Sparks [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Sparks [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Track Listings

1. Sparks [Roni Size Edit]

2. Sparks [Murk Downtown Miami Mix]

3. Remind Me [Someone Else's Mix]

4. Remind Me [Dub]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Taken from the 2001 album, 'Melody A.M.'. Four non-LP tracks, 'Sparks' (Roni Size Remix, Murk Downtown Miami Mix), 'Remind Me' (Someone Else's Mix), & the video for 'Remind Me'. Wall Of Sound. 2003.

Tracks:

Lost In the Opera House: Oh Help Me
Papageno And the Birds: The Best Birdcatcher
The Queen Of the Night: You Must Free My Daughter
Pamina Arrives, Papageno's Magic Bells: A Girlfriend
The Castle Of Sarastro: O Endless Night
The Magic Flute: O Listen
The Escape: Let Us Hurry
Sarastro's Welcome: The Gods Above
The Attack Of the Queen: The Powers Of Night
Pamina's Lament: Oh, My Heart Is Broken
In the Labyrinth: Seekers Of the Light
Papageno and Papagena: Ring, O Bells
Conclusion: Our Journey Is Over

Product Description

THE STORY: With magic bells and flute, Sarah and the dragon find their way from the Queen of the Night's realm to Sarastro's castle. Together they help Prince Tamino find Princess Pamina and the bird-man Papageno find his Papagena. THE MUSIC: Features Mozart's best-known arias, originally translated and freshly recorded with child- appropriate verse. Lyrics enclosed.

Customer Reviews:

Magic Flute interpreted for children.......2007-01-11

Outstanding way to introduce children to the classics in opera. Seems certain that this exposure will make them love music and expand their horizons. Album is expertly professional.

Incredible! A blessing for your kids and yourself.......2006-12-26

I have listen to this CD in the car during trips for the last 10 years, when my kids were 4,6 and 7. They all adore it! It is the best way to get kids into classical music and onto the magic of Mozart. Highly reccomended!

this cd is not for the parents, it's for the children. .......2006-05-09

...so don't put it down because the voices annoyed you but not your child. Being 19, I can still remember how I felt about this tape, so I'd like to think this review is somewhat more useful.

It is, in my opinion, the perfect introduction to opera. Growing up, I would listen to this whenever I was poorly and off school. I found the storyline exciting, sometimes scary, romantic, and yes the little girl annoyed me the older I got, but nevertheless, I used to imagine that I was her.

In response to the reviewer who said that this does not give you an appreciation of Mozart, I disagree entirely. It is true, Beethoven Lives Upstairs is also wonderful, and probably is a big influence on why he is one of my favourite composers, but thanks to Mozart's Magic Fantasy I am now enthralled by the actual opera, and have it as one of the most listened to playlists on my computer.

The most hum-able melodies and the scariest and jolliest tunes from his opera are on here, and it is the equivalent of an abridged book.

I would also highly recommend Beethoven Lives Upstairs, Mr Bach Comes to Call, and Peter and The Wolf - A Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra.

My daughter fell in love with Mozart!.......2005-10-09

Mozart's Magic Fantasy captivated my daughter at the tender age of two. She is five now and still LOVES to listen to this recording! It's a bit different from the traditional version, but it contains much of the original music, along with a milder story line for the kids. After two years of listening to this version, we purchased the full Opera performance on video. Despite the fact that the entire performance is in a language my daughter doesn't speak (German) she has watched the film presentation of The Magic Flute over and over again. Now she wants flute lessons...! It all started with the Classical Kids story, Mozart's Magic Fantasy.

Great Intro to Opera.......2004-04-21

This recording has delighted our family for years. Yes, some of the voices are annoying, some of the songs are not what they should be, but opera snobbery aside, this adaptation is great for kids and fulfills its goal of getting young people interested in opera. After listening to this tape, my children graduated to the "real thing" as other reviewers have mentioned. Expecting your kids to respond to and like opera right off the bat might turn them off to it forever. If they like it and you can't stand it, get headphones for them.

Average customer rating:

A nice retreat for the soul.

Lazarus Beach
Through the Sparks
Manufacturer: Skybucket Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000OLHGI4
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

L. Roi
Mexico (Every Last Buffalo)
Archetype
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Action Figure Graveyard Pt.I
Action Figure Graveyard Pt.II (Lazarus Beach)
The Smile Of Your Shadow
Porcelain DeLorean (Segue A)
Local Moon
Only The Messenger
There There Dear (Segue B)
The Final If And When
A Natural Machine

Customer Reviews:

A nice retreat for the soul........2007-06-10

I bought this album not knowing what to expect, but just trusting that it would be good after reading the positive Pitchfork review, which boasted it's many attributes. It was everything promised to me, and more. This band has a soulful quality that i rarely come across anymore. It is like Donovan merged with Wilco with a dash of Paul Simon on the side. I loved it, and I would encourage anyone to give it a try.

Average customer rating:

The Who Classic Masterpiece AS YOU NEVER HEARD BEFORE
A Landmark Classic Now Made Even Better.
A Milestone of Early Rock!
I Love it !
The Who's classic rock opera gets a 35th birthday celebration fit for a king!

Tommy

Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Quick One (Happy Jack)

ASIN: B0000DJZAH
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Tracks:

Overture
It's A Boy
1921
Amazing Journey
Sparks
Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)
Christmas
Cousin Kevin
The Acid Queen
Underture
Do You Think It's Alright
Fiddle About
Pinball Wizard
There's A Doctor
Go To The Mirror!
Tommy Can You Hear Me?
Smash The Mirror
Sensation
Miracle Cure
Sally Simpson
I'm Free
Welcome
Tommy's Holiday Camp
We're Not Gonna Take It
See Me Feel Me/Listening To You

Tracks:

I Was
Christmas (Out-Take 3)
Cousin Kevin Model Child
Young Man Blues (Version 1)
Tommy Can You Hear Me? (Alternate Version)
Trying To Get Through
Sally Simpson (Out-Takes)
Miss Simpson
Welcome (Take 2)
Tommy's Holiday Camp (Band's Version)
We're Not Gonna Take It (Alternate Version)
Dogs (Part 2)
It's A Boy
Amazing Journey
Christmas
Do You Think It's Alright?
Pinball Wizard

Customer Reviews:

The Who Classic Masterpiece AS YOU NEVER HEARD BEFORE.......2007-06-12

The Album is a masterpiece of all time rock n roll, even if this is "the less Who album" of the Who... but nevermind!
The Sound in both Stereo (from the original master tape discovered in the vault of UMG) and 5.1 (mixed by Pete Townshend himself) is great...
As you put the disc in your player you'll hear the great differences from the 1996 reissue even if you have only a "simple" CD player..
If You're a great Who fan and you a have SACD player buy ABSOLUTELY this album and enjoy it 'til the laser of your player won't work anymore...
The second disc is clearly for fans only but the quality of some track even if are demos or outtakes is very very good!!

