•
Rating: «They are too ahead of their time: these guys will not go far».
This was the verdict of a rather unperceptive American journalist in 1969. The Halfnelson had just been born, with a core made up of two guys from Los Angeles who posed as brothers. Ron Mael, just in his twenties, looked like a rickety old man, was hunched and sported horrible Hitler-esque mustaches on which he would compose some ridiculous yet exhilarating pieces; Russell Mael was still a teenager, vigorous and curly-haired. The first stood in the background attached to his keyboards with a vaguely consumptive air, while the second sang and enchanted with his angelic voice. Around them, a band of madmen destined to change dramatically.
That journalist, it’s clear, was very wrong: the Halfnelson would soon change their name to Sparks and carve out a seemingly peripheral place in music history. And they would achieve quite a bit of success: "Hello Young Lovers," their latest (and twentieth) work, was released in the spring of 2006.
Who the Sparks have been would be a very long story to tell. In short: they were the apex of glam-rock in the mid-seventies, when "Kimono My House" climbed the British charts and "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" reached the second spot among singles, when they strummed anarchically and mockingly over lyrics ranging from the absurd to the caricatural, amidst psychedelic riffs and ramshackle innovation (the origins of Queen are partly here); they were one of the most influential early electronic bands (after Kraftwerk and a few others), launched by Giorgio Moroder in 1979 with an extraordinarily modern album ("Number One In Heaven") which would greatly inform acts like Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, and company, remaining unsurpassed; they were number one in France in the mid-eighties with a very bizarre track ("When I'm With You"); they were the contrived and teased triumph of the eighties' trash, through a couple of disco-dance albums of deadly ugliness, well below the level of Bimbomix compilations; they were at the center of mid-nineties eurodance, with a song that wreaked havoc in Germany ("When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'?") and with a well-sold and received album in Europe ("Gratuitous Sax And Senseless Violins"); finally, they became a cult phenomenon, idolized by critics when in 2002 they flaunted a shocking album like "Lil' Beethoven" (pop and classical music together), when groups like Franz Ferdinand and Futureheads (as in the past Faith No More and Beck, just to give an idea of the variety) declared their love and owe to them (even Daniele Luttazzi joined the list...). And the two brothers, over time, remained intact: the first always old, as at twenty, with the same mustache; the second always a teenager, as at sixteen, with the same voice.
"Hello Young Lovers" aims to repeat the experience of the previous "Lil' Beethoven": string base, operetta climate, extenuating repetition of the same themes, total abandonment of the traditional song structure, lyrics (as always) funny and grotesque. Additionally, it adds a greater dose of guitars (played by Dean Menta) and effects that too often sound dated, out of time, or simply second-rate, playmobil-like. It's very difficult to say more: it’s a strange sound that only rarely yields results comparable with circulating music: "Perfume" is a good track, the most traditional, swinging on a pleasant swing-like piano jingle; "Dick Around" is the best thing on the album, a ride halfway between sung classical music and hard-rock, almost metal, with continuous and unsettling tempo changes, proving that these fifty-somethings, after more than 35 years of career, manage to pull out things no one ever dreamt of writing. The amusing "There’s no such thing as aliens", three minutes of vaudeville and burlesque violins worthy of the best Sparks: only strings, piano, and intertwining voices. The rest mixes frankly incomprehensible and boring moments ("Here Kitty", "Rock Rock Rock": again only strings and spoken-sung choruses) with others trying to reclaim something from the glam gold period and particularly recover a little-used battery ("Metaphor", "Waterproof"). "As I Sit Down To Play The Organ At The Notre Dame Cathedral" closes gloriously: seven minutes of choruses, distorted guitars, organ, and medieval-like decorations. Absurd.
The discourse, with the Sparks, is always the same: you either love them or hate them. The first feeling when listening to any of their albums (this one more than others) is immense embarrassment. So the advice is to listen to them in solitude. Then the shame passes: and you either love them or hate them. I, I confess, love them. The fact that this album left me somewhat cold, except for a few memorable passages, worried me a bit.
However, I still recommend, to get to know these little masters who’ve always remained in the shadows, starting from the best parts of this album and then going back: it will be understood that the Mael are wild geniuses who for decades, relentlessly revolving around music in its widest sense, always discover new and unexplored facets. With more or less luck, but with enviable courage.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Dick Around (06:38)
All I do now is dick around, All I do now is dick around, dick around
Every day, every day, every day Every night, every night, every night Every day, every day, every day, every day, every day Every night, every night, every night, every night, every night
Overtime, more overtime, I'm conscientious by design
To reach the heights of academe To be the captain of the team
To CEO a thousand who will do the things I say to do
And I will make a lot of bread And you will find me good in bed
I will push, I will pull, I will push, I will pull
Pull a couple strings and find myself atop the corporation
Tailored to the maximum, I send another fax to them
A parking place, a new Corvette, a manicure, a private jet,
A stock incentive busting out,
"A phone call, sir."
Well, say I'm out.
"Your lady friend."
Well, put it through.
(SHE:) "Uh, listen, dear, I'm through with you."
(SHE:) "Through with you, through with you, through with you, through with you."
Yes, I think I got the point and bang, there goes my motivation
What to do, what to do, what to do, what to do,
All that I can think of was "I'm tendering my resignation."
