Sparks (1979) The Number One Song in Heaven - LOST 70s GEMS

Sparks last album of the 70s was a big one, a collaboration with Disco king and Techno pioneer, producer Giorgio Moroder. While I enjoyed their 1977 Introducing album most critics hated it, while I am not a fan of this album though it is lauded as a hugely influential in Synth pop and spawned a coupe hit singles. For me tracks like La Dolce Vita and Academy Performance are examples of Sparks' songwriting but lacking the clear concise hooks of their usual pop rock, Glam and Prog backing with a very dated, cheesy synthesizer led melody dominating both. The songwriting isn't especially good either but there are a few tunes that rise above Moroder' heavy handed disco beats and the Brother's Mael's declining knack for melodicism.

First up is opening track Tryouts for the Human Race, it starts with a classic Moroder beat, an oscillating bass note pattern that would fit a Donna Summer song, but Russell's whining croak works as a high tenor counterpoint to the deep synthesizer beat as it modulate and undulates in that Morodish way. The big chorus is melodic big pop and while it doesn't reflect Sparks' sound it does feature their interesting lyrics even if they by now they sound and look like Duran Duran, who hadn't yet debuted so this was an influential time for them.

My Other Voice, located deep on the LP's more accessible second side, starts with the sample of a sawing metal in a loop and Moroder wobble beat as crashing layers of a Mellotron sounding synth phase in and pan around like a sonic orchestra. A winsome keyboard plays some interesting lines before devilish talk box vocal sings. Let's be clear it's synth overload, the many tracks of drums synthesizers, keyboards envelope you in a dull cacophony, some sound choral and damn right angelic like Russell's vocal before we return to that buzzing metal sample with very little idea of what was the point of the whole build up and breaking down of all those effects. Beat the Clock is a bright 80s sounding synth tune with more chugging drum machine beats and buzzing alarm clock keyboards and some African sounding keyboard lines in the background whilst their is the Disco call of 'You Gotta to Beat the Clock, You Gotta Beat the Clock'. Their is a more 70s Italo Disco sounding keyboard solo with a watery church organ sound playing a series of scales up and down reminding me of Abba's Euro based pop. It's utterly forgettable and not really showcasing the best of either artist, but up next is the big hit; No 1 Song in Heaven.

For this closing track and No 1 single, all the elements gel, form the far more engrossing opening mix of driving synth bassline and Russell's most indelible vocal. He sings faster in time with less classical wailing and more understated while the military drum beats keep a heavy anchor while the electronica programmed keyboard lines keep this in the futuristic. Finally the upbeat nature along with the hallowed reverb fit the spiritual lyrics and once again the restrained vocals from Russell keeping this from veering off into their usual grating operetta theatrics while Moroder takes of the music with his propeller beat outdoing nay of Ron's excessive love of synths for this whole album.