SPARKS

[highersynth]

[Buckeye Randy]

Morrissey was president of a NY Dolls fan club as a teen. He is 100% responsible for their reunion in the 2000’s.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[waterloosunset]

I was broken-hearted when the writer of "I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does" said the things that he said. I was SUCH an insane Smiths fan back in the 80s - I saw them 4 times in the States, and that was no mean feat - that one year I rearranged an entire vacation because of them (husband was not happy) and another year I went to NYC from Boston on a bus to see them, took the midnight bus back to my office, brushed my teeth, and taught class. He wrote adorable things about Sparks to the NME. And as Randy said, he got the New York Dolls to get back together about 20 years ago. I might have gone to see Morrissey again had he not spewed that nonsense, but my heart says "no" now.

I apologize for dragging this off topic. Back to Woofer. I feel somewhat meh about Angus Desire, too, though I don't dislike it.
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better drop the requirement that everything be great

[phdave that afternoon]

There is a funny sound in Angus somewhere after "Summer heat ebbs, romance denied". Is that "Nope"?

[Alex Robertson]

[Oscar]

This is probably my least favorite of what most people would consider Sparks' "classic" albums, and that's because it's the only album where it sounds to me like they're trying to be weird (as opposed to trying to be "normal" while their natural weirdness shines through). I think some of that has to do with the production and the way Russell's voice sounds, but it also has to do with his singing, which feels kind of cutesy in a way it doesn't on any other album, and some of the songs are just more...odd than clever/funny/insightful. Where the debut sounded crisp and clear and lovely, this album feels kind of murky.

That said, I love "Girl from Germany," "Here Comes Bob," and especially "Moon Over Kentucky." I appreciate "Beaver O'Lindy" (and loved hearing it live on this tour) and "The Louvre," and some others. "Underground" is much preferable to "Biology 2" as far as Mankey tracks go.

"Nothing Is Sacred" and "Angus Desire" are the ones that come to mind when I think about what I don't like about this album.

Overall, I give it a 6/10.

[highersynth]

I get what you mean @Oscar about effortful weirdness - I can see though why they or their producer might have leaned into that a bit following Halfnelson's reception.
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

[highersynth]

@Andy M - you think your mind is bad - mine must be much worse. I have a theory about Beaver O’Lindy which I’m almost too embarrassed to air, but here goes… When I first heard this song at age 15 this interpretation strangely never occurred to me, even though at that point I was frankly obsessed with sex, much like every other 15 year-old on the planet.
I now hear in it the ruminations of a pubescent boy doing what pubescent youngsters do when alone in their rooms.

“I'm one minute older and I'm doing all right / I'll gain valuable experience in front of you tonight” - “you” in this case being a mirror or a girly magazine?
“They say my voice is going to change” - tells us he’s at that age, speaks for itself
“Well, I'm the girl in your head but the boy in your bed” - the girl fantasy that makes the boy in the bed more evident
“You've seen me before, you'll see me much more” - ie what was probably an occasional occurrence is about to become a habit/obsession
“Well, I'm as big as can be, as big as TV” - need I explain??!
“Your wallet-sized friend” - a horny photo? A condom? Something more organic??

Though what in heaven’s name the trash-man’s valet or the London that’s dead have to do with literally anything, I have no idea. That’s where it all falls down!

Next, another take on The Louvre - I think it’s significant that “This one’s a monument to Change”. The overt narrative as @Alex says is Night at the Museum - agreed. But if that’s all there is to it, then it’s irrelevant that this statue is a monument to Change. I feel there’s a subtext here about human nature [and on this album, especially teenage human nature] constantly pestering for change, but when it comes right down to it, NOT really wanting it. “Let’s see you lift me - I dare you to try” - and that final stanza in French which I understand translates as “Someone heard my plea / For a few hours, I have been flying / But at dawn she will leave me / And the walls will close on me / Only the cold marble will remain” - ie she toyed with Change, but in the end did not really want it. So much rebellion is wanting things to change, but without any of the downsides that come alongside the new order. The grass is greener (but still needs mowing).

I also wanted to add - Whippings and Apologies is another that’s near the top of my “Woofer” chart. I love the punky energy and vocal on it, and the anger expressed at the subject being bullied into agreement.

Overall score 7/10. My earlier observation about unfavourable comparison with Halfnelson has evaporated in the heat of examination and explanation.
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

[waterloosunset]

I think that The Mona Lisa’s Packing is a lyrical extension of The Louvre.
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better drop the requirement that everything be great

[phdave that afternoon]

First time I heard Underground I thought I was listening to Talking Heads (until the vocals started).

[Alex Robertson]

[SteveBoyce]

[highersynth]

[highersynth]

Welcome to Week 3 of Album Club - w/c 23rd July - Kimono My House

You can find a link to the album on Spotify here:
https://open.spotify.com/album/7KOmuu3cbJQEQYGt3XmLmY?si=Zmxxnj5NQxC2JLqIAcCfPQ

Prompts for discussion, if needed, at the top of the thread.
Enjoy!
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

[Alex Robertson]

Like a great deal of people this was my first Sparks album...
When I was involved with the covers album A Rainbow Over The Freeway, I was persuaded to write a small piece on how I "got into" Sparks...long story short, I heard this track on the radio was blown away by first listen, caught the name Sparks so went to Groucho's and asked for Sparks single...they sold me Girl From Germany as that was the only Sparks single in stock. I had heard of Sparks previously as a mate's big brother had seen them on the OGWT and assumed (correctly as it turned out) that they were the kind of group that would appeal to me. I spotted a picture in The Daily Record...read this thing about Sparks...ah here was the group I had heard and been told about. Went back to Groucho's following weekend and ordered Kimono My House...not a track on there I disliked. Been hooked ever since...(..ps it was the week after I ordered the first two albums).
Still love this album with a passion still love every track equally and still get the same frisson every listen as I did on the very first listen. The song lyrics are imo self explanatory and can't be misconstrued or need explaining.
Choosing a favourite song is hard but Equator ticks so many boxes.

[Buckeye Randy]

It was slightly delayed by a year or so but this was my introduction to Sparks. My buddy dropped this on me in '75 along with Queen, Mott The Hoople, Alice Cooper and a host of others. Thanks, Mike.

Sparks have been somewhere in my conscience for nearly 50 years now, this album started it. Totally in my musical DNA, I know every noise on this album.

Favorites, well...almost every track has been at one point or another. Consistently it has been This Town, Thank God It's Not Christmas and Hasta Mañana, Monsieur.

The album has aged well, when replacing my LP collection with CDs, this was high on my list to get. I'll tell you, in the pre-Amazon days some things were not easy to find off the shelf.

Iconic album art, iconic songs, a near perfect 9/10...what the Hell, we'll say 10/10.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[veryoldfan]

OK I'll bite (because I'm supposed to be doing something else entirely but I don't want to ).

2 questions for the jury:
1. Are we discussing (a) the albums as originally released or (b) including re-issues and their bonus tracks? Or both?
2. Covers: do our fantasy cover artists have to be still alive?
3. Are we allowed to go back and comment on previous albums (which would make the thread a bit messy admittedly)?

Assuming that answer to (1) is (a):

Kimono My House:

If you'd asked me back in 1974 I'd have given it a '10'. But this would've been a short thread. Now I give it an 8 as there are possibly Sparks albums that I like more and definitely some that I play more often.

Favourite track has always been 'Here in Heaven' although 'Equator' (which I didn't think too much of at the time but I was only 13, I've come to love it since) comes a close second. I don't know exactly why I like HiH so much, it's just the whole sound of it but I particularly like the way Russell's vocals soar into "...completely surrounding you", it still gives me goose bumps, and I love the instrumental part in the middle. It's a very exciting song to listen to despite its morose subject matter.

Least favourite track has to be (dare I say it?) 'This Town...', not because it's anything less than brilliant but simply because for me it suffers from over-exposure and when I listen to the album I tend to skip it. Been there done that once too often.

I've been fortunate enough to see the whole album, and various individual songs, performed live a few times. I'd nominate 'Equator' to see again, it amazes me that Russell can still pull this one off and it has a really spellbinding effect live.

I'd quite like to see another artist/band have a crack at 'In My Family' but can't think who off-hand. Iggy Pop maybe.
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Alison

[veryoldfan]

Yeah I know that's 3 questions, last one was an afterthought
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Alison

[phdave that afternoon]

Before this week I had only ever heard This Town, Amateur Hour, and Here in Heaven, all of which I love. Looking forward to repeat listening of the whole album this week.

In case anyone has not heard it, here is a link to the Sparks episode of Song Exploder, featuring This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us.

[Toughest Girl In Town]

Like a lot of fellow fans here, this album introduced me to Sparks, and more specifically "This Town", that made me want to listen to the full album after that, and then other albums, and finally made me the die-hard fan I am now as a result.

Because of that, "This Town" remains the song I love the most on this album, but "Here in Heaven", "Lost and Found" or "Hasta Manana Monsieur" are great pieces of art too.

To me, the weakest song is probably "Talent is an asset", where the lyrics are clever (as they always are with Ron), but the melody sounds a bit like a nursery rhyme to me, and I'm not a big fan.

However, the whole album deserves a solid 9/10 since it gets very close to perfection.