A Landmark Classic Now Made Even Better........2006-12-26

One of the most important, groundbreaking amd influential albums in the history of rock and roll, The Who's 1969 magnum opus "Tommy", a rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball, is now better than ever thanks to the brilliance of SACD and DSD remastering techniques.

Every song on the cd sounds like it was recorded just yesterday. It is 100 % crystal clear, perfectly remixed and remastered. It gives you a clearer view of the story as well as a more pleasurable than ever listening experience. Pete Townshend and the people involved in this truly put their hearts into making "Tommy" better than ever.

The bonus disc is also worth it. A lot of awesome raritis. The liner notes are an interesting read, and the album itself is of course a masterpiece nobody should be without.

A Milestone of Early Rock!.......2006-09-29

"Tommy" is beyond question one of the big milestones of early rock. Musically the band were at the peak of their creativity.

All band members were obviously extremely talented musicians and both Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend were/are great singers. Apart from few exceptions like "Cousin Kevin" all songs are outstanding; and it's really great to have the whole story on one CD - compared to the old double vinyl album.

Though the storyline may seem a little weird today ( to me it always did ), there is so much great music on this album.

The second bonus CD gives a very interesting insight in the developement of some of the songs. Though the sound quality is exellent CD 2 will mainly be of interest to hard-core Who fans. None of these alternate versions are better than the ones chosen for the album, though a few come close. The studio version of "Young Man Blues" which did not appear on the original album is a nice addition too!

I Love it !.......2006-09-06

I was so blind-sided by this reissue - really. I have looked at this for a few years now, but I never picked it up. My impression of this was that it had some very good music along with some dated sounding tracks, so it wasn't a high priority. I'd been having very good luck buying hybrid SACD's even though I don't own a SACD player; the CD layers benefit greatly from the DSD mastering, making them stand head and shoulders above the latest PCM remasters (there are a few exceptions), so I decided to take the plunge.

The CD layer is stunning. I must have been sitting there with my mouth open after "Overture" began. I experienced emotion that wasn't there on previous listens to this on CD and vinyl. Yes, some of the tracks still sound dated, but most of this album is very good indeed, and this remaster is so incredible. If you own a great stereo rig, I highly recommend buying this - in fact, even if you don't have a great rig, I recommend it!

The Who's classic rock opera gets a 35th birthday celebration fit for a king!.......2006-08-13

The Who's fourth studio(and fifth overall) album Tommy was released in May of 1969.
The Tommy album by The Who was the make or break for the group because if Tommy had failed, The Who would have probably disbanded due to lack of funds despite their concerts selling out based on Pete Townshend's guitar smashing and Keith Moon's drum kit demolishing at the end of each gig.
Guitarist Pete Townshend, under the gun after I Can See For Miles failed as a single in the UK(although it was their biggest ever hit here in the US) came up with a rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind kid named Tommy whom becomes those aforementioned things after witnessing an event as a child that traumatized him(his father killing his step-father whom he considered his father).
Originally considered to be a single length album, the band felt it didn't make sense so they expanded it into a double album and the result is one of rock's Top 10 greatest double studio albums in history(alongside other classic double albums like the then-already released Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland and The Beatles' White album and would help pave the way for more classics like The Rolling Stones' 1972 masterwork Exile on Main Street, The Who's 1973 release Quadrophenia, Elton John's 1973 classic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Genesis' 1974 masterwork The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Led Zeppelin's 1975 classic Physical Graffiti, Pink Floyd's 1979 masterpiece The Wall and Bruce Springsteen's 1980 classic The River among many others).
Alot of classics appear on this album like the Overture, the classic Top 20 hit Pinball Wizard, Amazing Journey, the Underture(best instrumental on here which is basically a repeat of the album's other instrumental Sparks), Go to the Mirror, I'm Free, Cousin Kevin(one of bass player John Entwistle's greatest compositions), Fiddle About(about the perverted Uncle Ernie), Tommy's Holiday Camp(another excellent ditty written by drummer Keith Moon whom did an excellent rendition in the film version of Tommy in 1975) and the classic finale We're Not Gonna Take It/See Me Feel Me.
The other tracks on the album It's a Boy, 1921(You Didn't Hear It), Eyesight to the Blind, Christmas, The Acid Queen, Do You Think It's Alright, There's a Doctor I've Found, Tommy Can You Hear Me?, Smash the Mirror, Sensation, Miracle Cure, Sally Simpson and Welcome are all great pieces as well though tend to be overlooked.
The album made The Who legends for good and peaked at #4 on the Billboard chart and was their first Gold seller(eventually Platinum).
In 1996, the album was re-released as a remastered CD but used different masters for the remixed reissue.
In October of 2003(just in time for Tommy's 35th Anniversary), Geffen Records(formerly known as MCA) re-released the album as a 2-disc Hybrid SACD with the original mix on the CD layer and a killer 5.1 mix on the SACD layer and this version uses the very original tapes that were found in Universal's vault after being said that the original tapes were destroyed by Kit Lambert in a fire. As a result of the discovery of the original tapes, the sound quality is amazing on here.
Disc two has great outtakes and demos like I Was, The Who trying to record Sally Simpson with hilarious results and instrumental versions of Tommy Can You Hear Me and Tommy's Holiday Camp among many other rarities plus a cool booklet with rare photos.
Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

A classic
Still sounds great
a forgotten album that needs a wider audience
You Can't Be Too Strong
Live Sparks from cyberspace! How an email friend & I met Graham Parker

Squeezing out Sparks
Graham Parker & the Rumour
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002VS5
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

Discovering Japan
Local Girls
Nobody Hurts You
You Can't Be Too Strong
Passion Is No Ordinary Word
Saturday Night Is Dead
Love Gets You Twisted
Protection
Waiting For The UFO's
Don't Get Excited
Discovering Japan
Local Girls
Nobody Hurts You
You Can't Be Too Strong
Passion Is No Ordinary Word
Saturday Night Is Dead
Love Gets You Twisted
Protection
Waiting For The UFO's
Don't Get Excited
I Want You Back (Alive)
Mercury Poisoning

