Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Never heard of this group. Enjoyed the album.
coming age film but like the prom scene
Enjoyed their songs in college
Goes v well with quorn bolognese
Een leuk album maar niet heel bijzonder
"Antiques! Every other sentiments an antique As obsolete as warships in the baltic" (Faron Young) "Here she is with two small problems And the best part of the blame Wishes she could call him heartache But it's not a boy's name" (Appetite) "Life's not complete Till your heart's missed a beat" (Goodbye Lucille #1) Bastantes frasacas, pero me parece que estoy demasiado dormida para apreciar algo tan de tranqui. Me lo tendré que poner otra vez un día que lleve encima más cafés.
Good pop songs. Never heard before
Chock full of 80s tropes, done stylishly. The emotional backdrop of this album interests me - the overall tone is earnest but cool, which allows songs to explore nuanced adult feelings. Some of the synthesized tones, especially the overused vocal backgrounds, sound rather cheap and dated. The songwriting is proficient, the voice and studio production are clear.
Beautiful songs with vibrant melodies and elegant arrangements. I personally preferred From Langley because of the songs, but this one is pretty goo too
Pop sin estridencias. No destaca especialmente, aunque es agradable de escuchar
meh
Not bad, but nothing to write home about. Well produced.
Nice.
omg, SOOO 1985. that was not a particularly good year for music, as i recall. not a favorite.
I could see myself getting into this to some extent, but something about it feels, I don't know... empty?
🌱
Chillaxin, a bit too chillaxin
hot dog jumping frog
Bit too soft poppy
Very 80s, but not in a way that interests me. Bit too poppy for me, but I suppose it's fine for what it is.
Preeetttyy cheesy in parts, hopefully on purpose. "I'm turkey hungry, I'm chicken free." - wtf. "I'll be free as old confetti." - yowza. Hallelujah is super nice. Big harmonies in Desire As. Lots of Sex on Toast and Vaudeville Smash vibes.
Surprised I've never heard of them before. Pretty enjoyable listen
Ok but nothing really stands out
Light, bubble gum pop, upbeat but a little too saccharine
its alright
1985. Key Songs: Bonny, Faron Young
Annoying 80s new wave music, not enjoyable.
Not for me, why all the wounds from before 1999, huh? Tell me that, big pharma.
Bland meandering 80s synth pop/rock. Saw a song entitled Hallelujah and got quite excited - would it be Leonard Cohen, John Cage or Jeff Buckley style. But no, a different song altogether. 2 stars
The Smiths - Faron Young, is that a deliverance banjo backing? Bonny is a bonny of a song. Yeah, second listen didn't move the needle at all for me. Don't think this makes loudspeakers at the mall grade.
This album really failed to evoke any major feeling in me one way or another... There were tiny glimpses of something that sounded like it could become interesting but then it quickly faded away back into average. I have lessened my original bias against 80's pop, so I wouldn't say I hated this, but I just genuinely didn't get anything real from it.
I feel like this album opened pretty strong, but it quickly fell off the tracks for me. There were a few moments I really enjoyed like the end of Horsin' Around, but, other than a few highlights, I just didn't care for this album. That said, it's not bad. I feel like it was clearly well written and, while it definitely has an 80s sound, it's well produced. Overall, it's fine, it's just not for me.
129. Steve McQueen - Prefab Sprout (1985) Variety: 1 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 2 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 1 = 1.6 rounded up to a 2 INTRO I'm only familiar with these guys by their reputation, and the one track I occasionally hear on satellite radio - "When Love Breaks Down". I know this made lot of lists and is often lumped in with the "Sophisti-Pop" genre, so I'm expecting lots of smooth production at the every least. A lot of this stuff is VERY of its time, so curious how well it may have aged, and whether it falls more on the easy listening synthy side of things or more on the jazzy horns and piano side. "But I'm turkey hungry, I'm chicken free/ And I can't breakdance on your knee" THE TRACKS "Faron Young" - Maybe neither? We start with a galloping, echoey bit of business that's as rockabilly inspired as anything Morrisey ever did. Totally not what I was expecting, and would compare it favorably to some stuff by Split Enz. Very light, bouncy, and plenty of hooks. The harmonica, the twangy guitar and the mechanical ( motor?) noises add a bit of edge to something that does not fit the "Sophisti-Pop" label. "Bonny" - This is a LOT closer to what I was expecting. Kind of a jazzier, with very smooth, blemish free production. Like a slightly more adult contemporary take on the stuff Aztec Camera or Crowded House was doing. Atmospheric but reliant mainly on what sounds like traditional instrumentation with some synth accents and wind blowing in the background to provide a bit of that morose longing atmosphere the genre is so steeped in. The metronomic rhythm here really sells the thing. "Appetite" - The band had fully morphed after just two tracks into exactly what I was expecting. This was very boring compared to what came before and leans very hard on the synth for effect, which is less catchy to my ears and more abrasive. "When Love Breaks Down" - This is the track I'm familiar with, and it's a pretty danged good exemplar of the genre, and while certainly in the B-tier, is in the mode of some of the better Crowded House stuff. The synths on here are entirely supplementary and supportive of the atmosphere and mood and not the main attraction. McAloon's vocals are as soulful as this sort of stuff can get, and the backing vocals ( processed or supported by the synths?) give this an airy quality that keeps it far away from feeling flat. A lot of interesting dynamics here. Let's see if they can sustain this. "Goodbye Lucille #1" - I loved the repeating guitar line that leads into the bass dominated opening. Wendy Smith's background vocals lend some dream pop overtones to this attempt to boost someone up after what sounds like a bad breakup. They lose the dreamy thread briefly though when things get loud and McAloon stretches out vocally. There's half of a really good song here. "Hallelujah" - This one descends down the basement steps into the kind of lite-jazz synth pop stylings that I would expect from a very deep Spandau Ballet cut maybe. This one failed to do anything for me and the guitar playing on here actively annoyed me. It