Following the release of their box set New Music for Amnesiacs: The Ultimate Collection, Sparks present a condensed, career-spanning double-CD selection entitled New Music for Amnesiacs: The Essential Collection. One of the most influential bands in pop, Sparks have been at the forefront of music for more than four decades, beginning with the glam rock of the early ’70s, through their reinvention as an electronic pop duo collaborating with Giorgio Moroder, to the startling baroque rock / pop of the last decade. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept them on the cutting edge of modern artful pop music. Ron and Russell Mael are held in esteem by such bands and performers as Morrissey, MGMT, Sonic Youth, Arcade Fire, Björk and Depeche Mode, all of whom have cited Sparks as a major influence. Starting with their first album, originally released under the band’s former name Halfnelson, and concluding with tracks from 2008’s Exotic Creatures of the Deep, these 40 songs provide the perfect introduction to, and celebration of, this extraordinary band’s career.
2XCD $20.25
12/17/2013
***BACK IN STOCK!!! Ron and Russell Mael present a double-CD souvenir of Sparks’ recent Two Hands One Mouth European tour that saw the American brothers playing shows as a duo for the first time. With no band and no computers, Ron (two hands, on keyboards) and Russell (one mouth, on vocals) captured the very essence of Sparks and their extensive catalog. This unique performance is now available on Sparks’ first live album. “This is the first ever official live recording of Sparks. The ‘Two Hands One Mouth’ tour in Europe, from which these recordings were taken (the tour continued in Japan and soon America), has been an exceptional experience for us and, judging by the reaction and feedback, also a memorable and emotional event for Sparks’ fans. As a result, we want to celebrate the event with a souvenir for all Sparks’ fans that captures this tour and the unique format of the performance. While we began the tour with certain fears of not having the safety net of a band or computers, we soon realized that the format was wildly successful (for us and for the audience) in highlighting in the purest form the core elements of what Sparks has always been—our musical world conveyed through our songs and our vocals and performed in a most aggressive way.” —Ron and Russell Mael
2XCD $17.50
04/09/2013
MP3 $9.90
04/09/2013
***Special LA Film Festival edition of SPARK’s acclaimed 2009 studio album (their 22nd), to coincide with their June, 25th, 2011 performance of the album. Specialist fabric covered casebound CD packaging with 32-page full-color booklet, made specially for the LA film festival.
CD $13.00
07/05/2011
***With the release of The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, RON and RUSSELL MAEL’s 22nd album, the worlds of SPARKS and musical theater have finally become one. Originally commissioned by Sweden's national public radio station Sveriges Radio to write and produce an original radio musical, Sparks created the musical fantasy based on the internationally acclaimed film director Ingmar Bergman. Says Ron, "As Americans, we have almost abandoned radio drama, and it was truly exhilarating for us to work in a medium where the imagination of the listener is so integral a part of the work. Aside from our love of Bergman, we have a love of Orson Welles and his use of the medium of radio was something that inspired us in this work." The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman is just over 60 minutes of wonderfully original music that tells a fantasy "what if" story. Though his films' themes have traditionally centered on matters of death, faith, God's existence, and the struggle to find love and meaning in our lives, in the musical Bergman is confronted by the lure of a mythological Hollywood seemingly at odds with all he stands for--a Hollywood that tempts him and ultimately tries to control him. What starts as an exploration by Bergman of the possible mutual benefits of his working in Hollywood turns into a Kafkaesque nightmare, one that ends with the aid of a most unlikely savior.The US version of the very limited deluxe box set includes artwork by Grammy Award-winning designer Rachel Gutek....
4XLP+CD BOX $69.95
12/15/2009
‘The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman’ is Sparks’ new album. Just over 60 minutes of wonderfully original music that tell a fantasy “what if” story. Though his films' themes have traditionally centred on matters of death, faith, God's existence, and the struggle to find love and meaning in our lives, Bergman is confronted in the musical by the lure of a mythological Hollywood seemingly at odds with all he stands for---a Hollywood that tempts him and ultimately tries to control him. What starts as an exploration by Bergman of the possible mutual benefits of his working in Hollywood turns into a Kafkaesque nightmare, a nightmare ended with the aid of a most unlikely saviour.
MP3 $12.99
11/03/2009
ORIGINAL SWEDISH BROADCAST VERSION. ‘The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman’ is Sparks’ new album. Just over 60 minutes of wonderfully original music that tell a fantasy “what if” story. Though his films' themes have traditionally centred on matters of death, faith, God's existence, and the struggle to find love and meaning in our lives, Bergman is confronted in the musical by the lure of a mythological Hollywood seemingly at odds with all he stands for---a Hollywood that tempts him and ultimately tries to control him. What starts as an exploration by Bergman of the possible mutual benefits of his working in Hollywood turns into a Kafkaesque nightmare, a nightmare ended with the aid of a most unlikely saviour. The part-Swedish version of the recording was broadcast in Sweden in August 2009 accompanied by a limited edition CD of this original Swedish version.
MP3 $12.99
11/03/2009
MP3 $0.99
07/07/2009
Thirty-seven years after their debut LP, Sparks release Exotic Creatures of the Deep, their 21st studio album. Recorded in their Los Angeles studio, brothers Ron and Russell Mael once again display their extraordinary ability to create, to challenge, and to confound. Should it be possible for two people to be so fresh, so vital, so unpredictable, and so incomparably individual? The result of a year spent in near-isolation, Exotic Creatures of the Deep could, perhaps, be seen as a natural evolution from their last two records, on which pop-opera, rock, and high drama combined to redefine Sparks' sound. During these recent times, the cognoscenti have lauded and applauded Sparks while enjoying membership of an exclusive club. However, the remarkably exceptional and notably catchy creations on Exotic Creatures of the Deep are the key that enables many more, as Sparks have said, to "come and meet them."
CD $13.00
07/29/2008