Steve McQueen

A band I whose name I'd heard before, maybe as a punchline to a joke I didn't get, but never listened to. An album where you picture the music video for every song - all kooky animations and billowing curtains and neon moods. It sounds great, bearing all the hallmarks of its time. The guitar sound especially is so good, bell-like hypercompressed and so clean it cuts. The bass has an awesome pop to it and the synths are cornier than a road trip in Iowa. Jazzy funk straight from the supermarket radio paired with new wave art pop, the songwriting is full of yearning instropection and heartache juxtaposed to upbeat music. It fades in the final third and Horsin Around is a hard pass. Favorites: Bonny, Goodbye Lucille 1

I think I would have probably liked this if I was alive when it came out but it also wasn't that special to me now

Lucille #1! Not bad, overall! Some catchy songs that I enjoyed.

Not bad. Some of it was kinda catchy and has a cool tone

Meh

probably wont remember it. but solid 3

Never listened to this before. It's good 80s pop and reminds me of high school. Overall it's not my thing as I was more into the goth/punk scene in the 80s.

Better than most sophisti-pop records, I suppose. 3/5

All over the place. Sounds at time like a 2020 bad trying to sound like a band from 1980.

It's ok

#453. While there's nothing technically wrong with this, but I think it's safe to assume that if you're not British and born in the 60s, then you probably don't give a fuck about whatever is happening on this record. 3/5: mid

Meh

Better than most the other 80's pop on this list. Will I listen to again: 15%

Ok, american new wave is better than british new wave, I will say. But this still got quite repetitive by the end. Stand-out: When Love Breaks Down

Seeing this listed as another sophisti-pop album did not set my hopes very high. I was pleasantly surprised…for the first half. They decided to make one half of a really great album and then made the second half not that. Favorites were Faron Young, Bonny, When Love Breaks Down, and Goodbye Lucille #1.

что бы сказал Стив Макуин?

You know the yuppy neighbors Todd and Margo in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? They definitely own this album.

Interesting and different

Actually pretty fun. I liked it

At times they sound like a cross between Elvis Costello and Steely Dan, and there's no shame in that. I wish the lyrics tried either a little harder or a little less hard. Musically there's some interesting stuff going on. This is a provisional score — I could see it going up or down on further listens.

It is fairly solid, but doesn't really appeal to me

2.5/5

It was ok. Nothing I was blown away by. Wouldn't listen to it again. Solid 3.0.

Fun indie like rock jams. Pretty chill, pretty fun. Good listening nothing incredible.

Didn't feel too strongly about this one.

Somehow I never listened to this, but it's right in line with what I would have liked. Consider that in 1985 you would have to strike it lucky by having a good indie radio station, by having classy friends, or by picking a record based on its cover. I don't think I ever saw the record anywhere. Lucky me, there is also the 1001 list. 'McQueen' has the 80's virtues of creative, life-affirming charm and great production. File under 'positive outlook on life for a little while.'

Interesting

Polite pop for people who hate excitement.

Too many angsty teenage songs about lost love. Has a very specific target demographic, to which I don't belong anymore.

Rock, RnR, 1984 -> 3

Ganska skön platta.

I really enjoyed the first half of this album a lot but for whatever reason my interest waned in the second half, still solid though.

The album felt like it dragged on a little bit. I enjoyed the first few songs then it lost me a little but. Enjoyed hearing the acoustic versions of some songs later on in the album.

Not terrible, but also not very exciting. Feels very old style ahah

At best 2 stars i really don't click with this dude. He's an easy listen at least.

Pop rock english, dinner band vibes

Very 80s, but actually pretty good 80s. Second half weaker than the first, but some very enjoyable moments on there. Surprised one of those tracks didn't make it on to Vice City. 3.5*

Always enjoy this album, although I don’t really know why

These were some of the worst lyrics I ever heard. But then I liked the last song. angels kinda reminded me of Jimmy Eat World

I don't think I have heard this before, it's pretty good. Reminds me of "The Postal Service" with the kind of whispered singing. The music is very good and pretty chilled out, easy to listen to without being dominating. I'm sure I will be listening to this again.

I love the title of the album. My mother loved Steve McQueen. Guy was a stud back in the day. As for the album, my first reaction was this is a little cheesy, popish for my taste. But then I had to remind myself, I'm a little cheesy myself. Gave this album a 3rd listen, acoustic and all, and think I liked a little more each time, especially the first 5 songs. Flipped flopped if I enjoyed the acoustic versions more, but really doesn't make a difference, I enjoyed a good portion of this album. It could be because the preceding 3 albums were brutal, but I don't think so. Best album of the week for sure. 3

