The Devil Came A-Calling

[www.obscuresound.com]

Any of you heard the thing/"album"?

Based upon the one track still circulating ([www.youtube.com]), I can see why one would assume this is legit...I can also see why the parties involved wouldn't want this out there. It's a sketch of a Prefab Sprout tune awaiting a sprinkling of magic dust.

It's really snuck up on me, how much I fucking love Prefab Sprout. I got Swoon when it first came out based on Elvis Costello raving about them in Musician magazine. I liked it a hell of a lot, but back in 1984 I don't know if I would've listed it as one of my favorite albums of the year.

I loved each successive album when it came out, but again, I never really would've considered them one of my favorite bands.

Then came the long hiatus and during that time, I guess I got older and smarter and came to see that there was as much passion involved in creating music of intelligence and craft as there was pure brute firepower. And Paddy McAloon does intelligence and craft as well as anyone in the history of recorded music. Why "When Love Breaks Down" and "Appetite" have not become standards is one of the great mysteries of the universe.

I just love the hell out of the guy. I'm now impatient to hear this new album, but am also glad that any unauthorized leaks have been taken down. Paddy McAloon has earned the right to make sure no one hears a note of his stuff until he's ready for them to hear it. I hope it doesn't take several more years for him to finish it, but if it does, I have no doubt the wait will be worth it.

It was posted to Soundcloud and sat there unnoticed for 2-3 months until someone brought it to the attention of Sproutnet (then all hell broke loose). There was some initial speculation that Paddy put it out there himself, but I highly doubt that. The worst scenario is that this will only drive him deeper into his (already severe) reclusive inertia. I hope that's not how this plays out, but it's a hopeful sign that he/his management have allowed "Billy" to remain on YT.

breno wrote:

> ItWhy "When Love Breaks Down" and "Appetite" have
> not become standards is one of the great mysteries of the
> universe.

I have to agree here. . . I would also put "Carl and Girls" in there.

> I would also put "Carl and Girls" in there.

Thanks for getting my day started with a good hearty laugh, Erik!

(That bastard Carl always did have the luck.)

Ha! A speedy reply got the best of me. . .

Ahem: "Cars and Girls."

. . . Though there's something to "Carl."

Speaking of "Cars and Girls", I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to hear the Dictators' song on my local classic rock station the other night. That, and hearing the "new rock alternative" station play Ian Hunter's "Words" a few weeks ago, gives me the slightest smidgen of hope for commercial radio.

You may now return to your Prefab Sprout conversation. I will concur that "When Love Breaks Down" is a fantastic song and shoulda been a hit.

Great, impassioned write-up on The Sprout, breno. I perhaps don't love them quite so much but really enjoy the Steve McQueen album, especially the two gorgeous songs you mentioned. My personal favorite song is The Ice Maiden from the Jordan album. Pop perfection.

The wiki page on "When Love Breaks Down" says that it "has been covered by many artists." So there ya go, maybe it IS a standard!

Couldn't recall what Prefab Sprout actually sounded like, so I listened to "When Love Breaks Down" for maybe a minte. Blech. '80 EZ mush. (But hey, I love Percy Faith's "Theme From A Summer Place" and Johnny Mathis' "Wonderful Wonderful." To each his own...)



Post Edited (07-09-13 13:51)

MrFab wrote:

> Couldn't recall what Prefab Sprout actually sounded like, so I
> listened to "When Love Breaks Down" for maybe a minte. Blech.
> '80 EZ mush.

That hurt Fab. Really, really hurt.

You need to buy Steve McQueen/Two Wheels Good, put it on your hi-fi, and put the needle in the red. All will be revealed.

Inspired by this thread, I listened to Two Wheels Good this morning and also found the production to be a little treacly in spots (e.g., "Appetite"), but sometimes it works.

I also had forgotten that great line in "Desire As": "I've got six things on my mind, and you are no longer one of them."

Admittedly, the production hasn't held up well - not unusual for music of that era. But if you can get past the twinkly synths (I tend to blame Thomas Dolby, but he wasn't their only producer), you'll find some really clever, melodic and moving songs.

Michael Toland wrote:

> Admittedly, the production hasn't held up well - not unusual
> for music of that era. But if you can get past the twinkly
> synths (I tend to blame Thomas Dolby, but he wasn't their only
> producer), you'll find some really clever, melodic and moving
> songs.

I differ on the production. I think it still sounds great. Actually, I've often thought Dolby was their crucial fifth member. Everything just seemed to work better when he was in the studio. Both Andromeda Heights and The Gunman demonstrate perfectly how his presence was missed.

Actually, I these songs are all about the production! They are inseparable from the music. Like, say, Rumors-era Fleetwood Mac in that respect.

> Though there's something to "Carl."

That's what the girls all say.

The Other

Fantastic depression era supernatural thriller involving a pair of mischievous kiddie twins. Thomas Tryon didn't have to try to follow this up; it's a perfect story as is. Watch the movie. Read the book.



Post Edited (07-10-13 00:41)

Surely he can pull some good material from all these unfinished projects and do a boxed set release similar to what Lloyd Cole did a few years ago.

