Sparks: Lil' Beethoven--Live in Stockholm

Sparks, I'll be the first to admit, is an acquired taste. Fronted by the brothers Ron and Russell Mael (onetime clothing models for mail-order catalogs), the band might have easily been dismissed as a novelty act (the hair-slicked-back, Hitler-mustachioed Ron scowls and plays keyboards while his falsetto-voiced, long-haired brother prances around the stage) were it not for the quality of such songs as "Talent Is an Asset," "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us," and "Amateur Hour," off their hit 1974 album Kimono My House, as well as "Hospitality on Parade," and "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'"--all of which are performed, along with eight others, during the second half of this March 2004 concert from Stockholm, Sweden. But there's more: the opening hour finds Sparks playing their 2003 album Lil' Beethoven in its entirety, and while the repetitive nature of songs such as "The Rhythm Thief" and "My Baby's Taking Me Home" may well try the patience of the uninitiated (warning: the songs are very difficult to shake loose once they're in your head), even those new to the classical-glam-pop-techno band will appreciate the humor of the lovely ballad "I Married Myself" ("this time it's gonna last forever"), the satire of "Suburban Homeboy," or the disarmingly straightforward answer to "How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?" ("practice, man, practice"). Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, this 22-song concert also features fan interviews, backstage footage, and a text biography and discography. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)