SPARKS/HALFNELSON

Jenn and I select our favorite songs from a Sparks album and play them for you here and discuss why Sparks is the greatest band in all of Tarnation, by golly.

Ted: Hey Jenn, guess what I'm busy doing?

Jenn: Hey there, Ted. Whatcha doin?

T: Loading another Sparks song onto YouTube, because you changed your mind on your favorite from Sparks/Halfnelson!

J: Well... upon a very thorough listening this morning, I couldn't help myself after bobbing my head to the bass line joy in “Saccharin and the War."

T: An excellent alternate choice, so how can I complain? For some reason, I thought it was on Sparks' second album, A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing.

J: But alas, no. Just another brilliant example of how the Mael brothers came out of the gates of pop-rock running, and have not slowed down at all.

T: Indeed, for the last, what, thirty seven years? Astonishing.

J: How about your choice on the first album, Ted? It will be hard to beat “Saccharin."

T: "High C."

J: An excellent choice. A great example of what Russel is capable of, with his vocals, and how Ron's songwriting is more than just different than other bands from that era, but sets the bar for songwriters in the future. The lyrics are also ridiculously funny.

T: "High C" kind of tugs on my heart a bit - though I think its lyrics are tongue in cheek.

J: Yeh yeh. So romantic. Something like - "Come home with me and we can almost hit High C singing together." Pahahahahahaha!

T: So remind me, when did the Sparks universe open for us?

J: ‘Twas in December of '08. We were taking advantage of the slow time on campus, after students had left for the semester, and I had a small little temporary office near yours because my real office was being remodeled. You were giving me a funny ‘80s band education using the YouTube.

T: That's right. Up until that point, I had thought Sparks was a goofy throw-away act from the ‘80s. I had no idea how rich their history was. We watched their "Cool Places" video - the one where Russell duets with Jane Weidlin of the GoGos.

J: I thought it was ridiculous. And Russell, well, if you are watching "Cool Places," without knowing anything else...umm - total weirdo.

T: I was embarrassed to admit I used to like it...

J: THEN - to find out shortly thereafter that they were setting the standard for so many of those cheezy 80's bands years before that!

T: Exactly. It's one thing to think, oh yeah, Sparks and Devo and Oingo Boingo were probably working off each other... but then to discover what they did, for instance, in '79 with "Number One Song in Heaven"! Just mind blowing. That one influenced tons of bands.

T: The more we dug into the internet, the more we were falling off our chairs in disbelief...

J: Yes. It's true. We are getting ahead of ourselves by talking about how they influenced other bands in the late 70's and 80's because we started looking at their really early stuff, and could not believe the transformation they had taken as a band, themselves. Sparks/Halfnelson was a solid album. We bought it shortly after our YouTube frenzy and songs like "Saccharin" and "High C!" My god.

T: Yes, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves… but hopefully our discussion will (Spark s)ome interest!

"Saccharin and the War"

Fifteen years the bus had waited

Before it moved on into the town

Eye liner worn by all their girls

Through the night the war was fought
Each "eye liner" took two small drops
Reaction - Elation - Joy, Joy, Joy

Every girl took in a doctor
The Constitution says: "you must house the men"
Each doctor undermined a plot

All the weight that was soon lost
They erected as a golden cross

Remember the weight is no longer here

Through the street girls sang
The marching bands brought on the rain
The Doctors stood by the gold cross

One "eye liner" she had an idea
She read the Book, the Golden Book
It seems another Man had come across a cross

Dr. Jones they crucified

But, all their weight was returned back

Ha, Ha for all the girls now

"High C"

A picket fence, I leaped it
Through your screen door, I gotta meet you

High C up and High C down
Since you left the opera you just frown a lot
and mumble, "I'm humble."

Press clippings hang from torn wallpaper
A dust covered phone, no one would ring her

High C up and High C down
Since you left the opera you just frown a lot
and you tell me

Tell me of the times when you were so big
in Vienna
And the people paid good money just to hear
you in your splendor

But that's all over now
That's all over now

Limited tastes, I wish I could help you
A rock-headed lad, I have got to help you

High C up and High C down
Since you left the opera you just frown a lot
and mumble, "I'm humble."

Come on home with me and will sing our little hearts out
We will hit High C or maby somewhere thereabouts