Lil' Beethoven

lil' beethoven

Track Listings

1. Rhythm Thief

2. How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?

3. What Are All These Bands So Angry About?

4. I Married Myself

5. Ride 'Em Cowboy

6. My Baby's Taking Me Home

7. Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold.

8. Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls

9. Suburban Homeboy

Lil' Beethoven,Sparks,Artful Records,Glam Rock,New Wave,Pop,Pop/Rock,Proto-Punk,Rock,Rock/Pop,Synth Pop

Lil' Beethoven

Average customer rating:

Victory Symphony
An Excellent Late Career Album
Funny, brilliant, remarkable
What it isn't. What it isn't. What it isn't. What it isn't
Roll over Beethoven - Tell Sid Vicious the news!

Lil' Beethoven
Sparks
Manufacturer: Palm Pictures (Audio
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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General | Rock | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Hello Young Lovers
Angst in My Pants
No. 1 in Heaven
Kimono My House
Propaganda

ASIN: B00009UW2E
Release Date: 2003-07-08

Tracks:

The Rhythm Thief
How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?
What Are All These Bands So Angry About?
I Married Myself
Ride 'Em Cowboy
My Baby's Takin Me Home
You Call's Very Important To Us. Please Hold.
Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls
Suburban Homeboy

Customer Reviews:

Victory Symphony.......2007-04-06

After essentially giving up on the major label rat race of being a perennial cult act (read: No Hits), Sparks went with smaller labels and self-financing for "Lil Beethoven." The striking thing is just how much of a non-pop album they have made once freed up from the yoke of expectations. With a sly psuedo-classical title like "Lil Beethoven," Ron and Russell layer in classical concepts like chorales and layer after layer of strings.

The direction of the album also veers away from classical pop and more into the minimalist world of Phillip Glass or John Adams. Imagine if The Beatles had decided to do an album with Adams or Terry Riley as the producer. "Lil Beethoven" comes close to that actualization on songs like "I Married Myself" and "My Baby's Taking Me Home." They would carry this onto the next album as well, Hello Young Lovers. Lyrically, the songs are just as clever and comic as the best of Sparks, even if several of the songs are little more than four or five lines repeated over and over. "How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall?" is exactly what you'd expect...the old vaudeville joke but told eight times over. Both "Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls" and "Suburban Homeboy" are vicious digs at facade making (and SH has the great line "I'm a suburban homeboy and I say 'yo dog' to my pool cleaning guy"), and the best dig goes to "What Are All These Bands So Angry About."

The most subversive thing about "Angry" is the name checking of folks like Howling Wolf, Wagner and Coltrane as it wonders why pure emotional delivery seems to be beyond groups lost in "they called our bluff/our profane just ain't profane enough." It is this kind of honesty that keeps Sparks at the cutting edge of music making, even if it may only play to their beloved cult.

An Excellent Late Career Album.......2005-06-06

It is unusual for any artist in any medium to still be producing relevent, exciting work 30 years into a career. That Sparks released one of their career best albums at this time in their career stands as a testement to the talent of the Mael brothers.

Is it classical? Techno? Rock? Dance? Well, all of the above and, sort of, none of the above. Russel Mael's lyrics, looped and loopy, serve as the rhythm section on many of the sounds, while Ron Mael's keyboards dance, fly, seduce and weave through a remarkable range of styles. This sounds nothing like Sparks' previous work - indeed, it sounds like almost nothing else I have encountered.

Absolutely worth at least a listen and, in my opinion, an essential purchase for any fan of Sparks or cutting edge pop.

Funny, brilliant, remarkable.......2005-04-19

What makes this record such a wow-er is that it is, at bottom, a pop record. By that I mean it's mostly euphonic and euphoric--it sounds good and it's designed to make you feel good. And while making a solid pop album is no easy feat, doing it with the tropes of classical music should be impossible. Almost uniformly (the only exception being "My baby's taking me home", which would seem more at home on a Moby record), the songs, mostly built with synths, feel marvelously authentic. It's amazing technology has come this far!

And yet, despite the appearance of radical departure, this is the same old Sparks. The songs are, at core, funny ideas or commentaries, with bits of poignance and wisdom spangled throughout. The vaudevillian tendencies dance inside classical compositions that would be interesting and rich on their own; the tension between the two is fascinating and inexhaustible. It's not hyperbole to say this record has enriched my life; nor would it be poor counsel to suggest it could do the same for yours.

