SPARKS

[Rykodisc]

This has been stuck in my head for a few hours lately, I gave the album a listen last night and to be honest it doesn't seem click with me that the previous "British trilogy" did.

The musicianship intricate as always and I give props to Rupert Holmes for trying to present the band to an American audience but for me it all sounds rather... (gulp!) dull

Save for Mississippi and Confusion though, it shows the kind of Sparks I fell in love with is still there.

I think if they deviated from the MOR sound a bit then I could've liked this a bit more but just seems lacking in personality.

I'd to see some other perspectives into this; do you disagree with my statements? Does it work for you more then me?

[veryoldfan]

I like Big Beat. It's a very silly album and always makes me smile so it cheers me up when I need cheering up! Don't like the first track much and usually skip it but I do enjoy singing along to the rest. Technically might not be their best but I don't care.
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Alison

[deadcalm]

At one stage before it was produced "Mick Ronson" did a few rough demos of some of the tracks. It could of been wonderful had the full album been done by Tony Visconti or some one a bit more edgy.. . I still like it though... The 20th century remastered Cd is the best bet you get lots of good bonus tracks.
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I Think that went very Well

[Turtle152]

Ronson wound up passing on Sparks to do 2 tours with Bob Dylan. On the 2nd tour, he ended up mostly watching from the wings as Dylan himself took over lead guitar duties (badly). Mick also had a role in Dylan's widely panned film opus "Renaldo and Clara," which as one critic wrote "sank so many reputations it's like watching the defeat of the Spanish Armada." I wonder if Mick looks back and thinks, "I should've stayed with Sparks!"

[JUDE TURPIN]

Big Beat of course was produced after they went home to America and left Dinky and co. behind, which was sad in my opinion. I had always regarded them as a group, not a duo. It has some great songs on it although I didn`t hear them until many years later as Sparks disappeared from public view in this part of the world.

[admiralhalfnelson]

I think Big Beat is their most underrated album. A lot of people slag it off as being a cheap copy of the hard rock acts then popular in the US in a vain bid to get accepted in their homeland, but I beg to differ. Yes, Sparks wanted to be as popular in America as they were in the UK and Europe. They recorded the album in New York just as the punk scene was flourishing. This influence can be seen not only in the music, but in the largely stripped down production as compared to the UK trilogy. If Sparks really wanted to tap into the popular US rock sound of the time, the production values would be much more bombastic. Think Kiss on Love Gun or Destroyer. Optionally, imagine Russ in Paul Stanley makeup

My favourite track is probably Nothing to Do. It rocks AND rolls!
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Horatio ~ the future Mr. Mael ~ Peace, love and

~23/5/18~

https://discord.gg/Hruaj6D ~ Sparks Discord

[Kermit!]

'Big Beat' is still the album I play the most. I loved it when it came out & I think it was a good choice for a different sound. It really rocks full with a zesty, youthful energy, something that had first attracted me to Sparks when I first heard 'This Town' on the radio. I love the controversy & pure rawness of it all. As much as I love 'Indiscreet', I think that was too much of a departure at the time after the 'Kimono/Propaganda' albums. The poor choice of singles released from it were only minor hits & sadly led to them leaving the UK to record 'Big Beat'. Although the album wasn't as commercially successful as its predecessors it's one that is really just incredible when played loud & live. On the 21nights when it was played in full it went down an absolute storm surprising both Ron & Russ I think. Personally I definitely do rank 'Big Beat' as one of their very best albums.
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The fan formally known as kermit

The Future! The Future!

[fripp]