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/ Sparks

May 27, 2022 By The Second Disc Leave a Comment

ABBA CD Album Box Set

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of new titles available in stores and online today! ABBA, Album Box Set (Polar/UMe) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Picture Disc Bundle: Official Store To coincide with the arena show ABBA Voyage setting sail in London on May 27, the band's 2021 studio album Voyage will be canonized in a new career-spanning box set featuring every one of the quartet's nine

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, Cassette, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, DVD, Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock Tags: ABBA, Anna Maria Alberghetti, B.T. Express, Bob Merrill, Def Leppard, Jerry Orbach, Sex Pistols, Sparks, Steve Ellis, Suzi Quatro, Taking Back Sunday

April 29, 2022 By The Second Disc 1 Comment

Neil Young Official Release 4

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of today's new releases! Neil Young, Official Release Series Volume 4 (Reprise) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Greedy Hand Store A new box set brings together three of Neil Young's '80s albums, along with a rare EP making its widest release yet.  Official Release Series Volume 4 runs the gamut of Young's eclectic output in the '80s - likely because it only covers his releases on his longtime home base

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Popular Standards/Vocal, Soundtracks Tags: Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Sparks, Willie Nelson

April 19, 2022 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Sparks Exotic Creatures of the Deep

Director Edgar Wright's 2021 documentary The Sparks Brothers brought much-deserved attention to cult rock heroes Ron and Russell Mael and their prodigious, singular output as Sparks. Now, BMG has announced the 21st Century Sparks collection: a series of deluxe CD and vinyl reissues encompassing Balls (2000), Lil' Beethoven (2002), and Hello Young Lovers (2006) arriving on Friday, April 29; and Exotic Creatures of the Deep (2008) and The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman (2009) following on Friday, May

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Everything Else, Pop, Rock Tags: Sparks

March 17, 2022 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Studio Wizardry of Todd Rundgren

In recent weeks, Ace Records has made two new additions to its ongoing Producers Series, and both titles spotlight the versatility of the respective talents, Todd Rundgren and Gus Dudgeon. The Studio Wizardry of Todd Rundgren is, in many senses, an update of Rhino's 1992 compilation An Elpee's Worth of Productions.  Like that set, it paints a portrait of the singer-songwriter largely in service of others' songs, though a handful of his own compositions appear, too.  Ace's collection spans

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, Rock Tags: Cheap Trick, Daryl Hall and John Oates, David Bowie, Elton John, Gus Dudgeon, Joan Armatrading, Patti Smith, Sparks, Strawbs, The Zombies, Todd Rundgren, Utopia, Various Artists, XTC

September 16, 2021 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Gleaming Spires Song of the Spires

"Of the hundreds of new records unleashed on the public each year, few stand out as truly inspired, literate works of art," began Sparks' Russell Mael in his liner notes to Gleaming Spires' 1981 debut Song of the Spires.  "Fewer still go beyond that.  Though I have not personally had the time to listen to this, the Gleaming Spires' first recorded effort, two of my bridge partners tell me that this record goes way, way beyond."  Sparks' tongue-in-cheek endorsement (to which Russell's brother Ron

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming Genre: Rock Tags: Devo, Gleaming Spires, Sparks

July 9, 2021 By The Second Disc 1 Comment

Almost Famous 20th Anniversary 2CD

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Various Artists, Almost Famous: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (UMe, 2021) Out today: 2CD Highlights: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Stillwater Vinyl EP: uDiscoverMusic.com Out August 20: 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 6LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5CD/7LP/1-7″ Super Deluxe Edition and color

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Blu-Ray, Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, DVD, Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Amy Grant, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Devo, Ella Fitzgerald, Elton John, Eugene McDaniels, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Led Zeppelin, Little Steven, Lucinda Williams, Spacehog, Sparks, Steely Dan, The Rolling Stones, The Sandals, The Wallflowers, The Who

