Kimono My House

This shit sucks.

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.

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?

its not bad but i didnt like it

I don’t know what to do with this. I guess it’s supposed to be good?

Interesting. I remember heating a couple of these songs in jr. high. Not something I’d put on though.

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

Wut in tarnation?

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.

Ok 2/5

Day574 - credit for the theatrics and creativity

Musikalsk ikke dårlig, men opplever det som masete.

At first I liked it, then it started to annoy me.

Not for me

Strange

--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.

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

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.

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.

boring

Not for me

Meh.

Un disco extraño. Me parece muy bien grabado, interesante el registro de la voz del cantante. Pero de esa época prefiero estilos de rock más progresivo. No pude hallarme en estilo glam rock de la propuesta.

Bit over the top avant garde for me...

Just not very good. The vocals are grating, the singer doesn't enunciate at all and it overall feels like it's trying to be Bowie without the charisma or musical talent.

This one was not for me. There is some great musicianship throughout many of the tracks but nothing really grabbed me.

Kind of reminded me of Supertramp a bit? Well anyway, it didn’t really grab me.

Ehhhh I can see some of these in a playlist but it didn’t move me as an album

It’s just not for me

If you threw Styx and Abba in a bag and chucked the bag into a river of sweet Brandywine you'd have this. I don't hate it.

Weird album, didn't like it.

Perhaps wasn’t a good one for walking to work but would try again while cooking

Nope

Interesting to start off but it gets repetitive. By the end I was sick of his voice.

313/1001

ok

Idiosyncratic. That's the word. I remember "This Town..." from period. I thought it was "odd" then and I still think it is odd. The album is 50s show tunes meets rock. One could level the same accusation at Queen, but they carry it off better. I don't hate this... I am not sure that I like it either, that's the problem. 2/5.

The music is okay, and there is nothing to complain about. But I cannot fathom the singing. Way too artificial for my taste. It's done because it's "art", but not for the reason that the music needed it to be that way.

One okay song and the rest weren't great

Very much in the same vein as Supertramp. Not necessary bad, but also not very good. Very in the middle. 2.5/5.

A couple of the songs were decent but overall not really my style

It's okay, but nothing where I would say "oh, yeah, you got to listen to this"

fun quirky weird, I feel like this in '74 paved the way/ served as inspiration for many other musicians but I don't have the brain power at the moment to talk about it - but I think of Pizzicato 5 in Japan and Souxie, Berlin etc - I wouldn't go back to this record but it was fun

Impressive vocals. The record feels really one dimensional after a while

Some bands are best enjoyed in small doses, while others can be overwhelming over the course of an entire album. For me, Sparks falls into the former category. If I listened to one song a day, I might rate this album much higher, but taking in a full hour of their music at once feels like too much to digest.

This sounds kind of like if Joel Gray playing the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret started an American rock band. And I don’t like it.

This album reminds me a lot of Queen. There's a song or two here that would be okay to listen to again. But, like Queen, there is no way I want to listen to a whole album of it. And the highs aren't as high as Queen's are, so there's even less to want to listen to it again.

Trying too hard to be David Bowie but lacking the musical depth and clarity of story telling.

It’s funny the opening song is the first single and I’m not sure why it was a hit. This album is interesting in that it’s always interesting to hear the culmination of many music decisions to create a piece of art. In reading the wiki for the band and for this album, I was surprised to see how many musicians cited this as their favorite record. I think for me, this is a situation in which I would have found this record impressive if I had heard it when it was released. Listening to it now I hear more of the people they inspired, like Bowie, DEVO and Queen. So it feels like a cheap imitation instead of something original and innovative.

This is not all bad, but there's not a lot that's good here. They can write songs and play them, but over-dramatic 70s fare is not my idea of a good way to spend 43 minutes and 11 seconds.

Als ik de reviews bekijk lijkt het erop dat ik iets mis, want ik vind het helemaal niks. Een musical/theater-achtig stuk glam waar ik vooral hoofdpijn van krijg. Een soort ADHD Bowie. Druk gedoe. Ik ga hier niet teveel woorden aan vuil maken. Ik zal het op 2 sterren houden omdat er wel muzikaliteit in zit.

