[.ca] A Woofer In Tweeters Clothing

Mael's and Mankey's with an Electric Prune:
The first true Sparks album (Sparks was originally released as Halfnelson). The Mael's are truly complimented by the equally ecentric Mankey brothers Earl and Jim. The opening track Girl from Germany is truly a diamond in the rough and shows hints of what was to come with Kimono and subsequent albums. The songs on A Woofer that follow are teasers to the over 30 years of recordings. Much like "Halfnelson-Sparks" the playing has a quality that is a little unpolished which gives the feel of a precursor punk band. A cover of Do-Re-Me, apparently used as the warm-up track live is rockous. The question is just how fast can Russell sing? Nothing is Sacred has Harley Feinstein drumming like a mad fiend. Moon over Kentucky makes an interesting political statement. Whippings and Apologies attracts a certain kind of listener to it. The Louvre a track in French and English hints at a european band, which considering the fact that they're Americans make it unusual for the era. Beaver O'Lindy is an odd track with what appears to be the entire band contributing to it's writing. Here Comes Bob a song about meeting people thru automobile accidents, inspiration for Cronenberg's movie Crash? Other tracks filling out the album, Underground and the very brief Batteries Not Included. add in Angus Desire, about the goings on in public schools. One has to wonder what Kimono would have sounded like with this band and not the hired hands. Missed from the album is I Like Girls, re-recorded on Big Beat and the original released in the Profile collection. Of course had Jim Mankey continued with Sparks, we wouldn't have got Concrete Blonde. Ron's lyrics on this album are probably the most adventureous of any Sparks recording. A Woofer has a much harder sound than any other Sparks album, but after 30 years is still quite listenable.

• Girl from Germany
• Beaver O' Lindy
• Nothing Is Sacred
• Here Comes Bob
• Moon Over Kentucky
• Do-Re-Mi
• Angus Desire
• Underground
• Louvre
• Batteries Not Included
• Whippings and Apologies