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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Gunman and Other Stories is the logical and glorious apotheosis of Paddy McAloon's long-standing fascination with the mythology of America. Previous Prefab Sprout records have offered varying degrees of homage to such American totems as Elvis Presley, Jesse James, Frank Sinatra, Faron Young and Bruce Springsteen, but this is where McAloon well and truly rides off into the sunset. The Gunman & Other Stories, after all, is first and foremost a country record, albeit one that only McAloon could have recorded: fans may be reassured that the luxuriant arrangements and inventive instrumentation that might be expected are all present and correct. It starts with "Cowboy Dreams", previously a hit for popular groaning actor Jimmy Nail. It should go without saying that McAloon's reading of it is altogether more subtle; the wistfulness in his delivery of the "Yippee-aye-ay" coda is just about worth the price on its own. Elsewhere, McAloon serves up a space-age version of the standard "Streets Of Laredo", two perfect ballads that could and should be sung by George Jones ("When You Get To Know Me Better", "Blue Roses") and the finest rock & roll rural romance since XTC's "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" ("Cornfield Ablaze"). Meanwhile, closing track "Farmyard Cat", despite a close kinship with Rednex's "Cottoneye Joe" and Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song", manages to be curiously affecting. --Andrew Mueller
Product Description
PREFAB SPROUT The Gunman And Other Stories (2001 UK 10-track CD produced by Tony Visconti picture sleeve)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In these miserable days when it seems much more important that an artist should look good and be able to dance, it's nice to know some musicians have survived. Paddy McAloon is England's most neglected songwriter (Roddy Frame fills the same post north of Hadrian's Wall), but it's probably his own fault: he makes it look so easy.
The stand-outs on this album, for me, are Blue Roses--a simple, sweet, but beautifully crafted piece; When You Get To Know Me Better--a familiar Paddy theme of a man doing women wrong which could easily be seen as a flip side to the Carol King classic Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?; and the best of the lot, Cornfield Ablaze. This track is brilliant and funny. Unlike most lyricists, who use an image or metaphor briefly, McAloon gives this love song three themes (agriculture/fire/goddess) and follows them through to the end of the song. I admit it, I envy the man his genius.
As has been said, this is not as good throughout as, say, Steve McQueen or Jordan, but a less than perfect Sprouts album can be a hell of a lot better than other bands' best.
The stand-outs on this album, for me, are Blue Roses--a simple, sweet, but beautifully crafted piece; When You Get To Know Me Better--a familiar Paddy theme of a man doing women wrong which could easily be seen as a flip side to the Carol King classic Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?; and the best of the lot, Cornfield Ablaze. This track is brilliant and funny. Unlike most lyricists, who use an image or metaphor briefly, McAloon gives this love song three themes (agriculture/fire/goddess) and follows them through to the end of the song. I admit it, I envy the man his genius.
As has been said, this is not as good throughout as, say, Steve McQueen or Jordan, but a less than perfect Sprouts album can be a hell of a lot better than other bands' best.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In the world of disposable pop and hype over talent this smooth, slick and utterly professional album comes as some relief. Paddy Macaloons voice remains wonderfully intact and his quirky take on life (and sense of humour) are all present and correct. It does not break any new ground and I suspect it will never get onto your all-time top ten list but I have a feeling that you'll find this again in a year or two and play it with a smile.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I am in complete awe of the songwriting on GUNMAN. Paddy once again reminds us of what a perfectly crafted pop song is. TROUBLED MAN, LOVE WILL FIND.., BLUE ROSES and CORNFIELD ABLAZE could be used in songwriting courses... no, make that SHOULD be used. <g> I find it amazing how few words are needed in these songs to convey complex human emotions. It's easy for a poetic writer to lob buckets-full of flowing phrases into a composition, when brevity, in the hands of a master, can make much more of an impact.
As I've been saying for the last 15 years - American pop fans don't know what they're missing. And it doesn't help that the last 2 PS albums haven't even been released over here. In fact, I was already plotting a way to get my hands on a copy, when I happened to find it in the import rack at Tower Records in Nashville. Being in the middle of a 10 hour road trip, I had time for 3 straight through listenings over that weekend. First time through, I was busy listening to lyrics, arrangements and listening for Wendy (not there). (Oh, BTW, I simply cracked up when I first heard Farmyard Cat - nice way to end the album, IMHO). By the third time through, I was in love with all of the songs. The recording seems much more comfortable and alive than ANDROMEDA HEIGHTS.
Thanks, Paddy and company. Your work is appreciated more than any amount of commercial success will ever reveal. (although with this album, I don't see how it WOULDN'T make in on AC radio/VH1 here in the states...)
Great album. Keep 'em coming.
Yippee-aye-ay.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An average album from a better than average band
For such a prolific writer, this album must sadly be regarded as less than it might have been. Even casual listeners will know some of the songs in their original versions by... Read more
Published on 21 Jan 2007 by Widnes Bob
Glimpses of past glories
I was a fan of the 'Sprouts' back in the 80's but was majorly disappointed by the 'Jordan'album(which most reviewers seem to think is great-perhaps I ought to give it another... Read more
Published on 22 July 2005 by M. A. Reilly
A terrible, terrible record by a great, great band
I recently revisited this album after a year (I couldn't face it again any sooner) to see if perhaps I'd been going through a strange phase myself when I first bought it and found... Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2004 by Chris Rand
More songs about cowboys and campfires
Far from being a country and western CD as the artwork and titles would lead you to believe, this is as strong a collection as the Sprouts have issued in many a year. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2004 by Timothy Hooper
I never play basketball now, and I never listen to this CD
This is the saddest album I've ever heard. Not because of any powerful songs, but because it's so heartbreaking to hear Paddy McAloon write such a laughably bad record. Read more
Published on 13 April 2002
Typical prefab sprout with a few catchy tunes
This album has all the hallmarks of Prefab Sprout and a fan would recognise the style from 100 paces. Read more
Published on 23 July 2001
Better than their last album
Andromeda Heights had three good songs and that was it. 'Gunman' is better. It certainly grows on you after a while, although one or two tracks are probably too syrupy for even the... Read more
Published on 7 July 2001
Fails to live up to their own high standards...
Previous Prefab Sprout albums have set a very high standard for them to follow, and I'm afraid that this one doesn't quite get there. Read more
Published on 5 July 2001
Langley Park: The Comeback
I'm sorry that two of the reviews are so down on 'The Gunman...' because this is first rate Prefab Sprout. Read more
Published on 4 July 2001 by Timothy Hooper
Many thanks to the Sprouts for such a recording
In times of more or less awful songs or albums broadcasted or published,from my point of view, we have to say many thanks to Prefab Sprout for an album like that. Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2001
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