Sparks Of Ancient Light - Al Stewart

Advantages: Great lyrics, really good music, smooth sound
Disadvantages: Youshould really concentrat on the lyrics, familiarity with the inter-war period helps

...Al Stewart is a British singer/songwriter, best known for the 1976 hit single 'The Year of the Cat'. He was born in Glasgow, grew up in Bournemouth and moved to the USA in the late 70s, where he has met with more success than in the UK, so much so that one track 'Time Passages' was used in an episode of the series The Sopranos. His career started in the mid-1960s and he is still going strong, having released over 20 albums in that time. He still tours, and I saw him live at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels a few years back. = BETWEEN THE WARS, THE CONCEPT = I remember that there was a vogue to produce concept albums, which seemed to be a pretentious term to excuse what seemed like the musical equivalent of a stream of conscience. Between the Wars is based around a single concept - what the world was like between the two... Read review

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Advantages: more beat and melody than you can handle
Disadvantages: it ends

...Sparks were(and still are ) experts at combining the perverse and downright odd with precise entertainment ,they had used these elements before but in this instance they travelled several light years in to the future ,so far in fact that this album is still contemporary ,its influence on modern dance has few rivals and its producer Giorgio Moroder can not take all the credit has he had done on those great Donna Summer and Japan records ,the sibling harmony of brothers Ron and Russell Mael would not alow that . Consisting of only six well chosen tracks, the album unveils itself with a song from the narrative perspective of poised sperm or "Tryouts For The Human Race",the racing ,pulsing backbeat emulating the urgency of climax as they chant "tryouts for the human race we just wanna be someone ",remarkably this went top 40 in 1979... Read review

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Advantages: It's a very entertaining set of songs
Disadvantages: Perhaps not to everyone's taste... but then what is?

...the band consisted of Russ on vocals, Ron on keyboards, Trevor White on guitar, Dinky Diamond on drums and Ian Hampton on bass. Tony Visconti produced and did some brilliant orchestral arrangements too. The album artwork is, as with many Sparks albums, delicious if a little creepy. The front cover shows the aftermath of a light aircraft crash - Russ, presumably the pilot, has spilled out artistically from the cockpit and is draped over some debris. Ron, looking bemused in a vest (!) - yes, the underwear sort of vest, not a jacket! - stands looking at the carnage. The back shows the band lazing about at a country club - Russ on a dapple grey horse, with Ron as a steward (he seems to enjoy dressing up!). The other band members recline with cocktails. Finally, an inner sleeve shot has the two brothers in black and white, each carrying... Read review

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