3 You know, with the genre listed as “sophisti-pop”, I was kind of prepared to hate this, but it really wasn’t bad. It even starts with a fun, bouncy number in Faron Young that reminded me a bit of something that would come from my boys The Smiths, and while the rest of the album is very different from that first song, I really didn’t mind the change. I mean, yes, it’s mostly all slow, easy listening, ‘80s cheese from there, but as far as that kind of thing goes, I really feel like this was one of the better offerings. For the most part, I found this album to be kind of a vibe, though admittedly, the front half is MUCH stronger than the first. The first four or five songs here in particular are a really solid series of tracks, whereas the back half didn’t have much I found remarkable. Though, if you really want to do yourself a favor, listen to some of the acoustic bonus tracks from the deluxe edition on Spotify. I honestly think the acoustic version of Appetite in particular was my favorite thing I heard across my whole listen, and probably the one song I’m most likely to save coming out of this. It’s got some great lyrics to it as well, though I couldn’t disagree more strongly with one in particular: “Wishing she could call him ‘Heartache’ But it's not a boy's name” Gotta say - guys may be able to hide that kind of thing better (or are just expected to be more guarded about it), but I’ve been around some pretty damn heartsick boys in my lifetime. Lord knows I’ve been one of them. Really not the kind of thing I thought I would have liked at all, but I’m glad to have been exposed to it and proved wrong. While I don’t know if I’d call it any sort of all-time great, I’m not upset with its inclusion on this list.

A solid 80's pop album.

The start of this album was really promising, but I just didn't like much of this album. I think there are bits of each track that work well, foreshadowing some of the alternative/indie music of decades to come, but the overall cohesion just isn't there.

I really liked the first song but it all kind of went downhill from there. I typically like this sort of thing but it was starting to annoy me by the end.

Not a bad 80s pop album. When Love Breaks Down is a standout track. Not sure if it's really got the staying power of other 80s albums, but it's a decent enough listen.

Starts out with a bit of a rockabilly country twang, but it was fairly middle of the road 80s jazz infused synth pop (shout out Thomas Dolby) from there onwards. Neither soaring too high nor sinking too low, always average on average.

My roommate used to play side 1 a lot. Now I understand why she never played side 2. Nice memories.

Cutieee non me l’aspettavo

I almost forgot to get to this today. It's pretty good. Smart lyrics, tight production. Starts very strong, declines

Amazing album. Once, even flow, alive, Jeremy, garden

This is my first Prefab Sprout album, and it was decent to listen to. None of these tracks blew me away, but I heard some sax solos as required by 80s pop music. I might listen again. Average

It was decent jangly 80s music. Nothing special.

It’s fine, decent background music.

3.5

Cheese, not the tasty kind

Per the top-rated review: "When 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... their lives have been absent of love and loss" Hey, that's mean. My life's had some loss. Still a pretty good album though. 3/5 Key tracks: Bonny, When Love Breaks Down, Moving The River

Interesting mix of songs

Epically 80’s. Couple decent songs. Nothing that would amount to a great album.

Sick album artwork. The album at times feels like a poor Smiths.

6/10

We enjoyed.

I don't really like it

OK

I like this more than a 3, but less than a 4.

Not great, not terrible

Si bien en algunos temas los 80 se notan bastante, hay unas canciones que salvan a este disco y, uno piensa, lo hacen merecer estar en esta lista. Bonny es una buena canción, Appetite también.

The sound of this album reminded me a bit of Haircut 100, which was one of the early items that I got on this list. Unfortunately, this album feels a lot more generic than that one did. It's fine and fun in its way, but it was harmed by making me think of albums that I actually enjoyed 3/5

Alright

Not bad but also not for me. 2.5/5

Wow, that was a pleasant surprise. I've never heard of this group or any of the songs so I didn't know what to expect. It gives off this mid 80s UK sofisti-pop vibe but with an American bike on the cover so you know it's not too soft and there are some country influences on it. It's very sweet though, especially the parts with the female harmonies scattered across the album (one of my favorite features of this whole thing). The first side is very strong with Bonny, When Love Breaks Down and Goodbye Lucille #1 as my favorites. Sadly, the second part is very repetitive and there are no more memorable tracks. It doesn't go anywhere further but tries to repeat the same motifs used at the beginning and fails. I still enjoy it and listened to the whole thing several times. I just wish it went somewhere different on the second side. 3.5/5

Another band I've known the name of forever but never sought out - recognised Appetite and a couple of other tracks. Nice pop songs, didn't mind this at all

Whoever put this list together has such a hard on for 80s British indie. The problem with this record, is that it definitely has the elements of the indie music that was going on at the time but it really is more of a pop album. I guess not even a little bit, its totally a pop album. It just "sounds" like indie rock. It "sounds" like The Stone Roses or The Cure, but it doesn't have the heart and soul of those bands. From a musical standpoint, its fine. Kind of cheesy love songs and kind of kind of cheesy lyrics.

Some jangle pop gems, some sophisti-pop snoozers

I know Prefab Sprout from their 2003 album "I trawl the megahertz" which is one of my favorite albums of all time. I just didn't look into more of their discography because I wasn't expecting anything similar. So now finally got a chance to listen to this, I do think they have unique sound, eventhough this wasn't my favorite, still quite enjoyable

Wasn’t a bad album! Would I listen again? Probably not.

Pretty good in headphones

Fairly unremarkable

This evokes The Cure for me without some of the highs or the lows. It's all fine. I'm giving it three stars, but it's a pretty soft three stars. Ultimately not crazy about this, but I don't mind it.

