Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Overly dramatic and scattered.
Weird 70s
3.75
One 1974 album follows another and this is certainly an improvement on the previous one! I've never really got into Sparks though and whilst I this was a decent listen and I'm glad to finally hear one of their albums in full. I'm unsure about whether I'd return to it, I enjoyed the first two songs, I already knew the opener, and _Amateur Hour_ was also vageuly familiar. After that though, nothing really grabbed me from it.
Fun and weird.
7/10. But the oddness has me feeling generous
Great! Confused as to who Sparks actually are but Fred and I liked it.
Super album! Masterpiece! It is one of my favorite albums.
No thanks, too much cheesy 80’s glam stuff going on here
Meh
wow questo era davvero strano e inaspettato
The opening track is the greatest Sparks song of all time. The rest of the album stinks compared with Propaganda.
5 out of 5. The energy from this is incredible, what a good time.
I spent like a song and a half of this really confused cause I thought it was a woman singing, but once I figured it out I started to get into it a little more. Even still though, I don’t think it’s for me. I can see the appeal for some, but it’s just not really my thing. It’s not bad though, I wouldn’t go that far. Just not my thing. Favorites: This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us, Talent Is an Asset, In My Family
I was pretty excited for this, because Sparks are the kind of artist that has gradually gotten huge amounts of hype in recent years, having never really been spoken about previously. And I can sort of see why people - albeit with different taste to me - really love it. It's fun, inventive, very well played and sometimes quite funny. Unfortunately I can feel the dead-hand of musical theatre, or worse(!) - Queen - upon the tiller, and it's frequently too silly for me. Sometimes that's quite cool, like on the opener and the closer, but sometimes it really does make you think of grown men doing the hoovering in a frock because they think it's a giggle. Oh look, now I'm thinking about Queen again. Thanks Sparks!
Obligada escucha para una banda tan nombrada como desconocida salvo para unos pocos. Este puede ser su mejor álbum. Canciones no le faltan. Como ese glam con estilo que es Thank God It's Not Christmas. La inicial This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us ya marca el tono. Glamour rock Opera de todo un poco y bien armado. Amateur Hour es muy buena. Tarareable. Antecedente para Blondie o los Cars. Falling In Love With Myself Again es una extraña canción a ritmo de vals que a mi no termina de gustarme pero encaja el disco. Como Here in heaven que explica perfectamente porqué llegaron hasta Franz Ferdinand. Hasta Mañana, Monsieur y Talent Is An Asset vuelven a retomar melodías y guitarras con acierto. Desde luego no tenía a Sparks por unos referentes para Queen pero queda bien claro aquí. Y para la New Wave y para tantas cosas. Musica exquisita o para oídos exigentes? Eso tiene fácil arreglo. Basta con darle al play.
1. First song of the album gives the very mood of the album. The instrumentals are so good I can't really describe it. Vocals are on point and sets the feeling of the song. I feel intrigued to continue listening the album. Good start for album. 8/10 2. I really like the instrumentals in this album. Energetic and feeling of rise 7/10 3. Great starting with drums, kinda wakes you up after amateur hour. The name of the song speaks for itself, feels romantic in some strange way I can't really describe. I love the bass))) 7/10 4. I totally love the energy of this song. The vocal here stands out in a very good way. Guitar work here blends well with good vocals. 9/10 5. Feels like an old-fashioned song in a good way, I don't particularly dislike, but feels different like this song stands out from others as it sounds very odd, has a strange energy. 6/10 6. Good hit with guitar. Now it feels like we returned back into energy. The good thing about this song is instrumentals, band works very good with instruments. 7/10 7. I like the rhythm of this one, feel great, makes me want to step with foot on rhythm. 8/10 8. Feels like it took rhythm of previous one and spinned it around, I don't how else to describe it. 7/10 9. Somehow doesn't spark any emotion in me, I dunno, I don't like this one. 5/10 10. Good vocal work, solid song here. 6/10 11. This feels like "Equator" but with different energy of kind. Still solid song. 6/10 12. Last song here. Good ending for the album, really contrast first songs, it remains energy of the song while finalizing the feeling of it. 8/10 Overall 8.4/10. Good album, liked it. Not the best I listened, not the genre I like but I appreciate how good it is written
What is this? Is it glam rock? Is it pop opera? Is Yoko Ono to blame for this? Not sure what’s happening here. Sometimes I feel like you “had to be there” in the year the album was released to appreciate its significance or influence, and sometimes I feel like it’s garbage even without the context. This is the latter for me. I did think a couple of songs were catchy in a bizarre sort of way, but overall this is a big no.
The best way to describe this (in my opinion) is operetta rock. The high pitch of each song coupled with the repetitive and staccato nature of the songs brought me to believe this is more about the performance than the actual music. It’s hard to keep up with the lyrics in this style but I’m pretty confident this isn’t for me.
The album of choice for CIA black sites when it comes to blaring music all night at an unreasonable volume until the enemy breaks and gives up the information. “Make the man with the creepy pedo-stache stop singing like an Asian chick and I’ll tell you whatever you want.” The scariest part is that this clusterfuck of an album is nowhere near the list of the 10 worst in this project, according to those who have finished. What the hell did I get myself into?
Trash
struggled to get through this
Ok
I've heard a lot about this band in the last few years, but not the music itself until today. I liked it and would listen to it again.
Funky international pop rock
Funky light, early punk feel
This town ain’t big enough is wonderfully chaotic and distinctive. The rest of the album descends into more standard glam fare. Loses a full star for having a song called barbecutie.
It’s funny how there still isn’t anything that quite sounds like sparks. This obviously starts off strongly, but the rest of the album is surprisingly solid, and much more ‘glam’ influenced than I expected but still likely had an influence on some of the art rock that followed. My criticism is that it followed a lot of the same musical approach in the songs, particularly with the keys following the vocal melody which I guess is part of the ‘sparks sound’ but once I noticed it, couldn’t ignore it!
