Jordan: The Comeback

Jordan: The Comeback is the fifth album by Prefab Sprout, released in August 1990. The album showed Prefab Sprout continuing their musical evolution from the prickly jangle guitars of Swoon, their debut. The use of synths is more prominent, lending the album a poppier feel, and Paddy McAloon explores other genres on some songs, from samba to doo-wop.

The album was critically acclaimed: it was nominated for Best Album at the BRIT Awards, and reached #7 on the charts in the UK. It was - by Prefab Sprout’s admittedly modest standards - a commercial success. Their next album, 1997’s Andromeda Heights, would be released seven years later, with only a greatest hits collection appearing in the meantime, so the band never capitalised on its commercial momentum.

The 64-minute album was, unusually, issued as a single vinyl LP running for over 30 minutes each side.

Paddy McAloon on the album:

“I wouldn’t want to make out that there was some great masterplan behind it all but, yes, the record does fall into arranged sections. Firstly, there’s a collection of fairly straightforward pop songs, general songs with no great theme. Then there are the Elvis songs. Then there’s a section where I tried to write a pop medley. Just having fun in the studio with colors.