Really solid music a la 80’s

Not an album I'm familiar with, but man you can hear the influence this album would have from track 1. Really interesting rock album that feels ahead of its time. Even some of the more 'standard' 80s rock songs have really interesting production, melody shifts, just more engaging than a lot of stuff that came out around that time. 3/5

It’s got some really beautiful guitar parts and a couple really enjoyable tracks, but—maybe because it’s just so much longer than most albums—there are also some kind of mid, boring elevator music mixed in.

Decent, I liked it. Not life-changingly good, but a decent bit of 80s pop.

Thats ok , kinda Boring

Jaunty is a word that comes to mind.

I'd never heard of Prefab Sprout before yesterday, but this is about as 80's synth/jazz Brit pop as you can get. Tons of love ballads, love lost ballads, and emotional 80's bops on this album. It's not the worst, but I don't think I'd revisit it.

Can't help but notice that.This seems like a precursor to all of the indie dream.Pop that.I listen to from like the early two thousands and two thousand tens

Decent

Irgendwir eine Mischung aus Spandau Ballet und Johnny Hates Jazz Unaufgeregter 80 pop. Bestes Goodbuy Lucille Worst: Hallelujah, Blueburry Pies

Pillow music.

not sure where this falls on the scale. Not bad and some catchy tunes.

I liked the music much more than the lyrics. I can't tell if - depending on the song - the lyrics are terrible or just corny. But, I have a soft spot for 80s pop, and even though I've never heard of this band, nor any of their hits, I enjoyed it for what it was.

Music was typical mellow synth pop. Not bad

Some well crafted sophisto-synth-pop on here. I really can’t tell if it takes itself seriously or not though. Is it done with a good sense of fun or are they a bunch of pretentious wankers? Does it matter? I’m going a high 3.

Pleasantly surprised. 3.5

Pretty nice, bit of country chill music

3.5

pre-fab, no doubt, kind of a blur? 3 stars.

klingt typisch für 1985. Angenehm zu hören.

Har bara lyssnat på Andromeda Heights från - 97 och gillade den. Paddy McAloon har en behaglig röst och gillar den i kombo med mjuk pop. Lyssnade på jobbet och man tappar lätt bort sig i låtarna. Lite samma men behagligt.

Very easy listening.

Hm! Interesting. I had never heard of this band and hadn't heard any of the music on this album. It's an interesting mix of 80s vibes and singer/songwriter stuff -- I liked it, but it might not seem like a cohesive album to some folks.

Sounds quintessentially 80s but not memorably so. Neither outstanding nor horrific which seems on par for most albums that are the many pebbles of the river bed you have to sift through in this list when panning for the rare gold

Pleasant but unremarkable. That’s it

Bonny When Love Breaks Down

I liked a song. Not bad, but never really caught my attention. Mostly - meh.

Better than I thought it’d be

Didn’t know about the band, but WOW! Great voice, great band, great music. Instant fan.

6/10

Prefab Sprout are as English as summer cricket - the enjoyment is linked to something as completely unpredictable as the weather. (Songs like ‘Horsin’ Around’ only add to this) Anyway, a chancy innings: dropped for an absolutely sitter in single figures, a few streaky fours, a glorious six over mid-on, run out in the last innings before lunch after a disastrous lapse in concentration. They could do much better.

80-luku poppi plus. vähän parempi versio siis, mutta silti 80-luku poppia. ja brittainia, wau miten brittein saareilta niin paljon hyviä bändejä wau wau niin paljon paljon paljon bändejä lisää vaan niin monta bändiä lisää lisää lisää bändejä niin paljon hyviä musiikki miehiä britanniastsa miten voi näin pieni paikka ja näin monta bändiä lisää vaan bändejä tuokaa lisää briteistä bändejä koska ne ovat niin hyviä lisää bändiä faron young

Solid... alt rock? 80s pop? I liked Bonny the most.

10/10 driving at night vibes here. Honestly thought this was gonna be some really cringe band, but it’s “Samuel fun” Songwriting on point here, the instruments sound beautiful. Synthy pop at its finest. Yet another album that truly feels nostalgic, that I’ve never heard in my life.

Perfect 3. I again do not hate this and there are bright spots but it is unmemorable I only really like it when love breaks down. This is just another album used to pad out these lists I mean it is just British Pop very dreamy but it does not gonna stick with me and that is why I think the worst category to be in there is the 3 Right in the middle where I wont think about it next week

Not bad at all! Bonny, Appetite and He'll Have to Go were my favourites

Var ikke dårlig, heller ikke mega bra

Sans plus.

Collection of good pop songs. Worth a second listen

Fine. I liked the singles less then the rest of the album.

I thought this was okay to start. But I really started losing interest at the end. Fine, won't turn it off, might try it again sometime, but not super interesting, either.

Like acoustic new wave kinda…

Favourite Song: Appetite An unexpectedly enjoyable album. With great lyrics and a great 80s synth sound, I was drawn in to a few songs.

