Sparks - The Best of Sparks (2000)

Sparks first hit the limelight in about 1974 with the quirky This Town Ain't Big Enough, a powerful hook-filled pop song with dynamic falsetto vocals. It was a UK Top 20 hit but didn't do much elsewhere. Other seventies successes included Amateur Hour, Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth and Something For The Girl With Everything.

Sparks continued to make music throughout the 1970s but remained fairly obscure until 1979 when the groundbreaking electronic synth-masterpiece Number One In Heaven (produced by Giorgio Moroder) gained them critical respect and commercial success again. Tracks like Beat The Clock, Number One Song In Heaven and Tryouts For The Human Race are drawn from that one while the equally enjoyable Cool Places comes from 1983.

These tuneful songs are enough to make this compilation a winner, but it gets even better with songs like Tips For Teens and Funny Face. Sparks are masters of unusual but addictive melodies, clever lyrics and spectacular arrangements. That's probably why their music has aged so well. It sounds very contemporary today. If you like pop music with a bit of brain, this album is the right place to start exploring Sparks.