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Voici les dernières nouvelles glanées sur internet au sujet de Paddy et des Sprouts, en v.o. non traduite pour aller très vite :

Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001
From: fredericfg@yahoo.fr

Subject: mojo review

On the mojo4music.com website, you can find the review of the new
album before the new issue is out


Produced by Tony Visconti, the 'Fabs' eighth album finds the McAloon
brothers minus Wendy Smith.
 
As with all the best Westerns, the establishing shot is stunning.
After four long years, the enigmatic McAloon brothers return to take
repossession of their Cowboy Dreams (from evil Jimmy Nail). It's a
scorching return to American earth after the often vaporous Andromeda
Heights, the patented Prefab smoothness blending perfectly with
Eric 'Duelling' Weissberg's downhome banjo. Sadly this is a McGuffin:
only the fine Cornfield Ablaze, the stately title track and a
disastrous take on Streets Of Laredo follow the lead, as the rest is
given over to beautifully-crafted but vapid ballads. Like
counterparts Steely Dan, accusing Prefab Sprout of blandness is
missing the point. But here there's little beneath the sugar-coating,
and Visconti's deployment of sterile sessioneers only compounds the
problem. After a shooting start, the McAloons sadly come on less
Western outlaws than suburban in-laws.
 
Reviewed by Toby Manning
 
This must be very disappointing for Paddy... He should have expected
a better and longer article, just like in 1997 when Andromeda was
given ecstatic reviews in a double page. Mojo has always been a 
prefab supporter (steve mcqueen was in their top 100 record list of
all time...), and this is obviously a huge let-down.

BEDFORD McINTOSH (05/04/01) :

* Here is the text of a press release. Note the line-up and
the typo at the end about the release date:
The Gunman And Other Stories
Prefab Sprout will release their new album, "The Gunman And Other Stories", on 18 June. Their first studio album since "Andromeda Heights", four years ago, the album marks a new landmark for theband as it is their first release with new label EMI Libery, and follows
their hugely successful and critically acclaimed 2000 tour.
Since recording their now legendary "Lions In My Own Garden" in 1982, Prefab Sprout frontman Paddy McAloon and brother Martin have lived in a world focused upon creating the perfect pop song. Although some might say, job well-done: "When Love Breaks Down", "Faron Young","Johnny Johnny", "Cars & Girls", "The King Of Rock 'n' Roll", "Electric
Guitars", "I Remember That", "Jordan: The Comeback", "Life Of Surprises" and
"Hey Manhattan!"; all summed up in the release in October 1999 of the
anthology of the Sony years, "The 38 Carat Collection".
In October of last year, Paddy and Martin travelled to New York to record their seventh studio album with highly respected producer Tony Visconti (Bowie, T-Rex etc.). Drawing on imagery of the mid-west and Americana, Paddy has written a record with a conceptual lyrical
theme. "The Gunman and Other Stories" fires off with "Cowboy Dreams", made
famous by Jimmy Nail, but written by Paddy McAloon. The song takes on a more
thoughtful feel, as Paddy's sincere vocals deliver the beautiful lyrics over
pacing rhythm and duelling banjos. Thereafter the album moves through
ballads: "Blue Roses", "I'm A Troubled Man" (performed on last year's tour),
"When You Get To Know Me Better", "Love Will Find Someone For You" walks its
way through "The Streets Of Laredo", "Cornfield Ablaze", stopping off for an
epic, "The Gunman", finally ending on a humorous note in the form of "Farmyard Cat".
The album features some heavyweight musicians in the form of guitarists Carlos Alomar (Bowie, Lennon etc.), Jeff Pevar (NY Soul Revue, CSNY), drummer Richie Morales (Spyro Gyra, Grover Washington) and banjo player Eric Weissberg of Duelling Banjos fame.
Who else can weave Americana, Greek mythology and love into a modern pop language with such ease? There is after all this time no-one quite like Paddy McAloon when it comes to creating paradoxical, thought -provoking gems of simple, yet complex wonder.
"The Gunman and Other Stories" is set to ignite the passions in the hearts of all those who listen. It will be released through EMI Liberty on 14 May 2001.

* Another reliable source confirms that there is a problem with Paddy's eye. Based on my reading between the lines on the info I have, the prognosis for recovery appears to be very good.

* Till Raether reports that, based on his listening of the album, he doesn't think Neil is on it. Based on a very reliable source I can confirm that Neil is definitely not on the album. Till also reported that Wendy was not on it either.