Tämä on tuotettu hyvin. Aivan tajuttoman hyvin. Äänimaailmassa on runsaasti elementtejä, mutta niiden välillä on "ilmaa", ja naisvokalistin tuomaa sävyä hyödynnetään toistuvalla mutta perustelulla tavalla. On tietenkin todettava, että bändin musiikki tasapainottelee mauttomuuden rajamailla. Olen silti taipuvaisempi arvostamaan sen melodisesti ja sovituksellisesti raikkaita hetkiä sen sijaan että valittaisin. 3,5.

If I had nostalgia for any of these songs, then it could be a 4. Since I don't (and the back half dragged), it's a 3.

The lyrics are interesting. The synth/keyboards kills it for me.

Ok

Good

At the end of the album I got excited because I liked a song, then I realized the album finished and Pandora put on another song in the same genre. Typical 80s pop. Inoffensive - not entertaining.

3,5

interesting jazz/pop moments, lyrics were nice, overall I liked it but it's probably not one i'll return to. favorite tracks were Bonny and Desire as

I enjoyed it, but it did run a bit too long. Just sort of generic mid-80s Brit pop, nothing groundbreaking or innovative to my ears. Cool vibes, but not a wonderful new musical discovery.

Very 80s in a good way but also not my vibe

Ah, new wave. Out of all the new wave albums on this list so far this is definitely on the higher end. Quintessentially 80s without being egregious, the softer tones of this album has helped it age better than a lot of its contemporaries. It starts off unique and engaging but the second half of the album is filled with mostly samey songs. Bonny is incredible though.

some really good songs but the back half of the album lost me.

Pretty good

Very 80s sounding album, lots of synth which is fun

Elevador vibe máxima

C'était bon, j'aimais la petite vibe un peu post punk des premières chansons. Mais plus l'album avançait et plus je trouvais qu'il se fatiguait. Très bonne production, mais les compositions deviennent moins intéressant au fur et à mesure que l'album avance. 6/10

My ten dubbed this "good background music"

Pretty generic, mid 80’s Brit pop. There’s nothing especially memorable here, but nothing that’s bad or offensive or anything. Pretty close to boring. The album title is odd, there’s certainly nothing in this music that is remotely related to Steve McQueen. Maybe it’s ironic, and I’m just not cool enough to get it. There’s several albums from 1985 that I would suggest as notable (must listen) before this: Three O’Clock - Arrive Without Travelling, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Southern Accents, Guadalcanal Diary - Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man, John Fogarty - Centerfield, Katrina and the Waves, Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms…. Etc, etc, etc. Whatever, call it a 3/5 and hope for something interesting tomorrow. 3/5

I know the name but dont know a single song by this group. A few listens in: this is that category of soft '80s rock where I probably wouldn't seek out any of these songs but if one came on the radio I wouldn't change the channel. The first song comes out swinging like a Smiths rollicker, and with each subsequent song the listening gets easier. I get moments of Smiths, Replacements, Squeeze, etc. But softer. Everything sounds tight and well made but only a few of the hooks really grabbed me.

Eh, okay.

Interesting

80s soft pop. Bold instrument choices and catchy vocals. Some of the songs have a nice ethereal quality to them and this is reminiscent of some later indie-pop.

An odd sounding album. A little bit pop, mixed with new wave elements. It’s catchy in some songs in a way you’d expect from those genres. It loses a lot of its steam by the end though.

more sophisticated than the eighties

There’s some catchy stuff on here but yeah, just a bit bland and the singing and musicianship really isn’t that great. Never understood why this is heralded by some as an indie classic

Not too crazy about it. 5/10

Jaren '80 poprock waar je, in ieder geval bij de eerste track, gerust een keer flink yeehaw kunt roepen. Daarna gaat de banjo terug in de kast en zijn de meeste tracks echt wel aan de zoete kant, maar toch bevallen ze me wel. Het is wel '80s maar niet verschrikkelijk '80s. Het is catchy, het is muzikaal. De zanger en de mevrouw op de achtergrond zingen zuiver terwijl dat in die tijd bij dit soort bands totaal niet relevant leek te zijn. Het beste aan dit album is dat de drums nog redelijk naturel klinken. De jaren '80s fabriekshal reverb blijft grotendeels achterwege en dat vind ik een dikke plus. De productie is lekker gelaagd en warm. Er is nog een lange weg te gaan voor ik dit voor m'n plezier aan ga zetten, maar ik kan het redelijk goed hebben en ik ben verrast. Zo'n track als Horsin' Around gaat wel richting het vervelende, dus het is ook niet allemaal goud wat er blinkt. Ik vind het leuk om dit album gehad te hebben. 3 sterren met een krul erbij.

I liked the album and will give it another listen.

I'd never heard of this band or album, but judging by the playcounts, they're not super obscure. In any case, it was an interesting blend of alternative pop, new wave, and jazz pop. Not a bad listen at all! I won't say it was particularly a favorite or overly impressive listen -- overall, it felt pretty average all around -- but I did enjoy it! As far as things that are easy to listen to, this has aged well!