had the sort of Haircut 100 but not as fun, vibe to it that almost, but not quite got me to perform a rare skip maneuver. "Moving the River" - oof. I guess we're sticking around in easy listening, adult contemporary land. And some of the worst lyrics on the album, which have been pretty decent this far. This one was a chore to get through. DNF ( not a good sign, folks). "Horsin' Around" - More of the same but with some the Casio keyboard set to "Latin". Ugh, then it goes even harder into a lounge act halfway through with the possibly the weakest horns I've heard on anything of this sort. Leave these ironic ( I hope?) jazz flourishes to someone who can pull it off like Joe Jackson. "Desire As" - At least I could get through this one. That's not any sort of praise though, as this was boring and felt very much like an intro to a better song that they just streeeeeeetched out to full length. Sleepy as it was uninspired. "Blueberry Pies" - And the band have just about reached their final form as ( admittedly very professional sounding) high school jazz ensemble performing at the church Casino Night. Weird Al would be appalled at such a wasted shot at a food themed song. "When the Angels" - The church organ, the Up With People variety showy upbeat tempo, the vocals that have not shown any dynamic range other than pouty since "When Love Breaks Down"... there's not anything to like here unless you're maybe a retired hedge fund manager looking to relax with some white wine after a long day of pickleball and waxing the BMW E30. HIGHLIGHTS - "Faron Young" - "Bonny" - "When Love Breaks Down" MIDLIGHTS - "Goodbye Lucille #1" LOWLIGHTS - "Appetite" - "Hallelujah" - "Moving the River" - "Horsin' Around" - "Desire As" - "Blueberry Pies" - "When the Angels" FINAL THOUGHTS This was a mixed bag as far as expectations go, and I definitely was not expecting to hear so much traditional instrumentation. Overall it sounded almost like a band at war with it's own sound. "Faron Young" vs "Hallelujah" being maybe the most extreme example of this. But everything after "When Love Breaks Down" goes downhill quickly. I've experienced plenty of whiplash with this list in going between wildly different artists from pick to pick, but this might be the first time my neck is aching from experiencing the same within a single album. Ultimately though, this was a case of me just not liking what these guys were throwing down. I could see some ( very boring - apologies to any reviewers who rated it highly) people really liking this stuff, and I can't say they didn't achieve what they set out to do. So it was far from the sort of stuff I find to be either obnoxious and baiting or just poorly crafted. And for that reason I can't justify sending it all the way down to live in the 1-star root cellar with Morrisey, Dion, and the Libertines. The cool indie kids posing with the motorcycle would have gotten me to pick this up in the shop at the time and if I had listened to that first track I would have been like "hell yeah!" The bait and switch buyer's remorse that would have fully dawned on my around track six ( there were some warnings before though) would have had me off to trade it back in for some store credit. Can I demand a refund for something I never bought? PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - "Faron Young" and "When Love Breaks Down" are the clear winners here, but I would not be heartbroken if I never heard either again. FURTHER LISTENING - High Land, Hard Rain by Aztec Camera - Hats by The Blue Nile - Flaunt the Imperfection by China Crisis - Cupid & Psyche 85 by Scritti Politti - Crowded House by Crowded House
I had to write this review immediately after listening to the album so I wouldn’t forget the feeling that it left me with. But even that wasn’t soon enough.
What an unremarkable collection of mid-80s pop. Whilst there is nothing terrible on here, there is nothing that jumps out at me as actually good and worthy of adding to a playlist or coming back to. Utterly forgettable.
Starts off interesting, but devolves into a generic 80's pop rock sound by the 3rd track onwards. Nothing revolutionary or all that captivating. Songwriting and delivery is fairly good though, but even then I'd rather listen to some other contemporaries in a similar musical style such as The Smiths or Talking Heads.
Lame
Steve McQueen is a colorful and poetic sophisti-pop album that is held back by the poor aging of its often cliched 80’s sound. While the album is consistently pretty and has good to great production throughout, it often lingers in what I can only really describe as a sort of over-sentimental lounge music sound, particularly in its second half. This album is at its best when it leans into the most interesting parts of its smooth jazz and R&B influences: the impressionistic chords, groovy rhythms and bass lines, colorful instrumentation, and pretty airy backing vocals. The great introductory song, which I'll get to later, segues into the bulk of this album's better half--Bonny musically and lyrically embodies the best of what this artful pop album wholly strives for; Appetite stands out for the its audio panning and generally being another good song; Goodbye Lucille #1 is perhaps the last time the album doesn't sound a little hackneyed. While never bad, the album often finds itself dragging, over-indulging in its saccharine mood to the point of becoming a little boring. By the second half of the album, the best Prefab Sprout had to offer us has passed, and the remainder of the songs are pleasant but far less memorable. By far the best song on the album though is the unusual choice of an opener Faron Young, which sounds nothing like the rest of the album--which is a shame because this would’ve been a much cooler album had they explored that soundscape more. Rating: ~4.5-5.0/10 ____ Album 8 / 1001+
I get the ick while listening to this album. Faron Young is a bad opener, plain and simple. Who starts a sophisti-pop album with a western melody, unless you're trying to make a schmuck of yourself. And the rest of the album is numbing as well. It's perfect for those half-empty malls while shopping, and those coffee shops with hopeless romantics drinking their cold brew with sunglasses to hide their tears. Though Desire As is okay, and, truthfully, has made me revisit the album, the rest of the album is a slog to get through, even on multiple revisions. The whole atmosphere is for a retirement home. This album is the reason why sophisti-pop is, beyond a few artists/albums, a hopeless genre. Steer away, unless you want to have an eye rolling experience.
Pretty boring stuff.
