REVIEW BY MARTIN TRUKSA
Sparks : Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (Logic) 1994 :-
The question that immediately springs to mind is, 'What the hell were Sparks doing between 1988 and 1994 ?' - a six year gap between the release of their previous album, 'Interior Design', and this one. The answer is ... creatively, not a lot. Aside from composing the music for a film by Hong Kong film director Tsui Hark. And releasing an awful single with synth maestros Finitribe, 'National Crime Awareness Week'.
In my opinion 'Gratuitous Sax & Violins' is a major disappointment and one of my least favourite Sparks albums. It sounds like a second-rate 'Pet Shop Boys' album. Loud, brash, monotonous techno. Russell spends more time speaking on this album than on any other (fine in small doses, but monotonous if taken to an extreme). Typically, I struggle to name one track on a Sparks album that I don't like; with this album I struggle to find one track that I do like.
When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'?
Three songs from the album were released as singles, namely 'When Do I Get To Sing My Way', 'When I Kiss You I Hear Charlie Parker Playing' and the clumsily titled 'Now That I Own The BBC'. Despite being released in a multitude of mixes ... and extended mixes ... and remixes of extended mixes ... and despite much publicity and radio airplay, the three singles only just managed to scrape into the bottom reaches of the UK 'Top 50' charts. This is indicative of the quality of the tracks.
Highlights of the album are, I guess, 'When Do I Get To Sing My Way', the ultra hypnotic 'Frankly, Scarlett, I Don't Give A Damn', and the eerie 'Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil'. However these tracks aren't particularly good, merely better than the remaining eight tracks. Was it really worth waiting six years for this crap? I don't think so.
Click image for album lyrics
Sparks re-issue 'Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins'. Available only through the Official Sparks Fan Club, this is the first CD in the new Sparks: The Collection range. Presented in a digi pack with sleeve notes written by Daryl Easlea. Worth buying for the packaging alone. Recommended.
SPARKS : Tracks - Gratuitous Sax, When Do I Get To Sing My Way, When I Kiss You I Hear Charlie Parker Playing, Frankly Scarlet I Don't Give A Damn, I Thought I Told You To Wait In The Car, Hear No Evil See No Evil Speak No Evil, Now That I Own The BBC, Tsui Hark, The Ghost Of Liberace, Let's Go Surfing, Senseless ViolinsSparks : Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins