Sparks: search and destroy

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The stuff I've heard from them I like, where is the best place to start?

― Robin, Saturday, 19 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's not that long since the Classic or Dud thread, but ...

Kimono My House and Propaganda (both 1974), Number One In Heaven (1979) and Gratuitious Sax and Senseless Violins (1994) are all worth searching, as are all the singles off each. Some of the lesser tracks on both the '74 albums could be painlessly destroyed (esp. "In My Family" and "Complaints"), but there's nothing on either record to *hate*, at all.

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 19 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Bros. Mael are notoriously uneven, but their best is mind- boggling, both musically and lyrically. "Propaganda" remains my favorite "real" album, but "Plagiarism" is probably just about the most fun you can have with clothes on--or off. An excellent retrospective for the beginner if you don't want to spring for one of the multi-volume sets (but beware these are remakes of their own work, a nervy move but very well done). And I've got to put in a plug for one of my favorite song titles, "I Thought I Told You To Stay In The Car." (Robin, you have good taste!)

― X. Y. Zedd, Saturday, 19 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wearing my listowner cap again -- where to begin? If you have to start somewhere, _Mael Intuition_ covers their Island years reasonably well, but Rhino's _Profile_ two-disc set takes in everything from the band's first album through 1988's _Interior Design_, so try that as an overall sampler to decide which of the band's eras most immediately suits you (and if all do, great!). If I had to go by individual albums, _Kimono My House_, _The Number One Song In Heaven_, _Angst In My Pants_ and _Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins_ would be the starting points.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

Well, I'm going to pervert this thread a little bit. If I get a slap on the wrist and a locked thread, so be it. <ha ha, pictures myself in the ILM jail, handcuffed>

The last time I had any Sparks it was a bargain-priced cassette of some album from 1983. Did nothing for me. Prior to that I appreciated "Cool Places" the single with the Go-Go's chick. But that was a long MF time ago. I just want someone to tell me a SONG to d/l, rather than an album, that will make me a big Sparks fan. I have a slow connection, so I have to deal in songs. I don't have to post this, but I feel like it. What song(s) would you recommend that will make me a massive Sparks fan instantly?

― bimble (bimble), Friday, 7 May 2004 04:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"Amateur Hour", maybe.

― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Friday, 7 May 2004 05:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"thank god it's not christmas"

― jake in portland (cerybut), Friday, 7 May 2004 05:42 (twenty-one years ago)

"fa la fa lee"

― duke nelson, Friday, 7 May 2004 05:59 (twenty-one years ago)

"The number one song in Heaven" was on TOTP2 2 days ago...

I met the bro's back in 1975. Russell was friendly, Ron was aloof. As you might expect! (They both signed my Propaganda LP tho)

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 7 May 2004 07:20 (twenty-one years ago)

search: "at home, at work, at play" or "in the future" - both reasonably short downloads, and so dense with sonic detail you'll be busy listening for hours.

destroy: that album you had from 83, which i'm guessing may have been actually from 84 - pulling rabbits from a hat? in outer space was the 83 one, but it had cool places on it and the rest sounds fairly similar so you'd prolly have appreciated the whole thing (last semi-good album for 10 years) ... pulling rabbits just flat out sucks though. they did have a run of 12 consecutive albums with something good to listen to on each, and that's quite commendable.

― Dr. Annabel Lies (Michael Kelly), Friday, 7 May 2004 08:53 (twenty-one years ago)

A lady gets a lotta things
She gets a 20 carat ring
She gets the alimony too
She gets to look good in the nude
But there's one place where they've been whipped
Between the nose and upper lip

M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
One hundred hairs make a man

I tried a handlebar design
My Fu Manchu was real fine
My Ronald Colman made 'em blink
My Pancho Villa made 'em think
But when I trimmed 'em real small
My Jewish friends would never call

M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
One hundred hairs make a man

They call me sir, and that ain't bad
Sometimes they think that I'm my Dad
And women flirt and you can bet
They like that tickle that they get
The only time I feel bad
Is when the guess the lunch I've had

M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
M-M-M-M-M-M Moustache
One hundred hairs make a man

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Friday, 7 May 2004 08:56 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not what you might call "typical" Sparks, but "Looks, Looks, Looks" is the one I'd go for. Or maybe "BC". Or if they're too difficult to track down, then yes, "Amateur Hour".

Avoid: anything from the inexplicably overrated "Lil Beethoven" album - it's sheer torture.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 7 May 2004 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

"Amateur Hour" seconded.

Avoid: anything from the inexplicably overrated "Lil Beethoven" album - it's sheer torture.

Whaaaaaaaa? Tell me where you got your crack, I need some! Lil Beethoven is fucking fantastic, but (caveat, admittedly) perhaps only if you've seen it performed live.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 7 May 2004 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

You don't want that crack. You'll not like Lil Beethoven afterwards.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 7 May 2004 10:00 (twenty-one years ago)

But it just goes ON and ON and ON, repeating the same asinine phrase OVER and OVER again, with NO development, and with this ghastly sub-Philip Glass (and let's not even get STARTED on what I think of Philip Glass) sawing and scraping in the background... "Practice man, practice..." AARGH MAKE IT STOP. Bitterly disappointing; I was expecting so much more.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 7 May 2004 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah Lil Beethoven is pretty cool IMO, I actually think it's charm is fairly subtle and grows on you over time. But I heard it right after listening to Spiritualized's Lazer Guided Melodies and for some reason that helped in making any kinda sense out of it for me.

"Something For The Girl w/Everyhting", "Propaganda", "Achoo", their cover of The Beatles "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is pretty on. "When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'" is alright also.

― Trever Booth (xjzico), Friday, 7 May 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I enjoyed Li'l Beethoven but I only now love it thanks to seeing the album performed live, which really was beautifully staged by the brothers and cohorts.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 7 May 2004 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, the budget priced cassette I had was Music That You Can Dance To from '86, now that I've searched for pictures of their album covers on the web. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll get going on this as soon as I tire of reading and posting on ILX for awhile.

― bimble (bimble), Saturday, 8 May 2004 01:56 (twenty-one years ago)

'Suburban Homeboy' is topnotch and that's on Lil Beethoven. The Sparks track that revived my big love for them isn't strictly Sparks but it is really: Noel - 'Dancing Is Dangerous'. Amazing song but it's about 20 minutes long and 15 mb so you'd better keep well away 56kboy. I second 'At home at work at play'and 'Number One Song In Heaven' (but surely you've heard the latter?).

Oh yeah cheeky Ned, did you get the Noel song the other week? Opinion?

― Affectian (Affectian), Saturday, 8 May 2004 18:26 (twenty-one years ago)

fourteen years pass...

Was there never a best album poll? Seems surprising.

― piscesx, Tuesday, 29 May 2018 05:11 (seven years ago)

I love so many of their albums but don't think I could vote for anything but Kimono. its just so rare for such a long-running and diverse group to nail all their strengths on a single album like that

― frogbs, Wednesday, 30 May 2018 02:30 (seven years ago)

tbh I think I'd vote for Angst In My Pants.

― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 30 May 2018 02:49 (seven years ago)

Def Propaganda or Indiscreet. Or Hello Young Lovers or Lil Beethoven. Or...

― mr.raffles, Wednesday, 30 May 2018 04:18 (seven years ago)

Probably "Propaganda", because they gave me it. Mmm hmm..

― Mark G, Wednesday, 30 May 2018 11:32 (seven years ago)

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