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Kimono My House
Sparks
1974
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Blondie crudites and only on the raw end because I don't think the full new wave repertoire of whizz bangs was available at the time. On this evidence they played a big part in creating them. Glam, camp and archly European in the sense that it made me want to throw on some make up and goose step around the house in a tutu. Like the rest of new wave (though I only have a basic understanding) the formula is that that everything can be a hook.
Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 15/20 Innovation: 16/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 16/20 =65 This was belting fun
Weird fun vocals awesome guitars. I only knew one track before hearing this “this town ain’t big enough for the both of us” really enjoyed hearing this for the first time
this album is one i was completely fuckign shocked on. I LOVED it, the music, the lyrics, the feel of it, all of it. it marries some of my top bands like The Darkness, Queen, and even a bit of Plastic Bertrand for good measure. i bought this album immediately, and it's easily top 100 albums
I have listened to this album a couple of times before and liked it a lot. It's fun, it's powerful, it's creative.
An incredible, fun, campy, glam rock sound. Nothing else like. Russel's performance is awesome!
This one was incredibly weird for a whole number of reasons (most of which should be pretty obvious if you listen to the album). Another way in how it's weird is how good and interesting and varied the music is under all of the layers of weirdness and showmanship. Most glam rock just tends to be style over substance in my opinion. But these guys manage to do both. Not only does this album sound like it must have been hugely influential for a wide range of new wave, synth pop and rock bands, but it also still sounds really fun and good today on its own merits. I did need a few tracks until I could start to wrap my head around the style and I'm sure it will hit me differently when I listen to it a second time, but I am absolutely going to do just that.
How does one assess an album by an act as idiosyncratic as Sparks? simple: you listen to Kimono My House, and you conclude that it's great. Job done. Kimono My House is the album that brought the brothers Mael to stardom, and placed them within the glam pantheon. Wonderfully, Sparks has never stopped, and indeed they're enjoying a deserved second flush of critical and commercial success. So how does the album that propelled them to fame affect the listener today? Sparks have one of the most well-developed sense of humour of any band (one aspect of this 1001 album exercise is that it made me realise how important it is for a band to have a sense of humour about them, rather than disappear up their own fundament mewling about how tortured they supposedly are). One must surely delight at the smutty erudition of the lines: You mentioned kant and I was shocked You know, where I come from, none of the girls have such foul tongues The album is festooned with such zingers. The music itself is highly stylised, baroque even, but that's authentically Sparks: Ron and Russell are educated, wry chaps steeped in the history of songwriting, so primitivism would just be an ill-fitting garb for Sparks. Be thankful that Sparks pursue such a singular muse, and that the made a singularly great album as this.
Strange and unique, but man was this album full of life and exciting new things. Never having heard Sparks before, this was definitely the hook I needed to check out their other music.
I remember my older cousins owning this and probably playing it for me when I was a kid. I (re)discovered Sparks in 1997 when they teamed up with Faith No More for This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us, the original of which is on this album. While never a die hard fan, I was aware of what and influence their sound has had on so many other artists. Like many others, my passion for Sparks has been increased in the lead up to the Edgar Wright doco (which I am yet to see) This album is one of their best. Uncomfortable in places it straddles a fine line towards being too wierd. It is weirdness done well, which makes this album so good.
Just some good clean fun from beginning to end. How did this manage to sound so exactly like a 70s album while also sounding unlike anything I've ever heard? Chaotic and melodic and anarchic and fun.
I'd heard of Sparks from time to time and with that documentary the past year, I saw the name a lot and yet I never checked them out since I always got the impression they were very art rocky and a band that would be tough to get into. I have to say, if the rest of their catalogue is like this album, I was completely wrong. This was absolutely right in my wheelhouse. The melodies were super catchy and I loved the instrumentation, especially those guitars. I will definitely be looking further into their back catalogue.
There’s a lot to unpack here and I can understand how it’s not for everyone but I appreciate the variety and willingness to try something new
Sparks are pioneers. Excited to see the Sparks Documentary directed by Edgar Wright this year.
