Sparks has been around a long time and continue to release intriguing CD's, but their third effort remains my favorite. After two quirky and ignored albums issued as Halfnelson, the California brothers Ron and Russell Mael changed their name to Sparks, recorded "Kimono My House" (1974), and achieved stardom in England and throughout Europe.

This CD yielded 2 number one British hits: "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" and "Amateur Hour". Their sound was a winning combination of Queen, Roxy Music, Beach Boys, and Kinks. Ron writes great songs, and Russell equals Freddie Mercury in the falsetto department. Exciting, funny, fun - there's not enough superlatives to describe this.

They followed up with their album "Propaganda", which was good, but tried a little too hard to duplicate the successful formula of Kimono. Their next effort "Indiscreet" was a great one, as were "Big Beat" (an attempt at straight-forward arena rock), and "Angst In My Pants" (punkier - fast, short and catchy).

They then abandoned rock for a while and became semi-disco "dance music" stars. Great albums from this period are "No.1 In Heaven", "In Outer Space", "Music That You Can Dance To", and "Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins". No matter which genre they work in, all their records are infused with their trademark wit and good humor.

Sparks has put out 21 CD's as of this writing. I'm a big fan and have them all, but the truth is - some are better than others. The 8 I've singled out (9, if you count "Propaganda") are their best and most consistently good - and highly recommended. If that's more than you'd like to spend, there's the excellent 2-CD compilation "Profile: The Ultimate Sparks Collection".

Years ago a rock critic wrote: "Sparks fans remain loyal because they know the band offers kicks you can't find anywhere else". He was right.

After reading the other reviews, I had to pitch in...

I have always been a Sparks fan, and Kimono My House is one of my favorite Sparks albums. That said, I have thought to myself, "how in the world did Sparks ever get a recording contract, sell enough albums to maintain one, and release 20 (as of 2006) studio albums"? I'm not sure what the answer is, but I'm glad they have.

Yes - they are an acquired taste, very quirky (verging, at times, on weird) and off beat, but one can't deny that these guys are very talented and innovative. Their songs paint a theatrical picture that is certainly unusual today, and was in 1974 as well. You have to remember that Kimono was released during a time where unusual turns in recorded music were welcomed. Folks visited the record store each week to see what new and interesting sound was emerging. Remember that?

I agree with the last comment. You had to be there. I remember hearing Sparks for the first time in the early 70s on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert or something like that. We were hooked....

It's been a long long time but the music now speaks of another time. If you weren't there, you probably won't get it, but I'm buying the cd. :)

Like many pieces of music, you had to be there. If you were in the mid-70's with the accompanying environmental influences this album is burned into your mind forever. If not, it sounds like some freakish mistake by A&R. I don't care for their other albums but this one somehow fits into everything that was going on in 1974 and if you weren't there then you'll likely never understand the album. Cheers.

This is probably the best Sparks album, IMHO. Buy it, listen to it, cherish it forever.