What it isn't. What it isn't. What it isn't. What it isn't.......2005-04-17

Everybody talks about what an amazing record LIL' BEETHOVEN is, and tries to describe what makes it so impressive, and why it sounds like nothing else Sparks have ever done (or anybody, for that matter) while at the same time saying why it sounds like everything the band has ever done. But nobody clarifies exactly what this record isn't.

1. It's not an overblown "classical pop" album in the traditional sense. This isn't where you'll find the band covering their own regular style of pop song with horn sections and string arrangments (that record was PLAGIARISM). There is nothing here that sounds as conventional as an old, inflated bore like the Moody Blues and nothing that will sound like George Michael performing his songs in Vegas for his 80-year-old audience in a few years. These songs are written with classical patterns and repetitive-yet-gradually-changing repeated phrases like much of intelligent dance music. Lyrics are often reduced to one catchphrase, repeated ad infinitum to give the impression that the vocals are just another instrument in the band. They begin to lose their meaning, because you simply tend to focus on how the sounds are changing.

2. It's not pretentious. While Sparks have always maintained the profile of outsider status and been championed by eccentrics, while cultivating an image of irony and misanthropy, the fact is that their music is always deceptively simplistic and/or approachable. Despite the lofty musical ambitions here, the record never climbs into avant-garde seriousness or deliberate difficulty. If anything, it may appear *too* simple and repetitious upon the first listening. It deserves about 3 or 4 listenings before you should cast judgment, as the repetitions in the songs really start to open up, at which point they will simply dazzle you.

3. It's not for fans only. As a longtime fan, I've often bought new Sparks records hearing something akin to exactly what I want and expect from them, and despite the extraordinarily consistent delivery in their output, I've always felt somewhat disappointed. I always want Sparks to try harder than to court the people who already love them. This is one of those records, finally. If you like challenging music that doesn't forego melody and accessibility and decent production values, or if you like music that sounds completely out of style or time but not ignorant of the industry, or if you like humorous but not stupid music, you will most likely enjoy LIL' BEETHOVEN.

4. It's never going to be a huge commercial success. The reason to buy Sparks isn't because they need the extra popularity to boost them up the charts or because they'll look cool in your collection... it's because bands like this who make music for the music's sake, and not the industry's, need all the support they can get. If you're reading this and even remotely hesitant about buying it, remember that your purchase is basically a vote for artists to continue making quality music that doesn't pander to a particular built-in audience. If you think you're really into "alternative" music and you like to buy "hip" bands that are targeting your crowd, check out Sparks for a real shock. This is a band that targets no crowd whatsoever, and they'll force you to reevaluate the individuality of those bands who fashion themselves as oh-so-indie. And Sparks have been doing it consistently - and humorously - for over 30 years.

5. It's not over. Sparks have just completed the recording of their follow-up to LIL' BEETHOVEN and they claim it will blow this one wide open, forging their unique path even further. Additionally, they've just signed a new publishing deal for their first 16 (!!!) albums, which means that their entire, elusive catalog is finally going to get the royal treatment it deserves. So not only will you like this record, but you'll have an absolute truckload of great Sparks music - which runs the gamut from glam rock to power-pop to disco to new wave to synth-pop to techno - to enjoy over the next few years.

Roll over Beethoven - Tell Sid Vicious the news!.......2004-10-13

Sparks' weird and wonderful opus, Lil' Beethoven commences with "The Rhythm Thief". We hear the words, "I am the rhythm thief - say goodbye to the beat." In the darkness we envision the Mael brothers in burglar masks, unplugging drum machines world-wide from disco to disco like a pair of sinister Robin Hoods!

The mischievous baton-wielding, sneaker-wearing character on the cover of Lil' Beethoven could very well be Ron Mael's inner child. Devious in his neat, respectable on-stage appearance and operatic presentation, our maestro lashes out at hip-hop hypocrisy, popular culture, and at life in general. The bitter bard conducts the proceedings, `scratching' and `sampling' behind the synth, with Russell `on the mic' rapturously rapping `the message'. Move over Grandmaster Flash!

