It's Two-Thousand and Five.

Sparks - Fletcher Honorama

Ok so Ron Mael's a genius and Happy New Year by the way...

At the beginning of the 70's there used to be this eccentric little band called Halfnelson formed by two brothers who were studying graphic design at UCLA who released an album produced by Todd Rundgren that disappeared without so much of a whimper. So they headed to London, Russell with bad teeth, Ron with ace moustache, changed their name to Sparks and re-released the LP. Ta-da a hit. So they recorded another LP called 'A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing' and then split up. Then Muff Winwood put his oar in, they reformed with some English musicians (yes you Dinky Diamond) and made what some have said is one of the greatest records ever made 'Kimono My House'. It is very good indeed.

'Fletcher Honorama' however is taken from their first (second) LP and is truly one of those very special songs. It's got a beautiful, wilty melody that bends in all the right places, it sounds thoroughly modern even though it's a hundred years old and there's an super-stereoscopic piano bit that reminds me of the Super Furries. Unfortunately there is a hump-backed cabaret bit in the middle that almost knocks things off track but thankfully it only sticks around long enough to amplify how lush the other bits are. In short this song is gear.

Visit - Official Sparks site