"Kimono My House" by SPARKS – May 1974 UK 3rd LP on Island Records with Ron and Russell Mael, Adrian Fisher, Martin Gordon and Dinky Diamond (October 2006 UK Island Expanded Edition CD Reissue – Part Of the '21st Century Edition' Series of Reissues For Sparks Back Catalogue – Kieron McGarry Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Increasing Heartbeat…"

"Hitler's on Top Of The Pops Mum! I swear!"

"Oh don't be daft son!"

(Mum pauses to view said atrocity)

"Holy Mother of Mary and All The Saints Preserve Us!

You're Right!"

There are few of us of a certain advanced macular decrepitude that don't remember April 1974. There we were in our strategically faded Wranglers sat innocently on our monthly-installment-plan settee in front of the telly – eager to worry our parents even more by catching our weekly heroin fix of all things British Top Twenty – our Thursday night rendezvous with 'Top Of The Pops'. Maybe we'd get to see Peter Gabriel with his funny haircut or Ian Anderson on one leg with a flute in a vagrant's coat or even Pam in Pan's People flash a big of thigh - but no brothers, no...

On come Ron and Russell Mael and their band of Cabaret Rockers SPARKS - whether England likes it or not. There's Russell Mael - an American ensconced in London with his brother Ron - poncing about the TOTP stage with his corkscrew curls and chiffon scarf singing something falsetto about 'zoo time is she and you time' while pistol shots go off. Things get riffage-interesting after "...it ain't me who's gonna leave!" and that killer groove kicks you in the teeth. For sure me hearties, but their 4 April 1974 UK 7" single "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" on Island WIP 6193 is indeed-indictment a stone cold winner with Palm-Tree-label knobs on.

But that's not what's keeping you watching - nor the Wizzard and T.Rex Glam Rock - not even the slightly Proggy vibe the music is giving off at times – or even that fantastically underrated guitar work from Adrian Fisher when he launches into that wild soloing. What's got your peepers all jeepers-creepers is the other brother – nutter Ron on the Farfisa Organ with his Adolf-moustache - his menacing eyes staring at you as he catches the camera changes – mesmerizing. You feel you should (for some reason) look away – but you can't. You're hooked. You want in. Hell, you want to even buy the damn 45 the next day or maybe even the entire album (guiltily housing it) too. Ron's eyes and his undoubtedly evil Magnum P.I. mini-tache has to be one of the truly great moments in Seventies Rock history (and TV).

With such an eye-popping opening salvo, is it any wonder that SPARKS engendered such an instant cult following - British DJs loving the wit and kick-ass hit nature of "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" that made No. 2 - and its equally cool-as-no-school-today follow up "Amateur Hour" that achieved No. 7 in July 1974. Hell they even had a comic book once dedicated to all things "Barbecutie" (the non-album B-side to "This Town...").

Which brings us via facial hair and pistol-slapping mama’s to this brill little 2006 CD Remaster of their third album "Kimono My House" - almost certainly most people's starting point with this most original and loveable band. Increasing heartbeat indeed. Hasta Mañana baby. Here goes...

UK released 9 October 2006 - "Kimono My House" by SPARKS on Island 984 341 7 (Barcode 602498434178) is an Expanded Edition CD Reissue - part of the '21st Century Edition' Series - with Three Bonus Tracks and it plays out as follows (47:32 minutes):

1. This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us [Side 1]

2. Amateur Hour

3. Falling in Love With Myself Again

4. Here In Heaven

5. Thank God It's Not Christmas

6. Hasta Mañana Monsieur [Side 2]

7. Talent Is An Asset

8. Complaints

9. In My Family

10. Equator

Tracks 1 to 10 are their third studio album "Kimono My House" - released May 1974 in the UK and USA on Island ILPS 9272. Produced by MUFF WINWOOD - it peaked on the UK LP charts at No. 4.

BONUS TRACKS:

11. Barbecutie (non-album B-side to "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us", 4 April 1974 UK 7” single on Island WIP 6193)

12. Lost And Found (non-album B-side to "Amateur Hour", 12 July 1974 UK 7” single on Island WIP 6203)

13. Amateur Hour (Live At Fairfield Halls, 9 November 1975) - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

The 20-page booklet is a pleasingly in-depth affair featuring loads of carefully collected memorabilia includes Press Kits for the album, sheet music for the big single as well as a huge number of Euro and Worldwide pictures sleeves for "This Town..." They've even unearthed a 1974 tour program. PAUL LISTER, at the time Deputy Editor for "Uncut" Magazine did the liner notes and the lyrics of the original LP's inner sleeve have been included too. DARYL EASLEA coordinated the Remasters for Universal with Tape Research from PETE MATTHEWS and Mastering from KIERON McGARRY.

Improved audio-wise, when fans come to deep LP cuts like "Thank God It's Not Christmas" and "Complaints" - both have shockingly good bottom-end even if those vocals still feel a little too far in the distance at times. And I'm loving that both the excellent non-album Ron Mael B-sides "Barbecutie" and "Lost And Found" (so New Wave 1977-sounding three years before the event) have been rescued from obscurity.

Other cool audio upgrades include the Side 2 opener "Hasta Mañana Monsieur" - those Adrian Fisher guitars thrashing away before the melodrama piano notes bring it Fisher's very Roxy guitar solo. Camp and Glam combine for the 'he is a genius' song "Talent Is An Asset" - another Ron Mael song winner and great fun into the bargain. You can hear Martin Gordon punch those Bass notes for the Punky "Complaints" while Sparks goes all Cars with "In My Family" (next stop post-senility). Their third album ends on Russell Mael stretching his vocals chords on the wildly difficult to pin down "Equator". I also like that they've even included the lyrics for the two B-sides too. Nice.

In the end I wouldn't call "Kimono My House" a masterpiece by any means nor does it have the staying power or sheer suave sophistication of say Roxy Music's "Country Life" – but 1974 was an interesting year for Rock prepared to get a tad complicated and out there. Island Records would also issue Kevin Ayer's stunning "The Confessions Of Dr. Dream And Other Stories" in that creative hub and sharing similar musical territory would be UK Records with 10cc's “Sheet Music”, Supertramp's audiophile "Crime Of The Century", Vertigo with SAHB's "The Impossible Dream" and Peter Gabriel's Genesis dropping the fantastic splurge that is November 1974's “The Lamb Lies Down Broadway” to name but a few.

They would cement their reputation with 1975's "Propaganda" – a fan's next stop after this. But many will find their heart pulled towards "Kimono..." - smiling all the while as they do. And isn't that the best...