June 21, 2021 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

The Sparks Brothers OST

Director Edgar Wright's new film The Sparks Brothers (in theatres now) rewrites the book on music documentaries.  The film about cult band Sparks - a.k.a. brothers Ron and Russell Mael, long more popular in Europe than in the U.S. - doesn't have much in the way of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.  As for what it does have of "rock and roll," it's something altogether more outré, not to mention endlessly inventive. The Sparks Brothers sheds little light on Ron and Russell Mael's personal lives and

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Categories: News Formats: Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Pop, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Sparks

April 12, 2021 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Oh You Pretty Things

Oh! You Pretty Things: David Bowie's 1971 song became an anthem for the glam era: "Don't you know you're driving your mothers and fathers insane?  Let me make it plain, you gotta make way for the homo superior..."  Bowie's alien persona - androgynous, dangerous, sexy, and flamboyant - connected with youth and caused a stir among their parents.  The song's title has now been adopted by a new 3-CD box set from Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint.  Alas, "Oh! You Pretty Things" doesn't appear anywhere

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, Rock Tags: Dana Gillespie, David Bowie, Electric Light Orchestra, Hawkwind, Lou Reed, Mick Ronson, New York Dolls, Roxy Music, Sparks, The Kinks

April 4, 2019 By Sam Stone 4 Comments

Sparks No1InHeaven front

Ron and Russell Mael have always open to musical influences. Over the course of their four-decade career as Sparks, the art-pop legends have traversed genres and influenced generations. The L.A.-based Mael brothers formed their first group, Halfnelson, in 1970 and eventually landed a deal with Bearsville Records. At Bearsville, Todd Rundgren produced their self-titled debut album. Three years later, the band had rechristened themselves Sparks and caught the attention of the music press and a

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Disco/Dance, Pop, Rock Tags: Sparks

April 1, 2019 By

Sparks No1InHeaven front

2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP color vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Sparks Online Store By 1979, the L.A.- based band Sparks was ready to shift directions. They teamed up with Italian disco producer extraordinaire Giorgio Moroder and began recording.  The result was No. 1 in Heaven, Sparks' first full-fledged foray into electronica. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of its original release, Sparks' own Lil Beethoven Records released a newly

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Categories: Uncategorized Formats: CD, Vinyl Genre: Disco/Dance, Everything Else, Pop, Rock Tags: Sparks

August 14, 2013 By Mike Duquette 5 Comments

sparks box

Essentially quirky rock heroes Sparks have announced a "tangible object" - a new five-disc, swag-packed box set - for release through Universal Music's U.K. arm in October. New Music for Amnesiacs: The Ultimate Collection collates just about the entire experience of the band founded and fronted by hyperactive frontman Russell Mael and his Chaplin-mustached, scowling keyboard brother Ron. The set spans four discs, starting from the early art-rock of breakthroughs like Kimono My House and U.K.

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets Tags: Sparks

August 7, 2012 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

johnny cash we walk the line

The Beach Boys, Japanese 2012 Remasters (EMI) Released last week across the sea, these new Japanese remasters of 12 of the boys of summer's first LPs (spanning from 1963 to 1971 but, alas, incomplete) should be hitting our shores around now. Has anyone had the chance to hear them yet? Roxy Music, The Complete Recordings 1972-1982 (Virgin) This 10-disc set, kicking off a planned 40th anniversary celebration of the iconic New Wave pioneers, features new remasters of the band's first eight

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Bob Dylan, Sparks

July 5, 2012 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

sparks extended

Calling all fans of eclectic rockers Sparks: two compilations are coming from Repertoire Records, both collecting their late '70s and early '80s single output in two different ways. On August 13, the German label will release Shortcuts: The 7 Inch Mixes (1979-1984) and Extended: The 12 Inch Mixes (1979-1984), a pair of two-disc sets chronicling every side released by the group, in every size, on every label the band were signed to around the world. The brothers Mael - Ron and Russell, from

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Categories: News Tags: Sparks

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