Paul, if it turns out one day that you're completely wrong about all of this, then I really don't care! Your videos intrigue and enlighten me, but also make me feel so proud that the music I love and get so much pleasure from is adored by so many others. You put into words in a way I could never do why Sparks music is so wunderbar. Can't wait for the next one. Thanks!
That’s so kind! It’s reassuring to hear it, I can get hung up on trying to sound believable, but I’ve got a great story to tell, whether I’m inventing it or finding R&R’s ideas. What’s exciting is that there’s so much more to come, it’s gonna take years and the story gets better and better.
I've just gotten a chance to watch this now, and I loved every minute of it. Lil' Beethoven is almost always my favorite Sparks album (though it sometimes gets knocked down by KMH or Propaganda), and The Rhythm Thief is one of its brightest jewels. I thought the statement "say goodbye to the beat" was pretty straightforward, but I never made the connection between this song and what was hinted at in the previous albums. Well done! I have a little bone to pick regarding How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall. Yes, he gets the bravos, the applause, the accolades for the fruits of his labor, but for me, the most meaningful part is "still there is no sign of you", saying that this success has no meaning without the approbation of that one person who is not there. I'd love to hear what you think of this, Paul. I think that the wounded young person in Carnegie Hall appears later as the jaded "I only need the one person whom I'll go home with for a one night stand" guy in As I Sit Down to Play the Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral. Anyway, I look forward to your next episode.
Thanks! It sounds like you love Lil B as much as i do. It’s the #1 Sparks album for me too. I’m working on the Carnegie Hall vid at the moment, and that puzzle with the line “still there is no sign of you” is a big part of it. I love how you put it, with him getting everything from the audience but still fixating on that one missing person - it’s a great tragic touch. I’d made that connection too, with some other interpretations, but your link to As I Sit Down… I love that and it’s set me off thinking about how to connect these songs. What I’m excited about is that there’s a way of interpreting “still there is no sign of you” in a joyful way. I always found it odd that they were end the song with “practice man, practice”, even after the bravos, so my video will be about what that’s says about their creativity. I’m excited for this one!
Thank You. I've been a life long admirer of Sparks but confess to having lost my passion during their lean years. 'Gratuitous Sax' slapped me in the face and showed me the error of my ways. L'il Beethoven just blew my mind. So pleased to have caught them live on numerous occasions including FFS. Not ashamed to admit I burst into tears at the 'Hello Young Lovers' gig (the only other show to do that was Kate Bush in 1980!). Sparks are like the best wine - they mature and get infinitely better with age. You just got a new subscriber (thanks Facebook!) More power to ya!
Thanks! The HYL tour was the first time I saw them live too, and it was stunning. Agreed on GSaSV too, it’s a magic album. I got that and Kimono in the same week back in 94 and didn’t look back.
Hard to disagree with any of that, Paul - bravo! When critics talk about 'reinvention', Bowie is always the benchmark, but I think Sparks easily overshadow him in terms of pure creative renewal and reinvention.
That’s spot on. I love Bowie but Sparks ability to become a new band at the drop of a hat is second to none. There’s something very pure in how they always built a new audience with their reinventions, rather than taking their existing audience somewhere new. Thanks again for watching!
Well done again sir This album destroys all albums And it is the KMH of its time I love everything about this record and I think what you’ve been saying up til now is completely supported by the existence of this crowning achievement of a track 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I’m so glad you see it the same way as I do! I vividly remember first time I heard it, and couldn’t quite believe this band I quited liked were capable of such genius. Lil B is probably my favourite ever album.
This might be my favourite Sparks song, and I really appreciate all the history you dropped here On a personal level I take this song as representing the act of letting go -saying goodbye to a part of yourself that you no longer need. It has the perfect balance of drama and self-awareness, grand without taking itself all too seriously.
That’s a great way of putting it. Lil Beethoven is an album that bowls me over each time I play it, and a big part is that mixture of seriousness with humour. I love your idea of “saying goodbye to a part of yourself you no longer need”.
