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 ‘Balls’.
The biggest problem with this album is that it’s hard to say you like it without adding a lot more information; else people may grossly misunderstand.
1. Balls
Right away, big change from the last album. It has an almost industrial feel to it. Super catchy, I like the electric guitar lifting it up, and great vocal production. Chorus heavy, but it all works. 8/10.
2. More than a sex Machine
Another ear grabber. I like the orchestration, the vocal melody, the lyrics are funny. David Hasselhoff should cover this. He should wear a fur coat and cover it. No, he should wear a fur coat and his Baywatch speedo and cover it. 8/10.
3. Scheherazade
A trance like tune, similar to some from the last album. In general I wish the fake drums on this album had a little more heft to them, but other than that this album is better produced and engineered than any of their albums for a while for me. It’s also a fun topic for a song. 8/10.
4. Aeroflot
I haven’t experienced Aeroflot, and I’m not quite sure if this song is sincere or cynical. It’s another super catchy tune that’s going to be going through my head all day. It’s another one where Russel sounds super-involved in the story he’s telling, which is great, and I’m a sucker for spoken Russian. 8/10.
5. The Calm before the Storm
Looking back at the late 1990s and 2000, these are some of the most prophetic lyrics ever. It’s gorgeous, again I love the vocal production, all the ‘bum bum bums!’ etc. The horns and strings are great. I still wish there were better drum sounds, but I really like this song. 9/10.
6. How to get your ass Kicked
More fun lyrics. I did find myself a little bored. It’s very repetitive, but doesn’t have that hypnotic quality a lot of their repetitive songs do either. It’s fine. 6/10.
7. Bullet Train
Another ear grabber and toe-tapper. All the ‘Yeah!’s had me smiling through the song. More electric guitar and horns, and all the synth sounds are super fun. I can’t tell if the background vocals are Russel too (they usually are, but here it almost sounds like a different person). 8/10.
8. It’s a Knockoff
More good lyrics, Ron was on fire on this album lyric-wise (I’m assuming he wrote all the lyrics? I guess I don’t know that for a fact, and my CD doesn’t seem to say). 6/10.
9. Irreplaceable
Every time I hear this song, the start makes me think it’s a different song, but I can never think what song it is. I feel like based on some comments from the last album that maybe people don’t dig this album a whole bunch, but I’m liking it quite a bit. 7/10.
10. It’s Educational
Another industrial feeling song. It seems to be about aliens I think? That’s how I’m taking it anyway. I like the background vocals with the la-la’s and the synth sounds great, it all lends toward making everything feel other-worldly. 8/10
11. The Angels
Kind of a weird song for a closer. Are there other songs in which they curse? I can’t think of any offhand…there must be some, but it kind of caught me by surprise here. The song has a pretty melody and feel to it. I like it. 7/10.
Album rates 7.6/10. Next up, Lil’ Beethoven.