INTRODUCING SPARKS

Sparks

Crossover Prog

3.23 | 32 ratings

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Rune2000
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator

Let's do some more Sparks, shall we? After breaking with their backing band on Big Beat, Mael brothers apparently felt that they needed a new introduction...hence the release of Introducing Sparks!

The success streak that began with the release of Kimono My House (1974) and Propaganda (1974) began to fade with Indiscreet (1975) and Big Beat (1976). 1977 saw the duo trying to revitalize their sound and Introducing Sparks was a sort of a fresh start for the brothers and their new lineup of various session musicians would have needed. Unfortunately, this new approach turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment since the album failed to chart on both sides of Atlantic and thus fading the record into obscurity. I think that this was unfair since there are quite a few enjoyable Sparks tracks featuring on this album like A Big Surprise, Forever Young and the hilarious Goofing Off!

This record is a lot more relaxed compared to their earlier material, featuring a lush and elegant sound. There are of course a few exceptions like Occupation and Forever Young, which could have easily fit on Propaganda, but other than that this is a pretty consistent record in terms of sound. This consistency is non-existent when it comes to the quality of the songs since there are both big hits and even bigger misses. Goofing Off is easily my favorite track off the record, featuring a very memorable melody and a lot of pretty funny lyrics to back it up! At the other end of the spectrum we have I'm Not, which might have been a pretty decent song but fails to deliver a memorable chorus, and Girls On The Brain, which is a complete snoozefest!

Overall, Introducing Sparks might not be the most consistent record that Sparks have ever recorded but there are just enough memorable moments to make this a worth a while experience even for people who aren't all that familiar with the band.

***** star songs: A Big Surprise (3:43) Goofing Off (4:25)

**** star songs: Occupation (5:14) Ladies (3:06) Forever Young (3:25) Over The Summer (3:48) Those Mysteries (5:02)

*** star songs: I'm Not (3:26)

** star songs: Girls On The Brain (3:39)

Rune2000 | 3/5 | 2013-12-27

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