Lil' Beethoven is not only Sparks' Sgt. Pepper - in fact, it could more likely be their Never Mind The Bollocks! It has more balls than Balls, more angst than Angst In My Pants, and Plagiarism only touched upon the plethora of musical genres emulated here. Each song is a strange, smartass symphony that so eloquently and elegantly ridicules everything that is wrong with music and with life today. Never mind Pet Sounds...this is Sparks' `Pet Peeves'! The classy presentation undermines the rebellious nature of the lyrics. Sparks don't mind making public enemies because they so much admire Public Enemy! Once again, to their credit, no one except for their fans will appreciate this masterpiece for many, many years!

The album's second selection, "How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?" answers its own rhetorical question many times. Vaudeville is alive and well in this tune. Russell seems possessed by the ghost of Henny Youngman as he endlessly repeats the question (almost as maddening as Abbot & Costello's Who's On First? routine!) However, his golden voice returns to lament, "Still there is no sign of you."

Yes, real-life affairs should really take precedence over some bands' hissy-fits as stated in "What Are All These Bands So Angry About?"

The romantic "I Married Myself" is simply beautiful. Congratulations to Russell! He is a much better match for himself than that old Jacqueline Kennedy! This song maintains a certain theatricality despite its simple arrangement. Ron is still grappling with the traditional concept of the `love song'. He can out-write anyone with his beautiful melodies, but always throws in a curse word (as in "The Angels") or an odd situation as his signature mark.

"Ride `Em Cowboy" wavers from Victorian to Wagnerian. The song is simultaneously complex and minimalist.

"My Baby's Taking Me Home" begins with simple piano, and an old-fashioned megaphone affect on the vocals, but it becomes more lavish and ultra-modern as the song progresses. The multi layering of Russell's voice seems infinite. Then the song steadily expands with a long momentous crescendo, invoking grand cinematic visions.

"Your Call Is Very Important To Us. Please Hold" (who else would start a second sentence within a song title but Sparks?!) picks up where Kraftwerk's "The Telephone Call" left off. Rather than making weird computerized noises, Sparks allow us re-live the frustration of that cold familiar teasing phrase repeated ad-nauseum over a strangely beautiful yet angry classical piano trill amidst more orchestrations.

"Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls" is a humourous headbanger (disguised by a sweet sounding intro and outro) about a preposterous topic that has dumbfounded many since the phenomenon became prominent in music videos in the 80s.

Any Broadway show-tune composer would envy "Suburban Homeboy". He's a modern-day "Yankee Doodle Dandy"! Now That's Entertainment!

- Madeline Bocaro

National Anthems of the World: Swarovski Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Large collection for the price, but not perfect
excellent selection & quality sound

National Anthems of the World: Swarovski Orchestra

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Collections of National Anthems, Vol. 1
World Anthems
The World of National Anthems
National Anthems of the World
The Complete National Anthems of the World

ASIN: B00029J1XQ
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

Algeria
Arab Emirates
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Egypt
Barbados
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Germany
Bulgaria
Denmark
Ecuador
England
Estland
Europe
Finland
France
Georgia
Greece
Iraq
Iran
Ireland
Iceland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Cameroon
Canada
Colombia
Cuba
Latvia
Luxembourg

Tracks:

Lithuania
Malta
Morocco
Mexico
Mozambique
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
New Zealand
The Netherlands
Norway
Oman
Austria
Peru
The Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Sweden
Switzerland
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
South Africa
Syria
Thailand
Czech Republic
Tunisia
Turkey
Hungary
Uruquay
United States
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zimbabwe

Customer Reviews:

Large collection for the price, but not perfect.......2006-07-30

As with these sorts of all-inclusive collections, there are issues to be had with 'National Anthems of the World' as performed by the Swarovski Orchestra. Primary--to me--is that these performances and arrangements come off as being rather sterile and bland, though it's perhaps not surprising since I doubt very much that most of the nationalities of the nations represented here have citizens actually in the Swarovski Orchestra. There's little of the passion that a national band or orchestra would have in playing their own nation's anthem, much like listening to a generic studio band play play a collection of college fight songs (and there ARE CDs of those out for sale as well).

That said, this 2-disc CD set does offer a wide spectrum of national anthems, though it does a far better job of covering European nations more so than any other region. For instance, Central America is poorly represented in this collection as is Africa which, aside from Cameroon, the heart of that continent is conspicuously ill-depicted. But the biggest omission is China; neither the mainland or Taiwanese anthems are included in this set. Considering that The People's Republic of China is the most populous nation on earth, as well as a global political and economic force to be reckoned with, even in 1996 (this CD set dates from 2004, but at least one online database list the contents from the mid-1990s), this is a glaring oversight in my opinion.

