prefab sprout: jordan: the comeback

I will NOT countenance this criticism of Machine Gun Ibiza. Dude's a stone dead-a bluesman! And like you're getting that hurricun sound anywhere else.

Definitely pushing into that time of year again.

Hard for me to imagine listening to this album in the fall! I always think of it as basically Christmas music. Real sun-glinting-off-the-snow vibe.

Also can't believe "Looking for Atlantis" got zero votes.

It's a great autumn album as this is the time of year when it was released.

Machine Gun Ibiza is towards the bottom of this album for me, but it is undeniable that he is a top rollmo star.

If someone uploaded this to soulseek as "Ween - Machine Gun Ibiza (1999)" I would not doubt it for a second

Machine Gun Ibiza is BAD. The Ice Maiden into Paris Smith is the PEAK.

― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Tuesday, September 26, 2023 10:49 PM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

otmfm

PADDY JOE, say PADDY JOE runs through my head most weeks. What a perfect pop song. Every bar full of novelty. Those synth bells at "leeeeet theeee staaarrrrs gooooo" elevate me everytime they cut through. The backward guitar in the outro, the breath noises coming from the synth's filling the background of the 1st verse. The "aaaahhahahah" at remembering her. The harp and church organ halfway through the 2nd verse as "the light is gone", the beautiful snare roll leading into the 2nd chorus. That wobbly, "future days"-esque sound rolling through the final refrain. I love it all

Baffling that they left Looking for Atlantis of the Greatest Hits album two years later.

If you're looking for Atlantis
You should cast your eye on me

we let the stars go is perfect, no doubt. my favorite part is when the reverie ends and paddy’s acoustic plays us out

the second verse is such a gut punch

but the light is gone and it is dark
and what used to be the sky
is suddenly embarrassing
to the naked eye

Paddy’s acoustic guitar an undeniably great element of all prefab songs. Man knows how to play

Listening to the title track as I read that . . . otm.

I think 'suddenly embarrassing' gets close to how Machine Gun Ibiza makes me feel. There's something very specifically English in it, something I've felt at holiday camp talent shows, pantomimes and end-of-pier shows. It's a mythic (small r) romanticism that tips into something else; it's a zone McAloon has been exploring for decades.

This may be my favorite couplet of all time:

You and I won't lose our heads the way some lovers do
Saying "This will last forever" when it's just a year or two