It’s nice to finally get a weird album that’s actually listenable. These guys sound like Supertramp if they were kicked repeatedly in the balls. There are points where it feels like too much and a lot of the album is a bit monotonous. But there is a lot of fun in the chaotic melodies. Certainly one of the most memorable glam bands in the 70’s since Roxy Music. Favorite track: Amateur Hour Other hits: This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us, Here in Heaven, Thank God It’s Not Christmas, Talent Is An Asset, Falling in Love With Myself Again
I don’t even get this pun, meaning we’re off to a bad start to this increasing rare chilly October morning. Get out of my house?Come into my house? This cover is something else and it has a distinct whiff of like 2007 quirky humour. Alas, it is from the early 1970’s, meaning two things. I know nothing about this album and I am very much not excited for this. Don’t make me stop my Parquet Courts. Say it ain’t so. This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us - Jesus, how big are you guys? Or how small is this town? Competitive obesity has reached new heights. I need to bulk up. Evil ABBA has entered the arena. They have been instantaneously slain by my verbal takedowns. Crowd murmurs. Amateur Hour - HEY! That’s not nice. I didn’t hate the first song. It was too weird to hate, but too theatrical to like. This is uhh insane. Not in an outsider artist sort of way, but in a “I’ll just change train cars” way. Falling in Love with Myself Again - Oh man they were like 50 years ahead of the “I love myself” movement. Most people that harp on about loving themselves have to do so as nobody else will. Nothing wrong with a little self-esteem but try to prove me wrong. Here in Heaven - ehhhh. Thank God It’s Not Christmas - This is literally the Strokes. To be fair, this sounds so far ahead of its time, it’s insane. Not that I like the time it’s referencing but still. Props for that. Hasta Mañana Monsieur - Whoa. Combining languages. In this economy? It is a globalized world after all. Thankfully, instead of vibrant, sustainable cultures across the globe, we have a dysfunctional monoculture where global commerce has driven the world to the point of complete climate collapse. But at least we can get Listerine in Ulaanbaatar. Talent is an Asset - This Christmas get her what she’s always wanted. A Kawasaki compatible jet ski repair kit! Get her out of the house and in to the pontoon shed to work on that dang Kawasaki you’ve been sitting in for years. She wants to you to spend time with the in-laws? You better fix up that water bike, woman. I’m going Jetting. Complaints - I have a few. In My Family - In my family, we hate bad music. We be hating this one. Equator - Ecuador. Quito. Uhhhh Galapagos. Tortoises. Alex Trebeck always went there for clues. I’ll take brain dissolution for 315.84 please. What is my brain. I won. All this money. All this blood. Drenched in sanguine ooze. I’m sorry, reviewer, that is incorrect. The answer, sorry, the QUESTION was “what is the moribund gaze through the gun smoke.” Do the words “rock opera” fill you with as much pain as they do to me? Well, despite the very real chill the phrase sends up my spine, truthfully, I’ve never really been fully sure what the words meant. I imagine it’s boisterous theatre rock that has some driving narrative. Take away the narrative and add a mom trying her first edible on lead vocals, and you have “Kimono My House.” I think some people find the androgyny of this record to be punk. I love a bit of androgyny, but the music has to also you know, be tolerable. Sadly, not the case here. Kimono my Komodo dragon who will eat this record and get a rare disease only transferable between big lizards. You monster. 0.5-1 HIGHLIGHTS: A night at the operrrrra
This starts off with a more rock-oriented ABBA but then the rock just takes over. I like it.
The similarity to ABBA is inescapable.
I don't understand anyone who would purposefully purchase and listen to this album. Strange proto-glam-punk that was definitely not my jam. A solid number 2. 💩
This was fine, though nothing special.
Having only ever heard "This town ain't big enough..." I was expecting something quirky and interesting,, but this quickly becomes very samey. I guess this explains how these guys have released an album almost every year in their 50 year career, yet no one ever speaks of them
What the heck did I just listen to?
Super innovative, operatic, wouldn’t play again but the effort is respected
Pretty generic pop rock, easy listening and nothing of interest. Might have been groundbreaking once but comes across pretty meh now
så jävla fett
Mäßig interessant. Eigentlich mehrheitlich nervig.
There are some very good songs on this album
Бодренько так. И хотя голос у солиста не самый приятный, альбом звучит довольно-таки интересно. 6,5 из 10.
What trash. Why did this come my way?
I just didn't enjoy the experience of listening to this. The instrumentals are fairly inoffensive, but that's the best I can say.
This is baffling, and not necessarily in a favorable way. These folks know a great deal about music and are talented, that's clear, but what the hell is this?!? I'm not even opposed on principle to weird for the sake of weird, but what is this bizarre circus nonsense? Is the record itself racist or just odd? What the hell is going on? I feel like I need to listen to this a couple more times. I'm simultaneously annoyed but digging it. Seriously, what the fuck. Notes on a second listen: It's like weirder Queen? And I dig it? Maybe it's really good?
Glam rock with a Captain Beefheart weirdness. The songs are great and reminiscent of T Rex and David Bowie.
fun
I think sparks are the ultimate "i need to be in the mood for this" type group. In my head, Angst is the album is enjoy the most, but i think Kimono is likely better overall. Everything on it is good, but Falling In Love With Myself Again is not only the best song on the album, its probably one of the best songs in their catalogue The voice can be grating at times, but its also the thing that makes everything more instant and different that other stuff. I am probably gonna go full 5
This band greatly benefits from being right after Public Image. Completely forgettable.
Never heard of this band, and hope I never have to listen to them again
THIS is what I've been wanting from this project. Never heard it before (that I know of), but such a unique sound. Fun, a little dramatic, sparkling madness in sunshine.
This is a great record and I need to hear more.
I guess I'm a glam rock fan now, because this album slaps.
<3
Fun pop with Asian influence.
Not very enjoyable 2/5
Some songs I could get into but overall, not my favorite. Could see how it was ahead of its time but very repetitive at times
This was sick. Incredible opening track. Whacky but intricately put together tunes. I'm Sparks-pilled
More fun than I was expecting
Replacement level 70s pop rock. Like album filler for a middling Queen record. Hookless. The only personality I caught was that the guy sings high a lot. Wikipedia says this is glam rock so maybe they look good on TV?
Interesting band I've never heard of.
1.5 stars. Piano-led falsetto glam rock. Too sing-songy and lacking catchy hooks or memorable choruses. Seemed like a knockoff impotent version of Queen. How does a track like "Equator" not get left on the cutting floor?
