Introducing Sparks (Russell Sleeve)

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Introducing Sparks, originally released in 1977, is the seventh album by Sparks and the only one of their 20 long-players not available on CD. Until now--the duo's own label, Lil' Beethoven Records, are putting it out. Finally, you can hear the much-discussed but rarely heard transitional album from Ron and Russell Mael's near-40-year career.
David Bowie wasn't the only chameleonic figure in '70s rock. Introducing Sparks finds the Mael brothers, in the company of an array of top session musicians (mirroring Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan in this respect), caught between the innovative glam-prog-pop of their four early-to-mid-'70s Island albums (Kimono My House, Propaganda, Indiscreet, Big Beat) and the audacious proto-electro of their 1979 collaboration with Giorgio Moroder (No. 1 in Heaven).
Introducing Sparks was their first and only album for Columbia, who pushed the boat out at the time by releasing it on red vinyl. They also spared no expense when it came to the recording, allowing or perhaps encouraging Ron and Russell to engage the cream of LA's backing singers and session guns for hire. Just as the front and back cover of the album presents our heroes as faux matinee idols, all soft-focus and airbrushed perfection, so Introducing Sparks has a polished, slick, sophisticated, big-budget sound that reflects the record company's desire to get the Maels' music on the radio.
Heard today, Introducing Sparks sounds less like made-for-heavy-rotation AOR and more like a comment on, or rather series of pastiches of (all right, then: acerbic attacks on) daytime US radio-fodder: imagine Randy Newman as program controller in charge of America's airwaves for some idea of this satirical yet highly commercial meta-rock.

Album Description
Russell Mael sleeve. 2007 reissue, the first time on CD for this long-lost album from Ron and Russell Mael, originally released on Epic in 1977. Although this was the duo's seventh album, they chose the ironic Introducing Sparks as the album's title due to their lack of success in their homeland. The nine track album includes 'Big Surprise', 'Goofing Off' and 'Over The Summer'. The album features two different sleeve designs: The 'Ron' cover image and the 'Russell' cover image. Both CD's have the same tracklisting. Lil Beethoven.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars

NOT KNOW WHY ALBUM IS SNUB, IS GOOD ALBUM FOR ALL! February 15, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Not understand why INTRODUCING SPARKS always condeming for being bad. In actual for reality, album has PLENTY GOOD song for hummable and enjoyment for entertaining. RON & RUSSELL MAEL may have put on plenty super polish in studio, but result in several song VERY GOOD THING INDEED. For instance and proving, referencing "Over the Summer" and "Those Mysteries." Possible to not be strongest album of career, but INTRODUCING still provide plenty top entertaining for genuine fan of SPARKS.

4 out of 5 stars

Underrated Sparks album. April 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Yes. This is the one with the Beach Boys influenced "Over The Summer". The good news is, "Over The Summer" is one of the weaker songs. Full of lyrical word plays typical of Sparks apparent in such gems as "Big Surprise", "Goofing Off", and "Occupation", its a tongue in cheek classic. I am very pleased to see it has FINALLY been released to CD.

5 out of 5 stars

Shamelessly under-rated gem November 24, 2008
I never understand why this album has always had such a bad rap.
Songs like 'Occupation' have much the same musical quality as anything on Kimono My House or Indiscreet while wistful pieces like Those Mysteries have a child's eye view rather like 'Under the table with her'.

I suspect that the original bad reputation of the album came simply from the fact that Sparks weren't feeling original by 1977. Ironically had they put it out in 2007 the world would have celebrated it as a superb return to form. Just a question of timing.

Do listen to the album rather than reading reviews. If you loved the mid 70's Sparks classics this is an essential part of your collection.

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