SPARKS

highersynth · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 4:10 am Post subject:

I've loved listening to Girl again! I had shelved it as a "go to" listen whilst we reviewed all the rest and 6 months is a long time.
This is a superb album. I "returned to Sparks" comparatively recently - I don't quite know why I never acquired Drip Drip Drip - I remember feeling annoyed I couldn't get to any of the tour dates - but maybe I saw TSB later than others, and after that tour. Anyhow, Girl was the first of Sparks' recent material that impinged on my consciousness, and I too shared that trepidation in case I didn't like it. (If this listening exercise has taught me anything it's that there isn't a Sparks album that does not improve with repeated listens!)
As it turns out, I did like it from the off, a great deal.

The title track was my second-slowest burner, and I'm afraid that I'm still not a fan of Cate Blanchett's contribution. I always felt the song was offering an observation over and above the presence of a miserable woman in a coffee shop, and thoroughly enjoyed Penny Brown's blog post about it: https://sparkstalkbypenny.blogspot.com/2023/12/sparks-take-on-world-in-girl-is-crying.html?fbclid=IwAR0eeN_uIPhmDW4OhQ93_Ve6HZsN7qnAgUYDTOse0Y5HFOe6YkQxDrEDxMc

The one that's taken the longest to "drop" is "You Were Meant for Me" - which only yesterday I got interested in. I'm brewing a piece of my own on this album, and in that context, I found some meaning in the song which got me past my dislike of the repeated "Turn the pages, turn the pages
Turn the pages, turn the pages
Turn the pages, turn the pages
Turn the pages, how does it all end?"

Favourite track/s - Take me for a Ride is one, Not that Well-Defined another and We Go Dancing a third. These all entrance me with both words and music, especially the soaring, filmic Take me for a Ride.

Unlike others, I'm a fan of Veronica Lake - hugely helped by my first proper exposure to it being at the Oxford Gig where the combination of excitement, lighting and Russell's live delivery served to make it extra-impactful.

The only track on this album that I've ever really disliked is "A Love Story" - which I'm gradually coming to appreciate. Conversations elsewhere about lyrics and meanings, meta and otherwise, are helping me get over the repetition and altogether seedy subject matter.

So in conclusion in my opinion our boys are still at the top of their game - another high scorer for me - I gave Hippo a 9, so this has to be 9.5/10
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

highersynth · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 4:27 am Post subject:

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

Thank you all so much for being part of this discussion - Gee that was Fun!

I've really enjoyed it and getting to know some of you a bit better. Hope you all enjoyed too.

Next weekend I'll tot up the scores for the recent albums and post a league table - haven't time today though - there is food to assemble.
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

highersynth · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 4:29 am Post subject:

ALBUM CLUB IN THE NEW YEAR

Thanks everyone for the conversation about the thread going into 2024.

As far as I can see we have consensus about:
Ingmar Bergman
Annette
Is there More to Life than Dancing (Noel)
HalfNelson demo

Watch out for a new thread (either next weekend or the one after, depending how I feel), starting with Ingmar Bergman.

As to the rest, mention has been made of:

I have to confess to only mild curiosity about these - they are not something I want to devote a lot of attention to - so if folks feel strongly about any of them and can raise a consensus on here, as well as providing links for where to listen, I'll add them to the New Year list after those 4.

In the meantime, Happy Holidays!
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

Andy M · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 5:30 am Post subject:

The four albums (if we count the Halfnelson demos as an album) have enough meat on them for a discussion to be doable. It's been a really fun exercise so far, especially reading the different opinions on most/least favourite songs.

Happy Xmas, all.

Andy M · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 6:03 am Post subject:

It's just struck me that Two Hands, One Mouth should really be on the list. But I wouldn't be upset by its omission, as for me it's an album I really cannot warm to at all!

highersynth · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 6:50 am Post subject:

Oh good call Andy, I’ll add that and we can see how others rate it too. Cheers!
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

Alex Robertson · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 8:30 am Post subject:

The "Mai, The Psychic Girl" tracks might be worth a mention too...but perhaps on a list combined with another set of tracks in case they don't merit enough "meat" to have a week to themselves ( this sharing system could be applied with other possible track discussions too )

SteveBoyce · Sub-Deity Joined: 17 Jan 2002 Posts: 755

I'm surprised Life with the Macbeths didn't get mentioned, as I think it's a great piece of music. There are a few where Ron hits the level of John Barry or Ennio Morricone and that's one of them. Piaf is a very good song too. Missionary Position is for me a comment on the chord sequence which is often used. And I like Check out time 11am very clever title, ha ha.

