Sparks - C ou D

Re the question: I like some of their songs, but not that many. When they're on, they're a breed apart, but I certainly can't listen to a side all the way through.

"Nicotina"

Not every cigarette is a dead, dead thing
Some have a mind and try to be other things
Pushed in the pack, they crave some Virginia air
Softly, they pray to someone, but life ain't fair

They're born to lose
They're born to fill
The lungs of Jack
The lungs of Jill
And like I said
Life just isn't fair

Nicotina, Nicotina, Nicotina is her name

Once in a while a cigarette has a name
N-I-C-O-T-I-N-A, that's her name
She had a tiny voice, and she sang all day
She was a cigarette, but she loved to play

Nicotina, Nicotina, Nicotina is her name

A man with a cough
Stepped to the machine
Dropped coins in the slot
The end of a dream

He ripped the pack and coughed, and then coughed again
Popped out a cigarette, and we're near the end
She screamed and screamed but so much was filtered out
Now Nicotina's only a tiny cloud

Nicotina's gone, but life goes on though
Nicotina's gone, but life goes on though
Nicotina's gone, but life goes on and on and on and on and on
Nicotina, Nicotina, Nicotina was her name

An acquaintance, Michelle who helps run Marc Almond's website, has a slew of enjoyable photos from the recent London show up here:

http://www.beyondthedarkroom.co.uk/

Click on 'Stage' and then follow the links.

I say the early 80s version of Whassup and he scretches his chin, tells me in his late thirties, and he's worried that he isn't married yet. "Am I weird or something?" he asks.

I was happy to let Sean in SF know about their show tonight via chat -- he got all excited because he didn't know about that beforehand, and is at the venue now! Hope he has a good time.

A fine disc, that, as you can see here.

and if not, b) am th only one who thinks there is no such person as Noel and the song is just Russell singing in a low voice then sped up? Even the picture of "noel" on the label is questionable...I swear it could be Russell!

Also, 'We Are The Clash'. That's quite good too. I swear this band can never step a foot wrong.

I don't know if 'We are the Clash' has been discussed already but it's from a recent issue of Uncut, part of the Clash-tribute cover cd, and so it's very nu-Sparks. Big clean sharp sound and well worth hearing. 'Dancing is dangerous' is set to be my big 'weekend song' for the next few months, I can tell. Really, everyone should hear this - interested parties should email me.

Here is the track list for "Hello Young Lovers":

"Dick Around"
"Perfume"
"The Very Next Fight"
"(Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country?"
"Rock, Rock, Rock"
"Metaphor"
"Waterproof"
"Here Kitty"
"There's No Such Thing As Aliens"
"When I Sit Down To Play the Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral"

I love this record already.

That reminds me of the Scott Walker line (well, Jacques Brel in translation via Scott Walker):

A ring on every finger
A finger in every country

ihttp://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/gut/images/sparks/ss1_sml.jpg

For the tour, looks like they'll be doing the Li'l Beethoven thing where the concert will have the first half be the new album in its entirety.

The drummer's purty.

I'm just listening to Profile again and I'm just amazed at how every song could be some other band's entire career (and probably was once that band heard these guys). "Angst in My Pants" is so damn perfect, hilarity and melancholy poised *just* right.

That was a weird set list!!!

Good!

it was kind of surreal, for the last few days there's been a particular early Sparks deep cut stuck in my head (thanks to some recent reissues) and it was somehow actually in the set list. mind you I'd been avoiding spoilers, I had no clue what was coming.

I don't wanna spoil anything for those who are planning to see them, all I'm gonna say is they played a lot of really great tunes from not-so-great albums, it was really a showcase of their entire career, none of this "lets just forget about the 30 years between then and now" shit a lot of veteran bands do. some of the guys I went with knew very little about the band and left very impressed.

Russ sounded incredible. his voice really hasn't changed at all. one thing I will say though, I know a Garth Brooks outfit when I see one, and the man definitely cribbed a part of his wardrobe last night. Ron on the other hand was wearing a suit and XXXXL shorts

I don't even especially like the song, but it was touching to hear them bring out something as obscure as "Those Mysteries" when I saw them in 2013. I guess reviving their entire catalogue onstage shows they're willing to encompass it all.

I saw 'em in DC last week and it was easily the most energetic Sparks audience I've ever been a part of. Also (unrelated, I'm sure) the youngest crowd I've ever seen at a Sparks show. Some teens, and more than a few genuine children there with their parents. I saw one young kid wearing a yellow suit modeled after the cactus suit Russell wore on American Bandstand in 84! I think the documentary has been really key in creating a new generation of Sparks fans.

yea there was definitely a moment like that concerning a particular tune I really love from one of those albums so unliked you have to hit "see all" on their RYM page to find it. and it wasn't even one of the singles! totally killed too.

xp That same kid came to the DC show in the same outfit last year. Russell pointed him out from the stage.

The album's good! Not *too much* of a departure from the previous two.

actually I would disagree with this! the wild hyperactive electronic stuff (especially on "Mona Lisa"!) seems unlike anything they've done in the past. also it's cinematic and sweeping in a way their last several only hinted at. it's also...oh I dunno...a bit more TMBG-ish I think. obviously I mean that in a good way. if any of them I think it reminds me most of Hippopatamus but it's actually more ambitious than that. some of the string arrangements are really pretty! are they still fake??

"Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is" definitely feels like one of those things where a band will randomly slap some unreleased tune from their glory years onto a new album and hope nobody notices. only its actually one of the less interesting songs on the album, instead just sounding kind of out of place, as good as it is. maybe they wrote it just to prove they still could do songs like that

some of the string arrangements are really pretty! are they still fake??

I've been wondering about that too. One of my first thoughts hearing the album was that they must have started using some new, more realistic orchestral samples, but then on the Tim Burgess Twitter listening party, Ron said the orchestrations for "Take Me for a Ride" were done by Nathan Kelly, who did the orchestrations for the 40th anniversary Kimono concerts. I don't see his name anywhere in the credits though, and there aren't credits for any orchestral performers, so I'm not sure about the exact extent of those orchestrations. Maybe he helped out with some other songs too?

"When You Leave" could totally be a TMBG song.

Last night's Hollywood Bowl show: a real treat. It's been pretty much the same set for the tour but it was a delight hearing "Beaver O'Lindy" dug up.

They’ve had plenty of lovely songs over their career but a couple of times on the latest album they go for a kraftwerkian prettiness that feels quite new and a perfect fit

Def up there with their very best for me, first listen gave me the same feeling as Hello Young Lovers where I wondered if this is actually the best they’ve ever been

They're just that good!

What a career

Just saw the documentary last night and I was most surprised by how Californian Ron sounded - I don't really know what I expected him to sound like though! Obviously the best thing about it was the Mael Brothers, I could have done with a lot more of them and a lot less of comedians I've never heard of whose agents got them the gig. Also the chronological album-by-album approach became a bit of a route march.

Didn't expect this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH8i_-vUwGY

Lil' Richter

Roffle

Oh, that sounds beautiful (on one play).

cant think of a single other Sparks track that sounds like this

Rarely see Sparks vinyl for decent prices out in the wild so I was pretty stoked to grab Indiscreet and Propaganda the other day for seven bucks apiece.

Vinyl and CD reissues coming soon for #1 Song in Heaven and Noel's heretofore out of print "Is There More To Life Than Dancing?" from 1979. I never had heard of Noel's record before, but it's awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6dAYlIHeqc