Steve McQueen/Two Wheels Good

Prefab Sprout

Sony/Epic, 1985

http://www.prefabsprout.net

REVIEW BY: Benjamin Ray

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 10/13/2012

Although Prefab Sprout’s debut Swoon established a few themes that would characterize the band, as a whole it was too muddled and derivative to stand on its own, the sound of a new band trying to find its voice. In just one year, that voice was found on the excellent Steve McQueen (released in America as Two Wheels Good).

Lumped in with other British underground acts of the ‘80s (the Smiths, the Cure, etc.), Prefab Sprout is very much their own band, drawing as much on the post punk and New Wave philosophy as it does on sophisticated adult pop (not the smarmy kind, but the good kind). It’s music that may have fit on the radio in the ‘80s as well as music that would fit right next to Elvis Costello and The Queen Is Dead without any guilt.

Fans of underground alternative loved this British quartet, yet they never rose above a cult act in the States and were only marginally more popular in the UK a few years after this one came out. A damn shame. Paddy McAloon is a fine songwriter and Steve McQueen is a melancholy, emotional album, a grown-up examination of the heart set to lush, immaculately produced music.

The touch of musical diversity this time is more seamless than on Swoon, and the disc as a whole is dreamy Costello/Bacharach noir, with piano, upfront bass, and acoustic guitars setting the story and pace of each sonic exploration. It’s the kind of thing that compels you to listen to it a few times just to allow it time to burrow into your soul.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

The best-known song – at least the one that shows up on compilations – is “When Love Breaks Down,” a beautiful tune with words like “The lies we tell / They only serve to fool ourselves / When love breaks down / The things you do / To stop the truth from hurting you.” It’s a simple sentiment, but McAloon sings it with conviction and heartbreak.

The first half of the disc is mostly about what’s left of the heart after the honeymoon has ended, from the regret of “Bonny” to the lost love of “Goodbye Lucille #1 (Johnny Johnny),” and especially in “Appetite,” a song of lust and the consequences: “She will always pay the bills / For having the big fun / He talks so well, what can you do.” McAloon sings all of this with the breathy flair of someone who has lived it instead of as a detached observer, and that spirit infuses the music.

McAloon still finds time for humor, such as on “Moving The River” and the line “Hear you got a new girlfriend / How’s the wife taking it?,” which leavens an otherwise serious song about the need to constantly impress one’s parents, regardless of age or accomplishment. More fun is the opening “Faron Young,” a song about country music vs. pop music and how the former has actual stories, while the latter is just “bubblegum” and “infrared” light, as opposed to actual sunshine. The music threatens to sound like a country parody but is muscular enough to pay homage, and the song works despite itself.

A few spots on the second side tend to drag a bit, such as the overlong “Desire As” and the disposable “Blueberry Pies,” which has overtones of those old Gershwin/Porter songs. On the other hand, name a band that has managed to channel Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, synth pop, Cole Porter, and Steely Dan. Prefab Sprout paved the way for those crossover acts like Sade and Simply Red that got more airplay, but they were doing it first and better. Only rarely does the music stoop to standard ‘80s synthesizer-kitsch, most notably on the additional tracks tacked on to Two Wheels Good, neither of which add much to the proceedings.

It should be noted that Thomas Dolby produced this and helped shape it by picking his favorite McAloon songs from those presented; his touch and the band’s tight performances result in a shimmering gem that speaks to the heart and the ears. Perhaps falling short of a forgotten classic, Steve McQueen is a minor masterpiece worth rediscovering.

Rating: B

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© 2012 Benjamin Ray and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Sony/Epic, and is used for informational purposes only.