Ik heb een nieuwe trend gespot in deze lijst: albums die op mijn zenuwen werken. Dit is daar ook weer een mooi voorbeeld van. Het eerste (bekende) nummer is nog wel geinig maar wat er daarna allemaal langskomt....😬
This try-hard, bad-falsetto, weird-for-the-sake-of-being-weird album full of cut-rate Elton John and Freddie Mercury impressions and discount-bin creeper-ballads for some reason just didn't manage to impress me. It's not even an also-ran with its contemporaries, it's just a bad knock-off.
this was so awesome <3 felt so creative and fun. catchy as hell. really enjoy this arty/prog/pop rock. felt very 70s. ‘Barbecutie’ COME ON
Holy wow- I had never heard of this band before and I'm so glad they popped up!!! Definitely will listen to them more.
Rollicking good fun, and weird enough to keep my interest the whole time. Fave track - "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both of Us" is an absolute tune. I really liked "Equator" on my last couple of listens, but not sure if it might not get irritating with more listens? Or, it could grown on me further, who knows!
Cinco. Ascendo aos céus num cocktail de hipérboles, destinado a falhar algures na estação de serviço. São só palavras. São tudo. MotA: Amateur Hour "Zoo time is she and you time"
Little compares to the sound of Sparks, mainly due to their constant reinvention. Kimono My House is a fantastic album, perhaps with one of the best openings
You know how George Costanza said he would drape himself in velvet if it were socially acceptable? This is how I feel about this album. I just want to luxuriate in it all day long. Oh my, yes I'm weird. I have a special fondness for glam-era Mael brothers. Their music is so over the top, exuberant and whimsical. It's the word "dandified" in musical form. Did I also mention it rocks? Of all the band's albums, I think Kimono My House might be my favorite. The quality is consistent throughout and thoroughly entertaining. It’s an album full of fun, campy musical confections, with lush, frolicking arrangements, and a delightful sense of humor. It’s not all for show either; Sparks has real musical chops to back up their showy tendencies. This is an album that’s a pleasure to listen to, on every level. This band loves what they're doing, and it shows. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Falling in Love with Myself Again, Equator, This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us, Barbecutie, Here in Heaven, Lost and Found, Thank God It's Not Christmas, In My Family, Amateur Hour, Talent is an Asset, Complaints, Hasta Manana Monsieur
If you haven't already seen the Edgar Wright documentary on Sparks make that your immediate priority. Impossible to overstate their immense diversity influence on tonnes of genres
I've always heard of Sparks and have wanted to listen to their music since they just had a documentary come out about them but never got around to it. This was a good introduction though because I loved this album. It was so unique sounding and energetic and all the songs were catchy. The first two on the album were my favorite though
For some reason this album reminds me of Halloween. It’s also really good. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I feel like I should have for some reason because it’s definitely a weird vibe. It’s very 80s for being from 1974 which is cool. It’s full of bangers that I will have to revisit. Many of the songs on the album are similar which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because there isn’t a song on here that I don’t like but not every track stood out to me. Favorite songs: Amateur Hour, Here in Heaven, Hasta Mañana Monsieur, Equator, Barbecutie, Lost and Found Strong 8/10
At first, I was like wtf! Then I was like hmmm.. I didn't get it until I got to amateur hour. How have I not heard of these guys? So inventive and ahead of their time. Blending genres like me at a froyo place. Absolutely scrumptious album, but I must say that I won't listen to this around other people. It does grow on you, but some grow faster than others. Those two reasons are what keeps it from five stars. Great album! I'm picking up their great hits after this for sure.
Fantastically weird quirky pop. Its pop music written by music theatre nerds who listen to Yes.
Wonderfully camp, Euro electro. Can only imagine what it must have been like hearing this deep in the middle of the prog and glam rock era.