The final gripe deals with the included documentation. Each of these anthems DO have titles to them, none of which the producers of this collection ever bother to mention and provide. One has to go to Wikipedia or some other resource to look up the actual name of the anthems included here. This is information that is relatively cheap to research and out of courtesy to the consumer should've been provided for this set, especially since this collection has been around in some form for over a decade already.

For the money, it's a fairly good buy for those who want a collection of national anthems. But the producers could've done a better job of compiling the contents of this collection, and what music there is would've certainly benefitted from a bit more impassioned play.

excellent selection & quality sound.......2005-08-27

Swarovski Orchestra did an excellent job in this compilation. I work in Foreign Service & I use this CD to play US anthem & the host country anthem during events. Unlike other compilations which shorten the pieces, this offers full-length pieces saving me from embarrassment.

Average customer rating:

Music for prodigies
Extraordinary by any measure
Roll over Beethoven - Tell Sid Vicious The News!!
BRILLIANT!!!!!
Sparks: Sheer Brilliance!!!

Lil' Beethoven
Sparks
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Sparks - Lil' Beethoven / Live in Stockholm
Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
Big Beat
Propaganda
Hello Young Lovers

ASIN: B0001M1JRK
Release Date: 2004-03-29

Tracks:

Rhythm Thief
How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?
What Are All These Bands So Angry About?
I Married Myself
Ride 'Em Cowboy
My Baby's Taking Me Home
Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold.
Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls
Suburban Homeboy
Legend of Lil' Beethoven [*]
Wunderbar [*]
Rhythm Thief [Instrumental Version][*]
Rhythm Thief [*][Multimedia Track]
Fear of a Blank Page [Short Film][*][Multimedia Track]
Lil' Beethoven Screensaver [*]

Customer Reviews:

Music for prodigies.......2007-04-06

Extraordinary by any measure.......2005-05-28

The Mael brothers are extraordinary by any measure, and this is the most remarkable album of theirs I have heard in many a moon. The sheer skill and brains behind it are beyond praise. You get the impression they can just do anything they want, musically, intellectually, artistically. There are rave reviews from London newspapers on the back and they are deserved. This is really astonishing music, glassily shimmering with wickedly clever, glittering shards of lyrics. There are echoes here of John Lennon at his most iconoclastic, and Radio Head, but the album is in a class by itself. It's gorgeous to listen to, piquant to decode. There are a couple of weak, repetitious tracks, such as Your Call's Very Important To Us, a smart idea that goes nowhere, and Wunderbar, which seems aimed at German audiences who are sehr, sehr Kuhl, and sometimes the lyrics verge on psychobabble, deliberately so, I guess.

But I've never heard anything quite like this in my life. It's an astounding piece of work. It is very "out there," very "beyond," very Twilight Zonish. I did not think the human brain could work so strangely, or come up with such a hall of mirrors with such exquisite, gorgeous-sounding acoustic reflections and super-reflections. It is bizarre and at the same time indescribably beautiful. Highly recommended.

Roll over Beethoven - Tell Sid Vicious The News!!.......2004-10-14

BRILLIANT!!!!!.......2004-07-15

THIS IS THE BEST OF SPARKS....

I am speechless. You don't ever grow tired of this infectious pop melodies and operatic performancies. If you have any musical taste at all BUY THIS NOW!

Sparks: Sheer Brilliance!!!.......2004-04-18

Lil' Beethoven by Sparks will go down in pop music history as one of the most significant albums of all time. This album pushes the boundaries of pop music, yet at its heart, is still a pop album. Sparks have always been ahead of the curve, yet this time they push things to the limit: swirling strings, layered vocals, orchestral flourishes, sophisticated recording techniques, the absence of rock cliches and extremely clever lyrics. From the classic "The Rhythm Thief", which not only questions the viability of pop music in this day and age, but questions the meaning of life, to the showy "Suburban Homeboy", this album is not like anything else you have heard before. "My Baby's Taking Me Home" is destined to be a pop milestone: infectious, unique, mantra-like--- a modern classic!!