Solid

A bit 'samey' all the way through to my ears. But in little chunks it's pleasant enough.

Meh but could be background

It's a good classic album there's not much I can say about it.

Enjoyed the vibe and the airy sonic landscape they created with their simple and lighthearted arrangements; rich lyrics, but similar melodies on many songs made the songs blur together a bit. A sense of fun and youthful irrelevance made me smile. Can see why "When Love Breaks Down" was a hit single. Standouts: Bonny, Goodbye Lucille #1, Horsin' Around, Desire As.

Faron Young + Appetite 👍👍

What an unexpected treat.

Da e greit nok, litt døvt kanskje

It's okay. Nothing really bad about it, but at the same time it's pretty boring and easy listening-ish. It's like new wave lounge music. 3 stars.

Pop

If I could give it 3.5 I would better than I remember. Horsin Around is really interesting wish the rest of the Album were similar.

Never heard of Prefab Sprout...British pop band Pretty good sound, fun songs. Added Faron Young to favorites playlist

Heard of the band but never listened to them. Very mid-80s, perhaps echoes of early Crowded House and Squeeze and the Beautiful South. I got to say I quite enjoyed this.

Never heard of this band before. As 80's pop goes, I quite enjoyed this... Maybe 50% of the time. Very hit and miss. Bonny and Desire As are very good.

At the time, this was the first Prefab Sprout album that I listened to, and in my memory it was a 4-star album. Listening to it again now, I find the album a bit more boring than I remembered and I dislike the lyrics. But the first half (that contains all the singles) is stronger than the second one and contains some nice songs, so 3 stars overall.

Well crafted but uneventful pop music.

This has an 80's sound without the overtly pop'ish we need to have a flauntingly outrageous music video that will get played on MTV vibe to it. Subdued artistry. I liked it.

It’s fine, I guess. I don’t know, it’s hard to have a strong opinion on all 1001 albums.

Dat viel me toch wel tegen. Ik ken wat mensen die dit echt leuk vinden.

Ik ben een sucker voor samenzang, daarom toch drie sterren voor deze zaadplaat.

# 45 : Wow! What a pleasant surprise this one was. It started great and I thought I like this, but then it Got a bit boring at the end. Quiet a nice album though with some good catchy tunes and a the rest fillers, but otherwise ok. 2.5 Star Bonny

3/5 Best: Appetite Worst: Blueberry Pies

Perfectly fine mid-decade pop. Nothing much to say.

cute one, a fall listen i feel like.

Smooth enough, better than I expected from a band I used to avoid

Chouette album, mais un peu dull comparativement aux titans des deux derniers jours

Not a huge Prefab Sprout fan, but Thomas Dolby's production elevates this a little. About 10% of the lyrics contain nuggets of wisdom as well.

Better than i expected. 3.5

There were glimmers of interesting things, but it never really came together for me.

Never listened to much Prefab Sprout, but I've always thought I should do. So it was interesting to listen to, although ultimately it's not going to make a long term playlist for me.

Average to slightly above average. Nothing very interesting...nothing really bad. It's just there. I listened, then I said. OK. What's next? Standouts: Nothing really. 3/5

Some good some boring.

I hate the band name. I'm confused by the music. But for the mood it hit me in, it worked.

Vond het album maar zozo. Geen uitschieters van nummers

5th July 2023 Listened while in the office. Evening with Sav and Sally - love island and prawn pasta. Enjoyed this, indie punk crossover. 3.5 if I could.

Meh. Nothing grabbing

Really intriguing in its packing of at least three modes into one record. The first and most translatable is poppier sibling to some of the recent post-punk revivals. The other sets of songs are dedicated to electronic pop edging into a certain amount of balladeering. The end of the record struggles to support its own weight. The diversity of influence marks Prefab Sprout a not-quite-favorite to watch.

Gotta say I don't know why I needed to listen to this before I die. Innoffensive and nice so can't give 2. But yeah. Nothing.

first time listening favorites faron young bonny appetite when love breaks down least favorite goodbye lucille #1

I liked this pretty well, smart lyrics, though found it had something of a soft and uniform tone that tended to fade it into the background.

An interesting one - kind of sleight, but I sort of got under its spell. There was a frankness to the lyrics I really appreciated, and they still managed to retain a lot of poetry. Sometimes it tipped over a little into the twee on tracks like Blueberry Pies, but there was some genuine heartbreakers in here. Not always the most exciting instrumentation, a little dated sometimes, but enough going on to be engaging. I won't be taking in the album as a whole again I don't think, but definitely there's a couple of tracks on here that stuck with me. Three and a half. Fave track: When Love Breaks Down

Conosco solo Appetite.... Invece ho capito che lo ascoltavo tutto quando è uscito. Mi piaceva molto ed anche adesso non mi dispiace.

I dug this album. I heard little hints of Simon & Garfunkel, a little Romantics, even some Wham! It's a solid, well-executed representation of the mid-80s. Moving the River was the standout track for me.

Some intricate hooks in the first half, but overall I don't really get why this is so well-regarded.

