Exotic Creatures of the Deep | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 19, 2008 | |||
Studio | Sparks Studios, Los Angeles, California | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:58 | |||
Label | Lil' Beethoven | |||
Producer |
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Sparks chronology | ||||
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Singles from Exotic Creatures of the Deep | ||||
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Alternative Cover | ||||
![]() Limited edition cover |
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
BBC | (favourable) [2] |
ChartAttack | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
MusicOMH | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Onion | (B+) [5] |
Pitchfork Media | (4.4/10) [6] |
Spin | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Record Collector | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Exotic Creatures of the Deep is the 21st album by the American rock band Sparks.
Exotic Creatures of the Deep was as successful as their previous album, Hello Young Lovers ,in the UK,where it bettered the chart position,reaching No. 54 on the UK Album Chart. [9] A limited edition version was released in a card sleeve in most territories and included a poster. Japanese editions included the bonus track "Brenda Is Always in the Way" as well as a DVD featuring five short films. [10]
Two singles were released. The first,"Good Morning" on May 12,2008, [11] was on iTunes,a first for the group. The second,"Lighten Up,Morrissey" in March 2009,appeared on a 7",backed with "Brenda Is Always In The Way". Neither single charted in the UK.
Exotic Creatures of the Deep was also promoted in the UK by a number of live performances dubbed the "Sparks Spectacular":a record-setting twenty-date residency from May 16 through June 11,2008 at London's Carling Islington Academy,where the group played each one of their previous twenty albums in its entirety in chronological order. The final appearance at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire on June 13 premièred Exotic Creatures of the Deep.
In April 2022,a remaster was issued on LP,CD and digital as part of the five album "21st Century Sparks" collection on BMG. The CD and digital releases have five bonus tracks,including "Brenda Is Always In The Way" and "Islington N1". [12]
It entered the UK Independent Albums Chart at no. 10 [13] and the UK Vinyl Album Top 40 at 37.
All tracks are written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Intro [14] " | 1:02 |
2. | "Good Morning" | 3:53 |
3. | "Strange Animal" | 5:45 |
4. | "I Can't Believe That You Would Fall for All the Crap in this Song" | 3:54 |
5. | "Let the Monkey Drive" | 4:09 |
6. | "Intro Reprise" | 0:24 |
7. | "I've Never Been High" | 4:31 |
8. | "(She Got Me) Pregnant" | 4:13 |
9. | "Lighten Up, Morrissey" | 4:14 |
10. | "This is the Renaissance" | 3:45 |
11. | "The Director Never Yelled 'Cut'" | 3:54 |
12. | "Photoshop" | 4:01 |
13. | "Likeable" | 6:13 |
14. | "Brenda is Always in the Way" (Japanese edition bonus track) | 4:03 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "It's a Sparks Show" | |
2. | "Ron Tap Dancing" | |
3. | "Good Morning" | |
4. | "Strange Animals" | |
5. | "My Inspiration" |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Brenda Is Always in the Way" (b-side of 7" single "Lighten Up, Morrissey") | 4:04 |
15. | "Islington N1" (available only to "Golden Ticket" holders at "Sparks Spectacular") | 2:35 |
16. | "Mr Hulot" (unused theme song for "The Magnificent Tati") | 1:37 |
17. | "I Am a Bookworm" (end theme for KCRW's "Bookworm") | 1:32 |
18. | "Where Would We Be Without Books" (theme for KCRW's "Bookworm") | 0:46 |
For the 21-night "Sparks Spectacular" from May 16 through June 11, 2008 in London, Sparks played each of their albums in chronological order during the first twenty nights at the Carling Islington Academy, culminating in the première of their new album for the twenty-first concert on June 13, 2008 at Shepherd's Bush Empire. [16] Each night they performed an album in its entirety with an encore of a rare track, many of which had never been performed live before. The band asked fans to visit their website and vote for the track that they'd most like to hear the band perform during the second half of the 21st concert following the première of Exotic Creatures of the Deep, though Russell Mael admitted that he and Ron would probably influence the poll a little.
Fans who bought a "Golden Ticket" for entry into all 21 gigs also received a poster signed by the band and a CD single entitled Islington N1, a reference to the postal address of the venue for the first 20 gigs.
