Sparks

Russell and Ron Mael, arguably two of the most innovative and talented songwriters of the 70's, have been unfairly ignored by the press and the public at large. Like Ween, they've been more or less undeservedly dismissed as a novelty act. It's probably because the defining elements of the Sparks sound - Russ's high falsetto that led many to believe he was a girl, Ron's carnival organ, and of course, the lyrics. Yeah, they're mostly about sex, but it’s their approach to the subject that make it much different than similar acts. Ron (who writes most of the lyrics) has a pretty twisted view of women and their role in the world - they’re overly blunt and misogynistic, but they’re smart enough to make it apparent that it’s a put on, yet clever enough to actually justify some of their ludicrous lyrical themes.
But are they just a novelty? I doubt anyone who takes one listen to Kimono My House will think so, as these guys were a huge influence on glam rock, disco, dance pop, new wave and all sorts of genres that would become famous a year or two after Sparks tried them. Even today, Sparks are still innovating and creating music that sounds like nobody else currently on the music scene. While it's easy to look at their newest records and say they've always been trailblazers, to do so would be ignoring a number of bad and derivative albums they made during the 80's, the decade that pretty much killed everything good about the 70's (now don't get me wrong - I think the 80's were a fantastic decade for music, but very few artists from the early 70's were able to make the transition). They have something like 20 albums out, and they're not all good, but as long as you find something like a Sparks guide (which is what this page is attempting to be) you should be okay. The gist of it is this - they started as a wonderfully inventive and forward-looking group that released a number of great albums in the 70's, then got into electronic and disco and started to lose their touch in the 80's, falling behind the times. Sadly it was during this time that the band started to hit their commercial peak (at least in America). They sat out most the 90's, releasing albums sporadically, and made a major recovery in the 00's by completely changing their sound to something new and very nearly unprecedented.
Anyways, I don't have all of Sparks's's albums, but I'm acquiring them slowly, so look for updates from time to time:

Sparks (1971) ****
Originally conceived as "Halfnelson", the band started with another set of brothers, the Mankeys, and went on to put out something that sounded like nothing else in 1971. This is probably the earliest album in existence with some pretty clear elements of what would later be called "New Wave", narrowly beating out Roxy Music by a year. Doesn't quite sound like the rest of the Sparks' albums - less dance beats and more Beatles-inspired popcraft, but it's too tongue-in-cheek and upbeat to fit in with those kinds of bands. The first six tracks are all great in their own right - whether it's just a catchy and well-spun pop tune ("Wonder Girl", "High C"), a moving ballad ("Fletcher Honorama", Simple Ballet"), or something more interesting (the playful "Roger", featuring drumsticks played on a glass of water, "Fa La Fa Lee"). The album then proceeds to take a dump after that as the non-Mael members write a few tracks, one of which is purposely horrible ("Biology 2"), but the album redeems itself by bringing back the guitars for "No More Mister Nice Guys", a great look into the future of Sparks. This should come as a shock to those who are only familiar with albums like Kimono and No. 1 In Heaven - they were indeed putting out great material from the beginning. Produced by Todd Rundgren, and those familiar with his 70's solo albums should know the treble-happy touch he brings to the proceedings.

A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing (1972)
Supposedly a more rocking version of the debut. I'll pick this one up soon.

Kimono My House (1974) *****
The brothers dump the rest of the band and move to England to create one of the best records of the 70's, which, given how many greats came out during that decade, is quite a feat, but believe me, they pulled it off. Ron spins out a bunch of catchy, fun, and driving melodies, backed by a fantastic (new) band. Yeah, this is dance-pop, but it's still heavy, with the guitarist bashing out the riffs and the drummer pounding along, giving the record a full sound that makes this sound like it could have come from any era (no doubt due somewhat to the great production work, which gives the songs the robust treatment they deserve - this is great sounding as well). However, coming out in '74, this record was a big influence on quite a few (most notably Queen, whose Night at the Opera album apes a few elements of this one), and nearly started an era of its own.
What about the songs? The bombastic and powerful "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" was good enough to hit #2 in the UK, but listening through this album again, practically could have been considered for a single. A friend of mine, after hearing "Amateur Hour" remarked, "How have I never heard this song before?" – this album did make it fairly popular, but it should have been huge. It's catchy and fun enough to be in your head for days ("Falling in Love With Myself Again"), but rocks hard enough to give it staying power ("Hasta Manana, Monsieur"). This is one of those records that'll make you feel positively giddy, and there's enough great tunes to ensure you'll be spinning it for a while. Oh, and the lyrics are clever too. The CD has two bonus tracks, one of which, "Lost and Found", is about as good as anything else here, so don't skip it. Highly recommended.

