Best of [Import]

Sparks | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 22, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Repertoire
• ASIN: B00004Y58H
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,548 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #62 in Music > Imports > Classic Rock
  • #83 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > Proto Punk

Track Listings

1. This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us

2. Amateur Hour

3. A Big Surprise

4. Funny Face

5. Beat the Clock

6. La Dolce Vita

7. The Number One Song in Heaven

8. Tryouts for the Human Race

9. When I'm With You

10. Young Girls

11. I Predict

12. Cool Places

13. Tips for Teens

14. Eaten By the Monster of Love

15. All You Ever Think About Is Sex

16. Pretending to Be Drunk

17. Angst in My Pants

18. Sextown U.S.A.

19. When I'm With You [Instrumental]

20. Girl from Germany

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

21 of the best from the brothers Mael who are still producing their own brand of quirky, fun, dance pop. All the classics including, 'The Number One Song In Heaven', 'I Predict', 'Cool Places' (feat. Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos), 'Tips For Teens', 'Eaten By The Monster Of Love', 'All You Ever Think About Is Sex', 'Angst In My Pants' and more. The perfect party soundtrack for people of a certain age. 2000 release. Standard Jewelcase.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tuneful and intelligent pop, December 19, 2004

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

Sparks first hit the limelight in about 1974 with the quirky This Town Ain't Big Enough, a powerful hook-filled pop song with dynamic falsetto vocals. It was a UK Top 20 hit but didn't do much elsewhere. Other seventies successes included Amateur Hour, Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth and Something For The Girl With Everything.

Sparks continued to make music throughout the 1970s but remained fairly obscure until 1979 when the groundbreaking electronic synth-masterpiece Number One In Heaven (produced by Giorgio Moroder) gained them critical respect and commercial success again. Tracks like Beat The Clock, Number One Song In Heaven and Tryouts For The Human Race are drawn from that one while the equally enjoyable Cool Places comes from 1983.

These tuneful songs are enough to make this compilation a winner, but it gets even better with songs like Tips For Teens and Funny Face. Sparks are masters of unusual but addictive melodies, clever lyrics and spectacular arrangements. That's probably why their music has aged so well. It sounds very contemporary today. If you like pop music with a bit of brain, this album is the right place to start exploring Sparks.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should Be Called - Best Of Sparks 1977 - 1984, March 6, 2008

By 

Robert Keith "Baskervilles" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

This should be called "the best of Sparks 1977 - 1984"

There are 4 songs included from before 1977, but this does not come close to adequately representing their AMAZING records on Island - Kimono My House, Propaganda and Indiscreet. All of these albums are must-own. The pre-Island Bearsville albums are pretty interesting as well, and 2 of the best Bearsville singles are on this comp.

What you get with this CD is a great, killer comp of some of the catchiest Sparks singles from their post-Island classic period. They are a wonderful pop band. This is a great CD for fans of the new wave Sparks.

Also worth picking up is an album by Lio called Suite Sixteen, which has lyrics written by Sparks and music by the wonderful Telex. It's excellent hyper Valley Girl pop from the early 80s.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars yeah, right, November 12, 2005

By 

T. Mazuz "Wife Swatter" (Reading, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

A Sparks best-of would have to include at least 80 percent of the songs on the first five albums, "gone with the wind" (b-side), "my other voice" and probably the rest of No 1 in Heaven, maybe a couple of the catchy 80s tracks to show they could do the cars or the go gos almost as well as the real thing, 1 or two songs each from Gratuitous Sax, Plagiarism, and Balls ("The Angels," "More Than a Sex Machine"), and maybe half of Lil B. This collection misrepresents their melodic genius and makes them sound like a cute if rather cliche new wave pop band with unsubtly goofy lyrics. They were the best band on earth at times, and deserve better. Sorry kids.