2.5

Don't particularly like glam rock and hate the vocals. 2 stars

Kimono my house but don’t invite Russel Mael. His squally, super-theatrical dentist drill vocal stylings basically wreck the joint. Otherwise this would have been a fairly solid bunch of spiky and angular 70s glam pop. This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us and outro of Equator two main peaks of annoyance. 2.5 stars.

Glam rock is a genre I can confidently say is not for me. Too much falsetto and cabaret feel.

Energetic and fun.

Isch würki nöd lääs zum lose. Ahstrengend und nervig. Sorry sparks. Die zwei Haupt-Bandmitglieder sind glaubs e Mücke, e Staubsuger und werded de no joint vo zwei stimme einere gitarre und einere Dröm 2 gnervti Bachpfeiffen

kimono my ass also grundsätzlich gseh ich mich scho zu vereinzelte passage mit de boys während em choche chli im chreis tänzle... im grosse und ganze hed mich de ganzi gspass aber zu fescht anes musical erinneret und das chund mer also gar nöd is huus wämmer aber trotzdem mal en sponti flashmob dezue choreographiere? eifach für de fall sorry aber vo mir gids dasmal nur 2 wurfstern

Found it more annoying as it went on. Was looking forward to a few songs being over. Instrumentally pretty decent but the vocals wore on me. Very eh bordering on unpleasant

..

No private session used. This whole album had a frantic, energetic style that was exciting at first then a bit grading after a while. Reminded me of Queen, but without the contributions from other members to balance things out. Looked forward to it ending as it was hurting my ears.

2 nice songs rest was more of the same

A really bizarre listen. Songs will move between goofy to catchy to wild to incomprehensible in the span of 20 seconds, multiple times. While I respect the creativity that went into the album, it doesn't really work for me. Some of the songs do stand out, but this almost feels like circus music to me. Top tracks: Here In Heaven; Hasta Manana, Monsieur

Mostly annoying.

Som vanligt hög kvalitet, men vafan?

I can't really stand that voice, sorry. Smacks of being weird for the sake of it, which works for a couple of songs but a whole album really tests your endurance.

The interesting thing about doing this 1001 album thing for so long is that you start to develop a good sense of the quality of the music prior to listening solely based on the album art. You know how they say you can't judge a book by its cover? Well... you can with an album most times. This wasn't really great; maybe I didn't get it. 4/10.

Hearing the vocals, I honestly assumed the two Japanese women on the cover were the band. Good thing I tend to have a look at the Wikipedia most days. That's not why I'm giving it 2* though, I just found it a bit annoying

non mi ha fatto impazzì....

Uiteindelijk valt de zang me echt teveel tegen. Net geen 3 daardoor.

this sucked

Yeah like that first one is a cool slightly offbeat song, goes downhill quick and hard!

Not my thing but there is a thread of joyous fun running through it. Goes on a bit too long though.

Will not remember after T-2 days... Yep, already forgotten...

Not my forté

Honestly wtf even is this. 1.83

Rock com algum grau de diversão.

2.5

Just didn't feel the love for this. Saw them live once too (at a festival, just a few songs). Crowd were in raptures. Maybe this is just an album you need to spend time with.

Wow what a linear regression of an album. From just okay to downright trash. Especially Equator, that song made me want to put a bullet in my head. There were no highlights, only mediocrity to 'holy fuck I can't wait for this to end'. Pretty sour listen, I struggled to get through it twice, only making it about half way before I was done. That being said, not every song on here is bad, so it's not worthy of a 1. Honestly, not much to be said here, and the album cover just reminds me of two evil American kimono-wearing energy vampire girls at JAZZ IN (ろくでなし) in Kyoto. I will never forget them and their evil, vindictive ways. Those 3 hours of my life on the short trip I had abroad that I will never get back. I wish the rest of their life is filled with nothing but warm beers, sour milk, and mouldy bread. The lies spoken by both parties, sins never washed away, the word of Satan behoves them. One day our paths will cross again, and I will be ready. Ready for what is to come. I will emerge triumphant, or perish. I await that day.

The blokes who made this album look like they eat human flesh. I couldn’t quite place their ethnicity either even though they look kind of white. I’ll need to research their genealogy to find the appropriate slurs to call them… I know I’m not enjoying an album when I’m constantly checking to see how far through I am. I had reasonably high hopes after the first track but the album took a nosedive in the category of being interesting after that. This album feels like if you told an ai to generate an album that sounds like the 80s. I did not care for it.

