Sparks Spectacular: Terminal Jive
Posted in Concert Reviews, Music, Reviews, Sparks Spectacular |By Noisy Boy
I’m pretty sure that many Sparks fans would be of the opinion that anything following the euphoria from the No. 1 in Heaven show would be a letdown. And in some respects it was: the attendance was quite low and the sound mix was a bit fluid (too much guitar in one song, too much keys in another), but the whole experience was still wonderful.
Ron and Russell may have publicly stated that this is their least favorite album, but Ron’s beret (indicating the popularity of “When I’m With You” in France, I suppose) and Russell’s continued onstage enthusiasm would suggest otherwise. All songs were delivered with panache and vigor, and the smaller crowd responded in kind! Not as much dancing as the previous show, but plenty of shouting and approval.
The best song of the evening was probably “Noisy Boys” (for obvious reasons) and would’ve been slightly edged out by “Young Girls” (noted by Russell as being on Word Magazine’s recent list of inappropriate songs) had the keyboards been mixed slightly higher. Interestingly, John Thomas’s sterling keyboard work was a lot more to the fore than Ron’s, but the song was no worse for it. He took the solos on “When I’m With You” perfectly, and added some nice textures to the sound.
The surprise encore of “Singing in the Shower” was another highlight, and a nice dedication to the late Fred Chichin. As Russell noted, this was their final album of the seventies, and their decision to u-turn from Harold Faltemeyer would lead to their eighties output, which begins tomorrow. . . can’t wait!
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Miss Missy Tannenbaum’s review