Existential Threat I really like, and the video. Onomato Pia is I think a pastiche of 20s music like "On the Amazon" from Mr Cinders. I'm not so fond of things like Self-Effacing and I'm Toast which are a bit run of the mill imo. PDFUMY is a good tune but as I wrote here before spoilt by the faux-naif production. I'm really glad they moved away from this type of presentation on their last album. In general, Steady Drip had a large variety of styles, some very interesting, but no unifying factor. They remedied that on the latest album.

Regarding the future, I'm glad Dancing, Seduction, and Annette are to be reviewed as I think they are all 3 integral parts of Sparks development. I really like Bad Manners also and I think it is arguably their best 80s album but since several of the tracks (Riot With Me Baby for example) are not even on the internet never mind as part of a tracklist it's not practical.

highersynth · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 1:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks Steve want to share your thoughts on Latte too before we close the thread?
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

highersynth · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 11:33 am Post subject:

THE ULTIMATE SPARKS-CHART?

Here's our collective order of merit for Sparks' body of work as reviewed over the last 6 months. Each album was scored by at least 8 of us; only occasionally by 9 or 10, so I think it's a fairly consistent representation.

1 - Lil' Beethoven - 9.8
2 - Propaganda - 9.6
3 - Kimono my House - 9.5
4 - Indiscreet - 9.1
5 - Hippopotamus - 9
6 - Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins - 8.7
7 - The Girl is Crying in her Latte - 8.6
8 - No.1 in Heaven - 8.5
9 - Hello Young Lovers - 8.4
10 - Exotic Creatures of the Deep - 8.3
11 - A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing - 7.8
12 - Angst in my Pants - 7.8
13 - A Steady Drip Drip Drip - 7.75
14 - FFS - 7.25
15 - Balls - 7
16 - Sparks / Halfnelson - 6.8
17 - Whomp that Sucker - 6.7
18 - Big Beat - 6.6
19 - Introducing Sparks - 6.6
20 - Music that You can Dance to - 5.2
21 - Pulling Rabbits out of a Hat - 5
22 - Interior Design - 4.3
23 - In Outer Space - 3.8
24 - Terminal Jive - 3.5

I wonder if there's further discussion to be had about that verdict?

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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

Alex Robertson · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 2:56 pm Post subject:

Oh of course there will be as people will be upset that their favourite album isn't higher placed....but that's the way the votes went and it's a fair snapshot of the views of most fans.
Good work to those who did all the tallying Up.

dinky · Sparkologist Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 669

Great work highersynth, the people have voted !

waterloosunset · Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:49 am Post subject:

highersynth · Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 5:45 am Post subject:

Ah, thanks guys!!

So for the new thread, since I last posted about it, we now have 5.5 album-subjects:

Ingmar Bergman
Annette
Two Hands One Mouth
HalfNelson demo
Is there More to Life than Dancing (Noel)
and Mai The Psychic Girl soundtrack to tag on wherever she best fits.

I'm going to suggest we do them in that order and will start, as usual on Sunday, but with a brand new thread, and this one will no longer be stuck to the top of the Music Only folder.

Hope that's ok with everyone and thanks again for participating!
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Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know...

Andy M · Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:35 am Post subject:

The people (well, some at least) have indeed spoken. Despite people weighing albums differently, and perhaps scoring slightly differently as they went along (I think I fall into this category) it does look a very accurate relection of the discussions. Thanks for pulling all that together, highersynth; I'm looking forward to the next round!

Toughest Girl In Town · Sparks Guru Joined: 15 Feb 2022 Posts: 3840

You did such a great job highersynth, thanks for the time you put in this during those past months, that was fun!

SteveBoyce · Sub-Deity Joined: 17 Jan 2002 Posts: 755

Spyke · Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 3:56 pm Post subject:

Thanks very much for organising the thread, highersynth - I've enjoyed revisiting the albums and reading other people's views over the months. The overall ranking of albums is more-or-less what I might have guessed. It's interesting that No.1 In Heaven has been eclipsed a bit by more recent releases, considering how groundbreaking it was at the time. And the ranking backs up my view that Introducing Sparks is an underrated gem!
I'll look forward to the next discussions. Happy new year!
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"but we can hear what others can't hear..."

Oscar · Power Groupie Joined: 10 Oct 2002 Posts: 413

Thanks highersynth for starting and running this thread! I've loved having a different album to revisit every week, and it's been so much fun to read everyone's thoughts. On to the next thread!