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between_time_and_42...It hasn't, actually, because it's only Tuesday and I don't even know if any other famous musicians have birthdays this week, but I just wanted to quote Chris Thile, okay...
Anyway! Today is Russell Mael's birthday! The singer from Sparks who I nit-pickily critiqued a few posts ago and then felt so bad about it that I had to tear Thile's vocal technique to shreds to prove that I only nitpick the ones I love. Russell is 73 today! (!!!)
Over the years, before I really got to know who Sparks are, the Sparks Sound was defined by one thing in my head- Russell's voice. I couldn't recall any song lyrics or titles, but I'd remember them by that high tenor singing about odd things like batteries not being included in a technological purchase (I have NO idea why that song in particular was such a formative one to my Sparks experience, lol), often surrounded by a wall of similar vocals a la Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (I think I was thinking of their album Hello Young Lovers when I recalled that aspect). Hearing that voice was what made it sink in, when I first heard "Johnny Delusional," that it was indeed Sparks collaborating with Franz Ferdinand. And that's the reason that I absolutely cannot single either Ron or Russell out as being "better" or "my favorite" or "more essential," because sure, Ron writes most of the songs and without his prolific, witty content, Sparks would be nothing... but without Russell singing those lyrics, throwing his voice around into the stratosphere on their first several albums, pulling it off with untrained exuberance because no one told him he shouldn't be able to sing like that (it's like if you believed very strongly, had no doubt in your mind, that you could fly, and then jumped off a building and were able to fly instead of hitting the ground because you never knew you COULDN'T do it- that's how I feel about Russell's singing on the first two albums!) and over time, turning in more polished performances until his voice is better now than it's ever been... THAT'S what got my attention from the start, that's what stuck in my mind about Sparks, and without a voice like that, Sparks would be nothing. Again. So the core sound of Sparks is derived entirely from the way the individual talents of these two intertwine, and neither should ever be underestimated in favor of the other. (That being said, in terms of what I can gleam from their personalities, I do have a personal preference... but it's not the birthday boy so let's not talk about that!)
Not only is Russell an excellent singer, but he has produced most of Sparks' albums in his home studio since the late 80's, I believe (at least since the album Interior Design), and I think on the last two (Hippopotamus, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip) he actually did the mixing as well... which makes me want to blast Hippopotamus and yell "SUCK IT!" at my old producer friend who I interned with for a while, who was adamant about home recordings never sounding as good as those made by "professionals." (I'd say if you study hard enough and learn all there is to know about recording/producing/mixing/mastering before making a record, you're probably a professional.) These two albums just sound so damn GOOD. Hippopotamus is my favorite of the two, both in terms of sound quality and also the songs are some of the strongest in Sparks' catalogue, but I wanted to share this one from ASDDD (drip drip drip drip!):
Russell's vocal performance here is superb. I especially love the falsetto "And they're never going back," followed by "Once they're here, they're staying here" in his lower register. That contrast is so delightful to the ears. Also, while I don't usually appreciate it when singers slide up into the notes, the subtle slide on the first note just hits the pleasure center in my brain. "cLOUDS may be moving in..."
Finally, here's a song that the man wrote, which would probably be the weirdest song I'd ever heard if "Biology 2" wasn't on the same album- my first reaction was that this seriously sounds like aliens made it:
Also, I must add that I had two reactions to finally finding out what Sparks actually look like when watching The Sparks Brothers (I'd definitely seen pictures of them and had a vague idea but I never saw them enough to specifically single out/recall their faces): 1. "Why did no one tell me that Sparks had a cute singer??" and 2. "I can't imagine that voice coming out of someone who looks so normal" (referring to how Russell looks now lol- definitely not implying that he is no longer a good-looking man but more that he (and Ron) look like any old guy (not old as in age, as in the phrase "any old thing") you'd see in public, and I wanted his physical appearance to match his vocal eccentricity lol). All I'm going to say is, thank fuck I'm not ten years younger or I'd probably have his face up there on my bedroom wall next to Bono, Michael Hutchence, and Robert Plant. (Only one of them is still on my wall now and I'm not saying which one.)
