Some things hurt more, much more, than cars and girls

[venta]

On Fridays this year, we ask...

What's in the Box?

The Box in question is the glovebox of my car, home to my extremely motley tape collection. By the time I owned a car with a tape player tapes were on the way out and most of my music was in CD format. However, charity shops were practically giving tapes away, which meant that I bought rapaciously and eclectically. A half-remembered 80s band who once released a single I'd liked a little ? A band I'd vaguely heard of ? An unknown group with good cover art ? Bring them on.

Of course, the net result is that I've ended up with a tape collection which any music-lover would be slightly ashamed of. There was a relatively narrow window (late 70s to later 80s) when tapes were big news, and my horde represents that. However, in amongst the terrible pop I've found some gems and I reckon its time to come clean about my guilty musical secrets.

Today in The Box, we have:

Prefab Sprout - Protest Songs

Prefab Sprout: English surburban pop, at its best. No, I can't define exactly what I mean by the phrase "suburban pop", though I have a very clear idea. Perhaps something slightly quiet, self-effacing, and singing of terrible heartbreak in such a way that you might not even notice.

I first encountered Prefab Sprout via the delightful From Langley Park to Memphis when I was a teenager. Then I pretty much forgot about them for a decade. But I recently bought The Gunman and Other Stories in a CD sale, and then this album on tape for 50p.

In some ways they're all quite similar-sounding; if you hate this, you'll probably hate the lot. You could clame that they're bland, or dated, or twee, or probably lots of other bad things if you wanted.

But really, give them a chance. They've got some fantastic songs.

Prefab Sprout - Life of Surprises [link expired]

[Poll #1204291]

Useless fact for the day: Wikipedia tells me that the Prefab Sprout are from Witton Gilbert, which isn't very far from where I grew up. I didn't know that. Southerners should take note that Gilbert sounds far more like Giblets than it does like something which would hang out with Sullivan.

Comments

[venta.livejournal.com]

phlebas can you explain your poll answers ? I'm just curious...

Do you mean the record's good, but you're indifferent ? The record's indifferent, but you're good with it ?

I'd intended good, indifferent, bad to be mutually-exclusive descriptions of the track (in your opinion), but few people seem to use it like that.

[dr-bob.livejournal.com]

That just makes me want to dig out all my old Prefab Sprout cassettes, or re-acquire some digital version. My favourite album (perhaps 'cos it was the first one I got) was Jordan: the Comeback, which had a song that was essentially a begging letter from Lucifer to Michael, asking to put a good word in for him to the Big Man. Just seen (c/o Wikipedia) it got a BRIT nomination, so maybe I'm right!!

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

I rather like the Prefab Sprout I've heard. I suspect that this means a Best Of compilation could be in my future at some point ... thank you for reminding me of this ...

[ylla.livejournal.com]

I feel a bit like that, actually - it's well done, but does very little for me.
No idea if that's what phlebas meant, though.

[ulfilias.livejournal.com]

Ra....Really like a few of thier tracks and should probably get a compliation or something....Probably another band i'll regress into....Quite odd lyrics at times....Almost reminds me of They Might Be Giants, though thier song style varies hugely.