Look its different I'll give it that, but wasn't for me. It feels like British music but using Japanese as the theme. Opening few songs were fine but the rest were pretty forgettable for me. 2/5

This Town Isn't Big Enough For Both Of Us, Equator

How this has so many 5 star reviews I'll never know. This album is hard to listen to as it is so dated. The singing is just too cheesy and the instrumentals can't save it. I mean I could've just looked at the cover and realized it would be a 2 but I listened to it and found out the hard way.

Not the worst thing I’ve heard

Not their best work

I get why people would really like Sparks. Glam Rock with actual talent seems to be a rare find but for me, if it’s not Queen I’m not very interested. Not a bad album, not for me though… and Sparks are guys? Wtf 5.1/10

Pretty cool, although not exactly my jam. I'm glad I listened to it, but it seems very unlikely I'll go back for more Sparks in the future.

Not for me. I don't think this has aged well, and I guess I never connected with it back in the day so that so had sailed. It's not terrible, i just don't care for it. It's just a two.

Holy falsetto. This album sounds like Tiny Tim, Queen, and Rush teamed up to make an album. It's weird and I'm not sure who chooses to listen to this for enjoyment. It sounds like Sparks thought of a random song name and then they just say that word over and over again until you're mad. This wasn't good. 3/10 (1.5/5)

I know lots of people who hold Sparks' in very high regard, but I just don't get it. This sounds like a combination of the "weird for the sake of being weird" aesthetic of Frank Zappa with the Rock Opera-bound fetishization of Japanese culture not seen again until Styx's "Kilroy Was Here" or even Weezer's "Pinkerton."

I can see how this was kind of groundbreaking in its theatricality and ESC-compatible campness at the time. Yet: Bit too much for my taste, especially the vocal flourishes, and I prefer the traces this album certainly left in the mainstream.

#42 - quite strange and not my thing at all.

particolare, ma non particolarmente interessante

Prior to listening I was trying to figure out why this one was on here and then spotted this "Kimono My House peaked at number 4 in the UK and number 101 in the US". I don't get why this list hasn't been done by a US based company or whatever, I'd love to see a list made more for a US audience than a UK one. Again, I haven't listened yet but this is just another example. Especially as Apple Music is posting a top 100 albums and they are all fire and already better than this list of hundreds and hundreds we have had. After listening I Stand by the above, wasn’t a fan.

it's alright. almost a three star-er, but not quite

Peppy, poppy, exuberant, and saccharine sweet. Felt like anaphylactic shock about about halfway through.

This sounds like budget Styx.

Wasn’t awful but not for me.

I'd heard of this band but never checked out their work, so they are no longer a mystery to me. That said, I didn't really care for it. The lyrics are quirky, the singing and melodies a little too far in the art pop vein and therefore grating to me.

I wish there was the decimal point system because I think this is better than a 2 but not quite a three. I would almost listen to it again but probably not. The guitar and pitch of the lyrics throughout are enjoyable but I dunno

Very avant garde so I have some respect for it, but I also don’t want to listen to it lol.

I absolutely hated the falsetto shit with the vocals. It’s like a bunch of theater kids singing an obnoxious version of Hapoy Birthday two tables down in a restaurant. They tried too hard to be like ABBA, Elton, or Freddie and completely failed at the emulation. 1.9 stars

Sounds like circus music a bit too often. But it has some bangers when it goes for more straightforward rock.

I really like the guitar solo towards the end of the Complaints song, but the rest of the songs are not too great. The most annoying song was easily Equator.

Sometimes, doing too much isn’t chaotic and fun, it’s just doing too much.

Better than I thought. Totally worn down by the endless playing of ‘This town ain’t big enough for the both of us’ and the whole gimmicky nature of the band I was not expecting too much. Which is kind of what I got. Definitely carving their own path through the varied world of 70s pop, you can’t accuse them of copying anyone. But it’s not that inventive or attention grabbing. I did find my head bobbing to a few tracks along the way. Deserves to be on this list just to highlight how many different styles of music were available back then.

Unexpected and interesting! Sounded like a circus of some sort!