This was fun. Nothing too special, but very inoffensive and safe. It grooved. it was not bad, but not my favorite. Liked Songs: "Bonny" , "Appetite" , "Hallelujah" , "Moving The River" , "When The Angels"
I enjoyed the first couple songs but then the synth soul started to get old. If you like this type of thing, I think they do it well. Just not my thing. Rating: 1.7
typical boyband nonsense
Mostly forgettable and tepid vocals over 80´s synth that strikes me as bland
5/10
Forgettable
Die englische Band Prefab Sprout, angeführt vom Songwriter Paddy McAloon, veröffentlichte ihr zweites Studioalbum im Juni 1985 über Kitchenware Records und CBS – ein Werk, das in den Nomis Studios und den Marcus Studios in London entstand und unter der Regie des Produzenten Thomas Dolby (mit Ausnahme eines Tracks, den Phil Thornalley betreute) seinen charakteristischen, federleichten Glanz erhielt. Das Album bewegt sich souverän im Sophisti-pop, verbindet Indie-Sensibilität mit Jazz-Pop-Elementen und einer Noblesse, die für die britische Poplandschaft Mitte der Achtziger kaum ihresgleichen hatte. McAloons Kompositionen – darunter „When Love Breaks Down", „Faron Young" und „Appetite" – klingen wie aus einem Guss: melodisch präzise, emotional diskret und dennoch von einer Wärme durchzogen, die man eher fühlt als benennen kann. Dolbys Produktion gibt dem Album Weite ohne Kälte, Politur ohne Sterilität. Wendy Smiths Gesang und Martin McAloons Bassspiel fügen dem Gesamtbild eine organische Textur hinzu, die das Album trotz aller Eleganz geerdet hält. Steve McQueen ist kein Album, das lärmt – es überredet. Es zieht mit ruhiger Bestimmtheit in seinen Bann und entfaltet seinen eigentlichen Reichtum erst bei wiederholtem Hören: die harmonischen Verschiebungen, die grammatikalischen Überraschungen in McAloons Texten, die Stille zwischen den Noten. Dass das Werk in den USA auf Druck der Rechtenachfolger des Schauspielers umbenannt werden musste (Two Wheels Good), bleibt eine Randnotiz der Popgeschichte – der Titel ist und war stets Steve McQueen. Dieses Album ist ein stiller Beweis dafür, dass Großes manchmal aussieht wie Leichtigkeit.
Not much to remember on this one
I really liked this group and album. They remind me of another group and I'm stuck with who.
Boring, uninspirational new wave pop. Next.
Some fine production work from Thomas Dolby (as expected). Other than that, it's a flavorless Post-New-Romantic-Brit-Pop soup.
Yes nice
This was pretty run of the mill 80s post-punk-pop. Nothing special. Couldn't really hold my attention. Guitars were boring, drums repetitive, and voice generic.
Bit dull
Estoy cansado jefe, dame un álbum que me haga sentir algo y no esto.
Okay, qcy hoy no le di mucha bola nuevamente, espero que empiecen a tocar albumes que me motiven.
Es un álbum diría yo de nicho Tiene unas canciones interesantes le sacan partida a sintetizadores Personalmente hay algunas tendencias de la escena Brit clásica con la que no conecto muchísimo, sin embargo respeto mucho el esfuerzo y trabajo puesto en esta y muchas otras obras
Es una banda británica del género Sophisti-pop es una producción limpia, arreglos sofisticados, sintetizadores y guitarras acústicas, diría que también es Indie Pop, Art Pop muy ochentero
Forgettable but not miserable
Excellent name, but music too cheesy
Starts off nice, first song is a lot of fun, but then it progressively gets less and less interesting and is basically Squeeze light
Didn’t hate it but also thought a good portion was slow and boring.
I like 80s but this is too 80s
This album was alright. I think I listened to a deluxe version because it had a bunch of acoustic versions. The acoustic versions section I really enjoyed a lot more, but that might be because it strips away that 80s sound. It’s not bad but it didn’t grab me like I thought it would when it first started.
First 2 songs were good and then the album kind of falls apart, and some of the later songs are unlistenable
I consider entries like Steve McQueen to be "genre records" on this list. They represent a sound or scene that make an impact. Like reggae, metal, electronic music, etc.
I had high hopes for this album after hearing the opening track “Faron Young”. It sounds decades ahead of its time, like something Spoon or someone similar might come out with. It’s hard to keep up with all the wild directions this song takes. There are rock’n’roll standards, rockabilly banjo, and guitar textures that sound like they came from the 2020s. Consider me on the edge of my seat for the rest of “Steve McQueen”. “Bonny” takes things down a notch, but it’s not bad. I’m starting to think that Prefab Sprout may have laid the blueprints for a lot of the alt/indie bands of the late 2010s-2020s. My attention span is starting to wane at “Appetite”. But it’s at song number 4, “When Love Breaks Down”, that Prefab Sprout decide to become a different band. It’s like they abandoned the somewhat groundbreaking indie rock sound that they started this album off with, and instead made a conscious decision to go head-first into the more cheesy side of 80s pop. The rest of the album is a blur for me. I’ve listened a few times, but the songs all blend together as some sort of down-tempo smooth jazz tunes or exactly the type of 80s pop that I can’t stomach. I did get excited at one point, thinking that Prefab Sprout might have written the theme song of Bojack Horseman’s sitcom “Horsin’ Around”, but alas, it was just another boring number in an album that is at least 75% boring numbers. I’m not going to write-off Prefab Sprout. “Faron Young” is a fantastic song, good enough to make me want to find out if they have more like it on their other albums. But it’s definitely an outlier on “Steve McQueen”.
If this album was a meal it would be a bowl of undressed lettuce and cucumber with a side of boiled cauliflower and some lukewarm water to drink.
