This is the first Sparks song I had ever heard. It showed up on my Spotify back in 2017 and it intrigued me so much. I listened to this album on repeat. I didn't get into their earlier stuff or learn much about them until A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip after loving 2 albums in a row I realized it would be worth doing the deep dive into their catalog. They are easily now one of my top 3 favorite musical acts ever.
You should check out the Sparks Brothers documentary which I think is on Netflix right now. I knew and liked a couple of their more popular songs but the documentary was amazing and exposed me to much more of their music.
@@rockymorales6175 Thanks! I have watched it many times, it's fantastic. This song was my first exposure to them, since then I've gone down the rabbit hole and become obsessed.
This "pool party" must have been special! 😁 A couple of years ago... ('Introducing Sparks') ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HIg7k0ecpKo.html
My interpretation is it's a song about dreams, especially that of a well travelled reader and lover of all art...dreams are vague and random hence all the random objects and people
I just got back into Sparks in the last few years and I have to say they just get better. Name one band from the 70s that are not only still producing new material not just for the sake of it but is as good, if not better, than their early stuff? Even Sir Paul McCartney couldn't do that. Seriously.
No, even about it. Anyway, his solo stuff means nothing to me, and that Christmas song of his in the 80s, what a dumb wind-up. Sparks' 70s stuff was cute, though the albums were not exactly what I'd call ownable and full of cool songs. That changed with the wonderful dawning of the synth-era and their flipping lovely "No.1 In Heaven" album and the rest is history and current too.
The interesting thing about this song is it seems to avoid the tonic. Most musical phrases resolve to the tonic note at the end of the phrase, but this song never does. Amazing.
And also the "Titus Andronicus" verse is almost entirely in perfect intervals, which is amazing by itself and compounds on the complete avoidance of tonic until the last, entirely half-assed, cadence. Sparks is genius.
Imagine the 80's music never stopped and this song is the legit evolution of that era. Thanks to Sparks we can have a sample of how smart and yet, still groovy and beautiful music would've been nowadays, if the following generations would've been just a tiny bit more profound in musical taste. Unfortunately, we chose to deprive music of anything too deep, we ceased to write smart lyrics, favoring superficiality. And, here we are. Thanks Sparks, you're like a glimpse in a future that won't ever come!
Man, these guys should come with a warning "Highly addictive". How come I lived so long without knowing of them? My life was so incomplete and I didn't even know it.
Agreed. We didn't know it. I find they're the real deal album-wise from 1979 onwards and they're 80s stuff is utterly and criminally overlooked. All those albums are generally chock-full of cool stuff, with only their 1986 really struggling somewhat. But 1984's "Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat" is one of the most criminally overlooked, mistreated and misunderstood albums of the 80s in a decade full of badly treated albums by excellent artists, as everyone all too busy dumbly bigging up the overrated, ordinary or just plain shit. Sparks have really good 80s singles and albums. I wish I knew them ages ago and I tell you what's utterly depressing. NEVER, in the UK, do their songs turn up on 80s compilations or on TOTP or on retro 80s shows on radio that generally just play the kind of crap you hear every day anyway-the worst and soppiest and more boring examples of 80s best forgotten, yet the masses of unwashed losers love. Sadly I did not know how wonderful Sparkies were until last Septmember and then in 4 short months I found myself getting the bulk of their albums, most of which I insisted be pressies as my Birthday lucky enough to be at latter part of year nearer Christmas. Tell you what, haven't had such a mass of 'new' albums by an act in decades, as everything else I already have or just get one album every several years or so the few times a decent act (mainly from the 80s) returns to do one.
myself as well--my god they are so old now-but still "sparks"-if they must retire soon they have left us a huge wonderful legacy-thank you ron & russell.
First listen: Wow this is weird even for them......*ten minutes later* *singing* There's a painting by Hieronymus BOSCH! by Hieronymus BOSCH! by Hieronymus in my pool.
@@rogerhoward7498, you are right. Like "Here in heaven" (Kimono my house), so sweet and beautiful, until you listen to the lyrics. Lines such "... people only sleep, and wake up to tell how gory and gruesome was their end", "Do I qualify as dearly departed, or am I the sucker in the sky?", "It is hell knowing that your health will keep you out of here for many, many years". It's a sad story, but so cleverly put together so can't but smile. "Tryouts for the human race", about SPERMS trying to come out and "be some one". I don't think I would like to know were the idea to that song came from😂
@@annabackman3028 You left out the best part about Here in Heaven lol! It’s about Romeo & Juliet, but with the twist of Juliet not going through with it.
@@mbizzlehere9799 Thank you, but that's not news to me since the winter 1976-77, when I first learned about Sparks 💖! A couple of years after the release, but better late than never 😄(Not ironical 💖)
@@annabackman3028 Oh, I didn’t think it would be news to you, just pointing it out to anyone who might be reading 😊 It’s cool that you’ve been a fan for that long
Bought the signed jigsaw at Sparks at The Academy Glasgow last night. Never came home from a gig with a jigsaw before. Loving it that I did. After the 6 Music gig last year, I knew I had to have that incredible experience of the majesty of Sparks again. And I did. Much much respect and love to Russell and Ron.
Yeah!!! you are probably right... but the real genius of this track is that the song really reflects the Sparks of the 1970's with the type of tracks you would have heard on an album like 'KIMONO MY HOUSE' (IF THAT'S THE NAME OF THE ALBUM). Hippopotamus as a track captures a style of musical expression that is really the music heart of what Sparks do very well.
Some of their singles enchant more as you get older and when you come back to them . This is unique and unforgettable especially when you place it nex to all the drivel out there . They have their own style)s(a few they essayed now . Nothing like Angst or Kimono or Out in Space .
Once we get to the Chinese lady with the abacus, we know we're in the safe hands of sheer brilliance. Not that I'm prejudiced. Utterly nuts, completely catchy, and an earworm for days and days on end. Only Sparks could do this. And I'm eternally grateful.
The first time I heard of Hieronymus BOSCH, was the cover of many albums by yet another underrated rock band called “Pearls Before Swine” featuring Tom Rapp. Very much worth your time to check out that band, when you find a break from listening to Sparks.
Thanks Newsnight! I'd managed to finally get this song out of my head and 5 months later, you come along and ruin everything. I'm sure everyone at work tomorrow will hate me when I just keep singing this... -.-
It's great to have The Brothers back! Not entirely sure about this song though it has it's charm.. but, there's a whole album awaiting discovery :) Nice & cute drawings.
Hieronymus Bosch was a painter from the Netherlands, lived from around 1450 to 1516. He is mostly known for his pictures of the Doomsday. If you want to rhyme a painters name with "-us" "Bosch" isn't the best of choises, but with a fun little twist Ron pulled it off.
@@Stjurgeon Well, yes. AND no. In the VERSE Bosch rhymes with Bosch. However, listen to the rhythm, and how Russell is emphasizes 'Hieronymus' with a pause before 'Bosch'.The rhyme through the SONG is 'Hieronymus'. If you follow the rhythm you will find that 'Bosch' actually is one note too much for that line, and in a way belongs to the next line. One of those obscure things Sparks do. 😃
Genius is an over used word to describe what is more often than not something or someone that is actually just very good. The word is inadequate describing Sparks. 25 studio albums of extraordinary orginality and diversity. If you're in any doubt about where Sparks sit in the hierarchy of musical greatness then check out the Neflix documentary on the brothers - you'll be astounded.