Very theatrical and reminiscent of ABBA/mama mia. A little bit too silly to take seriously

Die theatralischen Gesangseinlagen und die oft skurrilen Texte erscheinen mir eher anstrengend als unterhaltsam. Die musikalische Komposition, die einige als wegweisend betrachten, wirkt auf mich eher repetitiv und ermüdend. Während das Album sicherlich seine Anhänger findet und seine historische Bedeutung nicht abzusprechen ist, konnte es mich persönlich weder musikalisch noch emotional berühren.

not in love with this one

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. I did not enjoy it too much. It sounds like a cheap David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust era) knockoff. The instrumentation is fine but the vocals go a bit overboard with extreme falsetto and it just gets old for an entire album.

Opzich weer eens wat anders dan oudewittemannenmuziek. Maar of het echt goed was? Dat is een tweede vraag

Sorry, niet echt om aan te horen

Weird stuff

It was fine. Nothing too exciting for me.

Listened 2x. Not great. 2.4/5

Really not for me

I try to see the good in all music. I suppose Sparks is a niche band and had a place somewhere wedged iinto that rock opera 70's thing. I struggled with good rock opera as I easily get bored with too much of one singer or style of music and rock operas have a tendancy to be a bit long. Not to say that I don't really like some rock operas. Just not all rock operas and unfortunately, this is not one of them...

Electronic, new wave. Unique sound.

It was interesting but not really my style.

didn't really feel this one...

I'm all for interesting and creative rock, but this is just boring and often bad, sound like something I'd come up with as a 10 year old on a child's drum and keyboard set

Talent is an asset but so is audience retention

There's something about it that irked me, I think it was the style of singing. Not something I'd listen to again.

While I wouldn't call this bad by any stretch of the margin, it didn't really click with me. I didn't even notice when the album looped back around to the first tracks.

The music was great but the over-the-top vocals killed it for me.

it's unique, but it's bad.

Best Song: This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us. It sounds like a band trying to cover the bigger bands at the time, but the theatricality of it is fun. Worst Song: Equator. Obnoxious falsetto and a vocal exercise that just goes on way too long. Overall: Another dime-a-dozen British glam rock band. An entirely worse version of Supertramp. An album I didn't need to listen to. Also funny to notice that the number of plays for the songs on this album on Spotify drop linearly across its track list. It's a literal measure of people dropping out of this boring album before it finishes.

I’m so indifferent about this one. Not a lot to love but none to hate either.

Interesting history. Not a good album for me. I thought it was women

Iallafall rock. Inte riktigt min typ av rock dock, känns mer som att den hör hemma i en någon kaotiskt bit av en film än i ett album.

Lite för jobbigt att lyssna på.

Inte min genre det här och jag orkar inte riktigt med soundet i ett helt album, men ser man till varje låt för sig så är det en helt okej skiva som är rätt jämn rakt igenom.

Gives me a feeling of Japanese ABBA.... I don't know why 🤣🤣

This album was bizarre and fun but not something I want to listen to in its entirety.

><

Nope.

Vähän kuin Abbaa vaan ei kuitenkaan. Tiukkaa teki jaksaa loppuun asti.

Ihan ok

I didn’t like it

This album and band was unheard of for me. I hear this album by Sparks as an earlier precursor of influence to some modern day indie rock such as Animal Collective and Of Montreal. I enjoy how free and weird it is, seemingly not beholden to typical rock expectations. I can also hear the glam rock influence of the likes of T-Rex and David Bowie. 'Thank God It's Not Christmas' is a great, rocking song, with interesting chords, solid comedic value and hints of the glam rocker influences mentioned above. Although I found this album somewhat interesting and a new experience to listen to, I was not very fond of it. It feels a bit too unwieldy, erratic and uncentered. Interesting experiment and a decent album overall, but nothing groundbreaking or transformative.

Fun and energetic but really not my type of songs

yeah, nah

terrible, just frikken noise

Interesting, innovative and unique, but only occasionally good.

I’m guessing most you, like me, have never heard of Sparks. I’ll sum it up like this. Kind of like a happier, less depressing Pink Floyd. Toss in some psychedelic Beatles and some David Bowie and you got it. Nothing too amazing. Just ok for me.

Bijzondere muziek, niet zo m’n smaak. Ik vind ‘Equator’ wel echt een belachelijk ziek nummer

I now know that this exists.