Date | Album | Encore song |
---|---|---|
May 16 | Sparks / Halfnelson (1971) | "England" |
May 17 | A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing (1972) | "Arts & Crafts Spectacular" |
May 18 | Kimono My House (1974) | "Barbecutie" |
May 20 | Propaganda (1974) | "Lost and Found" |
May 21 | Indiscreet (1975) | "Gone with the Wind" |
May 23 | Big Beat (1976) | "Tearing The Place Apart" |
May 24 | Introducing Sparks (1977) | "Alabamy Right" |
May 25 | No. 1 In Heaven (1979) | "Dancing Is Dangerous" |
May 27 | Terminal Jive (1980) | "Singing in the Shower" |
May 28 | Whomp That Sucker (1981) | "Get Crazy" |
May 30 | Angst in My Pants (1982) | "Minnie Mouse" |
May 31 | In Outer Space (1983) | "Sports" |
June 1 | Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (1984) | "National Crime Awareness Week" |
June 3 | Music That You Can Dance To (1986) | "Change" |
June 4 | Interior Design (1988) | "Big Brass Ring", "It's Kinda Like The Movies" |
June 6 | Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (1994) | "Marry Me" |
June 7 | Plagiarism (1997) | "Looks Aren't Everything" |
June 8 | Balls (2000) | "Katharine Hepburn" |
June 10 | Lil' Beethoven (2002) | "Wunderbar" |
June 11 | Hello Young Lovers (2006) | "Profile" |
June 13 | Exotic Creatures of the Deep (2008) |
Chart (2022) | Peak position |
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Scottish Albums (OCC) [17] | 28 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [18] | 10 |
Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting; their music is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics—often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references—and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell's animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept the band at the forefront of modern, artful pop music.
Kimono My House is the third studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on May 1, 1974, by Island Records. The album is considered to be their commercial breakthrough, and was met with widespread acclaim.
James Andrew Mankey is an American rock guitarist, most widely known as the co-founder and longtime guitarist of the band Concrete Blonde. Mankey was also the bassist with the band Sparks for their first two albums.
Sparks, originally titled Halfnelson, is the debut album by the Los Angeles rock band Sparks. The album was first released as Halfnelson, the band's original name, and reissued a year later under the group’s new name.
A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing is the second studio album by the American rock band Sparks. It was released in 1972 and includes the single "Girl from Germany". It was the last release by the original five-member incarnation of Sparks.
Propaganda is the fourth studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on November 11, 1974. Following up their commercial breakthrough, Kimono My House, released earlier the same year, it was a moderate success in the United States and peaked at No. 9 in the U.K. in 1975. The album cover features an image of a tied-up and gagged Mael brothers, titled "Welcome on Board," which was taken by photographer Monty Coles.
Indiscreet is the fifth album by Sparks. It was released in 1975 and later re-released with three bonus tracks. The album was a departure from the glam rock sound of Kimono My House and Propaganda, and emphasised the theatrical elements of their work, with greater use of orchestral arrangements and drawing from non-rock orientated styles such as jazz, big band, swing, vaudeville, and classical music. The album was produced by Tony Visconti, with whom the group reunited in 1997 to produce several tracks for their retrospective album Plagiarism. The song "How Are You Getting Home?" was used in Leos Carax's film Holy Motors.
Big Beat is the sixth album by American rock band Sparks, released in 1976.
Introducing Sparks is the seventh album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 1977 by Columbia Records.
Nº 1 in Heaven is the eighth studio album by American rock band Sparks. Recorded with Italian disco producer Giorgio Moroder, the album marked a change of musical direction for the group and became influential on later synth-pop bands.
Whomp That Sucker is the tenth album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 1981.
Music That You Can Dance To is the fourteenth studio album by American pop band Sparks, released in September 1986 by MCA Records in the US and Consolidated Allied Records in the UK, two years after their previous studio album, Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (1984).
Balls is the 18th album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 2000.
Lil' Beethoven is the 19th album by the American rock band Sparks, released on November 26, 2002. The album was a radical musical departure compared to their previous works. The band only used strings, piano, and voices but sporadic drums: the result was both classical and pop music.
Hello Young Lovers is the 20th album by American pop and rock duo Sparks, released in 2006. A continuation of the repetitious, orchestral sound of their previous album Lil' Beethoven, though with a much greater emphasis on guitar and drums, it is a concept album which addresses aspects of modern love.
"Dick Around" is a song by the American rock band Sparks. It was the second single from Hello Young Lovers, the twentieth album by the group. The song was edited from 6 minutes and 35 seconds to 3 minutes 51 seconds for the single and video. It is the opening track on the album Hello Young Lovers. An EP was also released in the US and was also widely available in the UK. The UK single version was released as a double A-side with "Waterproof".
The following is a comprehensive discography of Sparks, an American rock and pop music band formed in Los Angeles in 1970 by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals), initially under the name Halfnelson. Best known for their quirky approach to songwriting, Sparks' music is often accompanied by cutting and acerbic lyrics, and an idiosyncratic stage presence, typified in the contrast between Russell's wide-eyed hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's sedentary scowling.
"Beat the Clock" is a 1979 song by the American pop and rock duo Sparks. Produced by famed disco producer Giorgio Moroder, it was released as the fourth single from the band's eighth studio album No. 1 in Heaven.
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman is the 22nd album by American rock group Sparks, released in August 2009. The duo's first work in the radio musical genre, the album is built around an imaginary visit to Hollywood by Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman in the mid-1950s. Its storyline focuses on the divides between European and American culture, between art and commerce. Unlike other Sparks albums, the work is conceived as a single piece, to be listened to as a whole, rather than a collection of stand-alone songs.
A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip is the 24th studio album by American rock group Sparks. Recorded in gaps between Sparks' film projects, the album uses a full rock-group format to draw on the band's full range of musical styles and was universally acclaimed by critics, who praised both its lyrical and melodic content.
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