Search - Prefab Sprout :: Collection

Better late than never - and eminently tasteful

Kevin O'Conner | 02/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Collection is the US release of 1999's 38 Carat Collection with ever-so-slightly altered title and cover art. This two-disc set contains the band's 19 UK singles, and adds 19 key album tracks.To a certain extent, The Collection effectively renders half the Prefab Sprout back catalog redundant. Steve McQueen and From Langley Park To Memphis are represented by eight and nine tracks, respectively. However, it's good to see that Epic/Legacy has kept the set intact; given the general lack of awareness of Prefab Sprout's existence in the U.S.,the label could have made a case for whittling things down to a single disc, or passing altogether on its release.The usual highlights are present, from "When love breaks down" to "The sound of crying", with "Faron Young", "Appetite", "Cars and girls", "Hey Manhattan!", "Looking for Atlantis" and "We let the stars go", among others, in between. A bonus for the American enthusiast is the inclusion of five songs from 1997's Andromeda Heights, which Epic declined to release in the U.S.The only real disappointments here are the absence of "Wild horses", which was included on 1992's best-of, Life Of Surprises, and "Jesse James symphony", without which "Jesse James bolero" sounds strangely incomplete, as if one had walked into the theatre halfway through the movie.Still, this collection shouldn't be passed up. Prefab Sprout has consistently managed to combine tasteful arrangements and emotional content without coming across as either too restrained or too mushy. Hopefully, Epic will see fit to release their forthcoming album, The Gunman And Other Stories, in the States this time."

A TREASURE: 10 STARS

Heidi Tandy | 09/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is pop music of the very highest order: immensely literate and lyrical, sophisticated, hip, subtle, inspiring, joyous....I could go on and on, but let me just say this: it really restores your faith in human creativity. I must confess that I had never listened to this group before acquiring this CD a week ago. WOW, was I missing out!! McAloon is a indeed a GENIUS. No doubt about it. The comparisons to the great Cole Porter made by critics are well-founded. His work makes that of 99% of the rest of the pack look shabby, shallow, tired, and juvenile. Listening to this CD is the pop music equivalent of watching Renoir's Rules of the Game or reading Rilke's Duino Elegies. You feel uplifted. McAloon's music is that outstanding and it is a real pity that it has not received much more recognition from the public! If I were a Broadway producer looking to put on a musical with truly original music, I would go straight to McAloon. Paddy, where are you? (I have already gone out and bought another one of Prefab's CDs and cannot wait to sink my ears into it!)"

Perfect Pop From Prefab Sprout!

Kevinduran | Indianapolis, Indiana USA | 02/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Prefab Sprout really never caught in the U.S. That may be an understatement! I would venture to say that a lot of people have never heard of them, which is truly unfortunate. They graced the pages of the 80's teen magazine STAR HITS constantly- it may be why that magazine closed down- it was just too hip for the room- at least in the U.S. Maybe that is a good description for Prefab Sprout. This hits collections contains 2 discs full of smartly crafted pop confections. I would not say that they are overtly British, but they are obviously not American. Disc one contains the "hits" (they were hits in the U.K.); Disc two contains "B-sides" (although some of the songs are just random album tracks that were used as B-sides- they aren't B-sides in the sense that they are hard to find.) A lot of the songs here were produced by Thomas Dolby- but be aware that Prefab Sprout were NOT blinded by science! (Their music does not sound like Mr. Dolby's!) Great retrospective from an overlooked 80's gem of a band."