Catchy and poppy at times
A couple of songs are okay but overall I didn't like it much. 2 stars or D.
Ok obviously we fucking love this one. Can’t believe this is my first album recommended to me. We love sparks in this household. This album is just so odd. So operatic. So camp. So drama. I adore it. 3.5/5.
Not my taste. Their voices were not good, felt very Halloween vibe.
musik, inget speciellt..
sheer genius
It's Rocky Horror Picture Show without the Susan Sarandon's rack. No thanks. This is like an unholy marriage of Gedde Lee and Supertramp. Prog rock is only better than New Wave by the slimmest of margins...I'm not sure if it always comes out ahead. The goofy carnival piano on Falling In Love With Myself Again reminds me of ELP's Pictures at an Exhibition; not an album you want to be compared to. The music is bad, the lyrics are stupid, there's a fake French accent, what's not to love? After Paper Dolls by PM Dawn, Equator has to be second for most times saying one word or phrase in a song.
Opens with their mega hit "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" which had such an unusual sound at the time (and still has to a certain degree). This is followed by another single, "Amateur Hour", which wasn't as big in the UK. For me, the rest of the album is OK.
I liked this! Seems very ahead of its time! I bet it’s considered glam rock but it bent new wavy to me. Humorous and sharp
This rocks. I did not expect glam from this period and would have guessed this was made 10 years later if I did not know. Campy, great lyrics, funny, cynical.
sorpresa
I've always considered Sparks a little too wacky, which is still true, but there were some great instrumental moments here
An incredible, fun, campy, glam rock sound. Sparks’ Kimono My House is a cult classic, but you can hear how they influenced many later, more well known acts. 3.5⭐️
mischig zwüschad abba und queen - sehr experimentell aber gfallt mer eig no
Interesting. Id like to hear more from them
Weird but very enjoyable, really liked Equator
Unbearable prog pop. One of the most annoying things I’ve ever heard. Theater kids in album form - just a massively irritating and twee onslaught of bright noise, childish melodies, and idiotic instrumentation. OOH LOOK HOW WHIMSICAL WE ARE!!!! shut up.
Kate Bush vibes in the jaunty music and vocals but with none of the charm (not that Kate Bush has much to begin with). Awful listening experience
This sounds to me like someone trying to recreate Ziggy Stardust without Bowie.
Oh, this is what Sparks sound like. Like rock opera. Okay.
Weird. Still weird. I listened to this album quite a bit in high school. For some reason in the small town I grew up in the far north, where T.Rex ruled the local airwaves, it didn’t seem a far stretch for Sparks, the weirdo sibling duo, to fit in with the glam rock of the day. I honestly thought they were English. I was a mere lad of 14 when this came out and I recall Thank God It’s Not Christmas coming out right around Christmas as an irony burger with the line Thank God it’s not Christmas where there is only you and nothing else to do … at that time I was ready for weird. The guitar playing on this record was also pretty spectacular. Adrian Fraser has a pretty great tone on this record. The first 7 songs on this record are gold. It’s when you hit Complaints that it’s a little rough sledding to the end. What is amazing to me is that this record holds up pretty well 52 years later. I admit that I was a Sparks fan up until the disco years when they shifted to disco inflected synth pop. But, the Halfnelson record, A Woofer In Tweeter’s Clothing, Kimono My House, Propaganda and Indiscreet were a pretty good run of records. Punk rock and 1976 had a huge influence on my listening tastes and Big Beat was the last Sparks record I bought coming out in October 1976. Now that I’ve taken a detour, In My Family is the best of the end of the record. I never quite enjoyed the last three tracks. It was a case of playing all of side 1 and then the first two tracks of Side 2 (Hasta Mañana, Monsieur and Talent is an Asset) and then picking up the needle and pkaying something else. It’s not that Complaints and Equator are terrible. They are not. They were just not as interesting or catchy. So, were do we stand - not perfect as an album, but very few records are. Is it undoubtedly a great album still. Is it also still weird, which is perfect.
went in expecting a 2 or 3, boy am I foolish
3/10
Not my jam.
Kinda cool.
2.5, rounded up
I wanted to like this more than I did. It's got loads of personality but parts of it are irritating. The vocals mostly.
Fun 70s glam rock. "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" is a banger.
Meeehhhhhhhhhh
I really love everything this band stands for. They’re fun, witty, quirky, artsy, poppy—you name it, the list goes on. They’ve been remarkably consistent over the years, and I love that they’re still going strong. Even though they were part of the glam rock scene, they’ve never been the glamorous type. They’ve always carved out their own path, existing in their own world, and just kept doing their thing.
Love hate relationship with Sparks.
I JUST saw Sparks in concert last week! I love them and their entire very strange career. But this is definitely my favourite album! Glam rock perfection, especially This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us. I wish they had been bigger in North America. The reviews comparing them to Queen (unfavourably) are a bit laughable considering Queen, and especially Killer Queen, owe a huge debt to Sparks.
I was expecting more? Everything was just average.
Wacky wonderful album. While mostly enjoyable, I don’t want to listen to it again. One and done.
Great album, including two great singles, but the record is littered with fantastic pop songs
I'm kind of split on this one. It sounds like music that my favorite artists would like!
I've tried to listen to this before because r/indieheads is always glazing it, but I gotta say, this has me like <michael_bluth_her?.gif> (you know the one). I'm sorry! I just don't get it! This guy's voice gives me a migraine. Would way rather listen to Queen or T-Rex for theatrical, silly, sexy tunes. 2.5 rounded up because at least it's not boring?!
Quirky, ok
Good theatrical fun. I'm rating this after just one full listen, so I actually wouldn't be surprised if my rating went up on relisten. It's a 4 first time round though.
Not really my vibe. Interesting production value.
Some weird choices, definitely grabs your attention in places but not sure it’s my thing.
Equally strange and good. I wasn't expecting much as I read the wikipedia page before I got started, but it was very enjoyable. A couple of weaker tracks, but on the whole it was very good. It didn't sound like it was 50 years old. I really enjoy it when my expectations are exceeded, but it seems to have less frequently now.
