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 ‘Kimono my House’.
New year, new band, new label, new album. It’s hard to overstate how different and more focused this album is compared to the previous two.
1. This Town ain’t big enough for Both of Us
This is one of the few (well really the only) Sparks songs that anyone I’ve ever met in my part of the world has ever heard of. I still find the production of this album to be a little flat, but it’s yards ahead of the prior two albums. Cool rollicking breakdown in the middle, old west gunshot sound effects. I imagine some people didn’t like the change in direction, but this band is TIGHT. 10/10.
2. Amateur Hour
This is a great song for me. He sounds so breathless on the verse, and then the song just takes off on the pre-chorus. Good, very present bass line. Funny topic and lyrics. Don’t worry young people, it gets easier. 10/10.
3. Falling in Love with Myself Again.
As I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for waltz time. I like the haunted house sounding keyboard. More great bass parts. This is just a top-tier Sparks song for me. Russel sounds super enthusiastic; just swinging for the fences, and I think he makes it. I like the bridge, and the way the band comes back in full force on ‘Blaring!’ 10/10.
4. Here in Heaven
Very funny lyrics. ‘Juliet you broke our little pact’ (did she though?) A little more of a straight up verse-chorus type song without many of the little breakdowns that the prior songs had. 8/10.
5. Thank God it’s not Christmas
This is another top-tier Sparks song for me. I really like Martin Gordon on guitar on this record. He seems to really gel with the bass and the keyboards, and I think his presence restrains Ron a little bit (in a good way). I feel so bad for the people in this song; doomed to spend the rest of their time together though they apparently can’t stand each other. I like the half-time in the chorus. 10/10.
6. Hasta Mañana, Monsieur
I’ve always liked the sort of unearthly sound of a Mellotron, and it works very well in this song. It’s been a little while since I’ve listened to this album, and I can’t get over just how good the band sounds. Funny lyrics about communication difficulties. 9/10.
7. Talent is an Asset
I dare anyone to remain still with this little foot-stomper playing. I mean…it’s a pop song about Albert Einstein. 10/10.
8. Complaints
Another super fun song, this time going into double time in the chorus. Super infectious. There’s an awful lot of reverb on the vocals, and it makes them hard to understand. Still great though. Very fun ending and I love the guitar solo. 8/10.
9. In My Family
There just isn’t a bad song on this album. Part of me is just like ‘This is almost everyone’s favorite Sparks album, it can’t be mine too’ (actually I don’t think it is). 8/10.
10. Equator
This song is almost unratable. It’s obnoxious as all heck, but that is sort of the point. I sort of wish they’d had an actual saxophone play the part instead of the keyboard, but it’s fine as is. Funny lyrics from what I can understand. I like the background vocals; I don’t think it’s Russel singing. The last two minutes of the song are insane. 8/10.
There are a number of bonus tracks on the version that I own. In general I’m going to rate the albums as they were released; I think of bonus tracks as simply a bonus, and not a part of the album. It’s hard for me to believe that more people haven’t heard of this album (though as I said it’s one of the few that anyone I know of has heard of). Album rates 9.1/10. Next up ‘Propaganda’.