Sparks

I nearly think that I remember that there were Sparks fans at watmm.

 

I can not find the threads with the search function.

 

Please glorify or desecrate them in this thread.

 

Please use these following youtube videos to remind yourselves (or as a first encounter) of the genius.

 

Obvious first video:

 

I Predict:

 

This song is ridiculously too good and ridiculously too well introduced in this video:

 

80s extreme:

 

Chicks dig metaphors:

 

 

Serious with a serious fake orchestra musical:

 

 

 

Sparks

 

Man, I gotta give these guys more time. I was initially put off by the vocals but those songs are awesome!

Classic performance, right here.

 

[youtubehd]beAbFjDER3Q[/youtubehd]

 

Also, I really dig the Visconti string quartet orchestrations from Plagiarism. This one is sick:

 

[youtubehd]8qF7qI06-O0[/youtubehd]

i love sparks. good stuff, but i always just end up wanting to listen to devo... something about the music just never seems "finished" in the conceptual sense, they're always one or two steps away from really having a strong statement. don't know if that makes sense, also, while they're always trying on different styles, it's never anything new or synthetic. Sparks skill is mimetic.

 

blahhh anyway good band, definitely one that other pop artists claim to love

 

 

edit: i mean they could never pull of devo's satisfaction cover. never enough talent for that

Edited March 16, 2013 by dr lopez

Just this, forever.

 

the giorgio moroder produced album (s?) are top notch, similar production to his Donna Summer stuff but sounds less dated now.
the entire 'from number 1 in heaven' LP is a moroder production.
He produced a lot of non electronic albums too but 2/3rds of this one is pretty full on synthesizer

Edited March 17, 2013 by John Ehrlichman

I'm a huge fan. I got OBSESSED with these guys about 2 years ago.

Kimono My House and Propaganda are both classic albums. I sometimes put them on shuffle together and it's becomes the greatest album of all time.

No.1 In Heaven, Whomp That Sucker and Angst in My Pants are all amazing LPs too. I've been trying to hunt down Terminal Jive for a while now. That is a Moroder/Faltermeyer one.

The fact that they linked up with G Moroder in the first place is possible evidence of a higher power.

 

Such a great band.

 

There is a recent video on youtube of them playing Propaganda/At Home, At Work, At Play in some rehearsal space with their new band and they fucking kill it. I'm too tired to find it right now.

 

It is also pretty amazing how many great bands they have been such a major influence on.

Edited March 18, 2013 by jefferoo

I can remember Sparks being pretty huge when I was a kid, never properly checked them out over the years but that's just my fault. This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us however is such a work of immense genius that any desecration in this thread should qualify an automatic permaban.

  On 3/16/2013 at 6:27 AM, THIS IS MICHAEL JACKSON said:

Sparks

 

 

 

Fuck. That's it. Sorry.

 

 

 

  On 3/16/2013 at 10:09 PM, dr lopez said:

i love sparks. good stuff, but i always just end up wanting to listen to devo... something about the music just never seems "finished" in the conceptual sense, they're always one or two steps away from really having a strong statement. don't know if that makes sense, also, while they're always trying on different styles, it's never anything new or synthetic. Sparks skill is mimetic.

 

blahhh anyway good band, definitely one that other pop artists claim to love

 

 

edit: i mean they could never pull of devo's satisfaction cover. never enough talent for that

 

Mark Mothersbaugh and Ron Mael are very different people... Yes Sparks couldn't pull off Devo. Who can? Devo was amazing, for a short while. What other band has had the talent for pulling off the equivalent of Devo's Satisfaction cover?

 

  On 3/17/2013 at 1:35 AM, tec said:

Just this, forever.

 

 

Makes me proud of pretending I can grow a moustache.

The only thing I know about Sparks (apart from their track This Town Aint Big Enough For The Both Of Us) is that the keyboardist is flipping hilarious. Every picture I see I just have a big grin on my face

 

On that second video in the original post I love how he's modified his Roland to say Ronald !

  On 3/15/2013 at 12:07 PM, octopus said:

I can not find the threads with the search function.

Don't worry no-one can - the search box here is as useful as an expander is to Clark. To find something on here just use google and add inurl:forum.watmm.com at the end of what you're searching for.

Just grabbed Kimono My House and it's fucking great! Where to go from here?

  On 3/19/2013 at 9:33 PM, modey said:

Just grabbed Kimono My House and it's fucking great! Where to go from here?

Propaganda. Equally awesome, imo.

Their bad/rhythym section was at their peak on those two lp's...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMLCGWYco6M

 

This song could have came out this year. So ahead of their time.

I hear a lot of influence on Faith No More in their work, in particular.

 

Here is the live/rehearsal version of this that I was talking about...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m7pHAF86dU

 

They still kill it.

Oh man, how could I forget about 'Beaver O'Lindy'?

 

  Quote

They say my voice is going to change

It cracks like arctic ice flows

and it croaks like old folks homes

 

[youtubehd]ChaHtYdaUb4[/youtubehd]

great band. This version of "beat the clock" got me hooked on this band.

  On 3/19/2013 at 9:33 PM, modey said:

Just grabbed Kimono My House and it's fucking great! Where to go from here?

 

 

Like they say, Propaganda is the next step.

 

A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing

Angst in My Pants

Halfnelson

Big Beat

No. 1 in Heaven

 

Lil Beethoven is a good minimal kind of album.

 

All are good. EXCEPT:

 

Interior Design is probably the only album I cringe at.

 

 

  On 3/19/2013 at 12:22 PM, mcbpete said:

 

  On 3/15/2013 at 12:07 PM, octopus said:

I can not find the threads with the search function.

Don't worry no-one can - the search box here is as useful as an expander is to Clark. To find something on here just use google and add inurl:forum.watmm.com at the end of what you're searching for.

I still feel like a cunt about that. I knew that. Once. Moment of selfish thread creation.

 

  On 3/19/2013 at 10:01 PM, jefferoo said:

Here is the live/rehearsal version of this that I was talking about...

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m7pHAF86dU

 

They still kill it.

Thanks for that.

Alright, definitely gonna check out Propaganda next. I might take it slowly with these guys though. There's a lot to remember in their songs; it's like prog-pop or something.

I saw them headline at the Big Chill a few years back and they were shite (apart from the hit single)