Didn’t do it for me though some of the songs have a twinkling of an influence on war on drugs maybe
This was not good. Dated and cheesy. 2/5
Tekniskt sett så spelar de instrumenten ordentligt, inte överproducerat.. men musiken är lite för 80tal för mig
Kan godt være den her fortjente lidt mere opmærksomhed. Det lød meget lækkert og sådan men synes ikke der var så meget at komme efter.
Sounds pretty modern, but it's also kind of boring... Especially towards the end.
Unremarkable
New Wave inspired by Elvis Costello, Sting, a little Pink Floyd… that’s a lot of reasons to feel some type of way about this one. Nevertheless, I do not. Tomorrow, I will not be able to tell you the name of this band.
★★½
Just really boring
Nothing about this album really caught my attention. There were some mildly interesting lyrical choices in a few of the songs but nothing that makes merits inclusion on a list like this…
This was a real slogan of sappy, low energy songs to get through. Not for me!
Agressively '80s and excessively long.
Eh. This album isn't bad but it's not very memorable either. It probably doesn't help that I don't really know who Steve McQueen is.
Good at first… but then kinda boring. I really wanted to like this.
Nothing memorable.
It's not a sound I find very attractive, and upon repeat listening, the songs aren't doing much for me either. It's nicely produced and performed though.
First song was alright after that it was all forgettable
Bits of this I enjoyed but the longer it went on the less keen I was on it.
Nice enough but probably wouldn't revisit - probably a 2.5
2.4 2x not bad just not my thing
I had only ever heard one song by this band before listening to this; it wasn't on it, which is a shame because it might have made it a little better.
Another boring 80’s pop record. I would like to have a word with the people who made this list.
2.5 stars. It's fine. Inoffensive. Some good songwriting that suffers from over production in a distinctly 80's way. To my ear, it homogenizes the whole thing, resulting in no standout tracks.
No private session used for Spotify. New of this band and familiar with that opening track; never listened an album. Very 80's and poppy, not my thing.
Not loving this. I don't mind my 80s pop but whilst I enjoyed a lot of the lyrics I didn't walk away with the same long lasting ear worm as a wham, hall & Oates or Duran Duran album would have given me.
This ranged from ok and inoffensive to mind numbingly boring 2
Oh my God this was SO CHEESY. There wasn't a single thing here that I would ever voluntarily listen to ever again. The lyrics are hilariously bad and the melodies make me want to punch them through my phone screen.
This is really cheesy facsimile of 80s pop. And that band name is simply awful.
Who are these clowns
Is this some sort of sick joke?!
Some pretty nice jams, but it’s not really anything crazy. Just sounds like a standard 80s pop album. It’s gets really boring in some parts. Horsin Around sounds super pretentious (well, for a genre called Sophiti-pop, I’m not surprised). Don’t think I’ll be dying to hear this one again.
Started off pretty decent but then started sounding like the soundtrack to a Disney Channel original teen drama highschoolers once that song about his dad thinking he was a giant puss happened
I just don't think sophisti-pop is my thing. Felt pretty bland to me.
80's brit-pop. that's it
It’s ok listening to this again, but nothing remarkable other than “When love breaks down”
Just feel like this album doesn't have enough energy, like at points I just want a great chorus thrown in but it never really gets going
Not sure what is so noteworthy about this that it warranted being included to this list.
Not absolute crap, but not great either…appreciated some of the harmonies but that’s it.
Pretty forgettable
This had the vibe of an only-okay Crowded House album. Very forgettable, but okay.
Gets more boring as it goes
This was alright, reminded me of the cure but preppy
it is a shame for Prefab Sprout that we can't award partial credit because if they just turned in the first four tracks this would rate higher. Unfortunately it continues
It was okay verging on very forgettable. very 80s synthy and I don’t recall any of the songs clearly the next day, so clearly I didn’t like it that much
Gay, soft, and mellow. This is really gay: 4 guys crowding a hog. Didn't feel a need to finish the last 4 songs.
If I could describe this album in a word it would be "safe". Not much to say, the music is pleasing enough but without really kicking up a gear much at all. I wanted more from a lot of the songs here but it seemed a little phoned in, with nothing too interesting happening. A couple of decent tracks in "Goodbye Lucille #1" and "Hallelujah" but not much else unfortunately.
This just didn't land well with me. I can't explain it well, but the singer's voice and how he delivered his lyrics hit me the wrong way. I got more and more annoyed as I listened to this album.
The first song set the expectations so high that everything else paled in comparison. Faron Young is the best song in here and it works to the album's detriment. A weird blend of 80s indie rock and country, it's really fascinating. Especially when you find out that the lead singer it is named after committed suicide.
In offensively bland.
Seems dated to me, in a bad way.
This sounds like jazz but the bad parts
I would own this record for the first song. The rest is completely forgettable
Steve McQueen con un disco? Particular cuánto menos
If I had heard of this group before its very fitting that I don't remember. Outside of a few "stand out" tracks this was incredibly boring. Even the stand out tracks were kind of plain but they were at least somewhat enjoyable.
This was better than I expected I was assuming it to sound alot more dated but it felt fairly modern akin to like the 1975 but slower over all though a bit too slow for me would make a for a good background album
First song was some cowboy stuff. I got excited, and then listened to 40 minutes of boring new wave. Great.
Ugh 2/5
No. Hows this in the 1001 albums? First song was alright, then zzzzz
Cheesy music for total cornball.
i’m… not into this at all
First couple songs had me in the palm of their hand, but then it starts to get weird. The “hit” kinda sounds like an 80s afterschool special. And the rest has these weird time signatures and changes that don’t make real sense in a pop world.