* Till's overview of the album (posted to the zorrophonic list) concluded:
"To my ears this is unlike any other Prefab Sprout album. But at the same time very typical. It sounds a little bit bland on first, second and third listening, but you soon discover how crazy and weird it really is. Don't be afraid that it might be too commercial. Don't be
afraid that it might be easy listening. Once again, it's in a category of
its own. It's old fashioned and bold at the same time. It's full of surprises. "

* The first "fan review" of one of the tracks was posted to
the zorrophonic list (20 March). Needless to say, there isn't anything that
someone could say about this album that would prevent me from buying it,
(even the person who posted this note will be taking the same approach):

Hi everyone
Bob Harris (BBC Radio 2 DJ, UK) played Wild Card In The Pack from the new album on his show on Saturday night and said lots of good things about it. As I work on Saturday evenings and routinely record his show, I've had an opportunity to listen to the track many times and all I can say is... I'm disappointed.
The melody is gorgeous, Paddy's voice is superb, and I'm going to buy the album as soon as it comes out regardless... but, but, but... I truly LOATHE the "supper club" sax that's sprayed all over the end of the song (it sounds like the same guy who disfigured Andromeda Heights). And I don't like the lyrics either... they're based on the same kind of trite play on words as "Sound Of Crying". Sorry to be so negative, but if Paddy continues down this road I can see the title of an old Sugar album becoming more and more apposite: File Under Easy Listening.
Brian

* A fan named "Mark" reported in the official site's forum that he has word that the first single from the new Prefab Sprout album will be "Cowboy Dreams," the song Paddy wrote for Jimmy Nail. Expected release date is May 21 in the UK. This fan also indicated he had word of the re-release of Protest Songs, "remastered," which turned out to be true based
on the listings I've seen on some of the CD sales websites.

* While the album seems to have a "Wild West" theme, it is described as "not a concept album but an album with a concept," whatever that means.

* The label is definitely EMI/Liberty, not Sony/Columbia.

DAVID BREWIS (20/02/01) :On the subject of speculating on the new Sprout album, may I offer my opinion in advance of most, having been lucky enough to hear the album a few weeks ago in an almost-finished state. Look. Its great. It sounds like the Sprouts. Stop worrying. Worth the price of entry for The Gunman alone, a full-length masterpiece to keep the Jordan freaks happy. Plus
all the other stuff you all know about anyway. And you WILL buy it,won't you? Otherwise who will fund the more challenging & offbeat works? They all cost money. This new album needs radio play & sales to succeed,no matter how brilliant it may be. So stop talking & buy it when it comes out, otherwise Paddy will fall victim to "Orson Welles Syndrome", where everyone , mostly media (IMPORTANT), talks about the old days and how ground-breaking it all was, and completely ignores anything that may come out now. Or may ALMOST come out, and we DO want to hear that more arty stuff too,don't we?. If "Megahertz" came out now, in advance of anything else, how many would it sell? With no single, no radio play, no promotional budget for magazines or video, no gigs, would you even know it was out? You can't viably sell music like that without a profile in the general public eye, unless a few hundred sales will make a profit. The profile is generated by the pop radio play, sales, etc. The sales indirectly and directly dictate what you can do next. -Had dozens of hit singles in the last couple of years, Mr. Bowie? Then why don't you make "Low", you seem to know what you're doing! Paddy needs to make this "other" music, alongside the more "commercial", which is equally artistic and valid, and just as demanding and rewarding when it is done properly (as it is in this case). Both styles are different sides of the same coin. A 2001 coin. 2001 is here to stay, apparently for several months yet.
My last word is just buy it!

INCONNU (20/02/01) : A fan named "Mark" reports in the official site's forum that he has word that the first single from the new Prefab Sprout album will be "Cowboy Dreams," the song Paddy wrote for Jimmy Nail. Expected release date is May 21 in the UK. This fan also indicates he has word of the re-release of Protest Songs, "remastered." For what it is worth, the idea of remastering Protest Songs seems odd to me.

GREGG STEWART (25/01/01): I remember reading an interview back around the time of Jordan (it might even be the one that appeared on Bedford's web page) in which Paddy suggested that "The Gunman" was one of a whole album's worth of songs that he had written with a "wild west" theme.  I think "Dragons" and "Cowboy Dreams" were also part of this project. Personally, I thought the Gunman was a great song, and I'd be glad for the chance to hear Paddy and the Sprouts perform it.  It would be nice to have another album with a cohesive "theme" too. I also remember hearing an interesting story about the original demo, which may or may not be true.  A friend of mine (who was a student of Martin McAloon's at the time) told me that the original demo was about 8 minutes long. Cher didn't think much of it and had to have her arm twisted to record it.