Consistently spinning
'Crimson/Red' these past months has had me on a quite a Prefab Sprout kick. I don't have too many of the band's "rarities"...
'Steve McQueen' and
'Jordan: The Comeback' (and even 'Swoon' a bit these days) are my go-to records... but I did recently pull out the old crappy USB turntable to transfer this wonderfully done extended version of "Looking for Atlantis." You get nearly three-and-a-half minutes more than the version on 'Jordan: The Comeback,' and producer Thomas Dolby added some great touches without overwhelming the original song. "Looking for Atlantis" was the first single from the album and another in a long line of modestly successful singles in the UK (No. 51 in 1990). If you like Paddy & Co., I think you're really going to dig this one.
Prefab Sprout - Looking For Atlantis (Extended) (mp3)
5 comments:
Jordan: The Comeback is such a tour de force. It's conceptual without the restrictions of concept interfering with the beauty of the song cycle. Paddy and the band's delivery of even the deepest cuts keeps them as vibrant as the obvious singles.
Dolby pulled out all the stops production wise for Jordan. Steve McQueen and From Langley Park To Memphis were in some ways just the overture and prelude to what he brought to Jordan.
Looking For Atlantis is one of those tracks you just wish Paddy could duet with his hero Jimmy Webb on. It hits all the right points of reference. In fact in another space and time even Webb disciple Glenn Campbell would have sounded great on Looking For Atlantis.
The masterpiece on this masterpiece, for me though, is Carnival 2000. It's bursting at seems and spreads joy in all directions. I have destroyed a set of JBL computer speakers ramping up the volume of this amazing song at my computer on a Saturday afternoon.
What Echorich said. Give Andromeda Heights another spin, though. That record rewards the patient listener!
Hi Uncle E. Are you missing your blog yet? I am. Tough to rant within the format of 500 Reasons. So I'm hopeful you'll be back.
As for Andromeda Heights, I don't listen to that one nearly enough. Your suggestion has me thinking I should pull that out today. I always appreciate your suggestions. I still need to track down that album from Boo Radleys.
Do you mean Giant Steps? If so, put everything down NOW and hunt down and devour the 3CD Cherry Red reissue of a few years back! If you can't find that the garden variety original pressing will do just fine. My favorite album of all time, including anything by The Beatles, Nick Lowe, the Kinks, The Sprout or Robyn Hitchcock! Don't know why, some records hit you at the right time and when you're in the right frame of mind, I guess, but GS has stayed my favorite since 1993 and has not withered.
As for the blog, well, not yet I don't. I will be posting some non-'80's rants, I guarantee that, which will give you "A"-listers a venue to retort. Love that you still have passion for yours, though! Hypocritical it may be, but don't stop writing, dammit, OK?
Cheers!
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