Really didn't know what to expect from a band called Prefab Sprout and an album called Steve McQueen. I guess an 80s indie pop record is about right. To be honest, I didn't love it. It started off fine, and I liked the first couple songs well enough. But it just never really went anywhere or did anything very interesting. There were a couple songs that changed up the vibe; one was jazzier and the other had a similarity to Bowie's Modern Love. The rest unfortunately was just bland and a bit overly pop for me, especially with the 80s stylings. I did find it interesting how the music and writing were matched up. It seemed very much like it could've been singer-songwriter-y, but then had all that production thrown on. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not at first. It was another thing that grew old as it went on, though. Some of the lyrics were pretty bad, too. (Turkey hungry but chicken free? I can't breakdance on your knee? Uh... what? That one lost me.) On the whole, there's not much there that's particularly bad or good. I wouldn't consider it something I need to hear before I die. It's just an OK record. Overall: 2.2/5
Classic album and honestly probably the first one I’ve had in a few weeks that I would agree is a must listen. This I album is a great intro into Krautrock, which is such a vital genre for almost anything that came after it besides maybe country and top 40 (I am including hip-hop and disco as being influenced by Krautrock). I so felt hope that this stands as a jumping off point for a few people into other artists from this genre such as NEU!, Ashra Tempel, Faust, Cluster/Kluster, etc.
it’s the next morning and i can’t even remember what this music sounded like. i didn’t not like it—it was just unremarkable
Though seemingly innocuous at first, lyrics like ‘I’m turkey hungry, I’m chicken free,’ and ‘Horsin’ around is serious business,’ place this firmly south of middling to me. I can’t argue with 80’s chime synth, but the reverbed harmonica just kills everything good that came before.
Thomas Dolby is a fucking hell of a producer, and this album SOUNDS great. But god des it devolve into bad new wave “jazz” as it goes along. The first half has some really great pop tunes but after a while it just loses all steam. A little sad all things considered.
Somebody else said in their review that this sounds like Wham last Christmas and I fully agree.
This reminds me of Coldplay. By that I mean it's dull. Oh so very dull. While listening, I by ti oh etjkmmmm. ,--zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
80's alt pop. Kinda interesting (yet forgettable) ride. Just not for me. 2/5
80s synth wave garbage for the most part.
When Love Breaks Down
At its best this album sounded like generic 80s new wave, and at its worst it sounded like a cheesy 80s musical. The end result was pretty forgettable.
A promising opening track in "Faron Young," but the farther I got into the album, the less interesting it seemed to become. Not as light and frothy as many of their contemporary British pop groups, these guys seem like they're probably overrated as more "serious." But there's really not much here.
Interesting album showing some early alternative vibes, though it quickly fell into synth pop and music that could have been produced by Wham! Decent, but after the first two tracks it sort of lost me.
Genuinely just forgettable. There isn’t a single song here that I can point out.
This was not interesting. Didn’t enjoy this one. Not sure why it is on the list.
This is a very good sounding 80s album, it doesn't sound dated at all, so alone for that I understand why this album is an acclaimed one from that decade. However, I find the songs forgettable and not something I would listen to again - this kind of pop/nee wave is not my thing.
Liked the first two songs but it went downhill pretty quickly after that. Horsin’ Around sounded like the worst song from a Gene Kelly movie
This one just did nothing for me. It sounds like every other bland 80s English pop album out there. Same sterile production, same soft vocals, same forgettable hooks. It’s technically fine, but it has zero personality. The only track worth mentioning is “When the Angels,” and that’s partly because it meant the album was almost over. To be fair, it’s a legit banger with some life in it, which only makes the rest of the record sound even more lifeless. Honestly, Steve McQueen feels like background music for people too afraid to turn up the volume. It’s polite, predictable, and about as exciting as a beige wall.
Weak, boring 80's music. 2 stars or D+.
This is better than the previous album which was also British pop. Still not very great, though I enjoyed a couple of the songs.
Vert meh, not top 1000 anything worthy.
Nothing wrong with it but very bland. It’s probably too sophisticated for my taste. At one point I forgot that the album was playing which shows how stimulating the music was. After listening to this I put on a Spotify mellow mix to liven things up. Not for me.
kinda boring ngl
Pretty boring and dull rock album.
Never heard of Prefab Sprouts before. Some interesting melodies but gosh the lyrics are boring. They sound like a band that would make theme songs for awful generic romantic sitcoms. Overall I'll say Meh.
It's fine, but not having got attached to this album when it came out (ie not benefitting from a healthy dose of nostalgia about how it helped me get through my first heartbreak), it's very hard to find it remarkable at all.
This one was definitely not for me.
Loved some of the tones on this, but not enough musically for me
Pretty unremarkable, but not offensive. It was fine I suppose.
Prefab Sprout burde være et skældsord. Sådan et man bruger når noget er lækkert på overfladen, men inter kvalitativt indhold har.
The Ramones meet Pink Floyd's the Wall. Probably influenced all the Brit pop artists on this list. Also, some bad synth. Otherwise forgettable.
5/10
Pretentious 80’s soft rock. 12 year old me probably would have thought it was cool and “deep”. 50 year old me thinks it blows.
Thought I might like it. Didn’t.
Have this a second day and an extra listen or two. A few tunes grabbed me. A lot of them lost me though. 2.25
Starts good then completely falls off
Wasn't really digging it that much, not completely terrible though I guess.
The Wikipedia page on Prefab Sprout has a lot of superlatives - "some of the most beautiful and intelligent records of their era", "most beloved pop music of the 1980s and 1990s" and that Paddy McAloon is "one of the great songwriters of his time." That's a little much. This was pretty much boring soft listening and I enjoyed it better as background music (never a good sign) - I got pretty bored on a close listen. I like the Thomas Dolby connection, and I'm sad that Dolby's The Golden Age of Wireless is not in the 1001 since it's so much better than this. Tracks I liked: Faron Young, Bonny.