As usual, a master thesis. What an exciting transition in Sparks' career, matched by the excitement of your analysis and the slick production values of the video. Great use of text on-screen, editing, etc. Question: do you happen to know how the Maels funded their studio and paid their bills between Balls and post-Lil' Beethoven? Were they touring then? Anyway, the idea of Ron weaving Sparks' real story into every song is very compelling, and I'm loving your track-by-track commentary/analysis. Thank you so much for doing this.
Thanks Andy :). I’m really enjoying the video editing side of thing. Some of it makes me cringe but it’s nice getting better at things, so thanks for complimenting that. Regarding how they supported themselves, I’m not clear, I think that Russell learnt to do the engineering around the time of Interior Design or Mai, and the documentary suggests that was to keep costs down. Christi Hayden also said that they were poor when making ‘my way’ came out, despite the glamour of the video suggesting otherwise. I’d have hoped that the success of ‘my way’ got them back on their feet, plus a few tours must have earned them some bucks. I know that 94 they toured the UK for the first time since 75, so maybe that was out of necessity. I’d love to know the answers on these questions. I love that it’s possible to infer answers through the music (and I just hope I’m right about it :))
This would be an excellent introductory song for one who is not familiar with Sparks. I've played this masterpiece album countless times. Superb job, Paul!
@MetaSparks Paul, it would be a pleasure to hear you contrast these remarkable 3 album runs approximately 45 to 50 years apart: Kimono my House, Propaganda, Indescrete / HIPPOPOTAMUS, A Steady Drip, drip, drip. & The girl is crying in her latte. The later three never l eave my CD player. What amazing longevity and arguably better than ever.
I love that compliment! Often people think it’s bad to talk about music like this but I’m so glad that people are getting more out of these songs. Thanks so much for:)
Paul, if it turns out one day that you're completely wrong about all of this, then I really don't care! Your videos intrigue and enlighten me, but also make me feel so proud that the music I love and get so much pleasure from is adored by so many others. You put into words in a way I could never do why Sparks music is so wunderbar. Can't wait for the next one. Thanks!
That’s so kind! It’s reassuring to hear it, I can get hung up on trying to sound believable, but I’ve got a great story to tell, whether I’m inventing it or finding R&R’s ideas. What’s exciting is that there’s so much more to come, it’s gonna take years and the story gets better and better.
I've just gotten a chance to watch this now, and I loved every minute of it. Lil' Beethoven is almost always my favorite Sparks album (though it sometimes gets knocked down by KMH or Propaganda), and The Rhythm Thief is one of its brightest jewels. I thought the statement "say goodbye to the beat" was pretty straightforward, but I never made the connection between this song and what was hinted at in the previous albums. Well done! I have a little bone to pick regarding How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall. Yes, he gets the bravos, the applause, the accolades for the fruits of his labor, but for me, the most meaningful part is "still there is no sign of you", saying that this success has no meaning without the approbation of that one person who is not there. I'd love to hear what you think of this, Paul. I think that the wounded young person in Carnegie Hall appears later as the jaded "I only need the one person whom I'll go home with for a one night stand" guy in As I Sit Down to Play the Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral. Anyway, I look forward to your next episode.
Thanks! It sounds like you love Lil B as much as i do. It’s the #1 Sparks album for me too. I’m working on the Carnegie Hall vid at the moment, and that puzzle with the line “still there is no sign of you” is a big part of it. I love how you put it, with him getting everything from the audience but still fixating on that one missing person - it’s a great tragic touch. I’d made that connection too, with some other interpretations, but your link to As I Sit Down… I love that and it’s set me off thinking about how to connect these songs. What I’m excited about is that there’s a way of interpreting “still there is no sign of you” in a joyful way. I always found it odd that they were end the song with “practice man, practice”, even after the bravos, so my video will be about what that’s says about their creativity. I’m excited for this one!
Thank You. I've been a life long admirer of Sparks but confess to having lost my passion during their lean years. 'Gratuitous Sax' slapped me in the face and showed me the error of my ways. L'il Beethoven just blew my mind. So pleased to have caught them live on numerous occasions including FFS. Not ashamed to admit I burst into tears at the 'Hello Young Lovers' gig (the only other show to do that was Kate Bush in 1980!). Sparks are like the best wine - they mature and get infinitely better with age. You just got a new subscriber (thanks Facebook!) More power to ya!
