"Moving the River" by Prefab Sprout – This is another band with a great sound, but virtually unheard of by most people I speak with. But then, I could be speaking with the wrong people so I am hoping that my fellow Blogcritics and travelers here will know of Prefab. Another story song – and this one has a great story. “But it’s uphill all the way… you should be used to it and say, my back is broad enough, sir, to take the strain…”
Isn’t that the truth. There are a lot of truisms in this song. It doesn’t beat around the bush much at all, telling us “You’re only as good as the last great thing you did,” and “Have you got a new girlfriend? How’s the wife takin’ it?” I like this song because it’s so damn direct, and like life, we sometimes try to move rivers, which is almost (though not quite) impossible, but damn hard for one normal person anyway.
It’s a great title for a song because that is often what life is – moving the river. Prefab Sprout also sings "Cars 'n' Girls," supposedly written to/for Bruce Springsteen, which is a very funny, yet serious, song that tells us, “some things hurt more, much more than cars and girls….” There is a sampling of "Cars 'n' Girls," because that’s also a great song, on Tant Mieux and you can listen to them both, but here is a taste of the song for Bruce Springsteen:
- Brucie dreams life's a highway too many roads bypass my way
Or they never begin. innocence coming to grief
At the hands of life - stinkin' car thief, thats my concept of sin
Does heaven wait all heavenly over the next horizon?
But look at us now, quit driving, some things hurt more much more than cars and girls.
Just look at us now, start counting, what adds up the way it did when we were young ?
Look at us now, quit driving, some things hurt much more than cars and girls.
"Allelujah" by Fairground Attraction - Another Scottish band (like Nutini, although I’m not sure exactly where they are from), Fair ground Attraction, with lead-singer Eddi Reader, got their start by playing pubs until they were signed by RCA in the late 1980s. They are known mostly for their song “Perfect” (1988) from their album The First of a Million Kisses, from which this song is taken as well as the line, “We’ll kiss the first of a million kisses.”
Article comments
1 - Tim Jarrett
I picked up Cowboy Junkies' "Lay It Down" for Track 2--"A Common Disaster" got a ton of airplay on WHFS back in the day--but played it over and over again for "Something More Besides You." Great song.
2 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
Hi Tim - A Common Disaster is a great song and did get a lot of airplay, it's true.... but Something More Besides You is, in my view, an even better song, i think the best on their album and maybe one of their best of all (and there are so many so that's saying quite a bit....) Are you a big fan? I love Timmins's clarity of voice.....
3 - Steve
Hey, Sadi,
Good to have the List back after a summer break!
Re. Paolo Nutini, I have his first hit "Last Request", I saw him on the "Late Late Show" a while back. Not bad if you're in the mood for something slow and reflective.
Re. Fairground Attraction, I have their "Perfect" single and the Top Ten UK follow-up, "Find My Love", though I didn't like them at first, they have grown on me over the years.
Re. Prefab Sprout, I did like their ballad "Love Breaks Down" single from 1985 (one of the few fave tracks of the 80's I still don't have), but I do have their UK Top Ten hit "King Of Rock 'n' Roll" from 1988. The lead singer, Paddy McAloon, went on to write songs with Jimmy Nail in the 90's, who is one of my faves (probably as famous for his TV and film work - 90's "Crocodile Shoes" and "Spender" TV series and "Evita" from 1996 with Madonna as much as his music).
Re. Paul Weller, has he ever toured the US, Sadi?? I think most British acts don't do well in N. America because they don't tour here. Other than one hit wonders, no one can really have a sustained career here in N. America without touring regularly, at least not in the Pop/mainstream charts, even Queen, for example, struggled to have any big successes after they stopped touring here in the 80's.
4 - Steve
"Other than one hit wonders, no one can really have a sustained career here in N. America without touring regularly..."
Ooops, what I meant to say was, though one hit/album wonders can be successful in the short term, especially if young, artists that have continued major success in N. America, generally have to be touring at least every two or three years, otherwise, they just don't get as many loyal fans.
I've never really understood this, not being much of a concert goer myself, as far as I'm concerned, good music is good music, regardless of whether I can see an artist in concert or not. That just seems to be the way it is here.