Propaganda (1974) ****1/2
Few bands release two albums in a year, much less two great ones like Sparks did. Propanganda is, more or less, a carbon copy of Kimono, only the songs are even more upbeat (if you're not smiling a minute in, this band isn't for you) and the ballads a bit more focused. Okay, so it's not *quite* as good, meaning this is the one you should get second, but much of this is essential - "At Home, At Work, At Play" is the perfect glam rock song, "Thanks But No Thanks" is one of their catchiest yet, and "Something For the Girl With Everything" summarizes everything great about Sparks in around two and a half minutes. Sure, maybe some of the tracks near the end are a little gimmicky ("Who Don't Like Kids?", which regardless features quite an addictive riff), but that's part of their shtick anyhow, so give 'em a break - besides, when you're writing songs this good, you pretty much have license to do with them whatever you want. An essential if you liked Kimono - one has to wonder exactly where Ron and Russ got all these ideas from, since most bands don’t write two high-quality albums like this in a career, much less the span of one year.

Indiscreet (1975) ***1/2
Sometimes said to be as good as the previous two, but I don't really see it. Okay, so maybe "Happy Hunting Ground" is a fast-paced trip through glam-rock heaven that throws in a ridiculous about of hooks in a short time, but besides that, each track takes on a different identity. So instead of the tracks smashing a few genres into one, they give each genre their own separate track. A few of them are great - the marching tunes "Get in the Swing" and "Hospitality on Parade" are well-written and addictive, but there's just a few too many homages to the 20's and other such bad ideas to make this a great album. It's just inconsistent; most of the ideas work, some hard to forget ("Pineapple"), some a look into the future of Sparks ("In the Future"…really) and some surprisingly heartfelt ("Miss the Start, Miss the End", and yes, a ballad about "Tits"). Certainly the most varied Sparks album in both style and quality, so don't expect a complete knockout like the last two. But it's not the plane wreck as shown by the cover, though - no Sparks fan should be without the better material here.

Big Beat (1976) ****
A return to a more upbeat and punchy sound, although this time the keyboards are dropped in favor of more guitars and louder drums (hence the title), with Ron playing a piano somewhere way in the background. It's a change in instrumentation, but not exactly a change in sound - the songs are about as good, cheery and fast-paced as they've always been, and with a big pile of crunchy riffs Sparks toss off yet another great album. It reminds me of The Cars - upbeat, simple, and instantly likeable. Hell, Russ is even singing in his normal voice this time. The lyrics really stand out here, showing Ron being even more misogynist than usual – how cruel is a line like "You think I'm great/I think you're good"? There's even a song that encourages men to get rid of their wives as soon as their looks start to fade! ("Now may we present/She's the top of the line/a 1959/In top notch shape/But it's always the same/It's only a matter of time/Throw her away and get a new one") (Remember a girl born in 1959 was 17 at this point) That's even tame next to "White Women" - "As long as they're white/I'll have a go"? Or, how about "What's good enough for Adam/Is good enough for me/I'm awfully glad we got 'em/They're easy to see/As long as they're white"? As crazy as they are, you'll no doubt be singing them in short order, especially when the songs are as much fun as riff-rocker "Everybody's Stupid" or instant glam-classic "Nothing To Do". The standout is the closer "I Like Girls" (do you really, Ron?), which adds a horn section to make it sound like a marching band. So maybe the songs aren't as great as they were on Kimono, but anyone interested in the band should get this - it's their most stripped down and includes another batch of great tunes, so I can't imagine a fan not liking it.

