Threes

Sparta | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hollywood Records
• ASIN: B000IFRQJA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,692 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sparta combine the quirky elements of indie rock--unusual start-stop riffs and guitar skwonks--with anthemic choruses and surprisingly uplifting melodies, emerging with an uplifting and intelligent form of arena rock. The band also gets its prog on with the moody "Unstitch Your Mouth," a track that calls to mind The Wall-era Pink Floyd as much as it recalls anything heard in VFW halls and blaring from dorm rooms today, and "Atlas," which could easily be an outtake from Radiohead's OK Computer. That's not to say that Sparta's sound doesn't have a sense of originality. Much of Threes--the sonic maelstrom "Untreatable Disease," the epic "The Most Vicious Crime," and the made-for-the-stage, U2-esque "Weather the Storm"--proves that this is a band to watch, one that other acts will look to in the future for inspiration. Threes isn't a classic album--there are some moments that need trimming on some of the record's latter tracks and the quartet could stand to mask its influences more often--but the 12-song collection does demonstrate that Sparta are in the rock & roll game for the long haul. --Jedd Beaudoin

Product Description

Sparta's most recent album did not see the vinyl treatment until a serendipitous crossing of paths between Alternative Press' Scott Heisel, Sparta Manager Blaze James, and myself. We are so excited that this is happening as we have been a big fan of all things Sparta and especially this new album. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Three for Threes, November 2, 2006

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Threes (Audio CD)

Here's the sound of passionate rockers turning into professional musicians. The playing is competent and skillful, but the Sparta sound is becoming bland and unmemorable. It has definitely been difficult for Sparta, and especially Jim Ward, to escape the band's history and to build a unique musical vision, but Sparta were well on their way to doing just that - until this album. While it's not quite as dire as some of the most negative reviewers here have claimed, Sparta seem confused about their identity and direction. Wiretap Scars was tentative but strongly emotional aggro-grunge, and then Sparta really took a quantum leap forward with Porcelain, in which excellent songwriting and passionate playing nearly vaulted the band into their own new genre - a more mature and less whiny brand of screamo. Here on Threes, the band certainly sounds more solid. Jim Ward has added some subtlety (or subtracted a lot of screaming) from his vocal style, and new guitarist Keeley Davis delivers smoother accompaniment than the departed Paul Hinojos, who was always a much better bassist than guitarist.

This album does show development in a few places, like the insistent rockers "Taking Back Control" and "The Most Vicious Crime," plus the very effective power ballads "Unstitch Your Mouth" and "Atlas." Unfortunately, the professionalism of this album outweighs the passion by a mile, and other reviewers are correct in making comparisons to late-period U2. This is horrendously evident in "Erase It Again," "False Start," and "Without a Sound" among others. Striving to be as talented and accomplished as your idols is commendable, but Sparta have made a crucial wrong turn in trying to sound like their idols. And overall, this album comes up tragically short on memorable songwriting and passionate playing. Sparta once displayed those strengths in abundance and were ascending toward their own kind of greatness. You really have to hope that the absence of that magic here will only be temporary. [~doomsdayer520~]

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sounds like Sparta to me..., November 16, 2006

By 

E. Hartstein "spartaguy" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Threes (Audio CD)

...all these things about using piano, sounding like the Beatles, Radiohead, and U2, re-defining their sound, etc.

When was the last time you actually listened to Wiretap Scars? I listened to it yesterday, as well as Porcelain, as well as Threes (went to see them last night so was gearing up for the show) and I must say I think Threes is great. Personally, it feels like an expansion of Wiretap Scars for me - almost a more complete sound. The songwriting seems tighter, the arrangements better, they seem to be better musicians. I guess if you like something more raw and unrefined then you might not like Threes, but I don't think it's good enough to not like something just because it doesn't sound like something you've already heard. If you want to hear Wiretap Scars, listen to Wiretap Scars.

LONG LIVE SPARTA!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SPARTA does it again!, November 25, 2006

By 

Amanda Ball "TheHoneyBear" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Threes (Audio CD)

I didn't buy the new Threes album for a while after it came out, I actually bought it yesterday. The reason for this hesitation was from all the negative reviews I read online about it. After listening to it for myself, I can't understand why people are having such a hard time with it. Threes is a GREAT album, and I'm glad to own it. People can't be comparing it to Wiretap Scars or Porcelain, it just isn't those albums. It sounds like Sparta, and it's just a collection of new songs that people don't recognize yet. But only listening for a day or two, I have found many songs that I KNOW I will love. It's a great album. You should own it too! And defiantly see them in concert! Tons of energy and Jim Ward is hilarious!