Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
1985
Album Summary
Steve McQueen is the second studio album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in June 1985 by Kitchenware Records. The album was released by CBS in the United States as Two Wheels Good in anticipation of legal conflict with the estate of American actor Steve McQueen. The album cover references Steve McQueen's lifelong passion for Triumph motorcycles and the 1963 film The Great Escape. On 2 April 2007, it was reissued as a "legacy edition" double CD, featuring a remastered version of the original album and a bonus disc featuring acoustic versions of the songs recorded in 2006 by the band's frontman, Paddy McAloon.
WikipediaWhen people say they don't understand this album, or that it's "too 80's" , what they really mean is that they have never felt soaring, impossible limerance and soul-wrenching heartbreak; their lives have been absent of love and loss. Or, even worse, that they have bad taste in music. Five soulful stars suckas
Never heard of these chaps, but blimey, this is some great '80s pop. The opening track had me thinking this would sound like a cross between Oingo Boingo and the Smiths, but that notion faded quickly as the album went on. They have a cool, optimistic sound. Wikipedia calls it "sophisti-pop" which is funny but seems fitting. Nowhere near as bright and synthy as the usual '80s fare, but I think that works to their advantage, as it doesn't sound so dated. At times, this even reminded me of acts like Beach House and Tame Impala, real hipster stuff. I really dig this album. Favorite tracks: Bonny, Goodbye Lucille #1, Desire As. Album art: Hell yeah. A soft British pop band dressed in tough guy jackets and paying homage to Steve McQueen. I'm pleasantly surprised to learn that the woman featured is actually in the band! Keyboards and some vocals, like a Vicki St. Elmo. The jackets are cool, the motorcycle is cool, the fog, the barbed wire fence, everything is cool. Steve McQueen is cool. This band is really cool. 4/5
A nice if unexceptional record. I’d never heard of this group before, but this further confirms my theory that this list is mostly made by white British critics in their forties and fifties picking their favorite stuff rather than trying to get a list of the most important albums of the modern era. Bony was my favorite tack, it had great production and a nice little melody, as was when love breaks down. Maybe I should have known about this group and missing something?
Jesus, that is one British album cover. Aaaaaaand it's a mix of new wave and pub rock/pop - exactly as expected. Fairly listenable in an inoffensive way, but I lost interest towards the end. 3/5.
Smart, sophisticated, and timelessly stylish, Steve McQueen (titled Two Wheels Good in the U.S. after threats of a lawsuit from the actor's estate) is a minor classic, a shimmering jazz-pop masterpiece sparked by Paddy McAloon's witty and inventive songwriting. McAloon is a wickedly cavalier composer, his songs exploring human weaknesses like regret ("Bonny"), lust ("Appetite"), and infidelity ("Horsin' Around") with cynical insight and sarcastic flair; he's also remarkably adaptable, easily switching gears from the faux country of "Faron Young" to the stately pop grace of "Moving the River." At times, perhaps, his pretensions get the better of him (as on "Desire As"), while at other times his lyrics are perhaps too trenchant for their own good; at those moments, however, what keeps Steve McQueen afloat is Thomas Dolby's lush production, which makes even the loftiest and most biting moments as easily palatable as the airiest adult contemporary confection.
Le groupe Prefabs Prout n'a jamais percé et il en est très complexé. Cet album concept intitulé "Steve McQueen" du nom de l'acteur connu n'aborde qu'un seul thème : la célébrité. Le projet est en quelque sorte une réponse à la deuxième ligne de leur page Wikipedia française qui avait semé la zizanie au sein du groupe.
My god. What part of this album did they say “wow people need to hear this before they die?” Maybe it’s something British that I don’t understand but the whole Steve McQueen bit doesn’t work at all for this album. I’d bet money that one of those tossers saw that bike on the road and said “Oy! Look at me I’m Bullet” and that’s how they took their album cover. I’m not sure where they came up with their name either but nothing about this band and album makes any sense to me. To be clear, I did like Bonny. That was a good song, but like a few others on this list, one good song shouldn’t get you this far. This is just a case of one too many bands of the time trying to vie for my attention. The last thing I am looking for is a new 80’s British Pop band to add to my collection. I’m also enjoying the beat on Horsin’ Around but this whole album kind of feels like that is what they were doing. Also the guy in the back standing up looks like Bill from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Starts off as a strong alternative LP but quickly loses itself in dated synths and truly awful songwriting. I swear everyone in the 80s set their Juno-6 to the same vocal-esque patch and used that for pads.