I've never heard anything from Sparks, but I do know that there is a recent documentary about the band. It was good to have a chance to hear something from the band. "Amateur Hour" and "Talent Is an Asset" caught my attention, while "Equator" and I did not get along as well. The downside of the album for me was a feeling of repetition within some of the tracks. My curiosity about what else I might hear if I gave this album a second listen rounds my rating up to 4 stars.
Muy peculiares. Parece un musical - cabaret. Y suena un poco chinokimono. Muchos agudos y bajadas de agudos. Venga, un 4 por novedosos.
Very poppy and fun album. Definitely something I could listen to again when I am feeling nostalgic.
Iznenađujuće dobro i ugodno slušanje, a nikad čuo za njih. VOZAČU AUTOBUSA UBRZAJ KAO I RITAM!
quirky, upbeat, vibrant and catchy art pop from the early 70s. Didn't expect this one to be as good as it is, but between the constant sonic shifting and the endless catchy melodies it's really grabbed me. Off the wall for now, let alone the 70s
Beetje ABBA-vibes, met meer gitaarwerk, en wat minder consistent qua genre. Wel amusante rockmuziek
I enjoyed this. Really fun, poppy melodies and obviously a real precursor to the fantastic art pop we have today.
Cool rock album. Kinda kooky, almost reminds me of Tommy by the who with some of the lyrics. Overall though good album with awesome rock instrumentals
The instrumentals on this album slapped... But vocals ranged from unbearable to OK. Overall had some solid tracks that I can see myself coming back to.
I've recently been "introduced" I guess to Sparks and started to become really interested in them. I've some of their tracks in the past and thought they were really fun and exciting. I am loving listening to this album. I can totally see why a lot of famous musicians say this is their favourite album of all time. There's something really different and interesting about the performance and I'd love to watch more videos of their performances. I'm not totally sure how I feel about two white guys passing in sound as a couple of Asian women and I'm not totally sure whether that's what they were doing... I also appreciate that wasn't really known to be an issue in the 70s. I love the voice and the range!! I love the energetic keys and variety of musical elements in each track. I'm dedicated to getting more into listening to this album properly and watching some of the live performances because they are hyped up to be wonderful.
One of the more zany releases, but a very fun one. Favourites: "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us", "Here In Heaven", "Thank God It's Not Christmas"
Like Chris from Family saying Hi ominous monkey, this one sneaks up for a nice surprise. Some pretty good unions of all instruments
Is Sparks the least of the Big 3 “artier” glam rock acts? Sure, they rock hard and there are some truly catchy tunes bolstered by their deliriously high pitched singing, but not much that truly wows me like “In Every Dreamhome a Heartache” or “Aladdin Sane.”
I can grasp the aesthetic of this and certainly see the artistry of it but to be honest I found listening to it kind of exhausting.
Quite a fun glam rock/art rock album, but nothing really stood out to me. Falsetto vocals are fine, maybe a bit tired by the end of the album. 6/10, best track is 'Here In Heaven'
Like a Queen had a breakdown, watched the Rocky horror picture show and wrote some interesting music afterward. Not always to my taste but a unique interesting listen. 3/5
Wazig plaatje, waar ik toch wel een beetje door geïntrigeerd was, maar op 3/4 was het wel genoeg.
I'm totally unfamiliar with this band. Songs are OK, but seem pretty light and inconsequential to me. Good musicians.
A lot of enjoyable, well written songs, it's almost a 4 but I don't have much of a desire to revisit it
Très sympa cet album de la voix française de Shark, notamment le moment où il échappe à la brigade de Port-Marie suite au match clandestin entre les Bleus de Tag et les Fantomes de la Cité de Ben. Étrange en revanche de ne pas apercevoir RIN sur cet album, qui a pourtant donné sa chance à Shark lors de son concert a Zürich en 2020.
pretending to be asian is an American institution on par with the bill of rights Fr tho this shit is weird af, 'baroque falsetto' is a bit much even for me
Last listened on Friday. Don’t remember a great deal from it other than a sense of Great Fun. The 70s really was a mental time for music eh? Seems like you could do anything. And that includes giving albums very bad titles.