Not the most enjoyable melodies or chords.. they are trying to be creative and different but sorry doesn’t work for me.
new wave meets a glam rock sound that just... isn't good didn't really enjoy listening to this at all...
Counter culture is definitely the best way to describe this album. Very interesting, sometimes a little grating on the ears, but I still can see some noteworthiness to it. Their studio recordings probably aren’t something I’ll seek out because I thought the live track at the end of the album was the best by far.
It's different.... not good, but it is different.
have you watched Annette, the Sparks musical starring Adam Driver? it rules
Interesting listen, just not something I think I’d revisit
p324. 1974. 3 stars. Exotic 70s glam rock with sly humour and fabulous guitar work. Starts off brilliantly but then flags badly as it runs out of ideas.
I don't think I can fully say that I "get" Sparks now, but I understand the appeal. There's a sort of eye of the storm feeling I get listening to this, like the chaos and nonsense swirling around these two strange brothers at its core in a way that is somehow ordered, if not predictable or entirely controllable.
annoying falsetto voice.
1974, huh? Seems ahead of its time. Complexity and pop can be friends. Theatricality, glammy, challenging, intriguing. I don't recall this and am loving it.
I’ve always loved Sparks - they’re still churning out crazy, whimsical. Quirky tunes. Russell and Ron - you can always Kimono-va to my place.
I hate everything about this. 0/5
This is so good on so many levels, but it's almost too full of ideas. I hit a saturation point and need to come up for air. But what a wild and interesting and odd effort. Wildly deserving of inclusion and exposure.
Well damn. That's a hell of an album. I only knew the opening track but the rest blew me away, too. Not sure why no one turned me on to these guys given my love for Roxy Music, as there is definitely a similarity in terms of sound and sophistication. (Although these guys are much more bombastic.) Will definitely have to check out more from them.
I enjoyed this so much. Before the start of each song I was excited to hear what would be unwrapped.
It's like a more unintelligible, bubblegummy version of queen. The songs were repetitive and seemed to have little to say despite how many words were being thrown around. I was coming in optimistic, but left with Dollartree Day at the Races. 2.4/5 - 2/5.
Shit
This SLAPPED. So fun and interesting, I never felt bored listening to this and wished it would keep going. This is 100% the kind of thing that I signed up to this to be listening to. EDIT: Coming back to this review maybe 1-2 months later. I’ve listened to this NON-STOP since and it’s launched itself to my fave albums of all time. My project got paused for ages because I had to do a Sparks deep dive of their entire discography and I couldn’t commit to listening to anything else. Absolutely obsessed.
Pretty good
Weird, but in a good way I think
The 1001 curators love their 70’s, but theatrical glam rock with operatic falsetto and cheeky lyrics just annoys me.
It’s just… amazing. The theatricality and energy is unmatched. No misses - and a more complete effort than Queen ever put together.
Probably my favorite Sparks album.
That was fun
Interesting listen. Reminded me of ABBA and Queen. I can see how modern “baroque pop” bands are influenced by this type of sound. Not something I’d probably come back to but not terrible.
Sparks are a fun band. I am a fan of around 15 songs in their catalogue. TTABEFTBOU is the pick from this 💿 for me
I had SO much fun listening to this!!!! 4.5 ⭐
Opens with a hell of a bop. Overall fun album.
Enjoyable although not something I’d choose to listen to. Fun.
I tried to, but I couldn't finish the album.
This reminded me of Styx or Devo. Or maybe just the weird parts of Queen songs, with out the epic singer.
Ah now you're talking. This is the album (with a famous appearance on the TV show Top of the Pops) that blasted Sparks off into the pop stratosphere and 50 years later the Maels are still making top notch albums.
There’s so much going on. It’s difficult for me to rate this, because some moments I really enjoyed while others annoyed me. Also not sure what to think of the vocal performance. Overall, not a bad album, but I’m having some mixed feelings. 3/5
This shit sucks.
Not my cuppa.
This is #day394 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I only know one song by this band ("Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth"), and it's not on this album. Kimono My House sounds like a marriage of '70s Queen and Bowie. Quirky glam rock with a progressive/art pop twist. Kind of fun, but it mostly leaves me cold. I wouldn't choose to put this on again. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day395.
Fun album. Have to concentrate more to catch the lyrics.
My first Sparks album. Knew *of* them but hadn't heard much *from* them. Almost has a Siouxsie and the Banshees flavor to it - you can see a few roots of that sound here, anyway (since this precedes Siouxsie by ~5 years). Some tracks also clearly are some small part of the substrate from which Jack Stauber emerged (Talent is an Asset). Strange, carnival-tent, tasty. I REALLY enjoyed this one - scratched all the right places in my brain. Would absolutely spin again.
Not my cup of tea, sounds like Queen with female vocals but more psychodelic and also less musical. 2/5.
I listened about halfway through when I decided I had enough of it. A lot of the songs sounded the same, and they were mildly annoying. I guess it's just not my type of sound. It gets 2 stars instead of 1 star just for being a bit unique, I guess. Maybe I'll have to revisit it later on to see if it grows on me, who knows?
46/1089 This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us and i’ll be the one to leave… 💀 really not a fan of this type of singing/cadence personally but i’ll appreciate it where i can The album just isn’t for me, seeing past personal taste i can understand why people love/like this but I just couldn’t get into it. Barbecutie, however, was a decent one that i enjoyed (perhaps because it had the least falsetto in it) 1 star or 18/100
its not bad but i didnt like it
Super 80’s fave
Labai keistai visos dainis girdėtos, melodijos atkartotos. Šiaip linksmas pasiklausymas.
I don’t know what to do with this. I guess it’s supposed to be good?
I feel you man, thank God it's not Christmas.
Extremely fun at first, and certainly well-composed throughout, but the maximal, enthusiastic performances wear out their welcome towards the end. An interlude or change of pace was needed to provide this album with some depth. “Amateur Hour” is my pick from this record. Twinkly, fun, and energetic. Strong 3, the first half of the album is pretty damn great in particular.
Interesting. I remember heating a couple of these songs in jr. high. Not something I’d put on though.
