points: 406
Votes: 19 (0)

Youtube audio

the first side of steve mcqueen has to be one of the greatest sides of a record ever

This is the song that hooked me into Steve McQueen. I remember having it running through my head while on a weekend tramp.

the sunset makes a fence out of the forest!!!!

god that line is so brilliant

lol the first 5 songs on steve are in the top 6

― ooga booga-ing for the bourgeoisie (voodoo chili), Thursday, March 19, 2020 3:17 PM (thirteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

predictable, yet... otm

name five better songs

you can't