Amazon.com

Squeezing Out Sparks was not only Parker's finest moment, but it still stands up today as one of rock's best albums. When it was first released in 1979, Arista simultaneously issued Live Sparks, a collection of live radiocasts that featured the same 10 songs in the same order plus the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" and Parker's kiss-off to his former label, "Mercury Poisoning." The latter package was made available only to radio stations and critics, but it was a riveting live record worth all of the $40 it commanded on the collectors' market. Now Arista has reissued the 10 studio tracks and the dozen live tracks on an invaluable single CD. Included are two versions each of rock's best pro-choice abortion song ("You Can't Be Too Strong") and best Hiroshima song ("Discovering Japan"). --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

A classic.......2007-05-14

This is an album that came close to changing my life! In 1978 I first heard this while browsing for vinyl at the local college record store. Parker and the Rumour were playing, introducing me to what we called "new wave" at the time. Trouser Press used to debate whether Elvis Costello or Graham Parker was the best band of this new era of rock and roll, giving the edge to Parker because of the back-up band! History may have chosen differently, but this is an album that can still bring a tingle to your spine! If you have not heard it, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen. If you like it, then you need to find a copy of "Live--Alone in America" to hear the most stripped down, soulful version of someone who completely "gets it" even if his talent is not singing, but interpreting.

Still sounds great.......2007-01-10

I am very happy with this CD. Love Protection and Local Girls (which played on my first date with my husband).

a forgotten album that needs a wider audience.......2006-08-29

Poor Graham Parker. His timing was bad and this excellent album never got it's full acclaim. This was hist first album that attracted attention in the U.S. he was very inaccurately grouped in with the New Wave movement. When that petered out, he seemingly fell by the wayside along with all the other skinny tie groups. The problem was this was really a singer/songwriter/rocker. When he asserted his true identity, people viewed him as a former new waver shifting styles. I saw him open for a number of rock groups and he was booed off the stage. It is a shame b/c Graham Parker has a vast, rich body of work where he should have a better reputation as an accomplished artist. "squeezing out the sparks" ,I think, is his best work.

The singing is out front, the lyrics have meaning and sometimes, are effectively seething, and he is backed by a crack band. The guitar player employs the same tone throughout all of the songs which I like since the guitar becomes a vry recognizeable voice. The drumming is very simplistic and tribal and definitely enhances the songs. The production results in a pronounced spacing between the instruments. The musicianship is very good.

This is a great album so every song is excellent. There is no filler, no weak tune, no song is superior to the other.

I personally like "Local Girls" b/c it was released as a single in Chicago where I was first introduced to the album. "Discoverying Japan" "Can't be too Strong" "Nobody Loves You" and "Love gets you Twisted" are my preferences.

If this would have been release 3 years pre or post -punk and new wave, it would have reached a wider audience.

You will never know about this excellent album from radio airplay or publicity. This will always be a word of mouth artist. Its a shame b/c he was like a Brittish Springsteen/Mellencamp

You Can't Be Too Strong.......2006-05-20

To XraySpex: the song "You Can't Be Too Strong" is not anti-abortion. Listen to it again. If you knew anything at all about Graham Parker, you would know he is the furthest thing from a religious fundamendalist that you can get. The song doesn't take a stand one way or the other. It's simply *about* an abortion, and is likely a true story.

That aside, this is a legendary album that everyone should own. And with the Live Sparks promo added as a bonus, it's indispensible.

Live Sparks from cyberspace! How an email friend & I met Graham Parker.......2006-03-21

I bought the vinyl LP back went in came out in the late '70s (yep, I was still in the 8th. grade!) and to this day still drag it out and play it from front to end. I guess I can say that was one of the best things I ever bought with my allowance $$, LOL. Although it was a shame Graham Parker never received as much attention in the US compared to other artists who were of the "angry young men" school of rock, Squeezing Out Sparks was a great calling card to introduce his music to other people--so much so that at times I felt I could have collected some royalties myself for turning others on to Graham Parker! Fast forwarding to 1999: I got wired to the Net at home then quickly fell into a message board community of old school punk and new wave affectionados. The first person I was emailing on a daily basis was a fellow GP fan from Germany who noticed all the posts I wrote about Squeezing Out Sparks, also in his 30's at the time, who needed someone to help him better understand what most of the album's lyrics meant due to his limited English. One particular track I patiently explained to him on more than one occasion was "You can't Be Too Strong", that poignant anti-abortion song; I guess the angry, yet emotionally empty feelings Graham Parker used in his that song sang with much passion really confused him along with most of the phrasing that trying to graspe such a powerful song as a non-English speaker, and non British English to boot, was really overwhelming for him. We kept in touch for several months and at one point after finding Graham Parker's own website, my German friend went to look at it himself, sent an email to GP which Graham had personally answered!! =) My friend mentioned how Graham was pleased to have been emailed by a German fan, then GP being a big football player himself, the two of them talked about football teams then Graham had made a standing offer to play a little football with my fellow German GP fan should my friend ever visit England. Having heard him tell me about this conversation with our favorite singer almost make *me* feel like I had met "the man himself", too! Sometimes the Internet can be a wonderful thing! =)

Average customer rating:

Larry's warm, endearing voice conveys unabashed sincerity & classic country soul

The Last Suit You Wear
Larry Sparks
Manufacturer: Mccoury Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000OONPIG
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

The Old Coal Mine
Casualty Of War
For Your Love
Lazarus And The Rich Man
I'm Country And Nothing More
Pretty Girls
The Last Suit You Wear
Goodbye Little Darlin'
Follow The Star
Larro
Hand In Hand
Those Blue Eyes Don't Sparkle Anymore

Customer Reviews:

Larry's warm, endearing voice conveys unabashed sincerity & classic country soul.......2007-05-02

Playing Time - 38:59 -- Unabashed sincerity has always been the hallmark of Larry Sparks' soulful and bluesy singing . Maybe it's an approach that he learned from his early days with Ralph Stanley in the sixties. Sparks was born in 1947, raised on a farm in Ohio, recorded his first record at age five, and formed his own band in 1969. Always possessing a strong affinity for Hank Williams' music and style, this album actually emphasizes Larry's voice wrapped around contemporary material with a more classic country sound. There are also some strong bluegrass and gospel offerings, but the majority of the set has Larry visualizing lonesome classic country situations and singing about them with the same kind of feeling that helped him win IBMA's Male Vocalist of the Year awards in 2004 and 2005. It's nice to see all the lyrics included in the CD's jacket.

