Search - Sparks :: Best of

Tuneful and intelligent pop

Pieter | Johannesburg | 12/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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.

"

Yeah, right

T. Mazuz | Reading, PA | 11/12/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Should Be Called - Best Of Sparks 1977 - 1984

Robert Keith | New York, NY USA | 03/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."