Huh, bestaat deze muziek ook? 'k was eerst positief, later minder, trois ponts. Eh, geen bruggen maar sterren. Hun laatste album (70-ers zijn het reeds, hulde) vind ik pruimerder.
A bubbly, eccentric, bizzare Glam Rock album from the mid 70s. A few moments get so strange that I found it a touch off putting but generally the album was a ton of fun precisely because of how weird their brand of Glam Rock can get. Strange melodies, bizarre vocals, there is a ton going on here and thats a good thing for 95% of the album.
Really enjoyed this ride. I am also now on a mission to find the earliest known use (this is 1974) of the god awfulness indie pop/soulless corporate sales jingle that is the first 30 seconds of “Talent is an Asset.”
A poppy glam / prog rock album. The lead single and intro is by far my favorite, but all the other songs use experimental techniques that work very well. Love the vocals and symphonic instruments. Each gives off different emotions, like a circus feel in "Falling in Love..." or the horror of "Here in Heaven." Nearly half of the tracks are nothing crazy, but those strange techniques in many of the tracks grab my attention. I love the consistent high energy and fast pace that makes for a lively experience. So what makes this album so special to belong on this list? It was a massive influence to a million bands, such as Morrissey of the Smiths, Depeche Mode, RHCP, and Bjork. To me, this is a decent album, but I'm sure to professional critics or musicians, this is pure gold for inspiration.
I get where they were going here, but I wasn't having a great time listening to this one. A couple of songs were cool, and I liked the energy, but it was exhausting.
Plays like a strange cross between the Sweet, Queen and a Broadway musical on steroids. Undeniably clever with a sense of fun and insidiously catchy in parts, but after several listens I’m still not not sure if I love this or hate it.
Monday 30th August 2021 Started on the walk back from Nuffield health and finished while playing Mario kart on a chilled back holiday Monday. Very relevant at the moment due to Edgar wright's documentary on the Sparks brothers and the Adam driver film they've done the score for. I enjoy the anarchy and the fun they put in to their music.
I’m looking at the lyrics and I still can’t understand what they’re singing. The music is catchy and well done. I hear a lot of later artists in their melodies,m. Overall it’s pretty good but not an album I’ll listen to over and over.
Ce n'est vraiment pas mon style. Je comprend qu'ils ont eu un hit, This town aint big enough for both of us, mais le reste de la l'album est pas mal sur la meme lignée. C'est bien produit et les arrangements sont bon, mais encore un fois, vraiment pas un gros facteur de réécoute pour moi. 3*
3, it was decent. Never heard of them and didn't know what to expect based on the album art. A pleasant listen, though not one I'd probably seek out.
Loved it. So glam in parts but some genuinely catchy tunes. Feels like the roots of a lot of modern stuff like Ariel Pink etc too
Starts very hard! It sound very influential, like those NY Dolls, good one although it felt much longer than 40 minutes
People say they are geniuses, and some say the foundations of synth-pop depend on them, but this is a hard listen.
I weirdly remembering reading about and hearing this album a while ago. I actually kind of like it, in a novelty kind of way.
Okej album. Ima dobrih stvari poput "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us, Complaints.." i koja mi se sviđa "Talent is an Asset". Ostatak je okej, ništa previše da me taklo, ali nije loše.
Roses are red, violets are blue, it wasn't that good so, hasta mañana monsieur. Rima je na rubu prihvatljivosti, al ne mogu nis drugo smislit.
Genre: Glam Rock 3/5 Kimono My House, one of rock's earliest forays into glam, is an absolute hoot. Our artists, Sparks, take rock 'n roll, fills it full of theatrics and bombast, and shoots it out of a cannon filled with glitter and sparkles. One of the happiest, and frankly cutest, little albums I've listened to in quite some time. The first side, including opening highlights This Town... and Amateur Hour, does a great job of painting a picture of what the rest of the album sounds like. Quirky vocals and lyrics, sometimes spouted in foreign languages, decent pop arrangements, and a vibe that's not been replicated since. The second half of the project is where it all seems to run out of steam. Eqautor is decent, though, and ends the album on a high note. Overall, as much as I enjoyed the first half, it's a 3 for me purely for the fact that its attitude can be a bit much for me at times. Cute, fun, clearly influential (Rocky Horror, T. Rex), just not replayable for me, unfortunately. Good album, though.