Interessanter Glam-Rock. Keine bekannten Songs, aber gut hörbar. Die späteren Alben der Sparks haben mir besser gefallen. 3/5
Some pretty good bangers! Top songs: "Falling in Love Again" "Thank God it's Not Christmas" "Here in Heaven" Favorite lyrics, tie: "There I'll spend the night/Meeting fancy things/At bistros and old haunts/Trying very hard to sin" "Dear, do you often think of me/As you overlook the sea?/ Do I qualify as dearly departed or am I, that sucker in the sky? The fall guy for the first and the last time! "Juliet, I thought we had agreed/Now I know why you let me take the lead""
Very fun album. Definitely need to be in the mood to listen.
Less than ok
Sparks is a strange band. Nowhere near as influential as their latter publicity claims, and their songs are pushing towards great but not quite there. The one really good idea they had, trying to poach Brian May, didn’t work as Brian would seem to have preferred staying in a band where he could be a primary songwriter. And though the wouldn’t have known this at the time, remain a member of a legendary band revered in a way Sparks never would be. So this nomination to the list is seemingly a response to a recent rather ok doco that posits them a bit higher up the ladder than they were. This stuff isn’t bad. Just not must listen. 2/5
Sparks seem to be everywhere recently -- the Annette soundtrack, the Sparks documentary, that video with Cate Blanchett, playing Glastonbury -- they seem to be having a real late career resurgence. This is one of those bands that has a real cult following, but I never really 'got' Sparks. And I have tried, believe me. 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 I 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.
Re-listen
Love this smarty pants weirdos! All time great album covers that genuinely reflects the playfulness found within. I find no faults here. 5/ 5
4.0 - Very Good
I really liked this, for half of it. But the sctick got old about half way through and started getting in my nerves.
odd, but interesting.
This Town aint big enough for both of us - 8/10 Amateur Hour - 6.5/10 Falling in love with myself again - 7/10 Here In Heaven - 7/10 Thank God It's Not Christmas - 8/10 Hata Manana Monsieur - 7/10 Talent Is an asset - 6.5/10 Complaints - 7/10 In My Family - 6.5/10 Equator - 7.5/10 Barbecutie - 7.5/10 Lost and found - 8.5/10 73/100
214/1089 - Very Geddy Lee-esque vocals. Kinda cool. I liked the different song types and ideas throughout but the stagnant vocals wore me down. I've noticed I've been less descriptive in my reviews over the last few weeks. Idk if it's laziness or shifting priorities or a change in how I view things or all of the above. We'll see what happens in the future.
Glam-pop, I guess. Not quite glam-rock in the traditional sense...or maybe it is, but it certainly caters towards a more pop audience. That doesn't change the fact that it trumps many other albums in the genre. I'd say it's mainly due to just how tight the song structures and core melodies are. Russell Mael's falsetto driving almost every song here never got tired, and he's just great at writing these incredible, pillowy lead melodies - my favorites being the ones on 'Falling In Love with Myself Again' and the opener 'The Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us'. That 'Equator' chorus is gonna be stuck in my head for a while as well...I just know it. He's a comical guy, too, just dive into the twisted yearnings of a song like 'Thank God it's Not Christmas'. Or the blatantly ignorant remarks of 'Hasta Manana Monsieur' and the endless Einstein puns of 'Talent is An Asset'. These are unconventional song topics and lyrics; they kept me engaged. I'd say the vocals and lyrics were without a doubt the best part of this album, which is saying a lot. The backing music here is dramatic, just how I like it, and it sounds larger than life on many songs - I love the way the 60s-styled wall of sound swoops in on a song like 'Here in Heaven', or the way the cutesy piano line complements the vocals on 'Talent is An Asset'. One of the better Glam Rock albums I've heard in a while. I appreciate just how humorous, sarcastic, and unserious it can be at times. And musically, it managed to keep me interested till the very end.
Je adore! I thought they were British when I first started listening to them at the intro of my prog rock lovin friend Whit’s suggestion. He introduced me to a lot of really cool music cough* the fall, beat happening, os mutantes and more. We still listen to a lot of sparks. They have an impressive catalog of music and this is a great example of the early years. Thanks Sparks Mael bros and thank you Whit!
Best Song: This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us Strangely, I enjoyed this more than I ever would have thought that I would. Now, that being said, this is weird, theatrical, and not my cup of tea. I wouldn't listen to it again but also wouldn't fault anyone's taste that would.
3.5
3.5
Wut in tarnation?
not bad, a surprise
I Liked the first song after that umm
This album actually really reminded me of Queen. Sounded good. Was fun. Songs differed. Cool album that I otherwise probably would have never heard of.
Love Sparks, but the sameness of their songs begins to wear on me with a whole album. That said, the songs are ALWAYS interesting. Going with 4, but it's probably closer to 4.5 for me.
pretty funny
Unhinged energy in this one. The band is pretty great, but the singer is a bit of an acquired taste (soooo much falsetto). I liked this all in all, definitely something different. Best song: In My Family
Very unique. A lot of different things going on. Wild. Stand out songs - Talent is an asset, Equator
Wow, that was a trip. Did not expect to like this but the music spoke louder than my preconceptions.
My first thoughts were, wait this isn’t glam rock. Wait, these sound like guys. What the hell is going on? After a few tracks it calmed down and I enjoyed it. I HATE the drummer though. It’s all the same very simple beat and they mash on the cymbals for every beat on every track.
Track 1 - This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us really like the drums/guitar, vocals/keyboard are good/ok, little long 6/10 Track 2 - Amateur Hour like the keyboard/drums/vocals 8/10 Track 3 - Falling In Love Again carnival sound, really like this one, kinda reminds me of tally hall 9/10 Track 4 - Here in Heaven nice falsetto, guitar goes a little crazy in this one, this one is hard to beat 10/10 Track 5 - Thank God it's Not Christmas based on first 30 secs and title you would think its a Blink 182 song, nice solo, overall solid, ends very bedroom pop kinda 7/10 Track 6 - Hasta Manana, Monsieur similar to other songs but I still like it 5/10 Track 7 - Talent is an Asset they really like clapping in their songs, sounds like the intro to an older buddy movie, still like the song a lot 8/10 Track 8 - Complaints pretty good 6/10 Track 9 - In My Family 5/10 Track 10 - Equator 4/10 Track 11 - Barbecutie like the bassline a lot just wish they kept it throughout 6/10 Track 12 - Lost and Found this one is good 7/10
I think I really quite enjoyed this. Only know the first track from the Faith No More collab as well
This a lot of fun. The lyrics are mad. The tunes are mad. The sound is very 70s rock. My dad likes it. My wife likes it. This town ain't big enough is awesome! Very happy to listen to this today.
