http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68618&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rssSparks were doomed to obscurity from the beginning in their native U.S. Like Oscar Wilde and the turn-of-the-century decadents and dandies who inspired the Mael brothers, scandal both brought them fame and prevented the public from taking them seriously. Vocalist Russell Mael played the rock star with all the flamboyance of a peacock, while songwriter and keyboardist Ron Mael contrasted his brother's excesses with his ascetic scowl and Hitler mustache. The latter's favorite ploy has always been exposing people squirming in insecurity behind screens of wealth, vanity, professionalism and mediocrity. <p> Sparks enjoyed its first commercial success in the U.K. with 1974's <i>Kimono My House</i>, an album of neo-romanticism meets prog. rock, which reached number four in the U.K. In 1979, after a brief decline in popularity in Europe (and still little notoriety in their native U.S.), the duo called on the production talent of legendary producer Giorgio Moroder for <i>No. 1 In Heaven</i>, a celestial stairway of rapturous melodies heavily greased with irony and black humor, and which would later influence the synth pop of Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys. Though in the 1980s and beyond the Maels tended to settle for synth-driven chintz over rock 'n' roll substance, their music still retains the stinging wit that gives it savor. In 2006, the Mael brothers returned with <i>Hello Young Lovers</i>, an album of cheeky operatic prog. rock melodrama. - Chad DriscollNew Waveen720Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:58:25 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68618&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Sparks were doomed to obscurity from the beginning in their native U.S. Like Oscar Wilde and the turn-of-the-century decadents and dandies who inspired the Mael brothers, scandal both brought them fame and prevented the public from taking them seriously. Vocalist Russell Mael played the rock star with all the flamboyance of a peacock, while songwriter and keyboardist Ron Mael contrasted his brother's excesses with his ascetic scowl and Hitler mustache. The latter's favorite ploy has always been exposing people squirming in insecurity behind screens of wealth, vanity, professionalism and mediocrity. <p> Sparks enjoyed its first commercial success in the U.K. with 1974's <i>Kimono My House</i>, an album of neo-romanticism meets prog. rock, which reached number four in the U.K. In 1979, after a brief decline in popularity in Europe (and still little notoriety in their native U.S.), the duo called on the production talent of legendary producer Giorgio Moroder for <i>No. 1 In Heaven</i>, a celestial stairway of rapturous melodies heavily greased with irony and black humor, and which would later influence the synth pop of Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys. Though in the 1980s and beyond the Maels tended to settle for synth-driven chintz over rock 'n' roll substance, their music still retains the stinging wit that gives it savor. In 2006, the Mael brothers returned with <i>Hello Young Lovers</i>, an album of cheeky operatic prog. rock melodrama. - Chad Driscoll http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31460848&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:23:32 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 31460848 ply.31460848 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31460848&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31420959&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Holiday Music Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:13:41 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 31420959 ply.31420959 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31420959&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31347300&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:30:28 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 31347300 ply.31347300 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13:13:25 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 24956834 ply.24956834 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.24956834&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.17684884&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:11:25 -0700 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 17684884 ply.17684884 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.17684884&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14894557&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Comedy/Spoken Word Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:31:45 -0700 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 14894557 ply.14894557 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14894557&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14894528&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:50:54 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 14894528 ply.14894528 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14894528&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14166240&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Sun, 17 May 2009 08:56:43 -0700 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 14166240 ply.14166240 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14166240&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14137091&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:24:20 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 14137091 ply.14137091 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14137091&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13517587&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:57:18 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 13517587 ply.13517587 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13517587&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss 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11:00:33 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 10024230 ply.10024230 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.10024230&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.9498233&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:53:12 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 9498233 ply.9498233 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.9498233&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.9245748&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Tue, 20 May 2008 07:35:04 -0700 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 9245748 ply.9245748 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.9245748&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8923832&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Mon, 8 Dec 2008 11:01:09 -0800 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 8923832 ply.8923832 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8923832&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8603550&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Fri, 3 Jul 2009 13:33:44 -0700 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 8603550 ply.8603550 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8603550&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8600068&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:19:48 -0700 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 8600068 ply.8600068 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8600068&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8593841&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:19:09 -0700 Playlists Featuring Sparks on Rhapsody Online 8593841 ply.8593841 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8593841&variant=play&rws=%2Fsparks-2%2Fplaylists.rss