[.ca] Whomp That Sucker

Return To Form:
After two unknown but incredible albums, Sparks found its audience with three of the best glam/pop/rock/uncategorizable albums of the period (mid-'70s). After drifting off to other less interesting (to me) genres (mostly dance music), Sparks made a stunning return to form with this album. "Don't Shoot Me" would have been right at home on either of the first two albums, and the rest on albums 3-5 (Kimono My House, Propaganda, Indiscreet). If you were a fan during the Kimono-Indiscreet period, but missed this one, it's time to enlarge your collection.

PROPAGANDA REVISTED:
For those fans who loved "Propaganda," "Whomp That Sucker" brings back all the fun! Like 74's "Propaganda," there is never a dull moment! But, unlike "Propaganda," the "Whomp..." album doesn't carry its age as well. In fact, it is hard to ignore that this album came straight from the 80's with the over-layered synthesizers on the tracks "Funny Face" and "I Married a Martian," but after the few boring releases such as "Introducing Sparks" (which still deserves to be re-issued) and "Terminal Jive," this album is like a jolt of electricity to the brain. If any listener can get through these tracks without at least one laugh, I give them my sympathy! The Bohem + Haag + Kendrick + Mack back-up band do the Mael brothers about as much justice as 74's Diamond + Hampton + Fischer + White line-up. Although a few of the tracks sound over-synthesized..."Whomp That Sucker" could have any listener fooled that there ever was a disco-era. "That's Not Natassia," "Don't Shoot Me" & "Suzie Safety" deserve a place in Sparks discography -- some of the most humorous moments of the Mael brothers' recent history. "Whomp That Sucker" is fun from the beginning, as "Tips for Teens" reveals: "Don't eat that ice-cream/is it vanilla/give it to me/Don't eat that pastry/what's in the middle/give it to me." In fact, this remains one of Sparks most humorous albums up to date. Though its 80's flair might make a few listeners chuckle...the album is worth every dollar you pay for it!

Luv'n this CD all over again...:
I used to listen to this in Jr High. On a whim I bought it again, and now, 20 years later, it still is one great album. The music, far from being one dimensional, has complex keyboard and guitar interaction and several layers of subdued counterpoint. The song topics are trivial (nay, dumb); and yet the lyrics are sublime and speak volumes. The best I can sum up this album is that it is the antithesis of most post Gen-X music: Instead of mediocre musicians taking themselves way too seriously, these are phenomenal musicians reveling in the absurd. Brilliant.

Good bit of fun:
The first half of this album is frenetic, uptempo new wave pop-rock, although at times it is too one-dimensional. The second half tails off a little until the excellent 'Suzie Safety'. However, the witty and funny lyrics elevate this record from being simply average. If you like the follow-up 'Angst in my Pants', you will surely like this since to me they could be 2 volumes of the same album. If the edition for sale here happens to be the Oglio re-release, you will have all the lyrics as well - always handy for appreciating Sparks.

Bloody Awful - Kimono was their peak:
After they fired the English band they slipped to turning out this rubbish. Bloody awful. Kimno was great and the rest of the stuff they put out was fairly dreadful.

• Tips for Teens
• Funny Face
• Where's My Girl
• Upstairs
• I Married a Martian
• Willys
• Don't Shoot Me
• Suzie Safety
• That's Not Nastassia
• Wacky Women