Introducing Sparks (1977)
This one has yet to make it on CD, although it is slated to appear later this year. Apparently Ron and Russ didn't like this one, as the record company told them to make a more generic pop-oriented album in order to try for a few more hits.

No. 1 in Heaven (1979) ****
I'm not sure if Sparks felt they were floundering or were just frustrated by their lack of commercial success, but they decided to hook up with famed electro-disco producer Giorgio Moroder, who was the man behind Donna Summer's revolutionary "I Feel Love". Actually, this wasn't such a bad idea since Russell sings like a girl anyway. Stripping out all the 'real' instruments in favor of drum machines, electronic blips, and fake choir noises, the duo created a commercially successful disco album that briefly put them back in the public eye. At only six tracks spanning less than 34 minutes, there's not much room for error, but luckily they don't make any - it's got such a glossy and robotic sheen to it that it's hard to point out any flaws in the sound. The problem is that this sound has simply not dated well. The good news is that the songs are well written enough to transcend that - nobody listens to this kind of music anymore, but it's good enough that it's still easy to enjoy in the 21st century. "Tryouts For The Human Race" is the most addictive disco tune I've ever heard, and certainly the best song ever written about sperm. Likewise, "Beat the Clock" was a forward-looking dance hit, and the title track was a big single as well, switching from a synthesized ballad that stands out lyrically ("This is the number one song in heaven/Why are you hearing it now, you ask?/Maybe you're closer to here than you imagine") that turns into a fast paced four-to-the-floor shuffle. "Written of course, by the mightiest hand" – they sure did have a load of confidence. And the other tracks don't slouch either - in particular, "La Dolce Vita" could have been a dance-floor smash. While it is different than their other albums, the dance aesthetic was always an important one in the Maelroom, so this is more of a reframing than anything. Those who followed the band to this point are sure to enjoy it - even if you dislike the sound, at least Ron's dry and postmodern sense of humor is still there - "My Other Voice" is actually about the vocoder used in the song! So score another success for Sparks, but the world of electro-disco and synthpop would certainly prove to be a slippery slope...

Terminal Jive (1980) **
One common discussion among record collectors is “which albums would be better off as EPs?” The idea is that some albums are really great in spots and would make an excellent 5-track, 20-minute release, rather than a spotty full-length. If you rephrased the question to “which albums would be better off as just one song?”, then I believe we have a winner here. “When I’m With You” isn’t as great as some of Sparks’ other singles, or even the best stuff from the last album, but it’s catchy and features a neat wonky disco bass line, and it was deservedly a moderate hit. It’s far and away the best and most developed track here. The fact that they do an instrumental reprise on the same side tells you just how hard up for material Sparks had suddenly and unexpectedly become – the 1980 release date was a telling sign. Just as Sparks predicted the coming of glam-rock and New Wave, they also predicted the coming of cheap, glossy, and empty synth-pop. The sound is sparse, with keyboards in front, drums forced in the back, bass completely synthesized, and processed, metallic guitar riffs to keep rhythm. If that sounds bland on paper, wait until you hear the actual songs here. Okay, side 2 does feature a pair of passable tunes (“Young Girls”, and “Noisy Boys”) that wouldn’t sound too out of place on Big Beat if they were faster and used more guitar. It just seems to be a lack of effort on Sparks’ part - Russell doesn’t exert himself, and there’s a dreary tone that permeates through most of the album. This is Sparks on auto-pilot – not unlistenable or unfriendly, just bland and lethargic. But “When I’m With You” still is a great tune… Produced half by Moroder (who left the band after this) and half by Harold Faltermeyer (of “Axel F” fame).