This is an exquisite and unique glam rock. Sparks is a great ensemble. Sorry I’m out of words now, but cannot think of a right way to describe this. 4.5/5
Adoro a Sparks; es una de esas bandas que jamás me cansaré de escuchar porque incluso a día de hoy siguen haciendo música increíble. No podría quedarme solo con una canción de este disco, hay que escucharlo de principio a fin. Además, es la banda que más influyó a Queen. 5/5
Y’a des moments étrangement groovy entre les phases complètement coco dingo, pis je sais pas où je m’en vais avec ça, parce que j’ai très peu de souvenirs des chansons en tant que tel
Very theatrical, especially in the vocal delivery. Makes me think of Rocky Horror Picture Show for some reason. Musically interesting, but a lot of songs don’t land for me at all. There’s definitely some David Bowie influence here. Would I seek any of these songs out? No, not really.
That was interesting. And strange.
So good and still so damn good!!
Look up 'Sparks' in the Oxford English dictionary and what does it say? 1. Small shooting flames generated by a fire or friction. 2 The opposite of bland. As a 6 or 7 year old watching Top Of The Pops or seeing their picture anywhere Ron scared me shitless. 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both of Us' is by equal measure preposterous and magnificent. It sounds better now than when I first heard it 50 years ago. 'Amateur Hour" is great too. And the rest of the album, most of which I have never heard before, does not disappoint. At times they could be Franz Ferdinand, the tight pop guitar structure is there, but they are so much weirder. It's no wonder FF worked with them years later, I can here them in 'Thank God it's Not Christmas' and loads of others. Somehow the energetic madness becomes a bit samey on the last few tracks but the brillant opener gets a star on its own, maybe two. And finally, for about 40 years, I thought they were German! Early impressions and that tash.
Bizarre, but I kinda fuck with it. First few tracks are strong and sound ahead of their time. Lost me a little after that. “Gonna hang myself from the family tree” is an absolutely wild lyric
Die Sparks waren für mich in den 70ern ein one hit wonder, meinetwegen auch two hits. Mehr oder weniger bei mir vergessen. Bis jetzt. Das Anhören hat sich gelohnt.
Ok 2/5
Thoughts before listening: Long running underground weirdo rock band that came out of the punk/new wave scene of the late 70s/early 80s. I think thats the general idea with these guys. They have gotten some recent press, maybe because of a new album or something, so thats the main reason I have a point of reference for them. I know people love this album, but I feel like I've tried it before and wasn't into it. Review: You know what? This isn't as weird as I thought it was going to be. If anything, its a very poppy take on the glam rock bands of the mid-70s. I am hearing lots of Queen and David Bowie influence in these songs, with lots of theatricality in the performances and arrangements. I'm adding nearly the entire first half of this album to my playlist and this gets 4-stars
Day574 - credit for the theatrics and creativity
Fabulously weird album. Loved the chaos and the mix of instruments and sounds.
Highlights: This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both of Us, Amateur Hour, Talent Is An Asset. In a nutshell: kimono over/come on-a over. It’s glam rock but with better songwriting. Try to give this two listens. First round: take in the music (if Russell’s falsetto annoys you, hang in there. The band is great, especially the bass and drums). Round two: read the lyrics as you go along. They have a warped sense of humour that can be indistinguishable with the vocals. It should click after a few goes. The list of artists who were inspired by the Mael brothers justifies this album’s place in the book: from They Might Be Giants to Johnny Marr. You can hear the beginnings of new wave and future genres like indie pop here. Still unconvinced? Watch The Sparks Brothers, a documentary directed by Edgar Wright. Then we can chat about it over a cuppa. Overall: 6/10
So glad to find this through the 1001. Not a chance I would have ever found this otherwise. Absolutely love it
Quite the hidden gem. 8/10
It was okay.
Gets better each time!
It was fun that was really accomplished whilst not taking itself seriously. I think it will only grow in appreciation with each listen.
I love how weird this is, fun, glam that stays away from Slade-esque silliness. Quite edgy elements under the humour and faultless and almost unbelievable falsetto. Might go to a 4!
Joyful, catchy - slightly glam for my tastes - but excellent really. Strong 3
Unique and highly entertaining.
You can trust Sparks to play you a simple song in the most delightfully complex way possible. I’m amazed the frankly genius Thank God It’s Not Christmas has not made it onto any Christmas playlists I’ve ever encountered. The way they pronounce “Ch-rist-mas” is startling and exciting. Despite some excellent songs peppered throughout, this album as a whole is just on the cusp of being brilliant. Close but not quite. I love the vibe, the ambition, the approach (and the amazing song titles!) But the songs aren’t always quite there for me. It is potentially a bit style of substance in some instances.
Absolutely loved this, all the best bits of early Roxy Music stretched into full songs. Will be listening to more of Sparks!
When as was a kid and I used to see this band on TOTP the keyboard player with the Hitler moustache used to give me nightmares! But the music is great and takes me back to being terrified of a bloke on TV and hiding behind the sofa!
Saw Sparks in Manchester recently and they were amazing. This album remains a landmark moment not only in Sparks’ eclectic catalog but in the evolution of glam and experimental pop. It’s no surprise it continues to influence artists who admire theatrical flair and fearless originality. If you haven't heard it yet, it’s like stepping into a surreal cabaret performed by geniuses in vintage tuxedos and ironic expressions. A glam rock essential!
Fun Glam-ish rock from the Sparks brothers.
Musikalsk ikke dårlig, men opplever det som masete.
Close to being very likeable. The lead vocals kept preventing me from taking the music seriously. I quite liked the music itself. Easy rock.