I'm very sad that I haven't heard about this album until now. I'm getting pretty strong smiths vibes and kapput-era Destroyer (which is my favorite album of all time, so I'm pretty happy about this). The guitars are so crisp on this album, really kind of fresh and refreshing sounding. The melodies are absolute jams, that sometimes go in strange directions that I didn't expect at all, so I was kept on my toes. I feel like bands like War on Drugs and other modern synth rock/pop really encapsulate this same sound, but I found that this album was surprisingly more forward thinking, experimental and interesting than modern synthpop. There's something so smooth about these songs that make them extremely listenable despite throwing in experimental-isms throughout the album. This is definitely going on my "listen again" list.
An immaculately produced jazz-pop record... Technically every song is a winner. Every song invokes a mood, and that’s a mood I want to be in all the time. STANDOUTS: -Faron Young -Bonny -Appetite -When Love Breaks Down -Goodbye Lucille #1 -Moving the River -Horsin’ Around -When the Angels
Engineered by the great Thomas Dolby, the sound quality of this album is superb. This is an album of perfection that never tires or grows old. Why can’t all albums be this way?
Astounding record without a single bad track. The songwriting by McAloon is phenomenally done, and the instrumentation sounds gorgeous. This album could have came out yesterday, it sounds that great. This is another band I had never heard of prior to listening to the track, but this has become one of my favorite listens all year.
8/26 Damn good pop. Standout Tracks: Faron Young, Appetite, Hallelujah, Horsin' Around, Blueberry Pies, When the Angels
This could have been recorded by The 1975. Sounds great, really catchy end to end.
Holy shit did this album catch me by surprise. I had never even heard of Prefab Sprout before this and I loved every track on this album. This might be the first album this generator has introduced me to for the first time that I absolutely, fully enjoyed. Literally don't have enough good things to say about it. Fav songs: bonny, when love breaks down, goodbye lucille
I love this album so much, I've become so obsessed in such little time. It's just that good. The first 5 songs.... just hit after hit for me. Highlights: Faron Young, Bonny, Appetite, When Love Breaks Down, Goodbye Lucille #1, Hallelujah
This didn't make a huge splash in the US, but it was a vital piece of 1980's college radio. It's among the best Side A to be found, with solid tracks back-to-back. This re-listen gave me a reason to revisit why I never "flip over the record", and was reminded that the second side is considerably less consistent. However, the rush of Faron, Bonny, Appetite, When Love Breaks Down, and Goodbye Lucille #1 more than justifies a solid rating. I'd give it 9 our of ten, but will round up for sheer nostalgia value and Thomas Dolby's production.
I have always admired Paddy McAloon as a songwriter. The 80s frequently get a bad rap musically. While I have a lot of issues with a lot of the production (overproduction) in the 80s, there is a great deal of good songcraft to come from that decade. For fans of sophisticated pop, Prefab Sprout’s Steve McQueen is near the top of that list. With obvious tips of the hat to Pasul McCartney and Elvis Costello, with some additional jazz-pop elements thrown in, Steve McQueen is a great listen from start to finish.
A wise man once told me to eat all my sprouts or my dick would rot off. I didn't believe him. By age 14 all I had left was a rusty, festering wound where my dong should have been. My predicament forced me to construct a new cock out of an old dildo and newspaper. It was a disaster.
