Customer Reviews

Profile: Ultimate Collection

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Okay - one job I would NOT have liked would be to decide what material goes on this collection that is LIMITED to only 2 cd's. I counted and these guys were on 13 labels just up to this point (they just haven't caught on in the states, and refuse to release 'commercial' product).

The tour starts with their early 70's works on Todd Rundgren's Bearsville label, with bandmates Jim Mankey (later fronting Concrete Blonde) and Earle Mankey (eventual producer and early mullet proponent). The songs are already showing the delightful and incisive humor ("Girl From Germany" where a Jewish boy's German girlfriend meets his critical parents) while shrouded in experimental pop-rock that still needed pruning. Lots of studio toying and effects on instruments would later yield to the might (and height)of their craft.

The years with the Island label remain my favorites, and the main reason for purchasing this set if you're new to the Mael brothers' neighborhood. With top-notch band members and producers, they didn't get much better than "Happy Hunting Ground", a nostalgic ode to dating in school, or "At Home, At Work, At Play", the peak of their layered, aristocratic glam sound. Experiments with form start maturing here (the swing jazz of "Looks, Looks, Looks", the acapella 3-ring circus of "Propaganda") and a few b-sides from singles that never saw this side of the Atlantic are included - all winners. Most showcase the delightful combination of Ron Mael's dainty harpsichord-noodling and Russel Mael's operatic acrobatics within a tight glam-rock structure.

Disc 2 moves into their all-out Disco phase (with Giorgio Moroder at the helm) which still represents some of the best music of that dubious genre (they even sounded great shrouded in synths - check out "Beat the Clock"!) Then on to my second favorite Sparks period, the Mack-produced early 80's, whose distinctive drumthud kept the beat moving while incorporating more guitars (yay!) and some imaginative keyboard layering. "Moustache" and "Tips for Teens" (featuring some of my favorite lyrics 'Don't eat that burger/Has it got mayonnaise?/Give it to me!') showcase another height in their prolific career. Later works become more dance-oriented again, losing the drum and guitar rock framework but none of the essential wit ("All You Ever Think About Is Sex").

I would recommend hunting down all the full-length releases, but for starters you could just click on 'buy this item' for a fine musical history of a band that has endured with humor, grace, and creativity.

I bought this 2-CD set in the early '90's because I remembered seeing them on TV occasionaly in the early '70's. About every two years I rediscover Sparks in my collection and am amazed by their music. Some of it so good it makes my skin crawl! And this from a die-hard WHO fan. And although this collection doesn't do it justice, Sparks put out some of the most humorous record sleeves of anything I've ever seen. If you love British pop-rock and/or European synth music with a twist, discover (or rediscover) Sparks.

This two disk CD collection represents a comprehensive sampling of highlights from all of the groups' (Sparks essentially being Ron & Russell Mael and various band members and session men) albums from their first major release in the early 1970s to the early 1990s. This is an incredible achivement of behalf of Rhino Records, considering the number of record companies the group recorded for. The record does a terrific job of capturing the ever-changing sound of the group as it evolved from pre-punk rock, through glam rock, traditional rock, disco, back to hard rock, and finally synthesizer dance music. The one constant in their career is Ron's unique ability to write truly humorous lyrics. I dare you not to crack up hysterically as you listen to some of the songs on this collection.

P.S. Another CD has been re-released, called Best of Sparks. It was originally released as a solo album, and later retitled. THIS collection is truly the BEST OF SPARKS.

I think this would have been just that bit better if they had dropped 'Nothing to do' and 'Over the summer' and replaced them with 'Eaten by the monster of love' (an essential Sparks song) and 'Pulling rabbits out of a hat'. Having said that, everyone would have made a different selection, and this is a fine effort. It is also good to see that the under-rated 'Whomp that sucker' album is well represented by 'Tips for teens', 'Upstairs' and the strangely compelling 'Funny face'. Also benefits from the inlay having lyrics and photos, together with accompanying notes by Russell for each track, and an introduction by Ron. For a patient newcomer, this is an ideal introduction to the weird and wonderful world of Ron and Russell Mael, but would also be a good buy for the more experienced listener.

"The Ultimate Sparks Collection" is the perfect title for this release, because that's exactly what it is. From the early works produced by Todd Rundgren to the Euro-Dance tracks they've created, this CD release is a great collection for music collectors everywhere. If you've never heard "Sparks" music before, this CD is a great introduction. Highlights include "Propaganda", a vocal piece of masterful overlays, "Looks, Looks, Looks" a Roaring Twenties style masterpiece and of course "Change" which Vocalist Russell Mael describes as one of the best things "Sparks" has ever done. Speaking of Russell, the liner notes for this collection are excellent, as well as the art work and photos that are included. If your a fan of "They Might Be Giants" or "The Cure" then check out the band that both sight as major influences on their careers. "Sparks"

This was my introduction to Sparks, having never heard them before, and since then I've gone on to buy several albums. Knowing that much more about the band since, I can still say this the best introduction available, especially after seeing what the other 'greatest hits' collections have to offer. Great liner notes, pictures, and a couple of nice rarities. Plus, you get the benefit of getting the worthier moments on much later albums, which, if you're like me and prefer mid 70's to early 80's Sparks, you might not be willing to shell out the money for.

