Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen is the second studio album released by Prefab Sprout. Originally released in June 1985, it was retitled in the U.S. as Two Wheels Good due to a legal conflict with the estate of the late American actor. The album reached #21 on the UK album chart and #178 on the Billboard 200.

On April 2, 2007 the album was reissued as a legacy edition double-cd, featuring remastered versions of the original tracks and a bonus disc featuring eight acoustic reinterpretations of selected songs recorded by Paddy McAloon in 2006.

Critically acclaimed at the time, it reached #4 in the 1985 NME end-of-year poll for best albums and #28 on the Pazz & Jop poll.

It has subsequently featured in a number of all-time polls for best album including #47 in a poll by The Times in 1993, #90 in a poll by Mojo in 1995 and #61 in a 1997 poll by The Guardian.

Paddy McAloon on the album:

‘Steve McQueen’ was Thomas (Dolby’s) record in a way… I gave him a huge collection of songs, and almost all the ones he picked were written in 1979, long before ‘Swoon’. - Melody Maker, August 4, 1990

It just seemed like an intriguing title for an LP. He was really good in an un-arty way. He was never hyped up. It’s that instinctive feeling I like. - Melody Maker, June 1, 1985

Well yeah, I latched onto him (Steve McQueen) not because of his film career, but… I like the sound of his name. I had a vision one night that the LP should be called ‘Steve McQueen’. I like playing around with the idea of how people will see us. The LP cover is the three (sic) of us on a motorbike, one of McQueen’s trademarks, yet something you’d never associate with Prefab Sprout.