Word is that this is a big band I should definitely give a shit about, and I don't know what to think! At first I thought it was just completely bonkers, a strange mix of ABBA and like Queen - I don't know! Also, huge plot twist when I found out it wasn't two Japanese women singer and just some bloke. I found some of it quite irritating but it did grow on me. That latter songs were OK. And I guess it was quite fun!
Knowingly quirky and not half as weird as it thinks it is - like the kid who wears bowling shoes or reads a book at a party. Best Tracks: This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us; Amateur Hour; Thank God It's Not Christmas
Interesting to hear where This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us came from. Very odd album overall, but kind of fun.
Dzisiaj bardziej popowe klimaty, ale nadal dosc ciekawie, bo nie tylko cos nowego, ale orginalnie brzmiacego, a to wszystko na Kimono My House, ktory jest trzecim studyjnym krazkiem hamerykanskiej bandy tworzonej przez duet braci Maelow i dodatkowych muzykow, plyta z 74, jak przystalo na artowego/glamowego rocka dosc skroma jesli chodzi o ilosc materialu, bo tylko 36 minut na dziesieciu trakach, sam sklad instrumentalny brzmi dosc typowo, jak kombo drumy, klawisze, bas i gitara, ale do tego dochodzi wokal pana Russella, ktory operuje taka skala wokalna, ze przez pierwsze trzy traki mialem wrazenie, ze slucham wokalistki, a nie chopa co tylko spiewa jak baba w celu podkreslenia ironicznosci utworow, wiec jeden z braci ma niesamowiscie ciekawy glos i potrafi z niego zrobic uzytek dajac energicznie i prawdziwie zywiolowe performensy, bo z tego co widzialem na livowych nagraniach, prawie ze skacze po scenie podczas wystepow, potrafi dynamicznie zmieniac tempo podczas trakow, co daje zespolowi pole do popisu jesli chodzi o instrumentale, bo pomimo tego, ze slychac pisanie pod klawisze, to nie zabieraja one calej sceny, a gitarowo zdarzaja sie ciekawe momenty, jak na thank god its not christmas, co do drugiego brata to gra on na klawiszach i jest glownym teksciarzem bandy odpowiedzialnym rowniez za kompozycje instrumentalne, wiec czuc tutaj, ze bracia rozumieja sie jesli chodzi o to co chca tworzyc, a na tym albumie slychac popowe acz tak wyszukane, ze czlowiek potrzebuje rozczytac sie o co moze tutaj chodzic, bo obok klasycznych lowerowych trakow, choc tutaj z przekasem zawsze, pojawiaja sie nawiazania do literatury, nauki, czy kina, wiec lirycznie miasz masz o wszystkim i niczym, ale zrobiony na modle artystycznego popowania rokowego, wiec tez nie dziwne, ze banda nie zrobila kariery w hameryce, a raczej byla jednym z tych zespolow na ktorych sie poznala europa i tutaj znalazla swoich sluchaczy, ale nadal zaliczylbym ten krazek do jednych z raczej undergroundowych pickow patrzac na ilosc odsluchow spotifajowych czy last fmowych, ale tak czy inaczej sluchalo sie tego przyjemnie, zwlaszcza ze wzgledu na niecodzienny wokal jaki mozna tutaj uslyszec, jedynie Bolanowy kojarzy mi sie z czyms podobnym, ale to i tak jeszcze jest nie to co tutaj, na plejke dodam openingowego this town aint big enough for both of us i amateur hour
It's interesting. I didn't hate it, but like Marley, it's just not my thing. A couple alright songs (namely Amateur Hour), but yeah. Might get better on another listen, if I ever care to re-listen.