Weird and fun
Ayo this one kinda slaps fr. Really fun sound. Best song: This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us Notable(s): Falling In Love With Myself Again, Here In Heaven, Equator, Barbecutie
At first I liked it, then it started to annoy me.
Brilliant. One of those bands I was supposed to get into and never made the time.
Grata sorpresa.
Once you get past the yelpy falsetto, there’s a lot to love about this.
Nice
I like this one! Great Glam Rock with a lot of character. 90/100
Never heard of these guys! I like them thus far, but nothing inherently is sticking out. High-level, they resemble 'Roxy Music'. edit: Enjoyed them, but didn't save anything.
Hard to believe this came out in 1974. Seems ahead of its time are various points. "Falling in Love with Myself Again" is a very annoying song. This whole album just sounds like i'm in a haunted circus. Overall, this album clearly was an influence on many artists to come after, but I just think this is an incredibly obnoxious album.
I really love everything this band stands for. They’re fun, witty, quirky, artsy, poppy—you name it, the list goes on. They’ve been remarkably consistent over the years, and I love that they’re still going strong. Even though they were part of the glam rock scene, they’ve never been the glamorous type. They’ve always carved out their own path, existing in their own world, and just kept doing their thing.
Not for me
Randomly watching that documentary about these guys one night is one of the best music discovery decisions I have ever made. They have so many great songs and albums over a very long and prolific career and this is probably the best place to start
It's quite a fun album, I like their style. Theatrical but not over the top like Queen are. A bit queer perhaps? Which I really enjoy.
Ça en fait 2 en peu de temps mais je suggère l'écoute du docu The Sparks Brothers (2021) de Edgar Wright. Ron Mael est un génie musical. Sparks a sorti MAD! dernièrement et pour l'instant il fait parti de mes meilleurs albums de l'année.
Art rock dégueulasse. Était mon premier réflexe. A la deuxième écoute, je reconnais qu'il y a des trucs le fun. Thank God it's not Christmas me fait penser à du Bowie de Ziggy Stardust. Il y a une dimension comique et légère au tout qui est le fun. Avec un fond un peu "prog rock". Je corrige le tir pour un 3 ou 4 étoiles.
J’ai aimé pour commencer, ça mets vraiment de bonne humeur, très upbeat. Mais rendu à la fin de l’album je suis épuisé. C’est tellement dense que ça prend tout mon p’tit jus. Ça prendrait de nombreuses écoutes pour tout comprendre. J’aime sa voix haut perché, qui change constamment. À redécouvrir dans le futur!
Strange
Interesting
Weird because I was looking at this album a day before it was randomized to me. I was looking at the Edgar Wright documentary on this band and this is the album with their biggest hit. From the listen, did not fall in love with this band and found it a bit of a bore compared to the other albums in the book. There were a few highlights in there.
I discovered this band through the generator and saw them live twice now. They are awesome and so sweet in person. One of the best discoveries I made.
mid-70s art-pop... 💩💩💩💩💩
A quirky and eclectic take on glam rock by a band that have deserved their place in the list.
And here is where Sparks formally introduce themselves. The expats had their blend of glam rock upon a world still feasting for more and were thusly rewarded with admiration that never wavered amongst the diehards. From its immediately intriguing album cover to the arresting compositions to the yin-yang chemistry of the Brothers Mael, Kimono My House is worthy of its classic designation. Favorites: This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us, Amateur Hour, Here in Heaven, Thank God It's Not Christmas, Talent is an Asset, Complaints, In My Family, Barbecutie.
This was a fine listen. Kinda strange, but I’d happily have this on in the background. No songs stuck out to me as big hits from one another.
Þetta var nú svolítið skemmtileg plata. Var ekki alveg það sem ég bjóst við og jaðraði við að vera of tilraunakennd fyrir minn smekk án þess þó að fara yfir strikið. Þannig að ég fílaði hana bara ágætlega en mun líklegast ekki setja hana aftur á fóninn.
great early record from a quality, unique duo
Brilliant album, brilliant duo, loved it
Enjoyed parts of this but other bits kind of annoying
Pretty cool kind of art rock, starts sounding the same after a little bit though
3/4
Hieno ja kivasti outo! 4/5
Hyvä poprock-pläjäys! riittävän erilainen pysyäkseen kiinnostavana. 4/5
Nope
Awesome album from Sparks!!
I wasn’t expecting to like it but it turns out I FUCKING LOVE IT
A glam Queen-esque album. I loved some 1980s songs by Sparks and this was my first time hearing their early stuff. It was pretty good, not something that I would visit a lot but it kept me interested.
What the fuck is this? Is this really good or really bad? progressive glam rock? Musically this kind of rules. The more I listen the more I don't really love it. It just kind of exists? This is for someone, it's probably not me. Did I need to hear this before I died? All these songs are the same. I'm out.
--This Town...boisterous and strange. Not sure how much I like it --Amateur Hour...I like parts but never really comes together for me --Falling in Love...I appreciate the theatricality but I'm just not feeling the song --Here in Heaven...it's okay I guess --Thank God...This one grew on me by the end --Hasta Manana...again, some interesting things happening. But it never comes together --Talent is an Asset...I like the bass. I'm starting to think I disagree with most (all) of the vocal choices on here --Complaints...every time these guys get a groove going they take a weird turn. I'm sure they would say it's artistic, I say it's annoying --In My Family...a more straightforward rock song but meh --Equator...I'm not in the mood for this bullshit --Barbecutie...I like the intro, I guess --Lost and Found...these guys can play but the songwriting is just not there
Not for me.
Unexpected, but I liked it.
Really love the transgressive art house rock vibe of glam. Never heard of this before, I dig it.
Cross between Devo and Rush.
Another one of those albums that make me question why is this on the list. This album just sounds rough and like a middle school group put it together.
I need explanation for why this is on the list
Aight musically I like it. I like the composition of the songs, I like the witty lyrics they’re really solid. Only thing holding this album back from being really good is the dude’s voice. It’s like a rip off of Rush’s frontman. The falsetto is bad and it happens on every song. Really unfortunate.
so glam rock is a thing??? does this album just get included on this list because it's so bizarre? is it a parody album?
