SPARKS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Supergroups that look perfect on paper can often misfire in practice, which makes it both a relief and a revelation that this meeting of minds between the Glaswegian dance-pop freaks and the legendary glam progenitors hits the spot so spectacularly. With both acts playing to their strengths, and sharing ideas in effusive fashion, FFS is a collection of indelible songs that never let their artful campery and arch histrionics triumph over melody and fresh invention. As over the top in its flamboyance as one would expect this collaboration to be, this inspired collision of circumstances has more than enough substance to match its style.

Review: Rock Hall Of Fame nominee Todd Rundgren is an accomplished songwriter and ever-innovative producer. Here he links up with someone just as talented in the shape of Sparks, who is an eclectic and quixotic creative and pillar of the modern musical world. 'Your Fandango' (served up here on a limited coloured vinyl 7") is the third single from Rundgren's forthcoming Space Force album. It's a wall of sound with space rock riffs, gauzy textures and freaky vocals. After this comes the album with guests spots from Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and Muslim hip hop artist Narcy amongst much more.

Review: It has been almost fifty years since Sparks released on the venerable Island Records, notching up landmark hits like 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us', but they've been as consistent a force since then as any act you care to mention. The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte is as bold and uncompromising as anything the band has ever done and displays great song craft, stories with intricate lyrical narratives and plenty of near perfect pop tunes distilled into just over three minutes of real musical potency. This all means Sparks remain as smart and essential as ever in their field - as if you didn't know.

Review: Given the erotic subtexts to many of his films, it clearly didn't take much to seduce acclaimed director Ingmar Bergman. But that was more than fine for synth duo Sparks, who by August 2009 had become so enamoured with the director's work as to theme a whole album around him. Imagining a hypothetical trip to Hollywood, the album hears the strange duo embark on a synthy rock-operatic odyssey across four sides and at least 20 tracks; their first to do so.