It's GlamSunday already???
Well...it's getting late in the day, so we better get a move-on.
It's strange. I never was a fan of Queen, but I've always been a big fan of Sparks. Go figure. Kimono My House is one of those albums that wipe the blues away from a really bad day, in that it's so damn perky and fun to listen to. Couple that with Ron Mael's Hitler mustache and Russel Mael's counter-tenor proclivity (along with a really tight band), and one ends up with a classic album that's never never out-of-date.
If you're here looking for Kimono My House, you've reached your destination. If you're a Curious George and want to check out a really cool album, here it is. Either way, you're a winner.
From eNotes:
Sparks, a quirky rock band consisting mainly of brothers Ron and Russell Mael, have found popularity overseas by consistently creating clever, satirical, and often catchy songs since their debut in the early 1970s. Despite some early success, however, the U.S. charts and critics remained more or less indifferent to the duo over the next several decades, regardless of their international fame.
Brothers Ron and Russell Mael were born in southern California and began their careers in show business at an early age. At their mother's urging, both modeled for clothing catalogs for over a year as teenagers. Their combined artistic talents found a musical outlet in 1970, when the brothers and some friends from school formed the band Halfnelson, with Ron writing the songs and playing keyboards and Russell providing vocals. While studying graphic design, literature, and film at UCLA, the group recorded a demo tape and presented it to every major and minor record label, only to be met with indifference. A friend then mailed one of their tapes to rock artist Todd Rundgren, who had just recently began to explore music from the production side. Rundgren was sufficiently impressed to agree to go to Los Angeles to produce Halfnelson's first album.
The band's formative years were characterized by rough-edged guitar and primitive instrumentation. Ron Mael described some of their early percussive effects to Melody Maker: "We used to beat on cardboard boxes with reverb on and run it through amps." Their first album was completed in 1972, but was virtually ignored until their label recommended that they change their name and put a photo of the band members on the cover. Thus Sparks were born. Sparks included the Billboard U.S. top ten hit "Wondergirl," and the band was Invited to perform on American Bandstand to promote the single. Unfortunately, American audiences were disinterested with their 1973 follow-up A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing, so, at their label's urging, Sparks traveled to Europe.
The band embarked on a whirlwind tour of England, France, Germany, and Switzerland, where they were met with open arms. The visit left an indelible mark, and Sparks would eventually find that their unique sound could only find true success in the open-minded European market. Following the tour some of the original band members moved on to new projects, and Sparks became simply Ron and Russell backed by different set musicians for each album. In 1974 the duo signed with Island Records and released Kimono My House and Propaganda, produced by Muff Winwood (brother of Steve). In a pattern that repeated itself throughout their career, both albums became hits in Europe but barely received notice in the U.S. Sparks were beginning to develop a cult American following, however, that would remain devoted to them over the years.
Technical Information:
Artist: Sparks
Album: Kimono My House
Year: 1974/2006
Audio Codec(s): WavPack/FLAC8
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: EAC WavPack + .cue/FLAC split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 890 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 327 MB/328 MB
Length: 0:47:32
Tracklisting:
01. This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (3:05)
02. Amateur Hour (3:38)
03. Falling in Love with Myself Again (3:04)
04. Here in Heaven (2:48)
05. Thank God It's Not Christmas (5:08)
06. Hasta Manana, Monsieur (3:52)
07. Talent Is an Asset (3:22)
08. Complaints (2:51)
09. In My Family (3:48)
10. Equator (4:43)
11. Barbecutie (bonus track) (3:08)
12. Lost and Found (bonus track) (3:02)
13. Amateur Hour (Live at Fairfield Halls 09/11/75) (4:45)
Kimono My House Megaupload Links:
WavePack (img + .cue)
FLAC8 (split tracks)