Ugh, how quirky. If 10cc are Monty Python, these guys are Noel Fielding. Their one trick got old very fast.
Sounds very "musical" and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Some songs start out promising and then get kind of silly with the singing.
2.5 - half a point extra for "this town..". i love that song the rest of the album sounds kind of the same
While some of the more Beefheart moments caught my ear, I largely missed the point and turned it off after 4 tracks
This is tough. Some cool guitar riffs but I couldn’t get passed the vocals. Put this in the category of I don’t get it.
When I first saw the cover I was like "Cool, maybe it's a Japanese surf band" then I realized the title was just a cringey pun by some old white guys in the 70s. This was a chore and I didn't make it all the way through this. Not a fan of the super-high falsetto vocals all the time. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood but the music also didn't speak to me. Trying to be both pretty and complex - almost baroque or something if that makes sense. This is the kind of album that makes we want to listen to something more roots-oriented like the blues or folk as a palette cleanser.
This felt like weird kids music I kept expecting Carol vorderman to come out and teach me my 3x table
I bought this and the 'Propaganda' follow-up on vinyl for very little money during the great vinyl purge of the early to mid 1990s. I've never listened much to either album. They're a bit too much on the showtunes side of glam for me.
It's not bad but it's also not good. Am I better off from listening to it? No. Am I glad I heard it? Also no.
While I enjoyed the upbeat fun sound, the songs were way too similar. I don't like when I can't understand a word they sing and honestly thought they were speaking a foreign language. I was surprised that it was an American duo!
Sparks seem to be everywhere at the moment; the Annette soundtrack, the Sparks documentary (which I am halfway through watching), they seem to be having a real moment. This is one of those bands that has a real cult following, and I never really got. it has been a LONG time since I tried to listen to any of their records. Based on the documentary, I find the Mael brothers quite charming and funny, and I like their approach, but this just doesn't connect for me. This sounds like a weird prog/glam fusion. All the clever-clogs musical arrangement of prog (although not as jazz/classical inflected), which undercuts the tunes. It just doesn't grab me. Nothing connects. I really want to like it, but just don't. Maybe if I listened to it a dozen times, it would start to work for me, but I just don't have the time or inclination.
Listened Before? N Whooo boy where to start with this one? It was unique and fun at the beginning, but wow did it stall out about song 4. Pros: Unique and a couple bangers in the beginning. Cons: Falsetto and repitition... it feels like a novelty album. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist: This Town Ain't Big Enough for The Both Of Us
I was not a fan. This got weird and it was hard to keep track fo who the singers and band even were because the sound/voices kept changing. Not for me.
This one was a weird one. It wasn’t something I’d ordinarily listen to, at all. But I didn’t hate it. The music was catchy, and vocals were okay. Not sure it deserved a spot on this list though
Stuck between a 2 and 3 on this one (to avoid giving every album the same score). Decent amount to like, fun sections at times, but just not enough to move the needle for me.
weird but i kinda found it intriguing. the best thing about the album was the cover though.
How does this silly shit make it into a list of the greatest albums of all time? It's an entire album of songs that should have been a jokey hidden track or something. fuck this. 1/5.
Não gostei, mas os álbuns o Dustin disse que os álbuns mais novos são interessantes. Ouvir
My God! I can't believe how many of the albums on this list are absolutely unbearable! I forced myself to listen to the entire album because I feel bad giving a low rating without hearing the whole thing but I will never get back the time I wasted on this noise.
Did not enjoy. Weird rock, sounded like Queen at times. Very difficult to undwerstand any of the vocals, it was all very high pitched.
First listen. Wish it was my last. Oh this is a painful album to listen to. It isn't good. I don't get it. I really gave this album a chance... I can't say that I enjoyed even one song. For me, this is 1/5.
I have written a haiku: Mael may have done well But glam rock is not my rock So I bid farewell