When you think about it, song lyrics are pretty much extensions of the human drive to tell stories – an inclination that goes back millennia, all the way to prehistoric man spinning yarns for the rest of the clan around the fire. But narrative songs aren’t so prevalent these days, when proclamations of love, statements of purpose, surreal ruminations, and random gibberish are the usual fare.Su
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Now, Barak has taken to upstaging even fictional characters! More to come...
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[Sparks - Thank God It's Not Christmas - 5:09 (1974)]Feasts and holidays have always been a bore to me. Why should one be merry and celebrate on such and such dates and why not on others?The carols, the crackers, the shopping, the shipping. The over-indulgence. All this is such a pain to me. If you'll excuse me, I'd rather go to Lapland and build myself a hut and hibernate while this racket goe...
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From their first outing in 1972, this was before Todd Rundgren's influence was forged in indelible ink. Still, a milestone that set the stage for much, much more Mael bros.For my good budy dermahrk!!
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Sparks - Exotic Creatures of the Deep (Lil Beethoven, 2008) 8 out of 10 (update: see below) Joke refrains repeated to death by a flamboyant, falsetto-flaunting singer (Russell Mael) with harmony stacks bigger than Freddie Mercury's. Songs based on novelty-style concepts. Unrealistic, programmed synthetic string sections and piano patches (Ron Mael) standing in for the real thing, with occasi...
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The have been a number of artists over the past few years who have played an album in its entirety live, but Sparks have a gone a little bit further....The Sparks Spectacular will be taking place in London from May 16th through to June 13th with one album per night being played, starting with 1971's album 'Halfnelson'. The only concession made to man's physicality is that, whilst the order of t...
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The brothers Mael, Ron and Russell, otherwise known as **Sparks** have been around and recording for almost 40 years. Mind Blowing. They started out back in 1969 as _"Halfnelson"_ playing the clubs around their home in L.A. While attending UCLA in 1970 they changed their name to Sparks (which was somehow a tribute to the Marx Brothers). At first they were something of a glam band. Scoring a cou...
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Wandering through my vinyl collection again and found this. It's been years, but I remember them fondly as the band you put on at parties for a few laughs. Combined with a bit of imbibement, you've got a great party.These guys are as diverse as the hundreds of songs they're produced. Each one explores a different part of the musical landscape.They have a very loyal cult following, and, as I jus...
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Thanks to Indy for reminding me of a really underrated band whom I had loved and originally thought of as "an eighties band", but, when tracking down this video, I learned they go back to the early 70s, and have new/current stuff out. I always thought they were talented as musicians, but also really funny!
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Let the dancing in the streets commence: the 21st album by Bubblegum Surrealists Sparks has just been sprung.Read the BBC REVIEW here.
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I do, but sometimes I think they don't like me.
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Sparks debut album has to be one of my favorite records to play. It is just so damn great. I really can't get enough of it. I have to give many props to Todd Rundgren for producing such great sounds as well. I am keeping this post short, so I guess i will end it by saying I did not really feel their last album which was released earlier this year I believe...but hey, anyone who keeps releasing ...
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Sparks’ new single ‘Dick Around’ has been banned by the BBC, much to the annoyance of the band.The seminal group only found out the news when Ron and Russell Mael guested on Jono Coleman’s Breakfast Show London 94.9FM this morning.After the interview, the Beeb refused to let Jono play the song – embarrassing both the host and band.Ron Mael blasted: “The BBC has officially killed off ou
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When I was a kid, I usually wasn't allowed to stay up too late. But every now and then I'd have an exception or slumber party or something. One of these times,when I must have been about 8 or 9, a friend and I stayed up to watch Saturday Night Live. I doubt we got many of the jokes, and I guess that was also during the "bad" years. But hey, we were up past our bedtimes and that alone was fu...
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