5 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
hey Steve - Nutini I love. I love "Rewind" and i also found some live versions of him doing covers, one of which is "Cry Me a River" which is pretty great and funny. But I find 'These Streets' to be a rather solid album through and through with a lot of good tunes on it. Last Request is prob. my other song that i like as much as Rewind, so it's hard to choose which i like best since they run neck-and-neck, but yes, they are reflective, moody, but have a sort of Motown sound with a bit of a brogue and it's lovely, i think.
Prefab i've loved forever. Cars n Girls is a great song (dedicated, of course, to Bruce Springstein) and funny as hell but not in a way if you really listen to the lyrics ("some things hurt more, much more than cars n girls...) ain't it true. But Moving the River has long been a favorite.
AS to Weller, yes, of course he has toured N. America - many times, and i have seen him many times. I'll tell you a brief story. I went to see him several times and he is pretty notorious for not giving out his autograph ans staying away from fans etc.
Well, i was invited to a show at the last minute and had on khakis and a t-shirt, no make-up, hair in a loose bun - in short, i didn't look like much. But i went to the show and got up to the front of the stage because i just love Weller. So there he is playing "Sweet Pea" for the first time ever and i'm surrounded by all of these girls in their push-up bras and their layers of perfect make up and coiffed hair, all dying for an autograph and holding up paper and pen and etc, so there i am with one little scrap of paper and a pen and i gently put it in his direction and for some mystifying reason, he comes striaght over to me, flips over the paper (which just happened to be a prescription for valium for my epilepsy - was the only paper i had), he laughed, signed the back of it, put his hand on top of mine, then gave me a big kiss. It was the only autograph he gave the whole show and the kiss was totally unexpected and unasked for but there you have it.
I think every female at that show hated me - you should have seen the looks i got. I mean, why me???? But there you have it. I can't tell you why me, but that's the truth of the matter and i have it to this day - a valium script with Weller's autograph on the back and the memory of his hand over mine and a kiss. Weird, eh? I'm not into idol worship at all, so it was all very strange, but i didn't really mind the kiss actually since i admit, he's a handsome man -
I love him live. he's a great performer and at that show he played A Town Called Malice as well, but i remember it most for it was the really the first time he had ever played "Sweet Pea" live (he made a point of saying so) and that used to be my nickname (my cousin used to call me "sweet pea" so it stuck and i thought, How odd... so it sort of became my song in a way).
I probably have every Jam, Style Council, and Weller disc - followed every incarnation. I never understood why he never had a huge following when he's so incredibly talented and people like Celine Dion manage to become these super stars. I never get it. Maybe he was bigger back home i would wager than in the U.S. ?
6 - Steve
I recall your Paul Weller story but couldn't remember whether it was in Europe or US. I do find that singers that have a noticeable British accent when they sing do not fare as well as those that don't in the US typically.
OK, Sadi, here are some stats re. Mr. Weller and his various incarnations -
The Jam (1977-1982) -
In the US, 3 albums, 3 mini albums and a live album made the Billboard Top 200, peaking between #72 & #176, none of them winning any gold or platinum sales awards.
No Hot 100 singles.
In the UK, 6 albums and a live album (not including about 10 compilations released after the band broke up) made the UK Music Week Top 100, peaking between #1 and #22, winning five gold and one silver sales award.
22 Top 100 singles, peaking between #1 & #40 including four #1's, winning two gold and six silver sales awards.
The Style Council (1983-1989)
In the US, 4 albums and 1 mini album, peaking between #56 & #174, none of them winning any sales awards.
Two Hot 100 Singles peaking at #29 and #76, no sales awards.
In the UK, 4 albums and a live album (not including hits compilations, etc.), peaking between #1 & #15, winning 3 gold and 2 silver sales awards.
18 hit singles, peaking between #3 & #52, winning two silver awards.
Paul Weller (1991-present) -
In the US, unless he's charted something in the last two years, no hit albums or singles of any kind.
In the UK, 10 albums and 1 live album (excluding compilations), peaking between #1 & #13, winning 1 multi-platinum, 2 platinum and 4 gold awards. Approx. 31 Top 100 singles (not including 2 or 3 reissues) peaking between #5 & #44 (the latter one being your 'Sweet Pea' song), but no sales awards.
7 - Steve
I just did some math about the above, Sadi -
In the last 30 years, he's had almost 70 (!!) UK hit singles and about two dozen UK hit albums in his various incarnations. Not too many artists out there can say that!!
8 - Steve
Hey, Sadi, haven't heard from you in a few weeks, hope you're doing better, any idea when the next List will be??