Not especially bad, just too generic british 80s pop.

Some songs were really great, others pretty boring. It's a hard one to rate. 3 stars will do it.

They should have taken themselves more seriously. I think their silly band name and their 'quirky' biggest hit (King of Rock n Roll - not on this album) ultimately made them seem like a gimmick and detracted from their talents. I'm pleasantly surprised by this album.

I quite like the first half (well, maybe third) of the album. Feels dated, but in a strangely nostalgic way. 2.5

This was just a classic 80s sound. I liked it and it was a good length. I don’t think there was anything so incredible about it but it was good.

Interesting enjoyed it.

Mild, mellow, non-offensive, and almost entirely forgettable pop. A bit like Crowded House but without their quality tunes.

Very nice listen. First time for this album and this artist, really good sound to the whole thing. Very solid album all around! Probably will check out others like this!

This album is so 80s, I half expected to see Marty McFly skateboarding down the street while listening to it. From the synth-heavy pop beats to the heartfelt lyrics, "Steve McQueen" is a true gem of the decade that brought us shoulder pads and big hair. And let's not forget the album cover, which features the band in the 80s, trying to look like they're in the 50s – could it be any more 80s? But don't let the nostalgia fool you – this album holds up today. The catchy hooks and infectious melodies are just as irresistible now as they were back then. So if you're looking for a dose of 80s goodness, "Steve McQueen" is the album for you. It's so 80s, you might even start to miss the mullet you had in high school. But hey, at least you'll have some killer tunes to go with it.

The first 5 songs gave me the impression that one might consider this either criminally underrated or possibly the greatest album of all-time. And then the rest of the album drives that Steve McQueen motorcycle right off a cliff. It's sort of like Steve McQueen's film career now that I think about it. McQueen certainly wouldn't have bothered with a song about Blueberry Pies. Bonus points, I guess, for front loading the album with solid bangers. Good to see Thomas Dolby appear on this list, albeit as a producer.

Guitar-driven 90s pop, nothing too notable

Pretty enjoyable album (3.5/5)

Mostly very mediocre but never annoying to listen to.

Took me a few listens to appreciate it. Sounds a bit like the Style Council, kinda nice

первый раз слышу про таких ребят, но милый альбом. можно потом даже проверить ещё

Pop pop pop

3/5. Okay this was pretty fun. Airy and jazzy with some rock. Might spin again, it would nice to listen to all the way through again.

Not really sure where I come out on this one. Impression before listening was based on name, album cover and Wikipedia article showing UK post-pop...not a good mix. Did not get what I expected when I hit 'play'. The first two songs were quite good and I thought this might be a favorite new album. But the rest didn't continue in the same vein. Not bad, and it stayed quite musical, but it didn't keep a hold on me either. Good album overall and glad I got to listen to it. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding

Until the back half, I was really sold on this album. Very unique and classic sounding. Would replay

overall quite pleasant

It’s alright 80’s pop, but it doesn’t deserve to have 5 minute songs on it for being so simple. Some alright hooks though.

I found this album rather boring.

I’m getting mid 80s British garage band and I’m not particularly a fan of that. It isn’t exciting or new, but nothing particularly wrong here. I didn’t enjoy it. 3/5

Ei ollut hassumpi kasarilevy! 3/5

Tykkään etenkin alkupuoliskosta, kiva tyyli. Ehkä hieman loppuu veto lopussa, niin jää nelonen antamatta.

I don't even know how to describe this album, genre wise. Is it New Wave, is it soft rock, is it 90s alt rock? All of the above maybe?

Perfectly palatable 80s synthy pop, nothing more, nothing less for me

This is a decent 80s album that has some signs of contemporary stylings but also is lackluster with typical 80s pop sounds. The first half of this album is pretty solid. Bonny and appetite are nicely made songs. The second half of the album is whiny 80s pop that doesn’t hold up. If this album was as good in the second half as the first it would be much more memorable. Overall some has replay value and it’s good. 6.5/10

I like it but not enough to buy it.

A lot of decent, easy-listening 80s pop song. No real stand outs but I enjoyed Bonny, Appetite, Desire As. Overall, their sound grew on me but after ending up on an the extended version on Spotify I really prefer their acoustic versions at the end to the original tracks. 3.0

7/10

Some great moments but overall found it quite bland. (Though that may be the result of having Prefab Sprout and Captain Beefhart mixed up in my head.)

Oh look! 80s Post Punk / New Wave!!!!!! From England!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One hit wonders who I'd never heard of. Nice enough music, just doesn't excite me at all. 2.8

For British 80's music, this was almost tolerable. I didn't mind the vocals as much as the extreme 80's synth. Regardless, if you miss the 80's and enjoy randomly buying vintage / quirky things from the thrift store, this album is for you.

I like the first song. The rest of the album didn't quite live up to it for me but it was fine.

For the first half of the album I thought Steve McQueen (“The actor!” I can hear Doc exclaim to Marty) was singing. Then I read the Wikipedia page and realized it was Steve McQueen the album and not the actor. Ah ha! This album sounds nice with a hint of the 80s. Hallelujah is a drag though. Overall this is an album worth listening to.