I've always heard that Sparks was well regarded. This album has some interesting things going on but is a lot of the same overall "goofy" feel on every song. I enjoyed it but not sure I would revisit. 3.5 l, I round down. 1=Crap that shouldn't be here 2=I didn't like it but get why it's here 3=I thought it was ok or even like it, get why it's here, but won't revisit 4=I like it, will revisit 5=This is some of the best music I've ever heard and will continue listening to it
Heck yeah! I've been a fan of Sparks since seeing their documentary in the movie theatre in 2021. I believe this was their most commercially successful album although it's not my favourite of theirs. I haven't been listening to them lately so it was nice to be reminded of how much I do really like them.
Favorite Track: This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us
This album is wild. I didn’t realize glam rock was a thing in 1974. Talent is an Asset is a gem.
3.5
Okay
Not always gonna be my thing, but I could totally get into this on the right day. Fun glam rock, if a little camp for my tastes.
First time listened to Sparks album in full, and it's very solid. Love the sound and would've never thought it was released in 1974, sounds more of mid-80s.
Wild album. It feels like it should come with a Broadway show. Not very pleasing to the ear or profound, but a fun listen. Thank God It's No Christmas goes to Christmas playlists
Think Roxy Music has too much groove? Think Cheap Trick are too catchy and not quirky enough? Have I got the band for you! I don't hate this, I just don't enjoy it whatsoever.
>> the Beatles I only in recent years came across Sparks. Been loving the journey as they are so very much my vibe. This is the best album I've heard by them yet.
Yup, great album this. There are no fillers here just wall to wall bangers. Probably the finest example of glam rock at its finest. A pleasure to listen to!
Perfect. Absolutely perfect. I love every second and every lyric and every riff. An all time fav for me
So awesome. Weird workout music lol! But just like power pop goodness it’s really awesome glad to listen finally.
Not for me. Maybe it was my short temper today that clouded my judgement but I found this album annoying af. Wanted it to end after about three songs as it was pretty exhausting. 2/5
Holy Shit, these guys are still around. I really prefer the later stuff from the 80's This on is a little to offbeat for me.
Dad- 5 Mom- 4.5 Mike- 6 Lori- 5.5 Michael- 6 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 5.4
Melodic and odd all at the same time!
This was much more Japan then Japan was lmao (I got them last week so yeah). Pretty middle of the road 70’s rock so that’s sick stuff.
I am not surprised by the choice of this album by the creators of the list. However, for the rest of us normal people that are not into that general appreciation for whatever that album was would see it as just sound. I don’t get it and I don’t appreciate music that way to understand it. My girlfriend and I was ecstatic the moment that the album ended and in her words she dissociated from it. Never will listen to that album again.
At best this reminds me of a charged up Supertramp. At worst it reminds me of a charged up Supertramp feat. Meatloaf. The Good outweighs the Too Much though, I think this is weird in the right way, and very good, and I’m glad Sparks is around and on this list.
Discovered these guys through a doco on streaming service and gotten total addicted. Best unknown band around.
interesting, need to revisit
I love Sparks so much, and there’s still so much of their back catelogue I havent gotten to yet. They’re so consistently prolific and excellent. And it’s also testament to them how different this record sounds compared to Number 1 in Heaven, and how different that is to Lil Beethoven or Hippopotamus, all while sounding unique to Sparks. Sparks are the most unique band, and this shows a lot of that. Poppy, glam rocky, weird, OTT and understated at the same time. It’s a superb example of how weird and creative people can be. Chat GPT could never, ever be as creative and interesting as the likes of Sparks. I love pretty much every song on this.
Haven't heard any Sparks before except this town... always suspected they might be interesting, seemed to have the right amount of quirky but could go either way. Thought this album was great, sounded like a cross between Queen and Cardiacs. Preferred the more punky art rock songs but it had great ideas all the way through. The strangeness would get on my nerves if the songs didn't hold up but they largely did. Think I need a few more listens to get to grips with them but on this first go they are worth the plaudits they get. 4.5.
Falling In Love With Myself Again, This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us, and Here in Heaven were my favourites. Nice to see a band that don't take themselves seriously. Lovely moustache and dance. Overall, just a really fun group and album - my parents are big fans. Think they've been on a bit of a resurrection since they grouped with Franz Ferdinand a while ago.
Only really knew Sparks through the darkness cover but happened to watch their set at Glastonbury recently. Big respect to the moustache in various forms for 50 odd years. This was surprisingly good, didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. Doesn't take itself too seriously, but equally it's coherent. Highlights: This town ain't big enough for the both of us Amateur hour Hasta manana Monsieur Family tree Barbecutie Lost and found I think 4.5, so close to giving it a 5.... I'm doing it, 5 it is, the album ends really strongly too
A early/mid 70s glam record? Nice! Overall this was an enjoyable experience, the songs were good, the vocals were good, my only real issue was that it’s a bit much to listen to all the way through, for me it’s about a 3.5/5 so I’m deciding now whether to round it up to a 4 or down to a 3
boring
Foul
Come on over my house, and listen to this banger of an album. Admittedly, I thought the vocals of this album were from two X Chromosomes, until I Google showed me Russell Mael. His hauntingly beautiful voice, and the other brother's instrumental use gives me Queen vibes. Every song on here is a mini-opera, and takes me back to a decade I never lived in. Favorite Track: "Equator".
sparks you will always be famous 4.5
This is a hard one. I understand why it's here and I should love it given the fact so many musicians I like cite this album, but I just don't dig it that much. I don't need it for my collection that I know. I want to give it a 3+ because I guess I'm giving it 4 since it will inspire a lot of things I really do adore.
Sorpresa agradable
There's really nothing about this album I can get too mad about. I don't think I'll personally go back to it, as it sounds too much like "cabaret" or "show tunes" to me, rather than "glam rock" as I like it. Part of that is the female vocal style, instead of male vocals. However, I can respect it and understand why a lot of people would like it.
sparks are at least unique if not anything else
I’m sure it’s very clever but I just did not have the patience for the theatricality today.
Uh don’t know what the hell this is. One of the weirdest records I’ve ever heard. My friend insists that Sparks is not real.
Fun, but it did start all sounding kinda the same.
Not for me
Fun listen will try and listen to more of their albums.