Thanks! The HYL tour was the first time I saw them live too, and it was stunning. Agreed on GSaSV too, it’s a magic album. I got that and Kimono in the same week back in 94 and didn’t look back.
Always amazing! This video is everything plus a cat. Enjoy your coffee, sir.
Thanks for the message and the coffee! I’m always super proud when my little cat friends make it on screen too.
Hard to disagree with any of that, Paul - bravo! When critics talk about 'reinvention', Bowie is always the benchmark, but I think Sparks easily overshadow him in terms of pure creative renewal and reinvention.
That’s spot on. I love Bowie but Sparks ability to become a new band at the drop of a hat is second to none. There’s something very pure in how they always built a new audience with their reinventions, rather than taking their existing audience somewhere new. Thanks again for watching!
Another wonderful episode! I always learn something new about Sparks with every one I watch! Thanks Paul!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, thanks for staying with it!
Well done again sir
This album destroys all albums
And it is the KMH of its time
I love everything about this record and I think what you’ve been saying up til now is completely supported by the existence of this crowning achievement of a track
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I’m so glad you see it the same way as I do! I vividly remember first time I heard it, and couldn’t quite believe this band I quited liked were capable of such genius. Lil B is probably my favourite ever album.
Excellent as usual Paul look forward to the rest of the album 💙
Thanks Mike, I really can’t wait to do more of these. Lil B is such a great record. Thanks for your kind support.
Just starting to watch at last. Always enjoy your thoughts on their songs and albums!
This might be my favourite Sparks song, and I really appreciate all the history you dropped here
On a personal level I take this song as representing the act of letting go -saying goodbye to a part of yourself that you no longer need. It has the perfect balance of drama and self-awareness, grand without taking itself all too seriously.
That’s a great way of putting it. Lil Beethoven is an album that bowls me over each time I play it, and a big part is that mixture of seriousness with humour. I love your idea of “saying goodbye to a part of yourself you no longer need”.
As usual, a master thesis. What an exciting transition in Sparks' career, matched by the excitement of your analysis and the slick production values of the video. Great use of text on-screen, editing, etc. Question: do you happen to know how the Maels funded their studio and paid their bills between Balls and post-Lil' Beethoven? Were they touring then? Anyway, the idea of Ron weaving Sparks' real story into every song is very compelling, and I'm loving your track-by-track commentary/analysis. Thank you so much for doing this.
Thanks Andy :). I’m really enjoying the video editing side of thing. Some of it makes me cringe but it’s nice getting better at things, so thanks for complimenting that. Regarding how they supported themselves, I’m not clear, I think that Russell learnt to do the engineering around the time of Interior Design or Mai, and the documentary suggests that was to keep costs down. Christi Hayden also said that they were poor when making ‘my way’ came out, despite the glamour of the video suggesting otherwise. I’d have hoped that the success of ‘my way’ got them back on their feet, plus a few tours must have earned them some bucks. I know that 94 they toured the UK for the first time since 75, so maybe that was out of necessity. I’d love to know the answers on these questions. I love that it’s possible to infer answers through the music (and I just hope I’m right about it :))
This would be an excellent introductory song for one who is not familiar with Sparks. I've played this masterpiece album countless times. Superb job, Paul!
It’s probably my most played album, it’s utter genius!
@MetaSparks Paul, it would be a pleasure to hear you contrast these remarkable 3 album runs approximately 45 to 50 years apart: Kimono my House, Propaganda, Indescrete / HIPPOPOTAMUS, A Steady Drip, drip, drip. & The girl is crying in her latte. The later three never l eave my CD player. What amazing longevity and arguably better than ever.
If I had a cap, I'd doff it again, another coffee on its way
Thank you thank you!
Thanks Paul. I absolutely love these insights as they add so much to my enjoyment of the wonderful music of Sparks.
I love that compliment! Often people think it’s bad to talk about music like this but I’m so glad that people are getting more out of these songs. Thanks so much for:)
Enjoyed this ,looking forward to your thoughts on the rest of the album.
Thanks, I promise there are some really great things to come :)
What an excellent video. Thank you.
Thank you so much, I’m really glad you enjoyed it :)
Like clockwork
It feels like I’m late with it!