70s Cup Final Round Match 12 *TCE 14- Mantochanga 12*

[pcqgod]

There are much better Raspberries tracks out there, and the Sparks track is great, so it's definitely

A.

[Loki]

Easy

[Jumper K]

B.

[Penk!]

A is fab, all fizzing synths and glorious harmonies. Terrifically inventive.

B too obviously wants to be the Beach Boys to really succeed on its own terms, but it has some good touches in the production and flashes of strong melody. It's also a bit too cluttered at times, though, and doesn't quite cohere, and I liked the vocals less the shoutier they got. A curate's egg, then, in time-honoured BCB Cup style.

[Hightea]

A but but Sparks and this song are not nearly as good as BCBers think it is.

B - belongs in a 60's contest.

A

[echolalia]

Not fucking A again… bugger off.

B

[never/ever]

Oh yeah, Moroder was definitely a major influence in my musical upbringing. The robotic riffs are fairly primal in this song which doesn't really go all out on a limb in the second part but is good regardless.
B is certainly not bad but it's not really calling me for attention....

A

[GoogaMooga]

B

[mantochanga]

B

[algroth]

I never delved too deeply into Sparks after feeling fairly lukewarm about both Kimono My House and Propaganda, but if A's anything to go by, I definitely should give their late 90s-early 80s period a go. Cheers.

[Rayge]

a - one album was enough for me and Sparks: not that I disliked what came after KMH, it was just that it didn't seem very different, and once was enough. Moroder is all over htis, but listening to it on quite a low volume, I don't feel so much Clubbed over the head (clever wording, cheers), as lulled. Normally, as I may have mentioned, I'm not in favour of long tracks, but here the length is created by dumping squeaky Ross for long thump and synth interludes. I find his voice best in smaller doses. Listened to it all, enjoyed it more than I thought I would. 6 / 10
b - The Raspberries never clicked over here, where Eric is the name of comedians rather than rock gods. A fair hint of the kitchen sink in the arrangement, which is No Bad Thing where I live, and a definite second-hand Wilson touch to the vocal arrangements, a sense of it being constructed from parts rather than growing organically, but again, that's no crime in RaygeWorld. Oh, and a genuinely surprising false ending. A bit retro for the 70s, but then again, so was I. 6.5 /10

Blimey

[never/ever]

Trans Chigley Express 14

Mantochanga 12