In a pop world where everything has begun to sound a lot like everything else, this album provides a bright ray of hope. The spirt of adventure in pop music has been sadly missing in much of what is out there today. Where are all the challenging bands?? Where is all the challenging music? Where is the provocation that is supposed to be at the heart of great pop music? It's all here in Sparks' "Lil' Beethoven." I strongly urge everyone to buy this album. (on this Deluxe Edition, you also get the amazing video for "The Rhythm Thief" plus several bonus tracks not on the original version.) Excitement and ambition have been reinstated into pop music. Long live the brilliant Sparks!!!

Average customer rating:

I like it, but....

They've grown up!

Incredible!

The Mael Brothers Have Lost Their Touch

Genius is a bumpy and lonely road

Lil' Beethoven
Sparks
Manufacturer: Fullfill
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000070WRJ
Release Date: 2005-01-01

Tracks:

Rhythm Thief
How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?
What Are All These Bands So Angry About?
I Married Myself
Ride 'Em Cowboy
My Baby's Taking Me Home
Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold.
Ugly Guys with Beautiful Girls
Suburban Homeboy

Album Description

Nine scintillating works of seduction and self-delusion by the diminutive master of the art of musical overkill. Lil' Beethoven is performed, written, and produced by Ron Mael and Russel Mael. Drummer Tammy Glover, and former Faith No More guitarist, Dean

Album Details

The Mael Brothers Take a Complete Left Turn and Leave Beats and Conventional Song Structure Behind to Produce a Completely Different Kind of Music. Having Grown Bored with their Last Few Albums, the Brothers Decided to Take the Path Not Taken. Aside from One Minute of Drums Heard at the End of "my Baby's Taking Me Home" and the Thrash Out Chorus of "Ugly Guys with Beautiful Girls", the Album is Filled with Classical Orchestrations with Violins, Treated Guitars, Oboes and Choirs in an Invigorating Melange that You Most Assuredly Won't "Get" on First Listen. What You Will Get Immediately Are the Hilarious Lyrics of "Suburban Cowboy", "The Rhythm Thief" and "Your Call is Very Important to Us...please Hold". Love Em Or Hate Em, They're Always Ahead of the Game. Performed, Written and Produced by Ron Mael and Russell Mael, Drummer Tammy Glover and Former Faith No More Guitarist Dean Menta.

Customer Reviews:

I like it, but...........2003-06-06

I like the songs that have the straight singing. When Russell speaks through things it sounds kind of.... dorky. Ron's lyrics are as great as always.

They've grown up!.......2003-06-03

Sparks has been doing this longer and better than just about anyone. Now, they are middle aged geniouses, faced with the fall and decline of popular culture. With this graceful album, they prove themselves once again to be masters.

The group has been cut back to three members, but the studio wizardry and minimalist sensibility bring a sound that can get simply HUGE. BRAVO! Think of Phillip Glass, stuck on a snippet of Gilbert and Sullivan.

The Big Beat is gone. The Rhythmn Thief has got it, and you'll never get it back! Instead we have multi-layered strings, vocals, snippets, and woodwinds. All pulse to a new and strangely serene yet propelling sensibility.

Is this for everyone? Not a chance. The repetition of samples, each with it's own rhythmn, creates an atmosphere that is good humored, mature, and, most shocking, even warm and hypnotic. Except, of course, for the bits with breakneck speed, and sudden appearance of rocky roots. I still haven't quite 'heard' everything on this CD. Where does it fit in? Dance? Sleep? Altogether, it is a large bite to swallow. We are being subjected to something idiosyncratic, eccentric, but intensely compelling.

Some may find Lil Beethoven pompous, overblown, and silly. I say the coherence of the overall sound, and the underlying structure of the songs makes this a masterpiece. The repetition will break into an oboe solo (Rhythmn Thief), or a nostalgic 50's moonlight walk on the beach (I Married Myself) and it fits perfectly. Each of the nine tunes contains a central peanut of delight.

It really annoys me that more people will probably not give these songs the listening they deserve. There is nothing out there quite like it.

Incredible!.......2003-03-15

I gave up on Sparks in the early eighties but have hung on to Kimono My House and Propaganda as two of my all time favorite albums. Now, decades later, comes an album that equals the greatness of their early years. Here, they are pandering to no one and are just being themselves. The result is that Sparks are glorious once again: fun, zany, and even innovative. Amazing. The shame of it all is that Lil Beethoven, like Kimono My House and Propaganda, will go largely unheard.