Perhaps it was an intended stylistic approach by Larry and album co-producer Don Rigsby, but I felt that some of the instrumental breaks were conservative and vocal harmonies understated. It's also possible that Larry's debut on the McCoury Music label is part of a strategic plan to cross-market his music to a wider audience. Piano legend Hargus "Pig" Robbins appears in the mix of three numbers (The Last Suit You Wear, Hand in Hand, For Your Love). Others on the album include Del McCoury, J. D. Crowe, Don Rigsby, Larry D. Sparks (Larry's son), Jackie Kincaid, Josh McMurray, Ron Stewart, Randy Kohrs and Stuart Duncan. It's an interesting mix of his current Lonesome Ramblers bandmates with friends and session musicians. Larry's own instrumental "Larro" shows how he uses his 1953 Martin D-28 to provide an expressive voice of its own.

Featured songwriters include Connie Leigh (Casualty of War, Lazarus and the Rich Man), Mark Brinkman (The Old Coal Mine), Tim Stafford, Larry Cordle & Bobby Starnes (Follow the Star), and Larry Shell, Larry Williams & Kim Williams (The Last Suit You Wear). In a solo vocal arrangement, Larry Sparks sings about being as "simple as the whippoorwill" in Marshal Warwick's "I'm Country and Nothing More." Truth is, we know that he's much more based on his large volume of work over the decades. While not quite up to the same exceptional standard of some of Larry's other releases (and award-winning "40" album), "The Last Suit You Wear" will certainly be of particular interest to those who want to hear his warm and endearing voice capture the simplicity of acoustic country sounds with a classic bent. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

Average customer rating:

Best Kept Secret
And now for something completely different . . .
Yes I Think I'M Falling In Love With Myself Again..The HPD CD of the century.
Good but a word of caution
Wow.

Kimono My House
Sparks
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000007UQ4
Release Date: 1994-08-15

Tracks:

This Town Ain't Be Enough For Both Of Us
Amateur Hour
Falling In Love With Myself Again
Here In Heaven
Thank God It's Not Christmas
Hasta Manana Monsieur
Talent Is An Asset
Complaints
In My Family
Equator
Barbecutie
Lost And Found

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue of 1974 album includes two unmarked bonus tracks, 'Lost & Found' & 'Barbecutie'. 12 tracks total including 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us', which Siouxsie & The Banshees covered in 1987. Island. 1994.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered and Includes the Bonus Tracks 'Barbecutie' and 'Lost and Found'.

Customer Reviews:

Best Kept Secret.......2006-08-02

I believe it was a night in mid December 1974 when I had my first Sparks experience. It was a live concert on some obscure late night music special. Suddenly I was face to face with with Ron Mael, slouched over his keyboards and looking like the love child of Adolph Hitler and David Byrne. I was intrigued. Then came Russel Mael's warbling falsetto layered over some of the quirkiest lyrics I'd ever heard. I believe the song was Talent Is An Asset. I had to know more.

I bought Kimono My House, dropped the needle and opened my mind. This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us hit my ears with it's steady beat and clever arrangement. I remember being struck by Russel's vocal work on this song. It was unlkine anything I'd ever heard. Amateur Hour was the next Sparks nugget to strike a chord. The hook going into the chorus is what caught me. I went back and listened to the lyrics and nearly laughed myself sick. "when you turn a pro you'll know, she'll let you know!" The lyrics took me back to every nervous "encounter" I'd ever had. Thank God It's Not Christmas held the same comic appeal. Talent Is An Asset sounds like the Christy Minstrels meet the B52s. The drums kick start this musical frolic with Ron's keyboards, bass and lead guitars to follow.

What amazes me to this day is how far ahead of the game this band was. What frustrates me is that American audiences never really caught on. Before the Talking Heads and the B52s, Sparks was bending melodies and planting their lyrical tounges firmly in their cheeks. They weren't new wave, they weren't glam, and they weren't pop. They were, and still are unique and undeniably origional. The band is ambiguous,fun and fresh. Kimono My House is an ecclectic mix of black comedy lyrics and superb musicianship. I played the gooves out of this record and never grew tired of it. It's the best kept secret that I have stored in my stacks of vinyl.

And now for something completely different . . ........2006-04-08

These Brits were just as odd to music in the mid 70s as the Monty Python Brits had been to television a few years earlier. Their group of songs blended together as connected and disjointedly as the skits in a Python show. I saw Sparks in concert in the summer of '76 or '77 or was it '78(?) (so long ago.) I was given a free ticket, and so off I went. Columbus, Ohio, and I expected nothing (had never heard of the band), but to have a few drinks in the Agora theater on High St. I was happily surprised. Many of the songs from Kimono My House and Propaganda were featured. Falsetto-voiced singer with Hitler at the keyboards. Great . Both child-like and adult at the same time. One of the best shows ever, and I've seen the Stones four times. They did a TV video, and were featured in the movie Roller Coaster. One of 70's rock's best kept secrets. NOTE: Some with be emarrased to listen to this band just because the singer's voice is so high pitched, but give the guitarist and the lyrics a chance and they'll hook ya. their release entitled, Indiscreet, is also worthy of a listen or two or three or more.

Five stars for both originality and quality.

Yes I Think I'M Falling In Love With Myself Again..The HPD CD of the century........2005-08-18

Yes,that is a title of one of the songs from the band of ultimate actors(Histrionic Personality DisOrder diagnosed)..Sparks were a quirky bunch, a high pitched warbler,his brother a mad looking keyboard genius looking like a cross between a demented Hitler and Charlie Chaplain(coming to think of it their music was a bit fascistic with it's reliance on style and elegance combined with the irony and parody of Chaplain)Nonetheless, their music rocked hard with Continental flashes of brilliant crescendos in the right places...This CD was their best batch of songs and for a look at the UK music scene in 1974 you need not look further to see the other acts of the genre such as T-Rex,Roxy Music,Gary Glitter the look of Slade to see the amazing amount of acting and sexual posturing that went into the dash for international attention,stardom these acts left as a legacy in music history.
The remastering is fine and bonus tracks good...Their next Propoganda is like Kimono but this is a bit better in my opinion.