The UK produces some of the most uninspiring music ever since the end of the original British Invasion - I mean, it’s just meh.
Bland
Vuelta chill por olague
crystal clear production, fine as background music but nothing grabbed me
If you try to imagine the most typical album from the 80s you will probably just imagine this album. Not bad per se but just run of the mill.
I liked this, it started out a little Smiths-esque, then became more American sounding half way through, nice discovery
Not really for me
This is weird. It’s fine, there are parts I like, but other parts I just can’t abide. Overall I don’t think it’s one I’ll ever want to revisit.
Different than much of the typical 80s pop music that you might hear. There is some cool difference in here from the typical, but not enough to have me coming back to this one.
Um... Yeah... Nah... Generic at best.
Inoffensive but unremarkable
At first grabs me, then repels. Begins well, but then sounds more like Sade wannabe and I start skipping ahead. Couldn't get past the first two, sadly.
Very 80s, but not my vibe.
2.09
Je croyais que le concept était les 1001 albums à écouter avant de mourir… pas un album qui donne le goût de mourir!! 🤣🤣🤣
I like the people they're compared to. I don't like them. Early in the album has intriguing jangle vibes, quickly dissipating into bloodlessness.
It definitely felt like 1985 listening to this. Easy to identify the hit on this album "When Love Breaks Down" that said, about 2 songs later Kyria (my wife) tapped out and DNF. I did finish it, but I didn't love it. It wasn't an awful album, but it was a boring one.
It was cool at first but then I couldn’t wait for it to end. Maybe it was just my impatience to listen to something else, but sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles
After listening to each track I instantly forgot it
I couldn’t find whatever secret sauce there was that earned this album its place on the list.
De eerste opzwepende klanken zetten mij op het verkeerde been. Het eerste nummer heeft de uitstraling van een bandje dat gewoon lekker ongedwongen muziek maakt. Ik krijg er zin in. Maar het blijkt een glad vervolg te krijgen. Of glad? Dat hoor je stroperig te noemen volgens het boek. Grappig, twee termen die als je ze letterlijk neemt, het tegenovergestelde effect hebben. Doorglijden of blijven plakken. Maar figuurlijk wekken ze wel dezelfde associatie: gadverredamme. En dat laten ze al vanaf de start van die nummers weten, met zo'n vies jaren '80 intro. Ik zou deze band een strafpunt willen geven omdat hij mij op het verkeerde been zette. Maar eerlijk is eerlijk, we hebben wel erger voorbij horen komen.
Liked the moments where it tied into New Wave a bit better but it was otherwise pretty dull.
Talk about dated. The only redeeming song was “Bonny,” but even that was only decent.
There’s truly nothing unique about this album, but it’s not difficult to listen to, just boring.
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This album did not really do anything for me. It sounds like generic 80s pop to me. No interest in listening again.
This album is fine, but that's it. Just fine. Not much different than half of the other Brit Pop albums listed.
Sounds nice, but devoid of creativity or melody or interesting musical ideas. 80s overproduction over meandering instrumentals. This band is like... some guy wrote a bunch of poems, his neighbor happened to run a music studio and said "oh I've got a crack team of musicians who can make this into music for SURE!" then kinda produced this smash of weird lyrics and musical sounding noise with no direction or passion or cohesiveness
So, four tracks in with this on in the background and I have spaced out the whole time. I'm not going back, this is some vanilla ass 80s music.
Nothing special or noteworthy. Just another bland album on this list. 2/5 Won’t listen again
Snore
2.5 stars Basically every work day since around 2011, I’ve listened to Lauren Laverne’s show on BBC 6Music. Prefab Sprout gets mentioned a lot on her show (probably listener requests) and shows up on her playlist sometimes, but I’ve never paid much attention to them. I thought I was going to like this album more than I did. The first song was very Smiths but that turned out to be a red herring. His songwriting reminded me of Aztec Camera (I really love their album High Land, High Rain), but stylistically this record is smooth jazz-pop à la The Style Council, which I can get behind… to a point. Unfortunately, this record gets cheesier as it goes on. There’s an aggressively 80s easy-listening vibe that’s hard to get past. I’m amenable to 80s pop that walks this line but this goes over it for me. The lyrics are interesting. Paddy McAloon can definitely turn a phrase. But I found the narrator off-putting a lot of the time, with his tales of cheating and self-confessed crappy behaviour. I think Destroyer took a lot of cues from Prefab Sprout on Kaputt, which is a great album I’ve listened to a lot, so I’ll give them that. Next time Lauren Laverne plays a Prefab Sprout song I’ll pay more attention, and enjoy it even. But this is not a full-album band for me.
It's The Smiths for Tears for Fears fans. It's The Smiths for people already in love. It's The Smiths for optimists. It's The Smiths for people too into the 80s. It's The Smiths for people who voted for Reagan. It's The Smiths for Americans. It's The Smiths for normies. It's The Smiths but mid. It's The Smiths but less problematic... hopefully. It's The Smiths but not The Smiths. It's The Smiths for people who hate Morrissey. It's The Smiths without a sense of humour. It's The Smiths for people who get what they want every time.
not my thing but nothing horrible eather. a bit too corny for my taste. 5/10 fav songs : When the angels
I don't think I'm calm enough for this. Also, I wanna revamp most of the 80's "new wave" music in this list.
This is well made but nothing stands out. I'm ignorant as to British pop that didn't really cross over into the US so this is my first and last listen. 2/5
New album, new band, etc, etc. Total snoozefest.
I liked the first song which gave me hope that this was going to be an interesting album but the rest was pretty disappointing. Quintessential bland 80's sound, cheesy synth block chords and forgettable empty pop, this isn't anything I'd ever want to hear again.
