This is outstanding !! It follows what we who "discovered" Sparks back in the day... Yes they were not accepted in the USA then. I know they did come to Texas early on... and Texas was totally unreceptive to them.... Took 40 years for Sparks to come back to Texas. I really tried to see them in the early times of Sparks But did not make my one chance to do so then. Sparks do dare to step out of their comfort zones. A rarity. Not accepted to the majority or those who first heard them But they stepped out. And yes so glad they are still doing it ! And people are finally listening !
Good to have different perspectives. I've never been one of those "I love everything they've ever done" fans. Sparks are in the top of my list for favorite artists, and I think the documentary was the best I had ever seen. I think I've watched it 15 times by now! I don't feel the interviewees were randos being questioned, they were obviously fans and none came across as superficial, other than maybe Mike Myers. But I'm also allowed to have my dislikes, such as Gratuitous Sax and Balls, the overrated and remarkably annoying My Baby's Taking Me Home. But then I hold Introducing as a generally excellent album with a few duds. Number One In Heaven took ages for me to appreciate, but now I really enjoy it. This is life as a Sparks fan.
Your last sentence says it all - there are some common threads in everything they do but the products are of such disparity that it perfectly make sense that not everyone would like everything that they've produced. There are certainly some things that I enjoy more than others! In my mind I keep coming back to those common threads though and think how remarkable it is that they carry those through in so many different directions.
Good thoughts for sure. It was funny that when I was talking to him I didn't get a sense of him being overly negative but a lot of people have heard that and I understand why they do. I do think his perspective is a unique one though and I think definitely worth hearing. The main thing is that he hasn't really immersed himself in their music since the 1980s and there's so much more to it. But definitely a valuable perspective.
Obviously not a huge fan but interesting to hear his thoughts from an American perspective even if they can be quite negative. There's not much he does seem to like from the music to the films over the years. I have to disagree with his views on 'Big Beat'. Sparks had left the UK so with no promotion & no radio play it was doomed to fail commercially. Yes it was a totally different raw rock sounding album but it was still as exciting as 'Kimono' & 'Propaganda', full of energy throughout. I think a lot of diehard fans still followed the albums throughout the 70's though & appreciate them much more. With 'Number 1 in heaven', its singles saw Sparks back in the top 10 here in the UK. The explosion of the disco years & with Giorgio producing it was a no brainer to success & garnered many new fans. We can't all like everything I agree. I haven't either but it's been fun being a devoted fan & enjoying the ride.
Thank you! And so glad that Larry shared the reference - he's a prince among men, that Larry Graves is! And I definitely hope he will come on the show down the road a bit!
@@broederbond60 I kind of feel there's a lot more to it than that. As I've said, there are many different perspectives and overall I think he was 90% positive. He is a very distinguished guy and I wanted to present everything he said although I did add edit out some of his comments that I think would have not presented him in the best light. But It's an important perspective not only in terms of what he didn't like but also about what he did, and also his unique relationship with the band as a journalist in the 1970s. My long-term goal is to better understand the impact of this band in its many dimensions and I feel he helped to bring that out. Anyway apologies if I misunderstood your original comment.