Whomp That Sucker (1981) ***
Doesn't really continue the same disco dance direction of the last two, instead nearly presenting the group as a gimmick whose only purpose is to annoy ("They call it the WIIIILLLLLLYS!"), especially with Russ's high pitched vocals ("That's Not Nastassia") and Ron's goofy keyboards ("The Willys"). Even the hooks this time are less rock and more carnevalesque than normal. This sort of paints the band as a novelty act, although they write a few punchy New Wave tunes that stand out ("Upstairs", "I Married a Martian"). If nothing else it's thoroughly entertaining, and the last song will is so immediately catchy that it'll be stuck in your head before it's even over ("Wacky Women”). The production is muddy and doesn't really bring out the keyboards, which should be the focus - instead, this sounds like it was recorded in a closet, with Ron's parts barely audible ("Suzie Safety"). The album's material is so lightweight however that it's not really a big concern, and in the end I have to admit this is actually pretty decent. It tries hard to annoy, but when you're really jonesin' for some Sparks, it gets the job done.

Angst in my Pants (1982) ***
Sparks are definitely not trailblazers anymore, but this is fun nonetheless. Despite more flat production, an awful album cover, and too much distracting reverb, there's enough catchy tunes to warrant checking out. The title track (about boners) is singable, and "Sextown USA" is a great update of their older glam-rock sound. The single instead was "I Predict", sort of a generic arena rock tune, whose production probably kept it off the air. And the rest? Well, divided of course, but there's enough good tracks throughout to call it pretty average. "Moustache" is definitely a keeper and the only true classic here, getting the fullest sound on the record, and "Eaten By The Monster Of Love" is a memorable closer with a gospel theme. Musically it's agreeable, lyrically it’s…a step down, with the signature Mael wit seemingly nowhere to be found on some tracks (“Mickey Mouse” really is just a song about the cartoon character). If you can forget the fact that these guys put out some terrific albums in the mid-70’s, this won’t disappoint.

In Outer Space (1983) **
The best way I can describe this is "Sparks-lite" - most of the tracks only have one hook, the choruses are lazy, and most of the instruments have been stripped out in favor of cheapo synths - there's hardly a real drum or guitar here, and in the 21st century, this is as typical of an "80's bargain bin" album as you can get. Strangely enough, this became their most commercially successful record, thanks to a duet with then-Go-Go Jane Wiedlen on "Cool Places", which is as vapid of a synthpop song as you could possibilty imagine - there's seriously like half a hook there. The other track she guests on ("Lucky Me, Lucky You") fares much better. This is Sparks alright, but the punch has been taken out, even compared to merely-decent efforts like Whomp That Sucker - there's almost no power or depth to these arrangements, and the only time when Russ seems interested in the song he's singing is during "Rockin' Girls", which is almost by default the best track on here. So they get a D for effort, but it's not exactly a total waste - Ron's lyrical muse is still sharp ("We're a fun bunch of guys/From outer space/On the planet that we're from/Even war is fun"). If nothing else, it's worth listening to for that alone, since there's little-to-no replay value anywhere else - even for a short album, the songs seem to go on too long. There are a few neat concept tunes like the dreary-on-purpose "Dance Goddammit" and the hyperactive "I Wish I Looked A Little Better", but for each one of those, there's an unintentionally boring one like "Please Baby Please" or the "I Predict" rewrite "Prayin' For a Party". If nothing else, it did catapult a legitimately talented band to the mainstream, even if most of those talents suddenly went missing in action.

Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (1984) *
Whatever's been happening to Sparks in the 80's, it isn't good - they return to the everything's-synthesized approach, using guitar only to punctuate. Not that Ron and Russ can’t pull out a decent hook (title track) or a good vocal melody (“A Song That Sings Itself”) every once in a while, it’s that most of the time they can’t, and in the end you’re left with 11 forgettable tunes with all the production values of the song that comes from the ice cream truck. It’s all too clean and all too cheap – Russ barely even uses his falsetto, the drums sound unmistakably fake in a bad way, and with all the bass parts being played on a very thin-sounding synthesizer, the rhythms are practically non-existent. I admit the title track is catchy, and it’s easily the most fully-realized idea here – but the version from Plagiarism is a hundred times better, and there just isn’t anything else worth salvaging from here. Even Ron’s lyrical muse seems tired – again, the title track passes, as a story of a magician who can perform every magic trick in the book but can’t understand women. But the only other thing I get out of them is in “Sisters”, where Ron asks the same question he asked 13 years ago – “is it a felony?” Except this time around it seems forced and creepy instead of daring and provocative. These guys need a break.

Music That You Can Dance To (1986)
For some reason, this was released under the title "The Best of Sparks" on some CDs, which is kind of ironic considering I haven't read a favorable review yet.

Interior Design (1988) *1/2
You have to wonder if the technology to make this album entirely with a microphone, a mixing board, and a single keyboard existed in 1988. Well, then you’d have to ignore the fact that there is a little bit of metallic guitar underneath some of the rhythms, but man does this sound poor. You just can’t replace a rhythm section with an outdated drum machine and Setting 137: “Slap Bass #3”, but Sparks will at least try, resulting in an album of dull pop and uninspired balladry. Again, there’s little sense that the boys even tried – the singing is dull, the lyrics generic in a way I’d never think Sparks would ever be, and there doesn’t seem to be much editing, as most of the tunes run on a minute too long. So what makes this better than Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat? Not much, but I do feel that “Let’s Make Love” could have became a heartfelt and memorable ballad if they released on, say, Indiscreet, that “You Got A Hold Of My Heart” has a few neat chord changes, and “Madonna” does make a decent single, with Russell almost sounding like a beat poet. And “Love-o-rama” is at least half as catchy as “Eaten By the Monster Of Love”, isn’t it? Still, this is Sparks on cruise control, the sound of a band that spent a decade predicting the future arriving there with their passion nearly completely destroyed.

Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins (1994) **1/2
Perhaps realizing that the band needed some serious artistic rejuvenation, the brothers decided to take six years off and came back to the music industry in the era of stadium house. It's no surprise then that the album basically sounds like Sparks-ninetiesified, with more electronica-sounding drum machine rhythms and updated synths. It doesn't really work; this album seems as hopelessly mired in the 90's as Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat did in the 80's. Luckily the end result is a little better than that; I always fool myself into thinking this is going to be a good album, because "When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'?" is perhaps their best track in 15 years - it's a throwback disco tune with some more modern elements (like a breakbeat-inspired drum loop). Unfortunately they don't carry that same kind of inspiration throughout. Most of the tracks are catchy enough, and there's a few keepers ("Now That I Own The BBC", "Tsui Hark"). It sounds like they were trying to replicate "When I'm With You" a bunch of times. It's not really a bad listen, and they never do anything obnoxious, but there's only really nine tunes here if you don't count the intro/outro segments, and most of them feel like extended cuts - a lot of times I was expecting a song to start fading out or go into a coda of some kind, only to find out the song wasn't even half over. At least they got their sense of humor back ("I Thought I Told You To Wait In The Car"). But if this is the sound you're looking for, why not get a Pet Shop Boys album instead?

Plagiarism (1997) ***1/2
This was actually a good idea; any band that's been around 20+ years but feels the effects of stagnation ought to try it. The idea was to re-record a bunch of the band's old tunes using new techniques in the hopes that it might inspire something. They decide to use a full orchestra to make a unique brand of pop that turns "Pulling Rabbits Out Of a Hat" into a fantastic piece of orchestral pop, far surpassing the original. Several songs are done in that style - "This Town" and "Something For the Girl With Everything" are both given that treatment, and also appear in near-metal versions featuring Mike Patton on vocals, whose style was almost more distinctive than Russel's. There's definitely mixed results - I'm not crazy about the choice to turn "Amateur Hour" into a cheap-sounding dance tune, but it's worth hearing again - if nothing else, the songs themselves are all good, so it's good to listen all the way through. The only downside is that three of the tunes get repeated twice, which is a little disappointing considering their rich back catalog. I won't go through everything here, but I think every Sparks fan will love a few songs, hate a few, and find the rest generally agreeable.

