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 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 > > > > > >