The Mael Brothers Have Lost Their Touch.......2003-01-25

I've been an avid Sparks fan since "Kimono My House," and I've stuck with them through thick and thin. That's why it saddens me to say that this album is a big disappointment. Two main criticisms:

(1) On most of the songs, the lyrics are extremely repetitive. "My Baby's Taking Me Home" is the worst example, but the problem is also quite evident on "The Rhythm Thief," "How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall," "What Are All These Bands So Angry About," and "Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold." Each of those songs starts with a classic clever Sparks premise, but it's as if they thought of the premise and couldn't pay it off lyrically, so they just kept repeating themselves. I'd say the songs sound like "Amateur Hour," but that would be misleading...That was a great song!

(2) When there are significant lyrics, they're spoken, not sung. The worst example of this is "Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls," which, along with its annoying, piercing "Wa-a-wa-a" chorus, includes a very long--albeit very perceptive--diatribe from Russell...but it's all spoken! Come on...You guys are musicians, not preachers!

So that brings us to the only really good song on the album..."Suburban Homeboy." This one has it all: the clever premise, the lyrics that pay it off, and a musical style that sounds like it came straight out of a Broadway musical comedy. I think that's what Sparks should work on next...a musical. If they were to follow the "Suburban Homeboy" formula, they could be the next Rogers and Hammerstein. So in spite of this disappointment, I haven't completely given up on them yet.

Genius is a bumpy and lonely road.......2002-12-20

God bless Ron and Russ Mael. They have provided the world with some of the most fantastic records of all time. From the understated and twisted sound of the first two lp's through the holy trinity that is "Kimono My House", "Propoganda" and "Indiscreet". Those three LP 's alone would make a place for Sparks in the higher plane of existance in rock and roll. Much music followed, some great, some good some, well they can't all be winners. The brothers have long dabbled in dance music way back when it was actually called disco ("#1 In Heaven") and they have stayed with the more electro side of things for some time now. I am pleased to announce that "the beat" is now banished. The first song here lays it out-"...I am the rythm thief, say goodbye to the beat". This CD is so utterly amazing I cannot possibly do it justice in a few paragraphs. There are strings, multi layered vocals, beautiful piano, full blown orchestration, drums and yes...guitars! The lyrics, as always, are genius. "What Are All These Bands So Angry About?", "I Married Myself", "Suburban Homeboy". Amazing! The flow of this thing is perfect as well. It is really structured like an album! Not one of those, put the catchiest songs at the beginning and pad the rest, this is perfectly paced and timed. Just cause you can fit 80 minutes on a cd doesn't mean you have to. the 41 minutes here will do just fine thank you. "Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls" is hands down my favorite here and is thee most rocking Sparks track in ohh sooo long. I would venture to say this is their best record since 1975's "Indiscreet". It certainly is the most consistant and engaging since that LP. It's good to know that creativity is not lost from one of the most creative. Buy this cd and a smile will come to your face and a song to your heart. Other people may give you funny looks, but that's the way it goes. Personally, I have listened to this CD nearly every day since it came out and it just keeps getting better. No, I am not insane. Just a longtime fan who is beyond happy with this one. I will stop now. Thank you. Goodnight.

Average customer rating:

Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
Sparks
Manufacturer: Universal/Lil Beethoven
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Lil' Beethoven
Plagiarism
Angst in My Pants
Big Beat
No. 1 in Heaven

ASIN: B000F5GKE0
Release Date: 2006-05-08

Tracks:

Gratuitous Sax
When Do I Get to Sing "My Way"
When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)
Frankly, Scarlett, I Don't Give a Damn
I Thought I Told You to Wait in the Car
Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil
Now That I Own the BBC
Tsui Hark
Ghost of Liberace
Let's Go Surfing
Senseless Violins

Album Details

The Brothers Mael Originally Released this Gem in 1994 after a Seven Year Respite. Released on Logic Records, There were No Outside Musicians on this Outing, Just the Brothers Doing What They Do Best. Three Hit Singles Yielded from the LP: "When Do I Get to Sing My Way", "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)" and "Now that I Own the BBC". Just by the Titles, You Could Tell that the Brothers' Wit was in Full Force! the Track "Tsui Hark" Actually features the Hong Kong Director Putting in a Appearance.

Average customer rating:

YO! NOTHING LIL' ABOUT IT.
SPARKS SAIL INTO UNCHARTERED MUSICAL TERRITORY!