Never seen or herd of it before… The album opens with Faron young it’s not my favourite song of all time but the echoey vocals and the chaos the song goes into at the very end are both really awesome. Bonny ( according to spotify) is their most popular song ( but isn’t a single) It’s a nice track a slower poppier mostly acoustic based track with great backing vocals so yeah good! Appetite has a great slow (yet poppy) booming intro but then forms into this glossy little masterpiece; these songs are so good. When love breaks down sounds like walking into the gates of heaven another glossy pop rock masterpiece with amazing lead and backing vocals. Goodbye Lucille #1 ( aka Johnny Johnny) has got some of my favourite subtle guitar workings in any song. The slow romantic verses juxtaposed with the booming chorus makes this into a centrepiece to the album. The first half of the album ends on hallelujah it’s not my favourite track on the album but it’s still perfectly made 80’s pop music with amazing lyrics. Moving the river brings back some energy missing from most of the album’s first half while still keeping the same sounds that make this band sound so special, I don’t think the lyrics are as good as that of the ones on the rest of the album but it’s still a good song. Horsin’ around has a great kinda optimistic sounding orchestral keyboard work contrasted quite well with the gloomy lyrics. After the halfway point the song takes a brief left turn into a more old fashioned sounding track but with the same lyrical content. The bass at the end is also cool. I love the synths in desire as this song seems like a break from the rest of the album as it is a super slow 5 minute angelic but still a well written pop song. I love the little sample at the start of the penultimate track blueberry pies speaking of the sonic is an odd mix of of creepy yet lovely dovey its good but no where near a favourite. When the angels closes off the album with one of the faster paced tracks. Other than lyrical content I find this an odd closer but it’s still one of the stronger songs on here. This album is amazing I’am a bit doubtful of if it truly deserves it but I can’t not give it a 5/5.
Love this album. Only low point for me is the opener 'Faron Young'! I guess it's more in that Smiths 80s rockabilly style and the structure and lyrics are pretty straightforward so that's why they made it a single.
A great find. Every song enjoyable 80 British pop that I actually enjoyed.
Every song is interesting! The lyrics are interesting on every song though occasionally stretched to make a rhyme work. I had never heard any of the songs on the album. Very 80s synth but in the best way. So much variation in instrumentation! I LOVE this album! My favorite song was Horsing Around mostly because of the brass
Many of the albums I end up giving five stars find the perfect balance between two contrary drivers in the artist. And so it is here: the pop rush and classic songwriting chops on one side, the witty wordplay, clever time signatures and chords on the other. Side one is one of the strongest side ones of any album in the eighties and it's a crime that When Loves Breaks Down wasn't number one: the record company clearly thought so too as they kept re-releasing it every ten minutes with another free single. No 25 with a bullet and since covered by the Zombies, Snow Patrol and Lisa Stansfield who clearly all know a classic when they hear it. they'd get the big hits on the next album, slightly too much pop rush and not enough of the grit in the oyster.
Totally not what I expected from the cover. Soft and sensual, yet still packing a punch with some songs.
Surprisingly good 80s pop, no standout songs but overall a enjoyable album
Have this one on vinyl. A fan obviously. I'm a sucker for most British sophistipop. Love the Thomas Dolby production. Very crisp and three dimensional. Sounds great on headphones. So many nice touches in the arrangements throughout. The banjo on Faron Young may be my favorite use of banjo in all of recorded music. The more I listen to this the more details I enjoy.
A ghostly yet warm experience of beautiful storytelling. Some ambitious and catchy songs. However, latter half of the album develops into a cringey 80s sitcom dozefest.
Sonorités modernes malgré l'âge de l'album, des paroles originales et ambiances planantes par moments!
Bängeri? Skön pop. Låter som om det inte sku vara något jag gillar men på något sätt så funkar de bara
Never heard of these guys. I enjoyed it for the most part. Very 80s with a hint of new wave.
Este disco me lo compré en el viaje de fin de estudios del instituto. Ha sido agradable volverlo a escuchar. Las mejores para mí: Faron young, Bonny, When love breaks down, Goodbye Lucille #1 y para terminar When the angels. Un grupo inglés que sonaba a ratos como americano y que realmente tenían unas voces impresionantes. Totalmente recomendable.
Holy enjoyment, Batman! An album with a jangle pop inflection that I actually enjoy? What a marvel... This record has a lot of stellar things going for it, from the genuinely fun songwriting to the delivery of the band. The drums and bass lines do exactly what they need to do without sounding flat or invisible, the flourish of guitar and synths give the songs great personality, and Paddy McAloon on vocals is a genuinely pretty good singer. All in all, this is an easy album for me to enjoy, though the slower songs didn't quite capture me. Either way, a great album!