Kimono My House is the third album by American rock band Sparks. This glam/art/pop rock album was critically acclaimed at release and is considered the Sparks' breakthrough album as well as their best album. The Sparks' duo moved to the UK before recording this album and also shifted their music style to be more pop-oriented. This was a popular album in the UK, being certified gold and charting well along with its singles. I enjoyed this fun glam rock album for the most part. Nothing unique stuck out to me, but overall it was a decent album.

Wasn't a huge fan. First song was solid though

Dislike the vocals

It's all a bit weird and is so in the trying-too-hard to be weird sense. It feels a bit forced at times, and that does a disservice to what are sometimes otherwise quite enjoyable tracks.

Some tunes I know beforehand, but this isn't great

I don’t think I “got” this one. I understand it may have been interesting and influential at the time, but this just didn’t click with me. A bit too artsy.

Songs were fun but something about those aristocratic sounding vocals is unforgivably cringe to me

Not my sound, although the album features This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us.

I love the way this project helps me learn so much about when certain styles, genres, and approaches were prevalent in music. So much of what I thought or assumed turns out, no surprise, to be off. For example, if I had no information about it, I would have guessed this album -- I'd not heard of the band or heard any of their music -- was from much later than it is. Also, had I not read the Wikipedia article on the album and then on the band, I would have assumed the vocalists were the two people on the album cover. A lot of the singing is done in a high voice. It's not the kind of music I enjoy listening to, but I can appreciate how different and interesting it must have sounded to a lot of people in 1974.

Fun but a bit tiresome to listen to all at once. Better in small bites.

Eh

The falsetto bits sounded like a bad off-Broadway production. The rest was actually pretty decent, but too few and far between. Best track: Thank God It's Not Christmas

The heck was that

Too weird for me...

It’s quirky

This did nothing for me.

Un d'aquells discos reverenciats per la crítica que no tenen per on agafar-se. La inicial 'This Town Ain't Enough for the Two of Us' és realment bona. Un exercici de creativitat i d'experimentació amb un bon resultat final... però poca cosa més. La resta navega per l'histrionisme i la voluntat d'epatar, amb uns resultats més aviat pobres

Today's effort is particularly bland glam rock.

Glam rock works when it's a bit self-aware and leans into itself properly. This doesn't do that at all, really - The Darkness do a cover of that first track that is just much better, it goes full glam, and it sounds like they're having fun, whereas here it's a similar level of OTTness but without the sense that anyone is taking this anything other than 100% seriously. 2/5.

Started off rough but got better as the album went on. Definitely some catchy, fun songs. There was some moments of cool musicianship, mainly thanks to Adrian Fisher and Dinky Diamond. Cool that Muff Winwood (Steve's older brother) produced it. Two stars just for these names. Honestly would've gotten another star or two if the guy just sang in his normal voice instead of falsetto the whole time, it sounded like the kimono ladies were singing for most of it.

Some pretty good guitar. Sounded like a pretty silly album

This was a strange one. Felt like I could initially get into the songs but then would lose interest over the course of each one. High high's and low low's.

Un disco que ingenta ser algo que no es. Independientemente es un disco y tiene su coherencia, no sabria que opinar sobre las letras porque no se les entiende nada es vergonzoso. La vibra no es mala pero es un disco que no me imagino reescuchandolo 4/10.

Weird and not super great

No

The near-constant falsetto is exhausting.

a weird European pop(?) album not Japanese like the album name

80s before the 80s were the 80s

everyone wanted to be the beatles

One song in this style is great, 2 is annoying, a full album is torture. They’re trying too hard to be original. It sounds incoherent and unnatural. Favorite song: this town ain’t big enough for the both of us.

What sounds like a breath of fresh air in the first few songs turns into dreadful monotony. No real evolution between the songs just the same idea stretched further and further. Select songs i’ll go back to but no substance here other then that.

Very weird and not very good. The world is better for Sparks existing, but I'm not a huge fan. Better than a lot of the dross on the list, but not by much.

Kinda just meh. Some interesting ideas but the vocals get pretty annoying with the overly dramatic/theatric style. 4/10

Not my cup of tea. Easy pass for me.