Happy birthday!!
Anyway! Today is Russell Mael's birthday! The singer from Sparks who I nit-pickily critiqued a few posts ago and then felt so bad about it that I had to tear Thile's vocal technique to shreds to prove that I only nitpick the ones I love. Russell is 73 today! (!!!)
Over the years, before I really got to know who Sparks are, the Sparks Sound was defined by one thing in my head- Russell's voice. I couldn't recall any song lyrics or titles, but I'd remember them by that high tenor singing about odd things like batteries not being included in a technological purchase (I have NO idea why that song in particular was such a formative one to my Sparks experience, lol), often surrounded by a wall of similar vocals a la Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (I think I was thinking of their album Hello Young Lovers when I recalled that aspect). Hearing that voice was what made it sink in, when I first heard "Johnny Delusional," that it was indeed Sparks collaborating with Franz Ferdinand. And that's the reason that I absolutely cannot single either Ron or Russell out as being "better" or "my favorite" or "more essential," because sure, Ron writes most of the songs and without his prolific, witty content, Sparks would be nothing... but without Russell singing those lyrics, throwing his voice around into the stratosphere on their first several albums, pulling it off with untrained exuberance because no one told him he shouldn't be able to sing like that (it's like if you believed very strongly, had no doubt in your mind, that you could fly, and then jumped off a building and were able to fly instead of hitting the ground because you never knew you COULDN'T do it- that's how I feel about Russell's singing on the first two albums!) and over time, turning in more polished performances until his voice is better now than it's ever been... THAT'S what got my attention from the start, that's what stuck in my mind about Sparks, and without a voice like that, Sparks would be nothing. Again. So the core sound of Sparks is derived entirely from the way the individual talents of these two intertwine, and neither should ever be underestimated in favor of the other. (That being said, in terms of what I can gleam from their personalities, I do have a personal preference... but it's not the birthday boy so let's not talk about that!)
Not only is Russell an excellent singer, but he has produced most of Sparks' albums in his home studio since the late 80's, I believe (at least since the album Interior Design), and I think on the last two (Hippopotamus, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip) he actually did the mixing as well... which makes me want to blast Hippopotamus and yell "SUCK IT!" at my old producer friend who I interned with for a while, who was adamant about home recordings never sounding as good as those made by "professionals." (I'd say if you study hard enough and learn all there is to know about recording/producing/mixing/mastering before making a record, you're probably a professional.) These two albums just sound so damn GOOD. Hippopotamus is my favorite of the two, both in terms of sound quality and also the songs are some of the strongest in Sparks' catalogue, but I wanted to share this one from ASDDD (drip drip drip drip!):
Russell's vocal performance here is superb. I especially love the falsetto "And they're never going back," followed by "Once they're here, they're staying here" in his lower register. That contrast is so delightful to the ears. Also, while I don't usually appreciate it when singers slide up into the notes, the subtle slide on the first note just hits the pleasure center in my brain. "cLOUDS may be moving in..."
Finally, here's a song that the man wrote, which would probably be the weirdest song I'd ever heard if "Biology 2" wasn't on the same album- my first reaction was that this seriously sounds like aliens made it:
Also, I must add that I had two reactions to finally finding out what Sparks actually look like when watching The Sparks Brothers (I'd definitely seen pictures of them and had a vague idea but I never saw them enough to specifically single out/recall their faces): 1. "Why did no one tell me that Sparks had a cute singer??" and 2. "I can't imagine that voice coming out of someone who looks so normal" (referring to how Russell looks now lol- definitely not implying that he is no longer a good-looking man but more that he (and Ron) look like any old guy (not old as in age, as in the phrase "any old thing") you'd see in public, and I wanted his physical appearance to match his vocal eccentricity lol). All I'm going to say is, thank fuck I'm not ten years younger or I'd probably have his face up there on my bedroom wall next to Bono, Michael Hutchence, and Robert Plant. (Only one of them is still on my wall now and I'm not saying which one.)
Happy birthday!!
