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| From | "Jason Damas" <jason.damas@gmail.com> |
| Subject | Re: Sparks |
| Date | Sun, 3 Dec 2006 08:40:10 -0500 |
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<< For some reason, the mid eighties period
Sparks (Angst, Sparks In Outer Space) didn't do much for me, but some folks
love that period. And a lot of people have raved about Lil' Beethoven and
Hello Young Lovers, but, again, both releases didn't do much for me. >>
The funny thing about Sparks is that each fan you ask will give you
dramatically different answers to this question. I think it depends on what
Sparks is "about" for you--for some, it's the musically-dense (almost
ELO-style), glam rock albums, for others they're one of the smartest and
wittiest new wave bands you've never heard.
I fall into the latter--others have mentioned both the Pet Shop Boys and
Pulp, which are apt, but I also even hear quite a bit of The Cars, at least
musically (though Russel also begins to affect a detached Ocasek-esque
delivery on some songs), on those early 80s records. Frankly, if you're
turned off by the "disco" tag they acquired starting with "Number One in
Heaven," but you do enjoy typical sharp, witty new wave, then you still owe
it to yourself to check out the early 80s stuff next--it's my favorite. For
what my money's worth, I think the run from "Number One" through the
normally-not-well-regarded "Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat" is their greatest
era, with the middle records in that ("Whomp That Sucker," "Angst In My
Pants," and "In Outer Space") the best ones. Songs like "Funny Face," "I
Predict," "Eaten By the Monster of Love," "Tips For Teens," and even "Cool
Places" are really top-notch power-pop.
Also, if you haven't bought any of those records yet, I suggest checking out
the Oglio Website. They may not still do this deal, but in 2003 (when I
purchased them) they were offering a special offer where if you bought the
entire set of Oglio-reissued albums (which is most of their new wave period,
spanning from "Terminal Jive" through "Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat,") you
got them at a reduced cost of something like $7 or $8 per disc. -J
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