This was not for me. It sounded too much like musical theater. The guitar solos were actually great but they did not seem to fit the rest of the album. The singing was bad, and sounded only slightly better than Yoko. I will almost certainly never listen to this ever again.

Novel and unique at the start, but the eccentric compositions with the falsetto vocals are fairly exhausting after a while. Album is near average length, but it feels so much longer because of its relentlessness. Not an album I'd listen to all the way through again, but I'd listen to a song every now and again.

Weird kinda punk music. Not great

Why does Hasta manana monsieur have like 90 minutes of dead time? The album doesn't really strike my fancy too much. Better than some others, though.

Uh….. 2/5

I kinda hated this album. I'm not saying that Glam Rock is easy to pull off, but there just wasn't really anything special about this one.

One absolute banger, and a whole bunch of meh

Vocals sound Queen-influenced, although these guys cut their first LP at around the same time (1970) so who knows. The music reminds me of early Roxy Music, but not as good.

In the 70s the local indie radio station, CFNY played a lot of Sparks, particularly This Town and Talent is an asset. They were quirky glam-rock tunes that was pretty emblematic of that era. Bowie, 10cc and Roxy Music were some of the bigger names also doing this genre back then. These two tunes are IMO the best on this album, but unlike their peers, their sound hasn't aged very well I'm afraid. The cheap pun in the album title also sub-par.

This album made me think of being at Disneyland on a hot day and finding myself in line for it's a small world just to get out of the heat. Nice idea, but taking the brown acid while waiting was not. The ride turned into kaleidoscope of colors and sounds and lots of ducking to avoid getting hit by wooden shoes thrown by demonic little girls with tulips in their hair. Escaping that brought no respite though as animatronic bears would not leave me alone and I ended up drinking moonshine with them while playing a washtub bass. In the end, I trudged from the park like a parasauralophus staggering into the faceplant of its final dirt nap. In other words, for me, this album was a long, strange, trip.

Listened before: No Enjoyed: Not really Listens: 1 Just didn't do much for me

Didn't really like this one.

Long break, catching up.

What the hell was that? Would not give it a full three star but maybe 2.5. Will settle for the 2 so I don't get lulled into listening again

Was kind of hoping this would be a cool early J-rock band, but I should've known it was just a band using Japanese imagery given it was 1974. Music itself was forgettable, fine. 2.5.

not a fan of the voices but music is interesting and lyrics tool

A more pop-y Split Enz or Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band. Odd but likeable enough I guess?

I didn't really enjoy it, at times I found it quite annoying.

Pretty annoying. I guess this is for someone but it isn't me. Bad, but somehow not 1 star bad.

I really wanted to like this more, but it kind of fell flat for me. 2/5

weird but i kinda found it intriguing. the best thing about the album was the cover 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.

didn't finish

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

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.

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

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.

Strong 2, I do see the appeal but after a couple of songs I wasn’t digging it as much

Someone's jam

Too flamboyant.

wel oke niet wauw

Annoying singer. Wish I could rate 2.5

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!

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.

The songs were repetitive so this might be one better heard in smaller doses.

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.

This felt like weird kids music I kept expecting Carol vorderman to come out and teach me my 3x table

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 Town Ain’t Big Enough… is the only reason worth listening

Lost and found is good, rest meh

Not my cup of tea.

It was definitely interesting?

Very theatrical, I'm glad I heard it

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.

meh album not my type of music

While some of the more Beefheart moments caught my ear, I largely missed the point and turned it off after 4 tracks

70s glam rock. Glad I now know about Sparks.

Weird. Reminds me a bit of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, but an entire album.

1e nummer is echt leuk. Daarna vroegen de kinderen of die zenuw-muziek uit mocht..

Glam pop? OK bright pop music.

Weird en beetje te kitsch voor mijn smaak.

Het is absoluut weer een iets anders. Wel een hoog songfestivalgehalte.

4

Not for me but i see its value

2.5 - half a point extra for "this town..". i love that song the rest of the album sounds kind of the same

This didn’t do much for me. Quirky 70s music.

Sounds very "musical" and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Some songs start out promising and then get kind of silly with the singing.

Ugh, how quirky. If 10cc are Monty Python, these guys are Noel Fielding. Their one trick got old very fast.

Not absolutely terrible. Very funny track titles and they got us good.

Good album, with the sonority of its time. Very japanese like sound. Interesting.