Good but a word of caution.......2005-08-07

I bought this cd because i like angst in my pants so much since i was a kid so i wanted another cd by Sparks i heard this one is the there best so i bought it. I cant really understand what the singer is saying he is very high pitchey sounds like Tiny Tim so the good sparks lyrics that are on this cd get lost in his funny voice luckly this cd comes with the lyrics. The good thing about this cd though is the music the guitars, bass and drums are quite good.

Wow........2005-01-22

I just listened to this again, and there are so many subtleties that I somehow missed when I was younger and more naive. Pick up ANY album by Sparks and I can guarantee it will be so good that it will make you nauseous. This is so ahead of its time, it puts everyone else to shame. To shame.

Average customer rating:

Terrifically Melodic and Funny
Hark Hark It's Sparks!
Sprkling ol' Sparks
Love it!
WHO WEARS THE PANTS IN THIS FAMILY?!

Angst in My Pants
Sparks
Manufacturer: Oglio Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

In Outer Space
Kimono My House
Indiscreet
No. 1 in Heaven
Lil' Beethoven

ASIN: B00000DCU1
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Tracks:

Angst In My Pants
I Predict
Sextown U.S.A.
Sherlock Holmes
Nicotina
Mickey Mouse
Moustache
Instant Weight Loss
Tarzan And Jane
The Decline And Fall Of Me
Eaten By the Monster Of Love

Customer Reviews:

Terrifically Melodic and Funny.......2006-08-04

This 1982 release had catchy tunes and laugh-out-loud funny lyrics. Where else can you hear a dance song about moustaches (My Fu Manchu was real fine/My Ronald Coleman made 'em blink/My Pancho Villa made 'em think/But when I trimmed 'em real small/My Jewish friends would never call), Sherlock Holmes, Mickey Mouse, and the monster of love?

Sound quality is excellent, and the CD includes the lyrics.

Hark Hark It's Sparks!.......2006-05-27

This is the album that introduced me to the band. I haven't had a record player and this on vynil for well over 15 years. When I saw it was remasterd and reissued, I had to jump right on it!

I first heard 'Mickey Mouse' on Dr Demento when I was a wee lad. I bought the album and found that it was chocked from front to back with excellent songs. I like each and every one of them. I honestly feel that most of the tunes are singles material. I like every song. I had to blast MOUSTACHE at the park today, too.

Amazon shipped it super fast for only $2.50 more. WOW! That was like blinking and it was here.

Sprkling ol' Sparks.......2006-02-24

As good as their works of the Seventies. Never a frown with the Mael brothers

Love it!.......2006-01-10

This album is still cool!

WHO WEARS THE PANTS IN THIS FAMILY?!.......2005-10-09

Who Wears The Pants In This Family?

The lovely couple on this album cover has made perfect musical harmony once again, and it sure looks like they enjoyed their Niagara Falls honeymoon as illustrated in a scintillating photo on the inner sleeve! However, we are not fooled by this deceptive depiction into believing that Russell actually wears the pants in the Mael family. Although he is trying to feign purity and virtue, it is indeed the unshaven Mael order bride who is behind all this madness!

To start off the 80's with their focus back on America, Sparks returned to a rockier, guitar-oriented sound imbued with danceability. They even returned to the five-piece band format, including the Bates Motel band; Les Boheme on bass, Bob Haag on guitar, David Kendrick on drums and James Goodwin on synth. Giorgio Moroder's protégé Mack programmed some minimal, yet punctual synthesizers, giving the album a built-in revved-up engine. In 1982 Angst In My Pants on Atlantic records became Sparks' first U.S. top 100 album. The single "I Predict" garnered significant airplay, especially on the west coast on good old KROQ.

The peculiarly provocative video for "I Predict" was banned by MTV, not for its bizarre sexual content, but for the political incorrectness of Ron's moustache! They were completely off target...nobody was looking at his moustache! We were utterly distracted by all the sexual energy Ron was radiating onstage at the strip club in his corset and feather boa! Despite the M.T.V. (Moustache Too Vulgar) video veto, the single reached #60 in the U.S. charts in March of 1982. The video was finally reinstated - for late night viewing only - on MTV the following summer.

During Sparks' television appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live (May 15, 1982) Ron recited a lengthy monologue on the rodent species, prefacing the song "Mickey Mouse". The band also performed their new single, the uncanny "I Predict". Ron's now infamous shuffle, then in its infancy, had its monumental TV debut on this show!

Sparks performed "I Predict" (as `Bandstanders' might say, "It has a good beat, but you can't dance to it!) and " Eaten By The Monster of Love" on American Bandstand in September of 1982 - Sparks' third of six appearances on that legendary show. Russell defined the word `angst' to host Dick Clark as, "A German word meaning problems or stress, but in this case, in the pants region."

In Russell's opinion at the time, this was the most `pleasant' Sparks album to listen to. He varied his vocal range throughout, and the tunes were less complex - even catchy. American radio appreciated the album and actually played it! However, there were those who were disappointed in Sparks' return to a full band format, and the gripes would continue when the band would again waver to a more electronic sound. You just can't win!

Sparks toured America throughout the summer of '82. They also supported Rick Springfield on his U.S. tour. Russell sparkled in a glistening sequined suit (the colour varied at each gig). Ron, the mysterious deadpan figure, usually firmly planted behind his keyboards, now began to nurture his inner child which emerged in a scary, full drag strip-tease in the David Lynch directed "I Predict" video (not a pretty sight), in a wedding gown on the album's cover and in several quirky stage routines including a wacky shuffle and tap dance, and a mime to Abbott & Costello's `Who's On First?' routine with a stuffed toy dog (at Hollywood's Whiskey A Go Go). Things were looking up!

The album's opening title track features Russell singing in what might possibly be his lowest register, then bringing it up an octave to stress that even YOU may very well be inadvertently sitting on some angst! After an intro that sounds like a steamship's horn, the melody and instrumentation are simple and sparse, yet beautiful. Who else would write such a happy-go-lucky song about a certain gravity-defying male reflex? The Maels told America's Trouser Press magazine in November, 1982 that Ron came up with the melody at the last minute. Ron plays every instrument on the track except for David Kendrick's drum tape loop. The song was mixed and completed in just one day!

