Balls (Sparks album)

Balls is the 18th album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 2000.[2]

Balls
The cover art for Balls, which originally came out in a variety of colors.
Studio album by
Sparks
ReleasedAugust 2000
Recorded1998-1999
StudioSparks Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length48:45
LabelOglio (US), Recognition (UK)
ProducerRon Mael, Russell Mael
Sparks chronology
Plagiarism
(1997)		 Balls
(2000)		 Lil' Beethoven
(2002)
Singles from Balls
  1. "More than a Sex Machine"
    Released: September 1999
  2. "The Calm Before the Storm"
    Released: August 2000
  3. "The Angels"
    Released: 2000

Balls was a continuation of the techno-pop style that the duo had first explored on 1994's Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins, but employed harder, more uptempo beats, as well as a direct, aggressive approach derived from acts such as The Prodigy.[3] The album was packaged in a translucent jewel case that came in a variety of colours (red, yellow, green, blue, orange, black, and turquoise), with a reflective die-cut silver slipcase.

"It's a Knockoff" was recorded for the movie Knock Off, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, directed by the acclaimed Hong Kong based producer/director Tsui Hark[4] (who had appeared on his own tribute song by the band on Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins). It is featured over the closing credits.

Whilst critical reception of Balls was moderately positive, it was not a success in terms of chart performance and failed to match the performance of Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins. It did not chart in Germany, UK or US. "More Than A Sex Machine", "The Calm Before The Storm" and "The Angels" were released as singles but did not pick up any significant sales or radio play. The duo had already written a follow-up to Balls in a similar vein. However, the album's poor reception convinced them to abandon it and pursue a new direction entirely on 2002's Lil' Beethoven.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Mojo[6]
NME[6]
Q[6]

Critical reception to Balls was mixed. Mojo offered a positive summary describing the album as "highly listenable and equally danceable, a kind of Pet Shop Boys meet Gary Numan at the gates of Georgio (sic) Moroder."[6] Allmusic rated the album three stars out of five noting that: "This being Sparks' 18th album, the Mael brothers clearly know what they're doing. Though both the lyrics and the production are quirky, there is nothing dumb about them", and highlighting "the melodies [which] have brilliant pop hooks and Russell's [soaring] voice."[5]

Q panned the album describing it as: "a profound disappointment... few songs lift themselves above pedestrian tedium."[6] NME also reviewed the album unfavourably remarking: "age has inexplicably withered Sparks' bow-legged muse; where once was genre-bending acid eclecticism and inspired wit, Sparks now seem content to dole out tired, tinny electro-pop and unfunny puns."[6]

Re-issues

In 2008, Sparks' own record label Lil' Beethoven Records reissued the album in a digipak sleeve, featuring different sleeve-art and with two bonus tracks; "The Calm Before the Opera" and "The Calm Before the Storm (Full Length Instrumental)".

In 2022 the album was remastered and released on vinyl for the first time, as part of the "21st Century Sparks" remaster series. CD and digital issues again contain "The Calm Before The Opera" as well as seven new bonus tracks including the concert opener "It's A Sparks Show", music from the Kuntzel+Deygas short film A Cute Candidate, and an unused theme song for animated series The Oblongs.[7]

This reissue entered the UK independent chart at #16.[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael; except where indicated

No.TitleLength
1."Balls"4:24
2."More than a Sex Machine"5:04
3."Scheherazade"4:29
4."Aeroflot"4:28
5."The Calm Before the Storm"4:03
6."How to Get Your Ass Kicked"4:19
7."Bullet Train"4:20
8."It's a Knockoff"3:42
9."Irreplaceable"5:06
10."It's Educational"4:02
11."The Angels"4:48
Festival Mushroom Records enhanced bonus CD (2000)
No.TitleLength
12."Now That I Own The ABC" (Omitted from some editions)3:56
13."Balls" (Excerpt from Sparks Live in London)4:59
14."Ron Levitates Baby Leroy" (Excerpt from Sparks Live in London)1:09
15."Bullet Train" (Excerpt from Sparks Live in London)5:18
16."Beat the Clock" (Excerpt from Sparks Live in London)5:07
17."This Town Ain't Big Enough" (Ron Mael) (Excerpt from Sparks Live in London)4:49
Lil' Beethoven Records bonus tracks (2008)
No.TitleLength
12."Calm Before The Opera"3:09
13."Calm Before The Storm (Full-Length Instrumental)"5:03
BMG bonus tracks (2022)
No.TitleLength
12."It's a Sparks Show"1:20
13."Calm Before the Opera"3:06
14."The Angels (Sparks Alternative Version)"3:43
15."More Than a Sex Machine (Sparks Definitive Version - Radio Edit)"3:40
16."The Angels (Tony Visconti Version)"3:49
17."The Oblongs"0:57
18."A Cute Candidate Opening Theme"1:59
19."The Race for President"1:50

Personnel
  • Russell Mael – vocals, production
  • Ron Mael – keyboards, programming, production
  • Tammy Glover – drums
  • Aksinja Berger – speech on "Aeroflot"
  • Amelia Cone – narration on "Scheherazade"
  • John Thomas – mixing, engineering

Charts
Chart performance for Sparks
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[9] 22
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[10] 16

References
  1. "Sparks - Record Collector Magazine".
  2. "Balls - Sparks | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  3. "Balls". coverartarchive.org. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  4. J.R. Taylor. "Lively Sparks". New York Press. Archived from the original on 2006-05-27. Retrieved 2006-04-13.
  5. Allmusic review
  6. "Summary of MOJO, NME and Q reviews". Metacritic.
  7. Sparks, Sparks - Balls. Sparks., retrieved 2022-05-15
  8. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  9. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  10. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
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