11/3/06: Sparks: Propaganda (1974)We’re in the midst of the
CMJ Music Marathon, and it’s not too bad. At least we’re at a point where the future of indie rock is no longer represented by a bunch of 30-year-olds. Still, a recent series of reissues has us thinking more about fiftysomething siblings Ron and Russell Mael of
Sparks.
They’ve been around since 1970, with a career covering several genres and over 12 record labels. We obviously won’t cover that in detail here. You might want to check out
our Sparks interview from 2003, back when the Brothers Mael had just managed an(other) impressive comeback with the critically acclaimed
Lil’ Beethoven.
That article doesn’t mention how Mary Jo Kopechne’s photograph made an appearance in an early Sparks video, or how the band nicely equated Hillary Clinton to Madame Mao back in the ’90s. On the other hand, they’d recently quit referring to their home studio as “The Pentagon” over “creative differences”—as Russell put it—with the war in Iraq.
That’s okay. Sparks may not be conservatives, but they’ve been proud contrarians in a business that doesn’t reward that kind of thing.
Propaganda is the neglected middle child in a legendary trilogy of ’70s albums that turned Sparks into European rock stars. It was a rushed follow-up to
Kimono My House—even released the same year—and maybe every song wasn’t a hit. Chief songwriter Ron still managed a fine collection of twisted tunes, including a few fine themes for Republicans both young and old.
“Who Don’t Like Kids” has a protagonist who can’t imagine procreating without the creating. Maybe it’s meant to be a disturbing profile, but Russell’s cheery vocals sound like a celebration of the march to over 300 million Americans. (They may have been striking it rich in the UK, but Sparks would always sound like the L.A. kids they are.)
The brothers collaborated for the Biblical tale of “Bon Voyage,” which plays things fairly straight as a take on Noah’s Ark. The real right-wing gem, however, is “Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth.” We’ve all had a good time goofing on Gaia lately, but Ron really nails everything hateful about the conniving bitch.
As noted,
Propaganda has just been reissued, and this is from Martin Aston’s liner notes:
…“Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth” warns that “she” must not be underestimated. “All of you that trust in the beauty and sanctity of nature, watch out!” says Ron. “Because nature has a really mean streak. The song was often misunderstood—like Ray Davies of The Kinks who reviewed it on radio and didn’t like it because it was sappy to be a pro-environmental song. It’s the opposite!”So there you have it. Sparks—pioneers in wishing the environment harm.
Hello Young Lovers came out this year, and it’s pretty great, too. Especially for a band’s 21st album.
Make it your own: That trilogy goes like this:
Kimono My House (1974),
Propaganda (1974), and
Indiscreet (1975)—all highly recommended. Also, for true Sparks fans, the perfectly fine
Big Beat (1976) just became great with the inclusion of some well-chosen bonus tracks.