The songs sound a lot like something they would play today in 2022. The songs are all enjoyable and easy to listen to. I was hesitant to listen to this album cause I thought it wouldn’t be something I like but it’s really good I’m glad I listened to this.

Steve McQueen is an interesting mix of pop, rock and jazz - pretty much new-wave without being entirely new-wave if that makes any sort of sense. Prefab Sprout are able to bring together ideas and themes of the joys, fears and disappointments of love. Best: When Love Breaks Down Worst: Blueberry Pies

Well I'm not sure at all about that. Have Elvis Costello vibes.. did not enjoy

I didn't mind this. Not what I expected at all. Feel like Prefab Sprout are a band I've always known of but not sure I'd ever listened properly. I found it fine in places but overall a bit forgettable.

Fun pop

I had never heard this album before - I liked it, and I feel like I could grow to like it quite well. Breezy, stylish, 80s Brit-pop with sophisticated instrumentation (a little disco/jazzy). I liked Bonnie and When Love Breaks Down. I agree with other commenters that the album cover doesn't fit the vibe of the music at all. 3/5

Nothing spectacular, I would say, but a nice collection of easy-to-listen-to poppy rock.

Started out strong enough with Bonny, Appetite, and When Love Breaks Down, but it feels like they got lazy halfway through the record and only regained their energy in time for When the Angels. This is a 1980s prom album, the only problem is that the students would have started heading home after track 6 because the music suddenly became boring. At its best, it's bright, ✨ shimmering ✨, and very 80s. All in all though, very middle of the road.

Has there ever been another brilliant lyricist so badly let down by their music? This is a lyrically wonderful album, but with the exception of Desire Is, it has no memorable or above mediocre tunes on it. I know, both from Desire Is and their big hot (not from this album) that they can actually write a song, rather than brilliant lyrics and a passable backing, so it is a disappointment. The production is also horribly dated - I suspect it would even have sounded dated by 1990. A missed opportunity.

When I saw the band name I was hoping this was the album with King of Rock and Roll. Nice solid album, hard for me to see why it's on this list, but judging from other reviews it seems like it's hitting a lot of people right in the nostalgia.

3.5 jazzypop

Delightful 80s sound. Clean and well mixed

Never heard of these guys before... but not too bad, actually. I'm kinda getting an old Crowded House vibe listening to this - probably in the vocals and pop structure of the music... might also be the cheese-factor. Dunno? Still, pretty good. Might give it another listen down the track. Stand out tracks: Bonny, When Love Breaks Down.

Meh. 3/5

C’etait pas mauvais, mais rien qui ma surpris. J’ai tout de meme aime. Je n’avais pas beaucoup d’attente. 3

It was fine.

This was a nice listen. Had a uniqueness to it.

I'm not saying it was a bad album but it was very much setting the tone for the 80s.

I feel like Wiki describing this as a “pop” record is misleading, it’s both more interesting and less accessible. It’s one of the more unique albums I’ve heard so far, I’ll probably like it more over time. Highlights: “When Love Breaks Down”, “Desire As”, “Goodbye Lucille #1”

I can’t believe I made it through the eighties without ever hearing of this band. Not really a big fan of this style but I guess I can’t understand why they weren’t more popular. The second half sort of peters out but the first half is full of songs that I could see being hits.

Outra banda que eu nunca tinha ouvido falar. Achei legalzinha. Melhor música: Bonny

1985, британцы, ненавязчивый поп / поп-рок. Второй альбом. Меланхолично, но не грустно. Легко, ненапряжно, но в целом скучно. Лучшие трек - заглавный бодрый Faron Young.

Never had heard of this bad but liked fairly well. Really polished sounding pop. 3/5

When love breaks down is head and shoulders above the rest of the album. One hit wonder. A pleasant sound, all very very stylish but very much of its time.

Hat mir unterm Strich gefallen. Befürchtet hatte ich die nächste Platte einer uninspirierten britischen Band, wie sie zuhauf in dieser Liste zu finden sind. Ein für die 80er ungewöhnliches Album, auch wenn es nach den 80ern klingt. Hatte von der Band vorher noch nie gehört.

Good

Fínasta plata. Dettur aðeins niður í seinni helming.

Very well produced for 1985, almost sounds like the music wants to jump out of the speakers. (6/10) FT: Bonny, When Love Breaks Down

Actual pretty solid

Easy to listen to, while nothing earth shattering. 3

Knew the band and the singles but had never listened to the album before. First half definitely better than expected, though the album definitely tails off on the second side.

for relax on retail park rally

I'm really perplexed by this album. At first, the coffee shop hipster vibe really turned me off. I've now listened to this album four times. It's uniqueness has me coming back and trying to figure out what's so special. I have to live with this one before I can truly give it a honest rating. But, for now...

Variopinto, al menos. Por momentos, muy pretencioso. Pero like.