"Paddy is well-known for having a wealth of material composed, but never released. Just check out his 'repertoire' page on the BMI website - it seems like fans have yet to see half the songs he's written. In 1999, Paddy talked about 'the triumphs I never had; my hypothetical career,' adding: 'I never thought I'd be kept awake at night thinking about all the stuff I hadn't recorded. I'm haunted by all these unrealised visions.' In this section, I have compiled a list of the main projects brought to our attention over the years."

Unreleased Albums

Famous Fakes - 'Faron Young' and 'Donna Summer' were going to be on this album, conceived by Paddy in the 70's. They were going to be songs using famous names, but not actually about the people. 'But,' Paddy adds, 'most of them were crap.'

Goodbye Lucille (The Album) - When the Sprouts first started, Paddy had the bold idea of writing 'an entire album with the same title for each song, the completely different tunes and subjects to be differentiated by numbers.' Paddy felt that Goodbye Lucille #1, later to appear on Steve McQueen, was 'the only worthwhile result.'

Total Snow - Also known as 'A Symphony of Snowflakes.' This was going to be a Christmas album, and was written in the mid-eighties. Paddy reckoned he'd got it completely written, but wanted to 'get other people to sing on it.' In the end, he did Langley Park instead, but still has a vague desire to do this. One track was called 'The Madman on the Roof.'

Zorro the Fox - A possible film score, Paddy having been inspired by Thomas Dolby's soundtrack work post-Steve McQueen. 'I'm tentative talking about it because I know people will laugh,' Paddy said, about Zorro, 'but the thing is, I'm deadly serious about it.' In the film, Zorro was going to ride a talking horse, and was 'not going to have much joy in his life, other than being good at what he does, which is to be a hero.' One song from this project - Swans - turned up on 1997's Andromeda Heights.

Atomic Hymnbook - This album apparently consisted of 'secular gospel songs.' 'Songs about spiritual subjects,' none of which have appeared.

Behind the Veil - 'I've written an entire album about Michael Jackson,' Paddy said, in 1995. One of the tracks was to be called 'Only The Boogie Music Will Never Let You Down,' which later became 'The Sound Of Crying' (with the lyrics changed - try singing it, it sounds great.) There were also going to be tracks titled 'Unicorn in Trouble,' 'Danger and Me,' and 'Mr. Lightning Boots.' The story was rather involved; a bell-hop at a hotel finds himself trapped in a lift with Michael Jackson, after a terrorist attack, and Princess Diana was there as well. Then they went away to an island. 'It was a very, very unreal story,' Paddy comments. 'I might come back to it...but not anytime soon.'

Witton Gilbert: The Album - 'I have an album about my life with my brothers in a small place (and the songs are kind of about that atmosphere). It’s a pretty record, but they would only really get all the references.' No idea when this was written, but the b-side 'Bearpark' could be a track.

Devil Came A-Calling - This album is apparently the 'mirror image' of Let's Change The World With Music, taking a darker, 'completely different view of the world.'

Earth: The Story So Far - Originally a single track on Let's Change The World With Music, Paddy decided (or was asked) to expand the idea into a whole album. After amassing some thirty songs for the project, including one called 'Columbus Dreamed America', it all got a bit too much for him, and we are left with just the original track.

Knights in Armour - This was the project before Let's Change The World was written, and was apparently 'much lighter...very romantic.' Most of the tracks from this album surfaced as b-sides on the Andromeda Heights singles. It was also known as 'Billy Midnight.'

20th Century Magic - An album intended to 'soundtrack the millenial mindset,' including a delightful song entitled 'Twilight Of The Pimps,' about London's 'Millenium Dome.' 'Dear Tony, It's a bold idea/We could use an unloved dome round here,' were just some of the lyrics. 'I regret it not being out at the moment,' Paddy commented, in February 2000 - one can only wonder how he feels about it now.

Neon Opera - This long-rumoured project about city life will include a track of the same name, originally written for the vocal talents of Jimmy Nail. Paddy claimed to have finished writing this in the summer of 2009.

Zero Attention Span - Described in a September 2009 issue of Mojo magazine as 'unflattering snapshots of today.' An alternative title is allegedly: 'England In Aspic – A Polaroid Taken By A Sozzled Brit Stumbling Out Of A Nightclub.'

Digital Diva - Also mentioned in that issue of Mojo, this album allegedly includes more than thirty songs, written in response to 'the way Paddy conceives music since the onset of tinnitus in one ear three years ago.' Paddy wants to record this using a 'virtual vocalist.'

Doomed Poets Vol. 1/Elegy For A Ramraider - These have been mentioned, and I suspect they are related, or at least were. Paddy says Doomed Poets is 'half instrumental, half about modern kids.'

Geoff & Isolde - 'It’s like an opera, but with tiny bits,' Paddy claims. 'I can see that this’ll take me a long time to do as well...'

Blue Unicorn - 'I wrote an album called Blue Unicorn in the past couple of months,' Paddy said, in September 2009. 'But that’s not what I should be working on. I should be programming up older stuff that needs to be out there.' Quite right!

Enter the Trumpets - This was first mentioned in December 2009, but we don't yet know anything except the title.

<[www.prefabsprout.net];

[www.facebook.com]

And yet more details here.

Just a reminder that this is out now (no American release though). Probably would chose this over Jordan, so it's just taken the number two spot behind TWG. My, my, look what Paddy's done.