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.

Not really my style

horrible. horrible.

ABBA had a baby with Queen. And it’s ugly.

Right from the first 5 over the top seconds I knew I was in for a bad day on 1001 albums. I was also absolutely sure it was Brian Eno somehow, or Bowie, as this 1001 list is entirely theirs. I was surprised to find it wasn't. It might as well be, though. The over the top cheese never lets up, so I guess you can give it to them for consistency. 1/5

Not for me. I didn't like the vocalist at all. Quirky lyrics and music. They may be clever though. Just couldn't get all the way through the songs because of his voice.

The timeless band who has inspired countless bands. Yet, their biggest hit was not until the 80’s with a former go-go. They are so well known even Paul McCartney parodies them in a video. Despite all of that, I don’t really get this album or band, quite frankly.

not for me

Cultural appropriation is wrong.

This is crap! A mixture of Dexys M. R. and Electric lights Orchestra. Happy to not play or hear about this anymore

There’s a certain level of weird I would go to, and this is beyond that. It’s like Queen mixed with a the B-52’s, only not as good as either. I disliked it from the very first song, which I heard is their most well-known one. That was true. It only got worse from there.

Chinas…

Goofy

kaulo vaag

A relentless show tune poppy annoyingly chipper group of songs I don't want to hear anymore.

absolutamente detestable insoportable innescuchable creo a ni lo termine es un espanto las voces agudas los gritos la musca tan al palo y mismas sintomias contetantemete realamente una basura

Why is this even on the list? It wouldn’t make my top 10,000 There is a lot of much better music out there

nah

The lilting melodies used on every song is an effect that should be used sparingly, but Sparks elects to assault my ears for all of the albums runtime with it. About half way through I had to drop the volume to about half what I normally listen at because the entire tone of the album is grating. I hate this and it makes me angry.

Really don’t like the singing.

Dosta naporno za slušati, kao neka skeri cirkuska glazba za djecu. Not my cup of tea. 1/5, 1/10

Mojo dojo casa house

interesting

Did not enjoy at all

My ex-wife liked Sparks. I'm really sorry but this means I can't listen to this with any kind of objectivity. She had bad taste in music. 1 star. Couldn't bear to listen.

Why... really why?

Clearly not my type of whimsy; gave up during Here in Heaven.

why do the vocals and the instrumental not match at all??????

Zu schrill! Nix für meine Ohren! Wieder mal! Leider!

weird lol

I’ve never really clicked with Sparks' music, so when this album came up for review, I was honestly dreading it. Still, I figured I'd give it a fair shot. I sat down with the lyrics in hand, hit play, and really tried to listen closely. Nope. Still not for me. I'm not even sure what bugs me the most: the quirky, over-the-top production, the eccentric lyrics, Russell Mael's distinctive falsetto, or maybe just the whole package together. It's all a bit too much. One star. Sorry, Sparks fans!

I could not get into this album. It seemed like noise for noise sake.

Only liked the one song

Didn't enjoy this. Didn't rise to the level of music.

Well I really hated this. I've often wondered if I was missing out on Sparks, as I've head people mention that their albums are better than their big hits might lead you to believe. Well maybe for some people, but this did nothing for me. Horrible vocals and everything just sounded nasty. I struggled to get to the end, but somehow managed. One star.

Boring, not my type of thing.

Not great. Felt like bad new wave. Idk man there's nothing here for me.

Jag har försökt med Sparks förut, men nä... Håller med Jonas dokumentären är bra, musiken not so much

Melodikryssetnestorn Anders Eldeman har uttryckt sin kärlek för Sparks. Å Eldeman är ju världens trevligaste och gladaste människa. Men inte ens Eldeman kan rädda det här. Som en kombo av det sämsta med ABBA och Queen. Påklistrat teatraliskt, vidriga arrangemang och en sång som borde grävas ned tillsammans med slutförvaring av kärnbränsle.

I have only heard of this band because Jeremy Vine bangs on about them and plays the first track from this album. Overall, not that impressed with Vines' recommendation.

Not for me. 1/5

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.

Trash

Ok

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

What trash. Why did this come my way?

Never heard of this band, and hope I never have to listen to them again

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?

Not my taste. Their voices were not good, felt very Halloween vibe.

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.

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.