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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "Joseph Savitz" <jsavitz3@gmail.com> |
| Subject | Re: Fleet Foxes and Sparks |
| Date | Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:29:45 -0400 |
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Thanks! I'm on it. Most of these I'd heard of when they came out, but I've
never heard.
On Sat, Jun 7, 2008 at 8:23 PM, J&J Giddings <jandjgiddings@mindspring.com>
wrote:
>
> >Okay, one of the good things about this list is that it reminds me of
> >music I'd either written off or forgotten about. Sparks is a good
> >example. I bought the Halfnelson, Woofer, Kimono vinyl and maybe a few
> >others -my highschool girlfriend did an interpretive dance to a Sparks
> >tune in a beauty pageant!- but I haven't listened to them in a couple
> >of decades. Now I understand they've released 21 albums. I have theory
> >that most groups only have 4 good albums in them, tops, so I'm sure
> >some of these 21 have got to be nonessential. So, long story short, if
> >I wanted to get back into them, what would you recommend, other than
> >the early stuff, which I'm familiar with? Thanks.
>
> I would get
>
> "Exotic Creatures of The Deep" - 2008
> "Lil' Beethoven" - 2002 - The first dive off the rock and roll deep end.
> Fantasticly layered orchestral bonanza with the occasional HEAVY guitar and
> huge drums. Nearly every word is spoken and the ones that aren't are
> wonderfully harmonized and stacked. "The Rhythm Thief" starts the record and
> announces their latest credo: "...say Goodbye to the Beat". "Ugly Guys WIth
> Beutiful Girls is one of my favorite SParks songs. So much power in the
> spoken parts and the singing is angelic.
> "I Married Myself" is hysterical and one the Maels' most Beatlesque tunes.
> "Suburban Homeboy" is almost a showtune, but is truly hilarious and a great
> commentary regarding the subject matter. Sparks had now upped the ante and
> created a "Classical Novelty Rock" album that cannot be niched.
>
> "Hello Young Lovers" - 2006 - This was my first introduction to Sparks. I
> Love "Dick Around". Even the video rocks...and is very strange. Alot of the
> same spoken vocal delivery as "Lil' Beethoven" on this record. "Waterproof"
> and "There's No Such Thing as Aliens" as well as the aforementioned "Dick
> Around" have wonderful, memorable melodies. Another genre bending
> combination of Rock, Classical, and dance music.
>
> "Plagiarism" - 1997(Their own remix/tribute album designed to get new fans
> aware of their extensive back-catalogue. Guests mostly include Faith No More
> and a few other's but mainly it's The Mael brothers who hit the right
> buttons in the end with rocking, imaginative and beautiful re-workings of
> their hits, fave album cuts, and more obscure tracks.
>
> "Whomp That Sucker" - 1981 - Sparks return to music in the 80's with a
> glammy rocking album produced by Mack(Queen, Billy Squier, ummm, Queen.) I
> really love this record start to finish. "Tips For Teens" is hysterical,
> Where's My Girl", and "Suzy Safety" are classics.
>
> "Angst In My Pants" - 1982 - "I Predict" is the first song I heard by
> Sparks on the soundtrack to some recent movie. This album also produced by
> Mack is not as thoroughly enjoyable, but songs like "Nicotina", and "I
> Predict" and the outstanding and funny "Moustache" make this record a killer
> disc to pick songs from for a party!
>
> "Introducing Sparks" - 1977/2007 - I know folks think it's overtly glossy,
> but it's one of my faves. "Over The Summer", "Forever Young", "Ladies", "Big
> Surprise" show Sparks are still witty and clever, but that primarily they
> are Pop song writers. Kinda sounds like blend of "Completion Backward
> Principle", by the Tubes and Toto's first record. Classy, glossy and a bit
> tongue-in-cheek.
> A fantastic record with a terrible re-issue burned from a vinyl copy less
> cleaned up than my own.
> Find the vinyl.
>
> Don't expect anything like the Holy Trio(Kimono, Propaganda, Indiscreet)But
> if you like wit with your rock and can take the words "My Baby's Taking Me
> Home"(from Lil' Beethoven) sung over and over for 4:42 while the song morphs
> under the vocal continuously ending with a huge rock payoff- then give
> Sparks a chance again.
> I hope ya love it!
> later,joe
> myspace.com/joegiddingspage
> myspace.com/thepinxatlanta
>
>
>
>
>
>
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