In "I Predict" Russell portrays a pretentious clairvoyant. Sparks had usually been quite accurate in predicting future musical climates and beating everyone to the punch. In this song they seem to have delusional visions of psychic grandeur, but who knows, maybe cold beer and pretzels really do cure cancer! Has anybody ever tried it? The catchy hand-clapping beat and heavy bass drum get your feet tapping in no time. They should play this one in baseball stadiums instead of Queen's "We Will Rock You".

"Sextown U.S.A." is the precursor to "All You Ever Think About is Sex" on the next album. Both songs are about, um...sex, and they concur that sex is fun in a variety of locations. These are Sparks' most straight-forward lyrics and they have received no arguments to date.

The Maels seem somewhat envious of the supposedly sexy sleuth in "Sherlock Holmes". Where did they get the foggy notion that Sherlock impressed women? Hey Ron & Russ, here's a bit of advice; there are a lot of guys out there right now telling their girlfriends, "I can't sing like Russell Mael, I can't write songs like Ron Mael, just pretend I'm Russell Mael, uh oh, uh oh, yeah." So just go with what you've got! You are SPARKS! What could be cooler than that! Just use your old trusty pick-up line, "Kimono my house, mon amour!" Women will surely melt in your arms. There is some sort of synthesized wind instrument sound on this one, impersonating a flute perhaps? Anyway, it's quite effective and the middle eight is pure Sparks!

The Surgeon General could have used "Nicotina" as his mascot. Who wouldn't sympathize with this poor little burnt-out cigarette and quit smoking pronto! She was so cute until the Marlboro man inhaled her. The melody seems to be Russian derived and has some wicked guitar work by Bob Haag.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse and all their pals run rampant in a paradise where animals are people too, in a tribute to Disneyland. The next song is dedicated to the power of the "Moustache" and how it makes a man, commands respect, alienates a certain religious group and (unfortunately) reveals what a man has ingested for lunch. Another upbeat tune to which Ron shaves his off completely in the video. Parenthetically, he grew it back again!

"Instant Weight Loss" becomes `instant weight gain' in case anyone didn't know. It's zoo time once again on "Tarzan And Jane" when Chemistry class degenerates into de-evolution with a tribal drumbeat. It's more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

In "The Decline and Fall of Me" our singer is reduced to a bumbling idiot in an unwarranted tale of low self esteem. The poor guy has even started a collection of frozen pizzas! This song contains the following stunning couplet;
" Where's my mouth, man, this eating is rough on the shirts
Gee, I'm sorry about the thermometer, nurse."

There are very few Sparks songs containing the word `love' and the single, "Eaten By The Monster Of Love" is one of them. It's not really about `love'. It's more about the `monster' with graphic descriptions of what he'll do to you and how to avoid him. A fun party song, if you're going to a strange party. This song, along with the title track was featured on the Valley Girl film soundtrack.

Well, it certainly looks like this marriage will last a lifetime! I wonder who caught the bride's lovely bouquet of daffodils!

Average customer rating:

You would have to have absolutely no taste to dislike this album.
Don't buy this or you'll be sorry.
Mael Undeliverable As Marked
If I could give it 0 stars...
save the rainforest

Hello Young Lovers
Sparks
Manufacturer: In the Red Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Lil' Beethoven
Sparks - Lil' Beethoven / Live in Stockholm
Kimono My House
Propaganda
Angst in My Pants

ASIN: B000E5N666
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Tracks:

Dick Around
Perfume
The Very Next Fight
(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country
Rock, Rock, Rock
Metaphor
Waterproof
Here Kitty
There's No Such Thing As Aliens
As I Sit To Play The Organ At The Notre Dame Cathedral

Customer Reviews:

You would have to have absolutely no taste to dislike this album........2006-12-03

I cannot fathom why anybody would rate this album below five stars. It is probably one of the best albums Sparks has ever made. 'Dick Around' is the standout track, fusing an epic symphonic sound with a furious metal interlude. Other tracks of note include 'Waterproof', which is an excellent pop song and should be enough on its own to prove that Russell Mael's voice is as strong as it has ever been; 'Here Kitty', which is particularly dense and witty; 'Rock Rock Rock', which functions as an apt Sparks manifesto against pop convention; and 'As I Sit Down To Play The Organ At The Notre Dame Cathedral', which is simply apocalyptic. 2002's 'Li'l Beethoven' broke new ground for Sparks, but 'Hello Young Lovers' surpasses it by remaining in the same sonic territory but playing down the minimalism and repetition. I have been listening to this album since it was leaked in the first part of this year and it continues to amaze me. I find it extremely disheartening that anybody could listen to something so wonderful and respond negatively; and I would certainly hate to go through life automatically rejecting originality, beauty, and brilliance as such people apparently do. Long live Sparks!

Don't buy this or you'll be sorry........2006-11-27

It's sad that the Mael brothers never got the recognition they deserved for their early Sparks albums and probably never made a whole lot of money.

I bought this album because I believed what the reviewers said here and on iTunes. Having been a Sparks fan from way back who jumped ship years ago when I realized that their work was lacking in qualitative value, I was excited that this new offering seemed to have some promise.

It is now clear to me that the reviews here and the ones on iTunes were written by the same people, who are either Sparks or their friends. You can compare the reviews in both places and see that they're likely written by the same people.

This is a terrible album, and when I say that, I'm being kind because I don't want Amazon to censor my review. The singing on this album isn't so much singing as it is talking, a style that was probably developed to mask the fact that Russell Mael lost his singing voice many years ago. I'm not being mean here. One of their crew told me he was losing his singing voice back in the late 70's.

If the glowing customer reviews here are real, then whoever wrote them is on drugs.

I bought this album on iTunes, so I can't sell it or trade it.

Caveat emptor.

Mael Undeliverable As Marked.......2006-11-16

I come here not to praise Sparks, but to bury them, something which should have been done after their last great album, "Angst In My Pants."

It's obvious the Maels are completely tapped out, resorting to ad nauseum syncopated repetition of words and phrases (even the bloody "Star Spangled Banner" for Christ's sake!) in time to classical and baroque backing tracks with nary a guitar or drum set in sight.

Quirkiness for quirkiness' sake does not a memorable album make.

Stick a fork in 'em. They're done...