Surprisingly good album. All the tracks have a nice casual swag about them. You could set this album on repeat and go about your business very contently. It really is a pleasant album to listen to in almost any situation. 4 Stars!
This was a pleasant surprise of an album. Sophisti-pop creme with just the right touches of jangle pop and new wave. Bonny and When Love Breaks Down were the standout tracks, but the first half of the album is fantastic.
I listened to the Legacy edition & the US bonus tracks, enjoyed it, maybe the acoustics moreso. Very reminiscent of a casual outdoor playlist, just having part of the album on in the background outside. Reminded me of Dire Straits meets David Gilmour
No mistaking the decade … 18 when this came out … and I liked them then …some great pop tunes … some beautiful writing … I do struggle with the production massive reverb over everything … ultimately gets in the way for me
Band names are so fun. All the words, in all the languages and these dudes landed on Prefab Sprout. Nothing else would do. Had to be Prefab Sprout. Ha. There’s nothing about this album that sounds anything remotely like whatever it is the name Prefab Sprout conjures in my head… and yet, yeah, a lot of this is pretty good! Who are these Sprouts? Why have I never heard or seen a word about this band anywhere ever? Band names. God bless ‘em.
Tricksy, whimsical, luminous - manages to be sophisticated but there are pop hooks all over the place. There's a dizzying array of influences on display here, from Harold Arlen to Squeeze; and I would wager that a couple of guys in Jellyfish had this album. Lovely stuff!
Never heard of 'em. Why do I love this? It's not really grabbing me but... everything is perfect at the same time? I listened to this three times yesterday. Can't believe I've never heard any of this. I kept expecting their hit to play and it never came.
Bland 80s pop, but it begins to shake that on the backend in favor of stuff with a little more variety and soul.
Excellent songwriting, great lyrics, fantastic performances from the musicians. Honestly, the biggest thing holding this back from 5 stars for me is that it can feel very dated in the 80s at times. But damn, it is a rock solid album.
Based on The King of Rock and Roll, I was expecting to hear more New Wave-influenced pop, but I enjoyed the more atmospheric pop ballads as well. Thanks to my late English friend David for introducing me to Prefab Sprout a few years back.
At its best it’s clever and jazzy, at its worst it’s whiny and repetitive. Overall a decent listen. 7/10
7/10. Felt somewhere between Elvis Costello and the Police… Pretty good.
I bought my copy second hand and it came from the library of a radio station (not sure which). They labelled the album with \"Mellow, contemporary, soft rock\". Which is kind of apt when you think about it. Paddy McAloon is a genius song writer since re-discovering Prefab Sprout through my wife, I have always wondered why they weren't bigger.
Very entertaining. The first five tracks on the album are super strong, though they have a heavily produced 80's feel with a bunch of sounds that would be in an ABC video. It tapers off a bit at the end, but really enjoyable.
Now who doesn't love the McAloon Bros! Their lyricism and pure pop approach has so many facets (Some tongue in cheek of course. Spoiler Alert: I Prefer Jordan-The Comeback, to this Album but it still ahs a lot of positives. Love the Title Track and "Faron Young" which is a great opener. Absolute favourite on this album though is "Horsin' Around" which in my opinion shows the bands strengths in both songwriting and musicianship. (echoes of Steely Dan methinks!) Great Album rightfully on the list.
What at first sounds like a typical 80s pop record is actually full of long, complex songs and excellent lyrics. Styles don't change, but shift, from track to track and the music explores a lot of sonic ground.
började som en fyra men föll lite platt mot slutet. dom fyra första låtarna är kanon
First one of these new wave albums I finished in a while. OK GO vibes at spots.
For some reason me and my friend Tara, the guitar player in our jazz band, got ahold of this album back in the day. We were in the most whitebread suburban part of middle America but we sure dug Prefab Sprout. Made our own t-shirts using my brand new Macintosh. Being in high school in the 80's was pretty much the best .
This album was a solid 80s pop and new wave album. I noticed tinges of country in the backbeat in several places. The production by Thomas Dolby, is incredibly layered and brings out the idiosyncrasies in the songwriting.
fabulous example of 80s pop. definitely will listen to the songs on this album for a long while! highlights: bonny, appetite, when love breaks down, hallelujah, when the angels