But, all I do now is dick around
All I do now, is dick around, dick around
All I do now is dick around, when the sun goes up and the moon comes out
When the leaves are green and the leaves are brown
All I do now is dick around
I've got so much to do, gotta pick things up, gotta see things through
My, how the time does fly, gotta wave hello to a passerby
All I do now is dick around, when the sun goes up and the moon comes out
When the leaves are green and the leaves are brown
All I do now is dick around
I've got so much do
Gotta pick things up, gotta see things through
My how the time does fly, Gotta wave hello to a passerby
All I do now is dick around, when the sun goes up and the moon comes out
When the leaves are green and the leaves are brown All I do now is dick around
Think about the recent past The cynics said too good to last
But she could change her mind again Oh, no, this movie said "The End"
So I will go about my day Just dicking round, my metier
And realize that life is change And furniture to rearrange
Why the hell, why the hell, why the hell, why the hell?
Why the hell did she desert you when you were so influential?
Why the hell, why the hell, why the hell, why the hell?
Why did she desert you when you told her she was so essential?
Pull yourself up off the ground You've started liking being down
The persecution feels cool The subtle feel of garden tools
But what about that other life 'Cause this is more an afterlife
Seducing you each night and day You're never gonna break away
Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me,
Knowing that from now on what you do is strictly non-essential
Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me,
Knowing that from now on no one wonders if you've got potential
All I do is dick around, the sun goes up and the moon goes down
The leaves are green the leaves are brown
And all I do is dick around
Why the hell, why the hell, why the hell, why the hell?
Why the hell did she desert you when you were so influential?
Why the hell, why the hell, why the hell, why the hell?
Why did she desert you when you told her she was so essential?
But all I do now, is dick around All I do now is dick around, dick around
Every day, every day, every day, every day, every day
Every night, every night, every night, every night, every night
Every day, every day, every day, every day, every day
Every night, every night, every night, every night, every night
Every day, every day, every day, every day, every day
Every night, every night, every night, every night, every night
But all I do now is dick around All I do now is dick around, dick around
And all I do now is dick around
All I do now is dick around, dick around
Then I got the late-night call,
(SHE:) "I really miss you after all"
"I had a fling and that is all,
"A stupid fling, then hit the wall."
"So take me, take me, take me back."
"I love the way you scratched my back."
(HE:) Well, there is something you should know."
(HE:) We might not be simpatico."
All I do now, is dick around All I do now, is dick around
(SHE:) "I don't care what you do, dick around, I will too."
(SHE:) "I don't care what you do, I'll dick around next to you." But all I do now, is dick around
All I do now, is dick around
Dick around
02 Perfume (04:59)
Genevieve wears Dior
Margaret wears Tresor
Mary Jo wears Lauren
But you don't wear no perfume
Deborah wears Clinique
Marianne wears Mystique
Judith wears Shalimar
But you don't wear no perfume
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
Anna wears CK1
Jeanie wears Opium
Trisha wears No.5
But you don't wear no perfume
Susan wears St. Laurent
Janie wears L'Air du Temps
Kirstin wears Davidoff
But you don't wear no perfume
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
The olefactory sense is the sense
That most strongly evokes memories of the past
Well screw the past
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
Genevieve wears Hermes
Annabelle wears Arpege
Betty Lee wears Guerlain
But you don't wear no perfume
Katie wears Giorgio
Lily wears Moschino
Jenna wears Kenneth Cole
But you don't wear no perfume
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
Carol wears Cacharel
Lana wears Tommy Girl
Cynthia wears J'Adore
But you don't wear no perfume
Jennifer wears Celine
Laura wears Armani
Deborah wears Polo Sport
But you don't wear no perfume
Gina wears Vera Wang
Sheila wears Helmut Lang
Dinah wears Oxygene
But you don't wear no perfume
Jody wears Gaultier
Peggy wears Jean Patou
Stella wears Lagerfeld
But you don't wear no perfume
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why I want to spend my life with you
That's why, that's why, that's why, that's why
That's why, that's why, that's why, that's why
06 Metaphor (04:03)
A metaphor is a glorious thing,
A diamond ring,
The first day of summer
A metaphor is a breath of fresh air,
A turn-on,
An aphrodisiac
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors
Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of lonliness
A metaphor is a popular place,
A pocket space,
A multiplex showing,
A remake whose action is louder than words,
She whispers "can we be going, going?"
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors
Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of lonliness
Whose up for a metaphor?
(We're up for a metaphor)
Are you chicks up for a metaphor?
(Yes, we're up for a metaphor)
Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mix them
(We, we, we won't mix them)
Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mix them
(We wouldn't dream of mixing them)
Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of lonliness
A metaphor is a glorious thing,
A diamond ring,
The first day of summer
A metaphor is a fresh air,
A turn-on,
An aphrodisiac
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors
A metaphor is a glorious thing,
A diamond ring,
The first day of summer
A metaphor is a breath fresh air,
A turn-on,
An aphrodisiac
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors
Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of lonliness
A metaphor is a glorious thing,
(Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig)
A metaphor is a breath of fresh air,
(Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig)
A metaphor is a glorious thing,
(Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig)
A metaphor is a breath of fresh air,
(Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig)
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors
Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of lonliness
Loading comments slowly