Balls (2000) **1/2
Another album with a clear early-90's dance music sound, which is a little confusing considering the 2000 release date. It's a little different from Gratuitous Sax - the drum machine is more frantic and industrial, Russell's singing becomes more repetitive and somber, and it's less based off traditional song structure, putting this more in the category of "mainstream electronic". There's a few glimmers of hope - "Balls" and "Aeroflot" are both catchy tunes, a hybrid of guitar-based rock and electronic dance music, but for much of the album they're still doing the same things they've done for the last two decades ("More Than A Sex Machine"), but with a more serious tone - I get the feeling that some of these lyrics are actually sincere. There's some good second-rate dance music ("Bullet Train") and at least one top-notch cut ("Irreplaceable"), but some of it is just forgettable ("It's A Knockoff", "It's Educational"). Overall I'd say it's generally better written than Gratuitous Sax was, but it's not as much fun, and I always find myself skipping to the good tracks.

Lil' Beethoven (2002) ****
Alright, this came out of nowhere. A complete change from anything you've heard before out of Sparks, save some of the tracks on Plagiarism - this is orchestral dance music with almost no drums! So there's lots of violins and what sounds like a chorus of Russell's on every track. Very repetitive, but that's really the point - it's something unique with a lot of potential, resulting in some of the best Sparks tracks in who knows how long - "My Baby's Taking Me Home" and "Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls" rock as hard as they did in their '74 heyday, and "Ride 'em Cowboy" and "Rhythm Thief" show off what these guys have been hiding for the last 25 or so years. Even though parts of it are obnoxious ("green green light alright! red light"), those are the parts that seem to be stuck in your head the most. Great sound, fully realizing their vision, which is enough to forgive that not all the songs are interesting ("I Married Myself", "What Are All These Bands So Angry About?"). But I'm guessing every Sparks fan was just ecstatic to hear this - they've certainly been waiting long enough!

Hello Young Lovers (2006) ****
Another album in the same basic style as Lil' Beethoven, but with more guitars and drums, showing the band starting to regress - but they're regressing toward their '74 Kimono sound, which is certainly welcome. It's divided though - "Dick Around", "Waterproof" and "As I Sit Down to Play the Organ" are all really fantastic, multi-part tracks that really DO rock, and "(Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country?" is irresistible, but some of the tracks just sit there ("The Very Next Fight", "There's No Such Thing As Aliens"). Very close to 4 1/2 stars if it were more consistent - it's got to be one of the most addictive and original of '06, and even began to give Sparks some much-deserved press. "Dick Around" has got to be one of their top five tracks ever - it's got multiple parts like, say "Bohemian Rhapsody", leading up to a massive Megadeth-esque rock out section that rules harder than pretty much anything these guys have ever done. If nothing else you simply must hear that track, but the whole album is well-worth hearing.

Exotic Creatures of the Deep (2008) ***1/2
Another album in the new style, this one thankfully not taking 4 years to produce. The sound is a continuation of the last two, with there being less orchestral stuff and more of their 70's-style pop (with the techno-synthesizer buzz being the new element), resulting in an album that Sparks have got to be satisfied with - it's not as unique as Li'l Beethoven, but most of the band’s good elements can be found here, and I’d be surprised if they ever deviate from this sound in the future. The album kicks off with "Good Morning", the single, a boppy and fantastic piano-led tune that ought to have put them back into the mainstream, but it has yet to, so what gives? Is it the lyrics, detailing the morning after a one-night stand - with Russ sounding pleased with himself, yet the woman bolting? That it features the line "I hope it's just your laugh that is infectious"? It's not epic and powerful like "Dick Around" was, but the second single "Lighten Up, Morrissey" almost is, a guitar-driven track featuring some of Russ's best vocals yet. Overall the songs don't have the same complex structures as they did on the last two albums (save for closer "Likeable") but they are catchier, in the same obnoxious way Sparks has always been (“Let The Monkey Drive”). There’s still a few repetitive, go nowhere tracks (“Photoshop”, “She Got Me Pregnant”), but without the high points – “Lighten Up” is a clear standout, but I really wish there was just one or two more great tunes on here. Still a good album from a group that’s weathered nearly 40 years in the biz – there’s a sense of playfulness and excitement that rarely appears in bands that have been around half that long. But I’d pick up their two other efforts this decade first – if you want more, this will not disappoint.