If I could give it 0 stars..........2006-05-25

Very bizarre. I'm not quite sure why people are rating this so highly. It's strange, and quite frankly, it's scary. There's not a whole lot of talent here...all they do is chant and play weird background music. Kind of what you might expect to hear if you were in a room full of people who were doing drugs of the illegal kind. I am disturbed by the fact that people like this CD, let alone this band. I would probably only buy this CD if I were planning on torturing someone for information. Why anyone would make a song with the lyrics "Chicks dig metaphors...but use them wisely", is beyond me. I'm telling you...these people must be on drugs, because there's no way this album was made by sane people.

save the rainforest.......2006-04-19

save the trees, elephants, dying rain forests.
avoid using sprays to protect the ozone layer.

Average customer rating:

Nothing weirder, nothing better!
The Ever-Interesting Sparks
ANOTHER SPARKS MASTERPIECE!
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON SPARKS
The ultimate Sparks

Propaganda
Sparks
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Kimono My House
Indiscreet
A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
Sparks
Hello Young Lovers

ASIN: B00000740H
Release Date: 1994-08-15

Tracks:

Propaganda
At Home, At Work, At Play
Reinforcements
B.C.
Thanks But No Thanks
Don't Leave Me Alone With Her
Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth
Something for the Girl With Everything
Achoo
Who Don't Like Kids
Bon Voyage
Alabamy Right
Marry Me

Album Details

Digitally Remastered and Includes the Bonus Tracks 'Alabammy Right' and 'Marry Me'.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing weirder, nothing better!.......2006-02-18

Ever thought you would hear Tiny Tim singing with a hardcore punk band? Well, now's your chance. Actually, the vocals are much better than Tiny Tim's, the song melodies stick in your head *forever*, and, despite (or because of) the highly unusual vocals, the band is truly powerful in an almost metal sense. Also, I think these guys might have invented rap (check out the song BC). DON'T MISS THIS BAND. They are like *nothing* else you've ever heard.

The Ever-Interesting Sparks.......2005-04-23

I came to the Sparks roundabout. I was listening to one of the last BBC shortwave radio broadcasts to the U.S., to John Peel's pop show (Peel died in 2004) and was gobsmacked at "This town ain't big enough for the Both of Us." I've collected the group since then. This is an interesting album for completists. The Sparks are an extremely quirky group, at times banal, at times geniuses. "Don't Turn Your Back On Mother Earth," "B.C." and "Bon Voyage" are extremely good. The rest of the entries are, well, extremely sparky and adventurous, but they don't always succeed. Still, this is a remarkable group. They almost make a fetish of clarity, incredible chromatic chord changes, like Richard Strauss on 78 rpm, and they are always on key. They do really astounding arpeggios and the notes are like gunshots, dead-on. They have very Dada lyrics, which are often extremely funny and witty. I can see why they were popular in Germany. In short, they're a remarkable musical combination, completely out of the ordinary and still thought-provoking after all these years. Some good came of the 1970s. This is not average music. This is very original.

ANOTHER SPARKS MASTERPIECE!.......2004-10-24

This album instilled in me the burning desire to drop leaflets from helicopters declaring Sparks the greatest band in the world!! Having no access to a helicopter at the age of fourteen, word traveled slowly but surely, by various subversive missives.

Despite the Maels' intentions to take a completely new direction, ignoring the successful formula of Kimono My House, it segued right into Propaganda. Sparks' third and fourth albums (both on Island Records) complemented each other like a pair of bookends. Britain's `Holy Trinity' Melody Maker, Sounds and NME raved! They gave Ron and Russell tremendous coverage, featuring lengthy interviews in which they mostly discussed their favourite topic...food!

In 1974, recorded immediately after the smashing British reception of Kimono My House, Propaganda retained the same producer, Muff Winwood (brother of Traffic's Steve Winwood). The album was made in the anglo-maniac Maels' new home, England with Sparks' live touring unit; bassist Ian Hampton (replacing Martin Gordon from the Kimono sessions) and guitarist Trevor White - both former Jook members, (the late) Adrian Fisher also on guitar and drummer, Dinky Diamond.

The album cover of Propaganda launched a succession of hilarious cover shots, presenting the frail Mael brothers in extraordinary predicaments, usually helplessly victimized in some way. Here they are on the south coast of England - abducted, bound and gagged at the back of a speeding boat, and on the back cover, held hostage at a petrol station in the rear of a car. Their captors (Ian, Dinky and Trevor) are fiendishly deciding their fate. The inner sleeve finds the brothers breaking their ties and attempting to telephone for help.

Russell shines on the a'capella title track, with his voice overdubbed 30 times! The rest of the songs are sung in various narratives; the voices of animals left behind on Noah's ark ("Bon Voyage"), a kid who likes taking candy from strangers (potential abductors) but can't understand why he shouldn't ("Thanks But No Thanks"), a girlfriend being bribed by abundant eccentric gifts to keep her from divulging incriminating information ("Something For The Girl With Everything"), a cowardly army recruit ("Reinforcements") and many more. This was some of the most multifaceted pop music ever recorded. It was almost operatic with its amazing range and orchestrations, sudden tempo changes and strange storylines - and it rocked! Gilbert & Sullivan would have either been proud or envious!

Guitarist Trevor White told Goldmine in July, 1995, "'Achoo' ended with this really great characteristic long solo... (from Adrian) and they wiped it off and put on all those horrid multi-tracked sneezes. They figured everyone had heard a guitar solo, but they hadn't heard us all sneezing." Yes, guitar solos are a dime a dozen, but sneezing on a Sparks record was groundbreaking! Unfortunately, it never did catch on.

1974 brought Sparks four hits in the UK Top Twenty within nine months. The album charted instantly, and "Something For The Girl With Everything" / "Marry Me" reached #17. All of the UK singles from Propaganda contained non-LP B-sides.

In October of 1974, "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" /"Alabamy Right" reached #13. It was the nearest thing to a ballad that Sparks had ever done, featuring beautiful mellotron and synth strings.

Sparks were uncomfortably wedged somewhere between Glam and Rock although they were neither one entirely. As refreshing as their music was to some, it was equally annoying to others - a high standard which Sparks maintain to this day!

The Propaganda album elaborately set the stage for Sparks' next excursion...the inimitable Indiscreet.

NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON SPARKS.......2004-01-16

I'm not that old, but my 1st copy of this album was on 8-track (found it in the bargain bins for less than a dollar)! Some years later I finally upgraded to vinyl. Here I am again downgrading to compact-disc. Don't get me wrong...it's great to hear these songs skip/scratch free w/2 bonus tracks included. "Propaganda" was the 2nd Sparks album I had ever purchased. I came late, during the "Angst in my Pant" era, but since then, I have never lost interest in the Mael brothers. It's great to see such a large following of the band after so many years. "Propaganda" is probably the music industry's best decision to re-issue in the last decade. But, as you can see, it is only available as an "import." This import is worth those extra dollars you pay! Though I love "Kimono My House", "Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing" as well as the post-1974 albums, "Propaganda" has always remained my favorite. It's fun, witty, & the quickest 45 minutes of anyone's listening! Only the 1st Halfnelson/Sparks album (produced by Todd Rundgren)comes so close! Why aren't all of the Sparks' albums available in some shape or form? Why is there not at least an import version available of 77's "Introducing Sparks"? Well, loving Sparks after all these years is definately snobbery for all of us fans...for we know the secret ingredient that the music industry has been missing after all of these years. "Propaganda" is proof that Sparks' fans are simply a "fun bunch of guys that come from outer space!"

The ultimate Sparks.......2003-09-15

This is 'the' Sparks recording by which all others should be judged. Coming in the middle of the 'great trio' of albums that Sparks recorded in the seventies, 'Propaganda' combines the best of the insanity (which got a bit out of hand on 'Indiscrete') while remaining true to the rock cred that they established with 'Kimono'. This magic combination is caught at its best on 'B.C.' and 'Something for the Girl with Everything' but there is not a weak track on the album. Right from the short and sweet intro which dives headlong into 'At Home, At Work, At Play', the Mael boys are totally in control of the material. A classic that has not aged. You don't know what Sparks can do until you listen to this album.

Average customer rating:

Sparks fantastic 2nd album, glad to see it reissued
Pure Sparks
AND NOW, ON TO ENGLAND
Weird and Wonderful

A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
Sparks
Manufacturer: Wounded Bird Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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Similar Items:

Sparks
Propaganda
Kimono My House
Indiscreet
No. 1 in Heaven

ASIN: B000CC3S46
Release Date: 2006-01-17

Tracks:

Girl from Germany
Beaver O' Lindy
Nothing Is Sacred
Here Comes Bob
Moon Over Kentucky
Do-Re-Mi
Angus Desire
Underground
Louvre
Batteries Not Included
Whippings and Apologies

Album Description

Sparks is actually the sibling duo of Ron & Russell Mael. They started out as the group Halfnelson but quickly changed their name to Sparks. They issued numerous charting albums through the 1970s & 1980s. A Whoofer In Tweeter's Clothing was issued on the Bearsville label in 1972. Wounded Bird Records. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Sparks fantastic 2nd album, glad to see it reissued.......2007-02-14

Ron and Russell Mael are amazing in the scope of music they have produced since the early 70's. My first encounter with Sparks was the "Kimono My House" album, which I loved from the minute I first bought it. I discovered "Woofer..." a few years later. "The Louvre" is one of the best moments, with wonderful piano from Ron, and "Whipping and Apologies" almost could be considered a precursor to punk with its jagged guitar riffs and Russell's vocals. Nothing quite sounded like this in 1972, and this album is an undiscovered treasure in the Sparks catalog. Also, check out their latest "Hello Young Lovers", one of the best albums of the last year!!

Pure Sparks.......2006-11-03

It's hard to believe that the music contained on this CD was recorded in 1972. Talk about being ahead of its time! Take, for example, the closing track "Whippings and Apologies" (great title, by the way). This brilliant composition could be right at home with any post-punk/new wave era track lyrically, musically and production wise. Imagine what the adventerous and/or unprepared listener must have thought upon first encountering this song 30 plus years ago: "These guys have got to be nuts!" In fact, Sparks' Hitler moustache-sporting mastermind Ron Mael and his frizzy headed operatic voiced younger brother Russell were and are a bit "off", so to speak, which explains the unforced eccentricity and inventiveness of their music. Highlights include the very catchy "Underground"-which somehow manages to pay homage to Brit Pop of the past while foreshadowing the Stranglers, Ultravox, Wire, Swell Maps, et al.)-"The Louvre", sung almost entirely in French and, again, at least five years ahead of its time, and the wonderfully demented "Beaver O' Leary" ("The girl in your head and the boy in your bed"). "Woofer" and its self-titled predecessor are not only for any self-respecting Sparks fan's collection, but also for any lover of smart, unique and influiential songwriting.

AND NOW, ON TO ENGLAND.......2006-01-27

"Woofer" is a perfect example of just how interesting and innovative rock can be, and how utterly uninterested and unresponsive the U.S. listening public is.

Coming after their terrific debut as Halfnelson, on a record that already laid out the "classical" influences that would dominate "Lil' Beethoven" some thirty years later, "Woofer" shows the group in peak form. Bearsville had repackaged the band as Sparks, and released this one-of-a-kind album only to see the market's inability to comprehend this music literally send Sparks flying, in this case to comparative fame and instant acclaim in the U.K, with a real and symbolic bullet. Ah, the things you go through for art.

And as brilliant as the follow-on "Kimono My House" is, "Woofer" turns out to be the one that got lost in the transition. Yet "Woofer" is a front-to-back delight. Great writing and playing, high in style and satire, it remains one of the most definitive releases by the Mael brothers. Here they explore the lingering threat of Nazism, unfulfilled Hillbilly longings, high kultur, the unbridled joy of a sadist finding a masochist and an expression of the deepest, warmest longing for beef ever performed. Not to mention the transvestite fumblings implied by the album's title, a crying game that's all for laughs. Looking back at this nearly forgotten gem, one can only ask, is nothing sacred?

Apparently not. It's way past time you got yourself a copy.

Weird and Wonderful.......2006-01-26

'A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing' is the album that introduced me to Sparks way way back in the early 70's.
A progressive radio station at the time (WBCN-Boston) played several cuts from this album
( Beaver O'lindy, Whippings and Apologies, Here Comes Bob) on heavy rotation.
I had to find out who they were and everthing I could about them. This is probably one of
Sparks weirder recordings and I'm thrilled it's finally been released on cd.
All the tracks are unique, popish, some are rave-up rock a couple are downright strange. One of my fav cuts is "Beaver O'lindy " with it's rapid drum rolls, crashing guitars
and demented chorus spelling out B-E-A-V -E-R. The song is about a transvestite rock singer.
Another fav is 'Whippings and Apologies which kind of sounds like Alice Cooper meeting
Tommy James and the Shondells. 'Batteries Not Included' is a cute little joke with the title as punchine.
This is an enjoyable sophomore recording from one of America's most unique bands.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review