space_cowboy
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 9813
- Joined: 2007/07/20 14:49:31
- Location: Front and center behind these monitors
- Status: offline
Any Sparks Fans Here?
Been listening to them since Hospitality on Parade off Indiscrete in what 76 or so?
To me they are somewhat mad geniuses in music.
Several of their latest albums rank amongst their best - Lil Beethoven, Hello Young Lovers, though Number 1 in Heaven is a classic too.
Great way of taking a concept like being on hold on the telephone and making a song out of it, or noticing Ugly Guys with Beautiful Girls...Or Dick Around - an anthem for much of the masses
Anyone on here listen to them much?
Some people call me Maurice SPLAT Pro lifetime, ADK 6 core 3.6Ghz with 32 GB RAM, SSD 1TB system drive, 3 3TB regular drives for samples, recordings and misc. Behringer X Touch, UAD Apollo Quad. 2 UAD2 Quads PCI (i think - inside the box whatever that is), Console 1. More guitars (40??) and synths (hard and soft) than talent. Zendrum!!!
|
Garry Stubbs
Max Output Level: -49 dBFS
- Total Posts : 2619
- Joined: 2008/02/18 17:34:48
- Location: Castlethorpe, UK
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/05 17:31:38
(permalink)
Hi Spacey,
Yeah, I've been listening to them since 1974, when I was 14 years old. I bought the Kimono My House album after they hit the charts for the first time with "This Town Aint Big Enough For The Both Of Us" I couldn't get enough of them and even before their next album, Propaganda, came out I ordered their 1st two, somewhat obscure American released albums, Sparks and A Woofer In Tweeters Clothing. I saw them live for the first time at Liverpool Empire touring the Kimono album (managed to get served my first beer in the theatre bar that night, some nights you never forget !!!)
I think those two guys are true legends, with Ron Mael being one of the wittest, cleverest lyricists in contemporary music. The musical arrangements are bold and original too. Lil Beethoven is a true masterpiece, and yet, has virtually no percussion instuments on the entire album, which for the "rock" genre, is virtually unheard of.
I have every album they ever released, I honestly believe they actually invent musical genres of their own. So erm, yup, count me as a fan.
Peace Love and Understanding
Garry Kiosk
https://soundcloud.com/garry-kiosk Sonar Platinum 64-bit: Q6600 8Gb Win7 64-bit: KRK Monitors: ART MPA PRO VLA ii preamp: 3 x 500Gb internal SATA disks: Superior Drummer2: GPO4: Realstrat: Saxlab: Rapture: Dimension Pro: Ozone 4: Edirol SPS-660: PCR-500 MIDI controller: Korg PadKontrol: Fender / Gibson / Yamaha / Ibanez guitars:Guitar Rig 5: Dual 22" Monitors: Mapex Drums, Sabian AAX cymbals: Alesis DM5 Pro Kit: SE Electronics and Shure Mics: Mathmos Lava Lamp (40W)
|
Roflcopter
Max Output Level: -7.5 dBFS
- Total Posts : 6767
- Joined: 2007/04/27 19:10:06
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/05 17:46:55
(permalink)
Yeah, chalk me up as well - Li'l Beethoven is a masterpiece. Unfortunately for them they are musicians' musicians - maybe lucky for us - I think it probably kept them true to themselves. True legends, indeed.
I'm a perfectionist, and perfect is a skinned knee.
|
mgh
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 8594
- Joined: 2007/05/10 05:15:56
- Location: betwixt and between
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/05 17:52:00
(permalink)
hey never heard of em til now...then googled and of course 'this town'...genius stuff. like queen but a few years ahead.i shall have to get some of their albums....
|
Jonbouy
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 22562
- Joined: 2008/04/14 13:47:39
- Location: England's Sunshine South Coast
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/05 19:08:33
(permalink)
Anyone on here listen to them much? I haven't for awhile but I was well into them at one time. What really used to amuse me was if they ever got put on in a dance hall the floor would clear. It's strangely un-danceable music for some reason that I never got to the bottom of. Which is a kind of genius in itself.
post edited by Jonbouy - 2009/03/05 19:15:50
"We can't do anything to change the world until capitalism crumbles. In the meantime we should all go shopping to console ourselves" - Banksy
|
Fog
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 12302
- Joined: 2008/02/27 21:53:35
- Location: UK
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/05 20:10:50
(permalink)
I like their stuff, but it's quite niche.. I don't mean that in a bad way..
Ron? is interesting in a sense.. if you see his face.. you think.. ahh thats the bloke outta sparks
I can't say I knew them from the early 70's though.. I wasn't old enough to worry about music at that point. hehe
|
MemphisJo
Max Output Level: -79 dBFS
- Total Posts : 594
- Joined: 2009/02/08 20:24:22
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/06 00:20:50
(permalink)
Wow, that's a blast from the past, I haven't listened to them in ages but very much enjoyed their quirkiness, it's right up my street. I'm gonna dig out those old cassettes now... or were they 8 tracks???? 
|
jamesg1213
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 21760
- Joined: 2006/04/18 14:42:48
- Location: SW Scotland
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/06 03:17:11
(permalink)
I like them a lot, highly original band. They did an extraordinary thing last year - played each of their albums live, in the correct running order, one album each night.
Jyemz Thrombold's Patented Brisk Weather Pantaloonettes with Inclementometer
|
Bristol_Jonesey
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 16775
- Joined: 2007/10/08 15:41:17
- Location: Bristol, UK
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/06 07:03:15
(permalink)
CbB, Platinum, 64 bit throughoutCustom built i7 3930, 32Gb RAM, 2 x 1Tb Internal HDD, 1 x 1TB system SSD (Win 7), 1 x 500Gb system SSD (Win 10), 2 x 1Tb External HDD's, Dual boot Win 7 & Win 10 64 Bit, Saffire Pro 26, ISA One, Adam P11A,
|
MemphisJo
Max Output Level: -79 dBFS
- Total Posts : 594
- Joined: 2009/02/08 20:24:22
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/08 22:24:15
(permalink)
You would have thought huh?? First album 1971 most recent 2008 (they are still active)! they spent over a decade in the UK in the 80's as they made it big in Europe (especially the UK) before they were really well known in the USA.... (info from Wikipedia,) amazing.
Attached Image(s)
|
space_cowboy
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 9813
- Joined: 2007/07/20 14:49:31
- Location: Front and center behind these monitors
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/09 12:10:30
(permalink)
Anyone who hasn't listened to Lil Beethoven has a treat coming. I have like 12-14 LPs of theirs and it is not a comprehensive collection.
Some people call me Maurice SPLAT Pro lifetime, ADK 6 core 3.6Ghz with 32 GB RAM, SSD 1TB system drive, 3 3TB regular drives for samples, recordings and misc. Behringer X Touch, UAD Apollo Quad. 2 UAD2 Quads PCI (i think - inside the box whatever that is), Console 1. More guitars (40??) and synths (hard and soft) than talent. Zendrum!!!
|
Garry Stubbs
Max Output Level: -49 dBFS
- Total Posts : 2619
- Joined: 2008/02/18 17:34:48
- Location: Castlethorpe, UK
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/09 18:50:11
(permalink)
ORIGINAL: space_cowboy
Anyone who hasn't listened to Lil Beethoven has a treat coming. I have like 12-14 LPs of theirs and it is not a comprehensive collection.
Yup, Spacey you are right, Lil' Beethoven is an amazing album. Very hard to describe, but in a highly listenable, entertaining way. The final track, Suburban Homeboy, has some of the funniest lyrics I've ever heard, and with the arrangement its basically like a modern day Gilbert and Sullivan piece
https://soundcloud.com/garry-kiosk Sonar Platinum 64-bit: Q6600 8Gb Win7 64-bit: KRK Monitors: ART MPA PRO VLA ii preamp: 3 x 500Gb internal SATA disks: Superior Drummer2: GPO4: Realstrat: Saxlab: Rapture: Dimension Pro: Ozone 4: Edirol SPS-660: PCR-500 MIDI controller: Korg PadKontrol: Fender / Gibson / Yamaha / Ibanez guitars:Guitar Rig 5: Dual 22" Monitors: Mapex Drums, Sabian AAX cymbals: Alesis DM5 Pro Kit: SE Electronics and Shure Mics: Mathmos Lava Lamp (40W)
|
space_cowboy
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 9813
- Joined: 2007/07/20 14:49:31
- Location: Front and center behind these monitors
- Status: offline
RE: Any Sparks Fans Here?
2009/03/10 16:08:52
(permalink)
i love the ugly guys with beautiful girls and whatever that song is "And then she said "your call is very important to us. And then she said "Please hold, please hold."
Two things that seem drawn right out of everyday life.
Some people call me Maurice SPLAT Pro lifetime, ADK 6 core 3.6Ghz with 32 GB RAM, SSD 1TB system drive, 3 3TB regular drives for samples, recordings and misc. Behringer X Touch, UAD Apollo Quad. 2 UAD2 Quads PCI (i think - inside the box whatever that is), Console 1. More guitars (40??) and synths (hard and soft) than talent. Zendrum!!!
|