SPARKS

Alex Robertson · Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 1:33 pm Post subject:

When I read the reviews of this prior to hearing it, it was what one review, called (scathingly) Sparks do BeachBoys. Another review, by Danny Baker, was also scathing if somewhat rambling....something about Elvis having several siblings and the fates that befell them...two of them fell into a vat of bubblegum and came out and recorded Introducing.
I can only assume substance misuse or a misfired attempt at comedy, was the reason for this surreal review. I did try contacting his management a few years ago to see if he would consider donating signed copies of these reviews as items for auction at a Sparks convention, a curt refusal was the result. Since then Danny Baker claims to be a lifelong fan of Sparks and despite his almighty fall from grace, I've always slightly admired him.

Alex Robertson · Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 1:44 pm Post subject:

Introducing to my ears was a glorious new musical "shape" for Sparks. Different to anything on previous albums, yet undeniably and joyously Sparks...the lyrical humour is there in droves. Each song an aural delight.Goofing Off with its (to my mind) Romanian folk song vibe always stays up top of the list, I can't think of a track which is a let down...however I seem to remember not getting a full grip on Those Mysteries at the time....it grew on me over play repetition, but when I heard the demo version I really got it, the slight lyric differences make more "sense", if that's the right way of expressing it.

I give it 8.5/10

Toughest Girl In Town · Sparks Guru Joined: 15 Feb 2022 Posts: 3918

Despite the slightly cheesy cover picture, this album holds a few gems I really love.
To me it's not their best album, but still I love it with its little flaws here and there.

"Forever Young" is definitely my favourite song on this record, even if its sound is not produced as I would've liked (not enough drums and guitar for my taste, same goes for "Occupation" by the way).
"Goofing Off" has pretty fun lyrics many can relate to, but I also find the music incredibly sad but wonderful at the same time.
I also love "Those Mysteries" which sounded really corny to me the first time I listened to it, but it grew on me over time since the lyrics are beautiful and very moving.

On the other hand, I'm not a big fan of "Over The Summer" and that's a shame because Russell's voice sounds so good on this one!

Have you ever listened to "Kidnap" which was apparently a bonus track from the Japanese edition? I just did, and it has interesting bits (but I kinda get why it wasn't on the original release). You may find it here:
https://youtu.be/NM_yFfzKrVY

Toughest Girl In Town · Sparks Guru Joined: 15 Feb 2022 Posts: 3918

Oh and I forgot: I'll give it a 7/10.

dinky · Sparkologist Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 669

highersynth · Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 10:37 am Post subject:

This album has been fun to listen to repeatedly for me - not least because it's notably short, and every time leaves me wanting more. (The nearest in length, reviewed so far, being Woofer).
I really enjoyed the whole High-School sensibility of the thing, right down to the year-book images front and back. It's a mixture, as Oscar points out, of songs "set" in summer vacation, and songs with a much more nostalgic feel, from whatever point of view. It interests me that this album emerges in 77, when both Maels are in their early 30s - and yet they still manage to evoke much of the rollercoaster of jekyll and hyde emotions of adolescence and early adulthood.
I'm not a huge fan of the whole beachboys sound, and certainly not of their lyrical content, but this pastiche works very well, to my ears. I enjoy all the tracks.
Least favourites would be "A big surprise" - which feels quite a "flat" start to me - although, after Big Beat, it certainly does come as a big surprise - and "over the summer", which is just a bit too high school / beach boys for my taste.

As always I err on the side of interesting lyrics, and my favourites from that point of view are "Occupation", "Ladies", "Goofing Off" and "I'm not" - the latter being about the most succinct (and jarringly jaunty) description of depression I can think of. "Those Mysteries" is right up there too, and musically a great outro for the album. All of these are characteristically quirky and cynical, Ron at his lyrical best.
However, "Forever Young", and "Girls on the Brain" are the whole package - rockin songs, narrative lyrics, and in the case of the latter, a rare venture into the blues. I like to think that "Forever Young" is Russell's personal manifesto - nearly half a century later he appears to be delivering on it.

Russ exercises the bottom of his vocal range much more throughout this album, and you can really hear the strength and depth it's acquired over the previous nearly-ten years of practice, as it rides confidently above the background harmonies. In a way, because of this, it feels like "his" album to me, a real showcase for his vocal quality.

The Undertones might have been fun to hear play "I'm Not" or "Forever Young". I'd give my eye teeth to see these two tracks live.

Finally, I've seen a few people commenting about the use of session musicians for this album - I certainly lack the ear to notice the difference, but would observe that, given that in just 5 years the boys had (apparently abruptly) ditched what seemed to be their established musicians 3 times, turning to session artists for an album makes some sense. It would be unsurprising if they actually had difficulty securing tenured band-members at that point.

Overall, 7/10. I'm finding scoring very difficult because by the end of a week I love pretty much everything they do

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Buckeye Randy · Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 2:42 pm Post subject:

I knew nothing about the music on this release until I listened to it on Spotify several years ago while making a Sparks playlist. The only song I included was "Girls On The Brain". I was very dismissive of almost everything about it.

In 1977, I would not have liked this. I was heavy into Queen but also buying up avante-gard and punk albums. Concerts for me in '77 were Queen (w/Thin Lizzy), Todd Rundgren, Ted Nugent, Nazareth, Southside Johnny, Be Bop Deluxe and Cheap Trick.

Now, thanks to our exercise of relistening to releases I'm much more receptive. However, I'm still not hearing the 'IT' factor.