Lil' Beethoven
Sparks
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music

Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000070GLZ
Release Date: 2002-12-17

Tracks:

Rhythm Thief
How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?
What Are All These Bands So Angry About?
I Married Myself
Ride 'Em Cowboy
My Baby's Taking Me Home
Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold.
Ugly Guys with Beautiful Girls
Suburban Homeboy

Album Description

Album Details

Customer Reviews:

YO! NOTHING LIL' ABOUT IT........2002-12-26

Since the brilliant and manic two-minute symphonies that gyrated through "Kimono My House" and "Propaganda", there has been a persistent classical undercurrent to the work of the Mael brothers. On "Lil' Beethoven" they completely give in to the impulse and give us some amazing music which, despite some rather sunny leanings, keeps their cutting and occasionally dark humor completely intact and fully capable of cutting to the truth.

Latter-day prog bands should take note of these song structures: the music here is immaculately aware and inventively structured. Almost anything on "Lil' Beethoven" will beat the sometimes aimless musings of "Spock's Beard", "Porcupine Tree" or "Tool". Since none of these bands is capable of making even the most rudimentary observation of the human condition, we need to thank Sparks for asking "What are all these bands so angry about?"

The lyrics are, as usual, funny, revealing and unexpected. They take the old "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" joke and turn it into five minutes of music serious enough to laugh about. In fact, I'd encourage people who need to have a favorite track or two on any given album to set that preoccupation aside and make sure to really listen to everything going on here.

More than usual, Russell Mael's vocals become an instrument. Manipulated, looped, filtered and fuzzed, his singing actually leaves the typical notion of singing behind in favor of treating the human voice as a unique sound source. While we're largely spared guitars and drums, Ron Mael's keyboard work makes the most compelling argument for the synthesizer since Wendy (Walter) Carlos' landmark "Switched on Bach". The sound here is massive, well-rounded and impeccably detailed. The interplay between musical ideas and the power of digital manipulation is profound and well-balanced.

I have loved listening to these guys since the "Halfnelson" days. Todd Rundgren knew there was a special talent at work in their music and their world view. Sometimes things got silly. Sometimes they bent a little too far in the direction of a particular style. But they have always been interesting and entertaining in a way that has tended to push the listener rather than simply reassure him or her. Much more than pure pop for now people, "Lil' Beethoven" is smarter than it is funny, and funnier that it is smart.

SPARKS SAIL INTO UNCHARTERED MUSICAL TERRITORY!.......2002-11-30

When Sparks received a makeover from non-electrically powered instruments for some of their best known synth/guitar tunes on Plagiarism, it seemed very much like a one off. Five years on though, they've taken the idea forward and constructed a whole new album of songs based on the concept. What makes this album so brilliantly original though, is that the majority of songs sound like they were written specifically as melodious dance tracks, with the repetition of catchy phrases at the core. But, aside from the odd finale or chorus, there are no beats, few synths - not as we have come to know them on Sparks albums anyway - and only the odd guitar. Instead we get lush orchestrations, some of Ron's most fluid piano, and whole choirs of Russel. Once again, Sparks prove that pioneering doesn't have to be hard work, for the listener at least.

Average customer rating:

Lil Beethoven
After 30-Plus Years, Sparks Pulls One Out Of A Hat

Lil' Beethoven
Sparks
Manufacturer: Artful Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00008DKCE
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Tracks:

Rhythm Thief
How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?
What Are All These Bands So Angry About?
I Married Myself
Ride 'Em Cowboy
My Baby's Taking Me Home
Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold.
Ugly Guys with Beautiful Girls
Suburban Homeboy

Customer Reviews:

Lil Beethoven.......2003-04-04

My favorite Sparks CD and I have them all.
Check it out and then go to an all-you-can-eat buffett.

After 30-Plus Years, Sparks Pulls One Out Of A Hat.......2003-03-06

Sparks has made the best and most innovative album of their long career. Classical music arrangements performed entirely on keyboards, multi-tracked Queen-like vocals and a healthy dollop of Moby is best how to describe this outstanding effort by the Brothers Mael. I bought "Lil' Beethoven" as an import last year, and have been playing it incessantly ever since. Easily one of the best and most innovative albums in years.

Average customer rating:

Lil' Beethoven
Sparks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000254I2Y
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Music:

Music

music