This Sparks collection is really good. It takes SOME of best songs off each album and captures them in a two CD set. I have a lot of their 80's albums, and I have really enjoyed listening to them throughout the years. I think their newer material like the albums "Balls" and "Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Voilins" are pretty good.
I would have liked have seen more songs in this collection, however, it would have required a lot more CD's!

I thought they should have been more popular than they were, given their catchy tunes, but maybe keeping a low profile in the U.S. charts has allowed them to be as creative/artistic as they wanted to be.....the sky's the limit.......no pressure to make carbon copy hits to sell records. Sparks have been popular in Europe for many years.
I've always like their odd/goofy lyrics (comical in nature) and catchy tunes like, Over the Summer (sounds like a Beach Boy's song), Looks Looks Looks(jazzy, yet pompous), Get in the swing (a song you'd hear in a parade), Sex town USA (fast upbeat tempo rockin song), Music that You can Dance to (cool beats), Cool Places (their biggest hit)........just to name a few.
Folks who recognize some of their most popular songs will appreciate how well crafted their "not so popular" songs are.
Listening to these songs for the first time will be quite an entertaining experience. A nice surprise! Nevertheless, you'll fall in love with these goofy songs like I did!

How could you not get in the swing now with the Sparks. This CD goody collection has all the songs that are fun and keep you moving. Upbeat disco slash jazz will get you doing lift-ups, jumping jacks and even the wibba whirl. It will bring back the nostalgic 80's that remind you of when you used to put your Sunday church clothes in the hallway and run from the corner of your room to see who can dress the fastest. I highly recommend this cd for people who enjoy happy and upbeat party music.

I had never heard of sparks before I found this double tape set for sale in a garage sale. I bought it, and loved every single song. The beats are just fantastic, the lyrics are great, and the whole style is just wonderful. Almost all the songs make me wanna dance.

Now that my tapes have worn out, I am going to get the CD set myself. Well worth the money.

From their inception as Half Nelson to the current incarnation as avant-garde popists, Ron and Russell Mael have defied every convention, inspired hundreds of other bands, developed a rabidly loyal cult following (count me as a member) and yet, this is the only compilation of their work to date. While it may be hard to top this double disc set, I find that a little depressing.

However, over two discs and 40 songs, Sparks show why their fans are almost deliriously devoted to the Mael brothers. There's three decades worth of good music to be found here, and a chance to hear how the band and music itself has evolved through the years. Starting with the earlier singles, like "Wonder Girl" and the still astonishing "This Town Ain't Big Enough for The Both of Us," the band's mix of English theater and Glam took hold. Naturally, no one in America bought the act. So they headed for England and, just as naturally, become huge.

It's easy to see the qualities that made Sparks so influential at the time. Russell's vocals obviously had an influence on a young Freddie Mercury, and the quirky lyrical qualities seem to have filtered into bands like 10cc. Then you have the 'look' of poster-boy Russel with mustachioed nerd and keyboard whiz Ron, a dichotomy the likes of Cheap Trick doubled down on. Rick Nielsen obviously liked the kind of subversive glam Sparks put out, as their "Surrender" could have dropped out of a Sparks album.

But it was Sparks' lack of USA success that seemed to allow them the leeway to try anything. The thin sound of earlier albums led to bigger, funnier numbers like "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" and maybe the only pop song to ask about Albert Einstein's life as a kid on "Talent Is An Asset." When that got to be boring for the brothers, they did a complete 180 and asked Giorgio Moroder to produce the Munich Disco "No 1 In Heaven," a 1979 primer for the likes of Depeche Mode and The Human League.

History finally caught up with Sparks, as albums like "Angst In My Pants" and the song "I Predict" began to break through on MTV. The exaggerated focus finally paid off when Go-Go and fan Jane Wiedlin dueted on the sublime "Cool Places" and }Sparks In Outer Space" finally became a commercial sucess in America. While that was the band's commercial peak, it is by no means the artistic one. Such chucklefests as "All You Ever Think About Is Sex" and the seriously great "Change" continued Sparks' sting of creativity.

The collection goes up to 1988, but there are several Sparks albums since. You can still buy this set, thanks to Rhino, but the band continues their subversive streak on albums like Hello Young Lovers and Exotic Creatures of the Deep.