I thought that by 956 albums into the supposed 1,001 albums you must listen to before you die I would have escaped the drudge of 80s UK Pop. I have failed. The one good thing about this album is that Steve McQueen wasn't around to hear it. 2/5
Light and airy pop with a lot of gloss. OK for what it is.
I really wanted to like this as it seemed like it would be right up my street but it was pretty dull
4.5/10
It was alright, don't understand why my brother raves about them so much
starts very promising and i enjoyed some songs beside them being cheesy sleazy pop hymns. but swiftly, the album fails to deliver consistent quality.
Some decent ballads on here, but too much 80's department store loudspeaker pop on here for me to enjoy it too much.
The first two tracks were decent 80s pop. The rest of the songs were horrible 80s pop, without hooks.
A couple of decent songs, but not really anything i'm compelled to listen to
Sounded like a less dynamic version of the Smiths, cool British pop.
This web game has way too many mediocre English artists. I can't believe anybody would argue that I *needed* to listen to this before I die. Bored.
Oh shit! Steve McQueen was a musician too? Actor. Motorsports racer. All around awesome dude! I bet this rips! Oh wait, this is just the name of the album... what a let down.
Probably could have convinced me to give this a three, but they are British ...
I don't know. I seem to understand the British music scene a bit more from this list. But seriously this isn't interesting music. I don't understand where this stuff keeps coming from.
Ok
Arsch langweilig
Soft, clever, and a little too proud of itself. A few good moments, but mostly forgettable 80s fluff
5/10 This was fine. I can’t say I’ll return but it was alright. Enjoyable listen but didn’t feel much here
I was initially intrigued to listen to this one, mainly because I saw that Thomas Dolby had produced it and I have previously enjoyed some of his work. The album opens promisingly enough with a jaunty honky tonk style tribute to country singer Faron Young, but then it turns into a series of fairly bland and almost identical songs about nothing particularly memorable. It’s a pleasant enough listen, but it falls into the previously mentioned genre of unthreatening CDs to put on at 80s dinner parties. Blandtastic!
I wanted to write something about it but it's so bland that I kind of instantly forget it once I was done listening to it. It wasn't so bad to get a 1, but once again, I could have died happily without it.
I don't believe I'd ever heard Prefab Sprout. I don't hate it, but definitely not really my thing. A little too goofy and dated sounding for me, but can tell they're talented
cant say i remember any of their stuff from back in the day.. it could very well be influential, but I cant say in what way?
Another boring 80’s new wave album…
Pretty generic 80s songs.
Started out nicely and enjoyable and as I continued to listen it seem like every song after track 5 I wanted to skip. Although the bass tone is pretty awesome throughout the album.
Started off ok then had many bad songs. Sounds like a band that can actually rock making the terrible decision to play 80s pop. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
The first three songs are solid, if fairly generic. Once the synths come in on “When Love Breaks Down”, the album breaks down along with the love. Muzak with weird breathy throat singing ain’t it.
Strange one. It feels way ahead of it's time but I don't think that makes it good. It just feels like a nothing who cares album from 2005 instead of 1985. It's kinda interesting but I won't be returning
Unknown pop album. Boring. Typical. Did I say boring? Hard pass
I don’t know. It sounds maudlin and sugary sweet for most of the record. Occasionally an interesting musical idea is merges. But mostly I found this forgettable. 2/5
2/5. I'm not into it. It's too soft, like music you hear in an elevator.
Alright synth pop or new wave (not sure in difference. As the album went on I was getting more and more bored. Unrelated to my vote, not at all what I pictured something titled Steve McQueen to sound like
Meh.
слишком дефолтный британский поп из 80-х, 2/5
Very repetitive. Idk it was the 80s.
Not bad. Of its day. Sits somewhere between Deacon Blue and Tears for Fears though the opener feels pure Dr Feelgood. Ok.
I quite enjoyed Prefab Sprout back in the 80’s when I was a teenager who had no idea what good music was. No way this should be on this list.
This 80s album doesn't stand out from other 80s music. This is not a must-hear because, despite having never heard it before, I feel like I've heard it before.
Ok, not for me though.
Another 80s album I could live without
Another 80s album ruined and beyond boring due to horrible, lame production. I couldnt bear to sit through the acoustic sessions by the time the original part was done, but noticed that the first few seconds of that version was notably better.
Kind of a boring album. Didn't do much for me
Been on a little 80's pop/new-wave kick today I guess. Don't know anything about this group or album. A lot more jazzy and lo-fi than I was expecting. It's vulnerable, touching on love and heartbreak among other things. The parts of the whole weren't super memorable though, so I honestly can't really take anything home from this I guess. Just "alright".
Groupe inconnu. J'apprécie la section rythmique, mais aucun morceau ne m'a réellement accroché. Agréable à écouter, mais pas très marquant. Je n'y reviendrais pas. =>2/5
hmmmm sounds like country...okay maybe not. 2 stars. Nothing special and I didn't listen to the whole thing the top 2 songs on the album weren't that great
Huh. Interesting music for the times. It sounds far more modern than 1985. Cool mix of British guitar rock, jazz, showtune and new wave-y styles and vibes. Having said that, I don’t think I’d go back to it, mostly because I don’t really like his voice, his lyrics or ultimately his playing.
When I put this on I wanted to like it, I really did. But I didn’t.
Adult pop with a bit of jazz influence
Not bad but incredibly uninteresting
In general, I do not like 80's pop music, so this was a boredom for me.
Io sono velocità
eh
Very dull album. Struggled to keep my attention at the end. Bonny and When Love Breaks Down were ok and save it from being a 1
no
Never judge an album by its cover, I see. I thought it would be some old classic rock or country rock, but it's actually synth rock and kind of new wave. I still don't quite like this album, but it's more interesting than I thought (but still a bit dull; the opening track is fun, but those that followed are not so creative). I think I'd give it a 2.5/5 for this one.
