Luke Zamperini''s discography: Young Girl (1978) - Scooters (US)




Album Description

Digitally remastered and expanded reissue of Ron and Russell Mael''s 1976 album featuring a total of six bonus tracks: ''I Want To Hold Your Hand'', ''England'', ''Gone With The Wind'', ''Intrusion/Confusion'', ''Looks Aren''t Everything'' and ''Tearing The Place Apart''. Island. 2006.

Album Details

2006 Issued Digitally Remastered "21st Century Edition" of the Brothers Mael''s Seventh Opus. The Duo Returned to L.a. After "Indiscreet" and Restarted the Band Again, Enlisting Guitarist Jeff Salen (From Tuff Darts), Sal Maida (Formerly of Milk and Cookies) on Bass and Drummer Hilly Michaels. This was their Final Album for Island Records in the UK and the First for Cbs in the Us. When Listening to Sparks, It''s Essential to Remember that Tongue Should Be Planted Firmly in Cheek. This Special Edition Addsseven Bonus Tracks: "i Want to Hold Your Hand", "England", "Gone with the Wind", "Intrusion", "Looks Aren''t Everything" and "Tearing the Place Apart".

One track (Throw her away And Get A New One) has a technical glitch created during remastering and ends prematurely. All other previously released versions of Big Beat play normally.

The rating of four stars is for an otherwise beautiful job of remastering + the bonus tracks, a nice booklet and of course the original tracks which appeared on Sparks wonderfully quirky 1976 release - Big Beat.

Having conquered England''s shores circa 73-75 riding the crest of "This Town Ain''t Big Enough For Both Of Us", California born anglophiles Ron and Russell Mael packed up and moved back stateside for further dalliances with pop stardom. Their second attempt (first being 2 rare yet exquisite records from 72-73) to capture the whims of U.S. audiences was ''76''s "Big Beat" produced by Rupert Holmes who would much later score with bar favorite "Pina Colada" (the song, not the drink). Having now orchestrated their relocation back to the U.S., Sparks then proceeded to hire a new band for this outing. After first recruiting Ziggy''s sidekick Mick Ronson who began rehearsals but then dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, the Mael boys finally settled on guitarist Jeff Salen formerly of Tuff Darts. Already on board were sometime Roxy Music bassist Sal Maida and session drummer Hilly boy Michaels. The new three piece guitar, bass and drum driven sound surprisingly, often relegates Ron''s keyboard flourishes deeply back in the mix. And likewise doing away with what had been a Sparks trademark of complex, soaring queen-like arrangements and multi-part harmonies. Big Beat explores a more simple, heavy, straight forward and basic rock sound in great contrast to their previous bombastic, falsetto hyper-drive displayed gloriously with great effect on previous efforts: "Kimono My House", "Propaganda" and "Indiscreet".

Big Beat was to be Sparks''s reintroduction to their American audience and was intended to jumpstart their conquest on the American pop charts. But while the Sparks "brothers" had been busy tapping into the brit-pop glam bubbling across the pond, the American audiences were now drinking heavily of the disco de-light. With Donna Summer, the BeeGees and the like topping the charts with their dance oriented studio 54 sound, the Sparks sparse guitar driven pop could not make a ripple inching only minimally onto FM hard rock stations where favorites Peter Frampton, Boston and Pink Floyd ruled the air.

30 years on, Big Beat now rests comfortably between Sparks triumphant 3 minute whirling dervish pop days and their then soon to be forthcoming New Wave electronic soaked reincarnation beginning with ''79''s "Number One Song In Heaven"

This newly remastered CD captures the Maels in all their stripped down glory, spotlighting "Big Boy", "Fill-er-Up" (both ably played on the big screen in 76''s disaster-pic "Rollercoaster" which must be seen if only for Ron Mael''s on-stage demolition of his piano stool ala Pete Townsend), "Nothing to Do", "I Want to Be Like Everybody Else" and FM fave - "Everybody''s Stupid". However a technical glitch in "Throw Her Away And Get A New One" causes a premature and abrupt ending, thereby ruining one of the best songs on the album. This was not just a simple skip, which may be attributable to my receiving a defective disk, but is inherent in the mastering. I have not yet tried to return it, but would be curious to know if Island Records is planning on recalling this disk. On the plus side, the six additional tracks make this CD even more fun as "Intrusion/Confusion" and "Looks Aren''t Everything" are being released for the first time. Intrusion...being a pre Big Beat version of "Confusion" that was written for French director Jasques Tati''s un-named film which, sadly was never completed. This version is a bit more rumba-like and sheds a whole new light on the song. In addition there is a slick 10 page booklet with plenty of photos, 45 cover shots, lyrics and enlightening commentary by Daryl Easlea.

Big Beat marked a distinct musical departure for the Mael''s and like many style breaking leaps, it failed on many levels, not the least of which was popular appeal. But while the sound did not take hold in the pre-punk American ears, the songs still hold up well and stayed true to the Mael boys propensity for off-handed lyrical jaunts and unexpectedly vaudevillesque-like song structures. That 1976 era Sparks attribute has remained their true calling card and what keeps them still vital in the overcrowded yet oft-underwhelming cavalcade of pop music.




SPARKS US Tour 1976 - http://graphikdesigns.free.fr/sparks-bottom-line-live.html



Wiki about Big Bit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Beat_(album)

Anout Luka Zamperini
HILLY "BOY" MICHAELS
Big Beat (fr)
Radikal Techno (player)