Kimono My House

Performer: Sparks
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Sparks includes: Russell Mael, Ron Mael. Freddie Mercury wasn't the only operatic rocker on the block in the mid- '70s. The genre was pretty much taken to its logical conclusion by Ron and Russell Mael, the decidedly odd couple who formed the nucleus of Sparks. Dropping references to Immanuel Kant and Yehudi Menuhin, these boys weren't your average dumb rock band. KIMONO MY HOUSE was their third album, recorded after the brothers had relocated from LA to London (where tolerance of tongue-in-cheek pomp pop was obviously much higher). Lyrical wit is in abundance, magnified by Russell Mael's soaring falsetto gymnastics. Failure with the opposite sex is a recurring topic, from the adolescent fumblings of "Amateur Hour" to the resignation of "Falling in Love With Myself Again". It's easy to see why the teenage Morrissey was a dedicated fan. The track that really grabbed the public's attention was "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us", a classic stomper with a gravity defying melody. KIMONO MY HOUSE is the sound of Sparks firing on all four cylinders, providing one of the most curious and comical albums of the '70s.

Q (p.161) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "KIMONO MY HOUSE remains one of the most bewitching albums of the '70s..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.130) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "There are weird waltzes and intelligent satire, with everything wrapped up in impossibly elastic -- and enduring -- melodies."

From the very beginning Sparks was at odds with the conventional rock & roll archetype. Based around brothers Ron and Russell Mael, the band had an unusual sound and image, with Russell's freakishly high voice and Ron's glam-meets-cabaret keyboards and provocative Hitler moustache. After a few albums of quirky art rock that prefigured New Wave, Sparks hooked up with disco producer Giorgio Moroder in the late '70s for a danceable, synth-driven sound that proved well ahead of its time. Always more popular abroad than at home, the CA-born Maels were destined to remain beloved cult figures in America, but continued recording into the 21st century.

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