‘NOTHING IS AS GOOD AS THEY SAY IT IS’
© Madeline Bocaro, 2023. No part of this site may be reproduced or re-blogged in whole or in part, in any manner without permission of the copyright owner.
It’s the dawning of the age of glory and well-deserved appreciation for Sparks!
A windfall of events launched Ron and Russel Mael to the forefront with their own musical film Annette, and Edgar Wright’s 2021 documentary film The Sparks Brothers (in which it is revealed that Sparks are “Your favorite band’s favorite band).
Sparks have produced another pop perfection, legitimizing the most brilliant hype sticker that has ever graced shrink-wrap…
(“The Spectacular New Masterpiece”)
‘Nothing is as Good as they Say It Is’ is the third pre-released song from their upcoming album The Girl is Crying in her Latte (out May 26th).
My story about the title song:
https://madelinex.com/2023/03/07/sparks-the-girl-is-crying/
This is part two of the saga of the sperm cell that won the human race to be born (in the song ‘Tryouts for the Human Race’ from Sparks’ 1979 album No. 1 In Heaven). And boy, does he have regrets. In what is most certainly the first musical neonatal nightmare, a baby can’t even withstand one full day on Earth. After just twenty-two hours, he sings a tune of utmost disdain for the world he is born into. Not too long after his first slap on the back, the infant begs his mom to be returned to the womb – a much more comfortable place.
How appropriate that this was released on Mother’s Day weekend!
It probably won’t be popular at gender-reveal parties, but it would certainly get the party started!
The song is heavy on choruses and light on verses, making it ecstatically pop, with a heavy lyrical message from an odd perspective. A baby chides his parents for their low standards of acceptance for “ugliness, anxiety, phoney tans,” while the hilarious video with countless babies grimacing and crying is sprinkled with scenes of war and pollution. This is another instance of Sparks being ecologically conscious – the first being ‘Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth’ (Propaganda 1974) and the second, ‘Please Don’t Fuck Up My World’ on their 2020 album, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip.
MY STORY ABOUT THE ALBUM, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip:
https://madelinex.com/2020/05/15/sparks-a-steady-drip-drip-drip/
‘Nothing Is as Good as They Say It Is’ it is pure power pop. It would sound at home on Indiscreet, Whomp That Sucker or In Outer Space. It even reminds me of ‘Now That I Own the BBC.’
I can’t wait for the upcoming tour. I’ll be seeing five shows in the U.K. and more in the USA. Let the fun begin!
Watch & Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMmoTU7lPKE
© Madeline Bocaro 2023. No part of this text may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or re-blogged in whole or in part, without prior written permission. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. All text written by Madeline Bocaro is protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without prior written permission.
See more in my Playlist category:
https://madelinex.com/category/playlists/
AND:
About A Song
https://madelinex.com/category/about-a-song/
Main Menu:
Related:
Eat to the Beat
https://madelinex.com/2019/06/25/eat-to-the-beat/
Orange Sunshine
https://madelinex.com/2019/05/29/orange-hangover/
Social Media:
https://linktr.ee/madelinerocks
https://linktr.ee/conceptualbooks
Contact:
madelinex.com is a non-profit blog created for educational and research purposes.
Any content that may violate copyright or free usage laws will be removed immediately upon request.
Great review and insight into a song that is every bit as good as you say it is.
🙏🤘🙏