The Best of Sparks - Music That You Can Dance To

iTunes Review

Originally released in 1986, Music That You Can Dance To was number 14 in the Sparks catalog, and it came at a time when the brothers Mael seemed to be battling the pull of softer, more commercial synth pop sounds. Music That You ... was a more than admirable revival of the band’s focus and energy, and it’s held up well over the years. The title track is the ‘80s personified, an outrageously upbeat, pep rally of a number with blaring synths and, yes, a dance beat you can’t ignore. The double-tracked vocals on the cinematic “Rosebud” are goose bump worthy, and “Fingertips” have the boys riffing on a ‘60s soul hit by Steve Wonder, with Russell Mael’s falsetto reaching heights he may have regretted. The crackling “Shopping Mall of Love” could have been a style template for the dry humor of New Zealand’s Flight of the Conchords, a campy ode to self-indulgence that could only be topped by the kiwi duo. Another standout track, originally released as a single in 1985, is “Change,” a fantastically singular ode to the wonders of daily life, blending the Maels’ affinity for operatic spectacle with the fluff of ‘80s pop. Music That You ... was reissued in 1990, the label inexplicably adding the words “The Best of Sparks” to the record’s title while at the same time wisely replacing an inferior track with the stellar “Change,” giving this release a solid centerpiece.