I still like the bluesy "Girls On The Brain" and would love to hear Samantha Fish do a remake.

A real favorite on re-listening is "I'm Not" and it's probably because it reminds me of Gong, Supertramp and maybe 10cc. Add that to my playlist. Another I'm adding is "Goofing Off" and it's because I'm a sucker for the vRussian vibe...maybe it's a gypsy, not sure. Regardless, it's fun and I dance.

Do those tracks seem like novelty tracks? I can't tell because the whole Beach Boy type harmonies seem a little like a novelty to me.

Least favorite is "Over The Summer" with "Forever Young" not very far behind.

I'm finding myself referencing my other scores to slot this release appropriately.

I doubt I'll put 'Introducing' on anytime soon and listen start to finish. I do enjoy a few songs so I'll score it 5/10.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

phdave that afternoon · Certified Fan Joined: 01 Jul 2023 Posts: 71

In the outro of Occupation there is a long list of occupations being sung along with the chorus, but I can't find these lyrics anywhere. I can make out some of them. "undertakers" "x-rated actors" but most I can't understand.

Anyone have these lyrics?
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waterloosunset · Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 5:52 pm Post subject:

Introducing

Sparks seem to have been running on fumes at this point, but although the album is uneven, it still has some songs that I truly love. In the previous albums, including Big Beat, there was a cleverness, a kind of rock intellectualism that is missing on Introducing. It almost screams “we can also be a bunch of dumb bros and we’re proud of it!,” so I tend to look at this album on those terms. The melodies are all pretty basic but satisfying. The first half of the record is stronger than the second. My favorites are A Big Surprise (can I please get laid?), Occupation (I’m gonna need a job), Forever Young (I’m brash and proud of it – this prophecy has, however, come true), and Goofing Off (I will live for each weekend, when I can fulfill my testosterone-filled basic needs). Those Mysteries is where the cleverness returns. I enjoy listening to the rest of the album, and I don’t skip any songs when it comes around in the rotation, but I’m not wild about Girls on the Brain or Over the Summer.

Introducing is never an album that I go running to, but it has its charms and doesn’t sound like anybody else* (a problem I have with much of the 80s output).

Favorite Track: Forever Young (it’s an anthem for me)
Least Favorite Track: Over the Summer (*it’s OK, but The Beach Boys are better at being The Beach Boys)
Score: 6/10
Track I’d love to hear live: Forever Young
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better drop the requirement that everything be great

highersynth · Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 4:11 am Post subject:

Alex Robertson · Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 6:22 am Post subject:

highersynth · Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 9:17 am Post subject:

Spyke · Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 1:01 pm Post subject:

I think the list of occupations is in alphabetical order, from A to Z.
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"but we can hear what others can't hear..."

highersynth · Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 3:51 pm Post subject:

highersynth · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2023 5:27 am Post subject:

Welcome to Week 8 of Album Club - w/c 27th August - No.1 in Heaven

You can find a link to the album on Spotify here:
https://open.spotify.com/album/1WwkwSVwh9clBkan9ElU0e?si=AcykP8xpQdCGcrZZ8uSpkw

[NB this is the Lil' Beethoven reissue, which contains the original track listing - no reprises or extras]

Prompts for discussion, if needed, and scores for previous albums, at the top of the thread.
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

waterloosunset · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2023 9:48 am Post subject:

Alex Robertson · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2023 10:15 am Post subject:

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2023 10:23 am Post subject:

A couple fun retro reviews, both like the release.

Short overview of band and the album.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-1-in-heaven-mw0000454176

Long review. It's a good read that serves as a history lesson on Sparks that will probably ruffle a few feathers.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sparks-no-1-in-heaven/

"For them (Sparks), disco wasn’t simply some bandwagon to jump on—it was the career-saving life force that transformed them from glam-rock has-beens to future-pop prophets".

The reviewer later says...

"No. 1 in Heaven may no longer represent the sound of the future—but its techtopian pop still feels like the future you wish you were living in now".
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

highersynth · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 5:10 am Post subject:

Andy M · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 6:41 am Post subject:

Oh, what a brilliant performance . . .

Now we’ve come to No. 1 in Heaven. Some facts:

The album is a touch under 34 minutes long.

It contains six songs.

It is a collaboration between Ron & Russell Mael and Giorgio Moroder.

It is a triumph, a work of genius. (Okay, not a fact but an opinion. But it’s still true!)

Nothing like they’d done before, this bold venture into intelligent disco pays off, both for R&R and for the listener. It punches with the same frantic excitement as Kimono My House, but using a completely different mode. As enjoyable to hear now as it was over forty years ago. Just try not tapping your toes along to this record.

Nowadays we’re used to The Number One Song in Heaven, along with the Ron Dance, being a staple of a Sparks live show but (and fellow oldies correct me on this one if necessary) Beat the Clock used to feature more. By the by, anybody know why it’s No 1 in the album title but Number One in the song title?

My Other Voice is the only track that doesn’t excite me, but it does set up the final song nicely. The only other questionable element is the lyrical content of La Dolce Vita and Academy Award Performance. I suspect nowadays Ron would have written these somewhat differently. Mind you, they pale before Young Girls, but that’s for next time!

Finally from me, if the drive of No 1 reminds me of Kimono, so does the stylish cover, which like Kimono eschews the players and instead features a beautiful but icy scientist (I guess – can anyone make out what’s written on the tag on her lab coat?)

9.5/10. At least.