On my voyage through all the Sparks albums, some of which I haven’t heard in 20 or 30 years, here is my review of ‘A Woofer in Tweeter’s Clothing’.
This album sounds more ‘normal’, for whatever that means, than the first album did. Less New Wave and the songs are more written. It maybe sounds a little better than the first album, but not much. Still sounds very muffled and not very well recorded.
1. Girl from Germany
I’ve always liked this song a lot. I know in the US anti-German sentiment was still fairly high in the early 1970s. I’d like to know if this is a comment on that generally, or a personal experience. He sounds genuinely distressed by the prejudice. I like the whistling. 9/10.
2. Beaver O’Lindy
Did I say this album was less weird? The beginning of the song sounds very German to me too, with the keyboard sort of fulfilling the role of a tuba with an oom-pa-pa part. Song takes a total left turn at the chorus with completely incomprehensible lyrics. Great guitar tone, sudden stop at the end. So strange. 8/10.
3. Nothing is Sacred
Twisty, turny guitar part that keeps weaving in and out. There’s a kind of weird chord progression in the chorus that catches my ear; like a little mini key-change. I find the chorus super fun to sing. I like the bridge and the way it leads back into the chorus, and how frenzied Russel sounds in the last choruses. 8/10.
4. Here Comes Bob
This is such a Sparks song. The accent again sounds like a German person that now lives in England. I love the lyrics…’Foot to floorboard impact soon achieved’. I like the strings; it sounds like kind of where they ended up on the ‘Indiscreet’ album. 9/10.
5. Moon over Kentucky
Dark. Sinister. I like the way he’s singing ‘Cantuck-y’ like he’s Daniel Day freakin’ Lewis or something. This is a very interesting, well-written song. Again, completely incomprehensible lyric. I like the keening kind of vocal following the piano part between the chorus and verses. 9/10.
6. Do-Re-Mi
Can’t think of what could be more filler than this. I kept expecting maybe something interesting to happen, but no, it’s just solfege, over and over again in the same weird, very sharp key. They’re definitely enthusiastic, but this is a nothing song for me. 5/10.
7. Angus Desire
Okay. What is this song about? About watching cows have sex? I can think of an even less good explanation, but I won’t go into it. I don’t know how to rate this. 6/10 I guess.
8. Underground
Another super enthusiastic song. I like the barhouse sounding piano in the middle. Again, no idea exactly what this song is about. I’m starting to change my mind about this album being less strange than the first one. This sounds like a weird song from 1968 or thereabouts. 7/10.
9. The Louvre
No clue. I don’t speak French, but I can more or less make out what the verses are about. I think the first one is the same one sung in English at the end. I don’t have the faintest idea what the chorus is, and I don’t like to look up translations for songs. It seems interesting. I can’t rate it.
10. Batteries Not Included
Reminds me of one of the fake commercials on ‘The Who Sell Out’. Maybe about a kid with a toy, maybe about an adult with one, who can say? It’s another one I feel like I can’t rate as a song.
11. Whippings and Apologies
Another very ambiguous song. I bet this album is quite a few people’s favorite Sparks album. It’s a bit more accessible than the first one, but every bit as experimental. 7/10.
For me, better things lay ahead, but I’m very glad these first two albums exist in the form that they do; they’re incredibly fascinating. Album rates 7.6/10. Next up, ‘Kimono My House’.