USA, 2006, art pop / chamber pop
Sparks – Hello Young Lovers: In an interview on the Arsenio Hall Show, Zappa expresses his disdain for songs sung by the likes of Luther Vandross and his whole “just stay the night with you, baby” euphemisms. Zappa asks why Vandross doesn’t just say what he really wants to do that girl… He’s talking about stripping away the veneer of pop songs and getting to the often gritty (and even sometimes dark and uncomfortable) heart of pop music. That’s what’s happening here. Remember, kids: soft passages get you into trouble. As an aside, remember the bizarre treatment Sparks gives “Do Re Mi” on A Tweeter in Wolf’s Clothing? Well, they get up to their shenanigans again, this time with a wonderfully inappropriate sexual metaphor using “The Star Spangled Banner”. I’ll take two helpings of Sparks, please!
Museum Musica 