V good arrangements
This generator has helped me find so much music I love, mid-80s pop is not it. Something about the crisp cleans, synths, and cornball lovesick lyrics pisses me off. Steve McQueen should not be associated with this.
This sure is an 80s album alright
Not for me this.
I unapologetically love New Wave and New Romantic music, particularly if it is from the 80s. So, as a purveyor of said genres, I enjoyed the first 2 tracks on this album, and wondered how I could not be more familiar with this band, but then I heard the rest of the album fall into a black hole of ballads that it never recovered from, and I then realized why I had never heard of Prefab Sprout's STEVE MCQUEEN. The recordings are well done from a technical point of view but creatively they never elevate beyond the first couple of tracks, and they never maintain the kind of propulsive intensity required for an album so boldly named after an actor known for his passionate speed and adventuring hobbies.
2.5☆/5 11.23.2024
Overall mediocre, uninteresting more than bad.
2+
# Playlist Track - Bonny # Notes - Very nostalgic 80's vibes, sure. But also a not very interesting album, with an atrocious tail-end. The last few tracks are super boring. - I'd give it a higher rate if it was shorter. Just a burst of 80's vibe. - Not horrible, but a very forgettable experience that I don't look forward to repeat.
I knew thirty seconds into this album that it would be completely forgettable, and it was. Still, it was a decent listen, and I did enjoy parts of it. Then, I couldn't remember any of it.
199/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
I wanted to like this more but it's pretty dull
I'd love to rate this higher. I live about 2 miles from Witton Gilbert (note for Americans, that's pronounced "Whitt-un Jill-butt") where the band was from, and it's nice to see local talent (and there is no doubt they are talented) doing well. I have, however, checked to see how much album I've got left to endure more than once, and I can't overlook that. I don't think it's terrible, not compared to, say, anything at all that's country or a folky singer/songwriter who sounds like they're singing with their eyes shut. But the interesting bits, when they do turn out, are swamped by genuinely dull-as-ditchwater morose synth twaddle. I actually feel quite sad at having to give it a two.
Prefab Sprout were on my periphery in high school. Their CD was always around in the used bin, but I never succumbed. I think it was my loss. I am enjoying this. A lot of commonality with Squeeze, but musically and lyrically. Clean 80s brit-pop. A few more tracks in and putting myself in my orange Chuck's, I probably did hear it back then and thought it was too cheesy. By the time Appetite hit, I was getting pretty sick of them. Did anyone else hear the odd grab of Steely Dan Aja in that track? Desire As - pops out as an anomaly on the album standing well above the rest.
It started strong for me with Faron Young but then went a bit sideways and too much into sophistipop. It’s nice and I can see why it’s here. It’s just nice.
1001 albums you need to hear including quite a bit of rather bland 80s British pop.
I don't know what is it but I find this quite annoying. Almost feels like the soundtrack of a TV series or old movie. What bothers me most is that I can't really point out what bothers me.
2.4 - I was really hoping to like this after the first song, but my god it sounded really arrogant. Hard to describe, but the it's as though he thought the lyrics were more profound than they actually were.
Alright. A bit 80's and a bit samey...
This is a fine rock CD, but I would've never picked it out of a crowd. It's just a little light and soft for my taste. Which is fine, it's pleasant background noise. But it lacks any real haymakers that would make it a good active listen. The highest-tension moment is probably the chorus on "Bonny", and that maybe gets to a 4/10 on the excitement scale.
Listened to this while playing Isofarian Guard. This was the first album I listened to after my dog passed away. I would much rather listen to this than go through that experience again. That said...this album is so far from essential listening. I didn't hate it...but i could immediately think of 1001 other albums that could beat this out.
This album is about as exciting as a low sodium saltine. There is no reason for anyone to have to listen to this.
This is just more British garbage. Got worse the longer it went on. Album was short (45 minutes) but felt long. 3/10 (1.5/5)
Bonny is super cool. Rest of the songs have super weird lyrics
music is the driest, most unsoulful pop goop imaginable, the lyrics are weird, and the whole thing has a locked in a dark closet humming to himself vibe.
Just not my jam
Ok 80s pop
This one probably shouldn't be on this list. I'm a big fan of 80s synth pop, so this should have been in my wheelhouse. However, it seems below average for the era, and hasn't really aged well. No wonder they were worried about a lawsuit from Steve McQueen's estate.
Ну такое. Лучшая песня - Desire As.
Che noiaaaaaaa
It wasn't particularly bad, but it was just kind of boring and a bit... ok, it was a little bit bad. Listens: 2 Fave Track: Bonny Rating: 2
It was promising at first. There were interesting melodies at some places and the vocals are not as annoying as I expected. Still, it turned out to be boring overall. Never trust a "sophisti pop" album I guess. That genre name sounds so pretentious I get a knee jerk reaction everytime I read it.
This feels like a British version of Bruce Springsteen. but like sadder and less interesting. which is a talent.
The band name is so cool I had high expectations. Their music? Perfectly fine. Pleasant. I’m not going to remember it half an hour from now.
Hmm - starts out as one thing, and ends up sounding totally different. It’s okay but nothing more - and definitely not as interesting as other 80’s pop bands from Britain
This is very bland.
First track gave me the wrong impression that this album was gonna be a good time.
I wasn’t expecting much but initially it sounded better than expected. By the end of listening to the entire album I was more than ready for it to end. A lot of the 80’s music for me has not aged well at all. All the cheesy synthesizers and electronic drum sets are pretty rough.
Interesting record, might have to come back and revisit sometime to pick out some of the details. Kind of seriously unserious?
Back to obscurity please
This one really failed to grasp much attention from me, and I hate to say that given how much of a sucker I am for 80s pop, but it just didn't do it for me.