Side 1 full of classic tunes, Side 2 cheesy and boring as hell

Poop

Some nice tracks here actually, I do like some new wave sometimes

Seemed pretty generic pop. Nothing special

It's a smart album reminiscent of the age it was released. Sounds a bit like The The, but without the oomph. I could listen to it again.

Reminds me of Lounge version of Elvis Costello. With creative instruments. One thing that kinda drove me nuts: words not seeming to line up with music - like Goodbye Lucille #1. Some of this reminds me of something you’d hear in a mall in the early 90s.

Moving the River is the standout track for me.

ok lækkert, ikke så tidspræget føler jeg

Solid britpop, god sangskrivning, keyboard

Not bad, easy listening, didn’t really grab me.

Overall the album was okay. It felt very front-loaded with the catchier songs at the beginning and fell down after about the halfway mark. I wouldn't go back but I didn't feel the need to turn it off.

Felt completely neutral about this album, far from the worst, far from the best.

This album is very meh. I enjoyed Bonny and put that into my regular rotation, but other than that I found it very un-eventful and no songs jumped out (except for maybe Horsin' Around which I disliked). It's OK. I was considering giving it 2 stars as I start actively disliking it towards the 2nd half of the album but in general it is quite inoffensive, and I did add one song to my regular rotation.

Great album!

Melodic, self-conscious new wave indie with winking lyrics, Bacharach and David joining The Smiths as influencers.

Prefab Sprout's second album was a glorious combination of singing/songwriting and pleasurable tunes. This album has been described as a minor classic - a statement I agree with. Every song holds up on its own, and they all come together for an amazing sophisti-pop album. Never heard of sophisti-pop before, but it's a combination of new wave, jazz, soul, and pop. I'd recommend this album to any fans of pop, jazz, post-punk, and/or indie music.

A little cheesy when it comes to the lyrics

Starter godt men det der britiske rock bliver hurtigt lidt ensformigt og fladt. Mangler noget dynamik

A real shame for me this one. It starts so well, after 3 or 4 tracks I thought this had the makings of a new fave for me, I was hovering over the 5 stars, but then the prefab doubt began to creep in and that went down to 4 by track 6 and down to a generous 3 by the end.

Really quite liked it. Not sure whether that's something I can be out and proud about, or whether PS should be considered a guilty pleasure. If I must throw in a criticism, the songs can out stay their welcome ever-so-slightly. Though that might be more of a fault with my short attention span

The album peters out for me, but I really like the first three tracks.

Great guitar work on the album opener. Followed by a great acoustic rocker that reminds me of Aztec Camera. We're off to a great start. Next couple or three lean a little to far to the pop side of the spectrum for my tastes, but the songs are good. And the rest of the album continues in this vein. Good songwriting but the style of music and production keeps me at arms length. 3.5 🌟 in recognition of the songcraft.

Qué cosa tan rara. A veces suena como a broma, otras a algo demasiado elaborado y otras como a algo hecho por una banda de preparatorianos que están aprendiendo a hacer rimas. No lo odié, por lo que no le pongo menos calificación, pero sí es de esas cosas que me cuesta trabajo entender qué hacen aquí. Leo que comparan a Paddy McAloon (el vocalista y compositor) con Bowie o McCartney y pienso que el que escribió eso es sordo o un incitador.

Unrelated to my thoughts on the rest of the album, but "Faron Young" instantly made me think that Prefab Sprout had lifted the riff from Dr. Feelgood's "Roxette". Enjoyed "Bonny", less fond of the rest though. The style of the album seems to change with every song, so while I'm sort of trying to like this album, the lack of consistency is a bit frustrating.

Rätt bra. Härliga synthar. Bästa låtar: Bonny Appetite When Love Breaks Down

ok

Good music. Very easy to listen to, a few songs were a bit boring, but most songs were really good.

A very pleasant 80s "new wave" pop album. The production is quite different then a lot of its contemporaries in the 80s british new wave scene. Singer-songwriter pop with some very interesting lyrical work. The album has a few tracks that stood out a bit but for the most part its consistency is easily its strongest asset. There was never anything to dislike even if the highs weren't soaring either.

its ok, but gets boring

Haha it’s very 80s ain't it? Dude sounds like George Michael in Wham! a bit. I think I liked “Horsin’ around” the most with the Bossa Nova style cus it was a little different, not really my thing as a whole though.

Definitely sounds like the era it was released in. The copious amounts of banjo in the first track was a pleasant surprise. I went in blind here and was fairly pleasantly surprised. Definitely some weaker tracks and a lot of it is cheesey pop but a pretty solid record

I’ll be surprised if I like this based solely on the cover haha jk going in judgement free. first song, okay so i barely know country but theres some here, right?lol. i liked the melody for the 'you give me faron young 4 in the morning' line. second song is way nicer. appetite is what i expected from an album from the 80s lol. veeeery nice. this has to be their most popular song, right? 4th song, nice too. honestly other than the first song im liking every track. i've mostly skipped the 8 acoustic versions.. what little i heard is nice but i dont want to listen to essentially the same 8 songs twice

Familiar, upbeat, juvenil. Ta bien.

Sounds pretty original.