Sparks - Kimono My House - a poll

thank god it's not christmas

Ah, what a crazy day for polls.
"Talent Is An Asset", though.

"Amateur Hour" is perhaps my favorite Sparks track. Just everything I love about them in 3:41.

Here In Heaven. The twisted, hilarious lyrics seal the deal.

"This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", because you can play it over and over again and still not really understand what the heck he's singing. Second would be "Thank God It's Not Christmas".

Voted "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" although I like their later output a lot more.

<i>"This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", because you can play it over and over again and still not really understand what the heck he's singing.</i>
True, I particularly liked a friend's mishearing of one line as "Hobbit, increasing hobbit."

There's a part of me that feels very tempted to vote "Equator", which ends the album in such an odd way. But uh, no, of course not.
I'm going for "Thank God It's Not Christmas" though I actually think it has one of the weaker choruses on the album. The verse-melody is such a remarkably great thing though and the hushed way he performs it is perfect! Also: "If this were the Seine/We'd be very suave/But it's just the rain/Washing down the boulevard."

Hey Geir, have you by any chance heard Lill Lindfors' Sparks cover?
<i>"Lill Lindfors released a Swedish version of 'Talent Is An Asset'. The song 'Albert aer begaavad' is included in an album called 'Fritt Fram'"</i>
I feel oh so curious about it, but the curiosity's mingled with no small amount of dread.

oh for crying out loud, the thing went haywire when I had a <-bracketed text there, and then it just broke the rest.

"Falling In Love With Myself Again"

Stampeding rhinos, elephants and tacky tigers...

"This Town," with "Talent" a very close second.

This is very hard, but I think "Amateur Hour".

Equator.

A few postscripts:

"Barbecutie" isn't on the original US LP, is it on the British?

Being American, the fact that "This Town" was a #2 hit single across the pond boggles my mind to this day.

My first band, back in high school, was extremely derivative of Sparks, to the point of borrowing the lyrical concept of "Talent Is An Asset" for our own song called "Genius." (As in Albert is smart, he's a...)

"Barbecutie" isn't on the original US LP, is it on the British?

No. And neither is "Lost and Found", so what are they doing here?

Well, they were b-sides to Kimono-singles, and appear on all(?) CD-issues, so it seems fair enough to include them.

They're not on the album though

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Lost and Found didn't receive one single vote? Nor Barbecutie?

nor "here in heaven"?

Well, Z-people, only 23 people voted... it's not that representative of the whole world's opinion. You'd need at least a thousand votes to even begin to solve the problem of what is the best track on "Kimono My House". So, you know, why bother?

Some new reissue news:

Kimono My House - 40th Anniversary Edition (!!)

To coincide with Sparks’ shows in London, Universal Music are delighted to announce the release of a limited double 180g vinyl version of their landmark 1974 release, Kimono My House.

Remastered for its 40th Anniversary and packaged in a thick-spined outer sleeve with original inner bag plus notes from Russell Mael, this new 2-LP version of Kimono My House really is the definite version of a true landmark.

Not only is the original album sounding better than ever, its second disc is truly special, containing the first release anywhere for seven demo recordings Ron and Russell made in 1973 prior to signing with Island Records. Although a handful of the tracks were later re-recorded by the band, all seven have never seen the light of day... until now!

Both albums have been mastered for vinyl by Bill Inglot, and are packaged in a thick-spined outer sleeve with original inner bag plus new notes from Russell Mael and an essay by Paul Lester.

“On June 19, 1973, after a few weeks of dabbling on borrowed acoustic guitars and piano, Ron and I recorded the demos that became the album you have in your hand” - Russell Mael, 2014

Released December 15th 2014 on Universal Music.

Pre-order on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/KimonoMyHouse

Disc: 1
1. This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us
2. Amateur Hour
3. Falling In Love With Myself Again
4. Here In Heaven
5. Thank God It's Not Christmas
6. Hasta Mañana, Monsieur
7. Talent Is An Asset
8. Complaints
9. In My Family
10. Equator

Disc: 2 *** DEMOS ***
1. When I Take The Field On Friday
2. Barbecutie
3. Windy Day
4. Marry Me
5. A More Constructive Use Of Leisure Time
6. Alabamy Right
7. My Brains And Her Looks

Ron and Russell will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of Kimono My House when they perform it with the Heritage Orchestra at London’s Barbican Hall on December 19th and 20th 2014.

this band tbh

They're pretty excited about that thick-spined outer sleeve with original inner bag.

But yeah, this looks awesome. I wish they'd come back to America for this; as amazing as it was to see them a few years back, the setlist was pretty Lil' Beethoven-heavy, and I know we've talked about this before but I don't think I'll ever get that record, I've tried so many times.

What is this "inner bag" of which they speak? The inner sleeve with lyrics etc.?

Yeah, I remember mine old original one.

Amazing that "Here in Heaven" got zero votes here when it's such an amazing track.

They're doing it live at the Barbican too.

http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=16809

(xp) Inexplicable

Just saw them do this @ barbican w orchestra, amazing. Funnily enough the worst part was this town, which just doesn't work in this setting (similar arr. to the one on plagiarism). Everything else sounded gorgeous, esp here in heaven, hasta mañana Monsieur & a seasonally appropriate thank god it's not xmas. And equator was DREAMY. Shout out to my least fav song on kimono, complaints, a revelation tonight. Stoked as fuck for 2nd half, hope it's heavy on lil Beethoven & beyond

How was the second half? Hoping to make it out to the LA performance in February.

It was great! you can prob tell I'm a bit of a stan so pinch of salt but I thought the song selection was canny: rhythm thief, when do I get to sing my way, looks looks looks, dick around, get in the swing, pulling rabbits... there were the now-expected excerpts from the opera (russell-as-bergman singing "oh my god, do you exist, if you exist, show you exist" in a (for him) low register remains best thing ever). Film is def happening apparently, and a new album in the can (the collab with franz ferdinand I think). Ron did the Ron dance and fell over :-(

As ever when they play london, a lot of warmth. They finished with #1 in heaven pts 1 & 2, encore was a duo perf of change, one of my absolute favourites. Orchestral arrangement were lovely & witty to my tin ears, credit to heritage orchestra & arranger/conductor. Big guy in front of me broke up during my way, I think I've said this before but they are one of those acts who are known as arch ironists but who also engage in full-throated emotion surprisingly often

To your last point, oh yeah, totally agree -- that's one of the things that puts them above-and-beyond in my book. Glad to hear they're doing the full #1 in Heaven. Always slightly let down when part 2 does not follow part 1.

Nothing against the synth strings, but I've always want to hear the Lil' Beethoven + later stuff with actual string arrangements. Can't wait to hear this version of Rhythm Thief! Ron said in an interview last week that the Franz Ferdinand collab is due out late spring or early summer.