Sparks Spectacular: A Woofer in Tweeter’s Clothing (1973)
Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Concert Reviews, Issues, Music, Reviews, Sparks Spectacular |By Noisy Boy
Tonight’s show was about twenty times better than last night. My friend complained that the sound was worse where she was, but stood further back, it sounded a lot better, if not so powerful. Nonetheless, the band were on fire.
Everything was performed brilliantly and there was a much more charged atmosphere, including air punches aplenty for “Beaver O’Lindy” and “Do Re Mi” (which was possibly the highlight). “Here Comes Bob” was rearranged for piano, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar. As with last night, one of the many joys of this series of shows is simply watching Sparks play as a band without any backing tracks, extra vocals, or over-reliance on synths. They well and truly rocked by the time “Whippings & Apologies” was played, Russell milking the pauses for all they were worth! If there’s one lingering complaint (and there has to be), it’s that Jim Wilson should take the distortion off his guitar at certain moments—it sort of made “Roger” a bit wonky last night, and the same for “The Louvre” tonight, where the slide guitar should be a bit more delicate. But it’s a minor grumble! If they’re as much improved tomorrow as they were from yesterday, we’re in for a treat. . .
By Craig Irving
All right, night number two. . . This time we knew we could arrive a little later in the evening and still manage to get a great spot to watch from. We got the impression Sparks would come on every night at 9 o’clock like clockwork so we arrived just before that, yet still managed to work our way back into the exact same amazing spot we had the night before.
“Girl From Germany” kicked off the set and immediately painted a massive grin across my face. Russell sang this wonderfully, and he seemed all warmed up from the night before. This was pretty damn clear to everybody as he sang his long extended falsetto at the end of “Nothing is Sacred.” I was totally floored, and my friend was, too.
“Beaver O’Lindy” was very fun and full of energy from the crowd. “Here Comes Bob” is one of my favorites from the album, and hearing it live was definitely not just a novelty; it was one of my favorite performances that entire set.
As the next few songs were played, it occurred to me that most of my favorite pre-Kimono songs were on the first album. Since the album copy I had was an official combo disc of the two together, I guess I never separated them.
“The Louvre” was pretty and “The Underground” was fun, but my excitement was reserved for what I knew was around the corner. . . “Batteries Not Included” and “Whippings and Apologies.”
Hearing “Batteries Not Included” was a novelty, but a damn fine one it was. However, the best song of the entire night was certainly their album-closer, “Whippings and Apologies.” I had high expectations and had in my head exactly how I hoped it would sound, yet they made it sound even better than I could imagine.
It’s because of the full band that this song sounded so strong and powerful. Ron and Russell simply couldn’t have pulled off such a big sound with just themselves. The sound mix was perfect where I stood; everything was loud, clear, and (of course) Russell’s vocals did not disappoint. . . each and every time he came back in to sing the chorus line. When I went back home I knew I wouldn’t get to hear it that way again. I got to see/hear it performed again on the webcast for the Exotic Creatures of the Deep encore show, and though it did remind me of how it sounded back in London, I can still only hear it in my head. I sure won’t forget it.
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