Musique illimitée
Écoutez cet album en haute-qualité dès maintenant dans nos applications
Démarrer ma période d'essai et lancer l'écoute de cet albumProfitez de cet album sur les apps Qobuz grâce à votre abonnement
SouscrireProfitez de cet album sur les apps Qobuz grâce à votre abonnement
Téléchargement digital
Téléchargez cet album dans la qualité de votre choix
Anybody looking for Sparks to return to the timeless lushness of "Under the Table With Her" or the sonic indiscretions of "Change," the disconcerting dynamics of "Equator," or the pulsing repetition of Number One Song in Heaven is going to recognize Lil' Beethoven almost immediately. But anybody holding any of those ideals so dear that they cannot see past their superficial tensions is going to be left in disarray. Lil' Beethoven is the (or, more appropriately, a) summation of everything Sparks had been promising for the past 30 years. It is also quite unlike anything they have ever delivered before. The classical pretensions of the title are mirrored exactly in the music. Strings, acoustics, piano, and chorales are the album's primary assets, layered on with such guile that their essential simplicity is absolutely disguised. Lyrically, Lil' Beethoven is sharper than Sparks have sounded in a while -- at least since the best bits of Gratuitous Sax, with the closing "Suburban Homeboy" a brilliant summary of every rich kid booming rap from their mother's SUV ("I say 'yo! Dog' to my detailing guy"). One song, though, is constructed almost wholly around a joke that is older than dirt ("How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?" -- "practice, man, practice"); another takes the bulk of its lyric from a stubborn voice-mail system ("Your Call Is Very Important to Us -- Please Hold"). But, while the repetition itself can grow...well, repetitive, on an album that stakes out its parameters by introducing "The Rhythm Thief" ("oh no, where did the groove go?"), then letting him steal every beat off the record, the mantras themselves become a pulse of sorts, around which the orchestrations take the wildest flights. There are breaks. The exquisite "I Married Myself" is as lush a loving ballad as Sparks have ever wrapped their more Beatlesque aspirations around, and that despite the entire song stretching out over the kind of prelude that other people might have reserved for a pretty prelude alone. Later, "Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls" is less a lyric, more a son-of-"Change"-style diatribe, but the greatest shock comes when you realize just how easily conditioned you were by the rest of the album. Thumping beat and wired guitar leap out with such resolute energy that it feels like you're listening to another record entirely -- every time you play it. And that is the magic of Lil' Beethoven. It takes a few plays to understand and a few more to appreciate. But how many times can you listen to it through and still be discovering new things to admire? That's a question that time alone can answer.
© Dave Thompson /TiVo
Vous êtes actuellement en train d’écouter des extraits.
Écoutez plus de 100 millions de titres avec votre abonnement illimité.
Écoutez cette playlist et plus de 100 millions de titres avec votre abonnement illimité.
À partir de CHF 14,99/mois
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russell Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Ron Mael, Composer, Producer, Writer - Sparks, MainArtist
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Chronique
Anybody looking for Sparks to return to the timeless lushness of "Under the Table With Her" or the sonic indiscretions of "Change," the disconcerting dynamics of "Equator," or the pulsing repetition of Number One Song in Heaven is going to recognize Lil' Beethoven almost immediately. But anybody holding any of those ideals so dear that they cannot see past their superficial tensions is going to be left in disarray. Lil' Beethoven is the (or, more appropriately, a) summation of everything Sparks had been promising for the past 30 years. It is also quite unlike anything they have ever delivered before. The classical pretensions of the title are mirrored exactly in the music. Strings, acoustics, piano, and chorales are the album's primary assets, layered on with such guile that their essential simplicity is absolutely disguised. Lyrically, Lil' Beethoven is sharper than Sparks have sounded in a while -- at least since the best bits of Gratuitous Sax, with the closing "Suburban Homeboy" a brilliant summary of every rich kid booming rap from their mother's SUV ("I say 'yo! Dog' to my detailing guy"). One song, though, is constructed almost wholly around a joke that is older than dirt ("How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?" -- "practice, man, practice"); another takes the bulk of its lyric from a stubborn voice-mail system ("Your Call Is Very Important to Us -- Please Hold"). But, while the repetition itself can grow...well, repetitive, on an album that stakes out its parameters by introducing "The Rhythm Thief" ("oh no, where did the groove go?"), then letting him steal every beat off the record, the mantras themselves become a pulse of sorts, around which the orchestrations take the wildest flights. There are breaks. The exquisite "I Married Myself" is as lush a loving ballad as Sparks have ever wrapped their more Beatlesque aspirations around, and that despite the entire song stretching out over the kind of prelude that other people might have reserved for a pretty prelude alone. Later, "Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls" is less a lyric, more a son-of-"Change"-style diatribe, but the greatest shock comes when you realize just how easily conditioned you were by the rest of the album. Thumping beat and wired guitar leap out with such resolute energy that it feels like you're listening to another record entirely -- every time you play it. And that is the magic of Lil' Beethoven. It takes a few plays to understand and a few more to appreciate. But how many times can you listen to it through and still be discovering new things to admire? That's a question that time alone can answer.
© Dave Thompson /TiVo
À propos
- 1 disque(s) - 12 piste(s)
- Durée totale : 00:52:26
- Artistes principaux : Sparks
- Compositeur : Various Composers
- Label : BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd
- Genre : Pop/Rock Pop
© 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2002 Lil' Beethoven under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Améliorer les informations de l'albumPourquoi acheter sur Qobuz ?
-
Streamez ou téléchargez votre musique
Achetez un album ou une piste à l’unité. Ou écoutez tout notre catalogue en illimité avec nos abonnements de streaming en haute qualité.
-
Zéro DRM
Les fichiers téléchargés vous appartiennent, sans aucune limite d’utilisation. Vous pouvez les télécharger autant de fois que vous souhaitez.
-
Choisissez le format qui vous convient
Vous disposez d’un large choix de formats pour télécharger vos achats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) en fonction de vos besoins.
-
Écoutez vos achats dans nos applications
Téléchargez les applications Qobuz pour smartphones, tablettes et ordinateurs, et écoutez vos achats partout avec vous.