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bryan_davey
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Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 1435
Location: west wales, miles from real life!!
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 Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 8:38 am Post subject: |
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| release date 24 OCT .......still showing on amazon, still not received an email to say its on its way ! |
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Crabby
Power Groupie
Joined: 26 Feb 2024
Posts: 255
Location: Belfast
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 9:06 am Post subject: |
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I got an email a few days ago saying they were "encountering a delay in shipping".... There was no new estimated delivery date!
The situation with this book has always been a bit vague and to be honest l'm not really expecting it ever to arrive... |
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SteveBoyce
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Joined: 17 Jan 2002
Posts: 777
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 9:43 am Post subject: |
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| Crabby wrote: | I got an email a few days ago saying they were "encountering a delay in shipping".... There was no new estimated delivery date!
The situation with this book has always been a bit vague and to be honest l'm not really expecting it ever to arrive... |
I've got my copy. Cheap paper is the first thing that struck me!
The initial section for the early 70s has quite a bit of info that was new to me, like the bit about Paul Rudolph.
The final section from Introducing onwards seems a bit desultory and has quite a few factual errors.
The author also has opinions on some of the songs which I would definitely disagree with! |
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waterloosunset
Sparks Guru
Joined: 17 Nov 2021
Posts: 2115
Location: amongst the New England trees
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:28 am Post subject: |
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In the US, it isn't supposed to come out until December 20th. The reoccurring delays give a double meaning to the first line of the book description at Amazon:
"This long-overdue book charts the career of Sparks from 1969 – 1979."
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Crabby
Power Groupie
Joined: 26 Feb 2024
Posts: 255
Location: Belfast
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:46 am Post subject: |
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| Ha ha...... The cheap paper doesn't surprise me and l don't think it's a particularly long book either..... Still, it'll be something of a curio if it ever arrives!! |
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Andy M
Groupie
Joined: 10 Nov 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Barnetby, UK
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| Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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Picked up my copy from our local bookshop today and have given it a very quick skim through. I have to agree with Steve - the post-Island section is brief indeed.
I've got another book in the "On Track" series and one in the similar "Decades" series, and they're more or less the same pagination. Perhaps the author just ran out of space? But to afford, say, Big Beat three times the length of No 1 seems somewhat perverse (or, for another comparison, the early years last up to page 47 (of 144), post-Island gets the last 20). |
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miss sparks
Sparks Guru
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 23101
Location: England
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| Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2024 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Order book via eBay |
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SteveBoyce
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Posts: 777
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Andy M
Groupie
Joined: 10 Nov 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Barnetby, UK
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2024 11:10 am Post subject: |
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Have just finished the book, and found it very enjoyable. Lots of new stuff to me (or stuff I knew but had forgotten!). To his credit, Chris Sutton has sought out - and quotes - a number of band members and others whose views hadn't been aired before and that's really welcome and fresh. The comments on each track are possibly the weakest bit (though I acknowledge that, if you're a fan, it's difficult to navigate this without using the same superlatives). Like Steve, I'd argue about some of his views as to best/weakest tracks - but that of course is very subjective. Sutton does focus on the "sound" rather than the lyrical content, and he also has a tendency to emphasize and extol the contribution of the guitarists involved.
Overall, though, well worth the investment. |
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Kermit!
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Joined: 08 Aug 2017
Posts: 1187
Location: Islington N1
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| Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:16 am Post subject: |
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I ordered my copy on July 3rd & it finally arrived last week, November 7th!
I'd resigned myself to it never being released so it was 'a big surprise' when it dropped through my letter box.
I'm sure it will be an interesting read about Sparks undoubtedly most important period of their career but I'll reserve any judgement on it until l've read it through.
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bryan_davey
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Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 1435
Location: west wales, miles from real life!!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2024 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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| im up propaganda, really enjoying this !!! |
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miss sparks
Sparks Guru
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 23101
Location: England
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| Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2024 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Got my book today. Good price on eBay didn't pay the full amount. |
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Crabby
Power Groupie
Joined: 26 Feb 2024
Posts: 255
Location: Belfast
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2024 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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| I finally got mine too.... I didn't have high hopes but it was a bit better than l thought it would be, a few interesting insights but nothing earth shattering.... And personal opinions about songs are, well, personal opinions. I disagreed with most of them..... 😂 |
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dinky
Sparkologist
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 723
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| Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2025 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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A link to an interview with our Monte, the author Chris Sutton and Larry Graves popped up on my feed a couple of days ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXD2-XWelhA
I'd not bought the book, a couple of comments on this thread had deterred me. After watching it I ordered it straight away and I can't put it down. Lots of info new to me, can't recommend it highly enough |
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waterloosunset
Sparks Guru
Joined: 17 Nov 2021
Posts: 2115
Location: amongst the New England trees
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| Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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I am enjoying the book very much; Sparks has just started recording Propaganda. I don't always agree with Chris Sutton's song assessments (I love Saccharin and the War AND Equator), but the information that he presents with quotes from a cast of characters is very interesting, organized, and well-written. In comparison with Sparks 1974, whose author needs some basic courses in syntax and usage, this book deserves a major book award. I will watch the aforementioned video soon.
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dinky
Sparkologist
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 723
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| Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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| waterloosunset wrote: | | I am enjoying the book very much; Sparks has just started recording Propaganda. I don't always agree with Chris Sutton's song assessments (I love Saccharin and the War AND Equator), but the information that he presents with quotes from a cast of characters is very interesting, organized, and well-written. In comparison with Sparks 1974, whose author needs some basic courses in syntax and usage, this book deserves a major book award. I will watch the aforementioned video soon. |
I gave up on that book, unreadable. |
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waterloosunset
Sparks Guru
Joined: 17 Nov 2021
Posts: 2115
Location: amongst the New England trees
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| Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| dinky wrote: |
I gave up on that book, unreadable. |
I have no idea why I finished it.
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SteveBoyce
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Joined: 17 Jan 2002
Posts: 777
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| Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2025 10:16 am Post subject: |
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Just listened to this. I found this Larry Graves guy incredibly irritating but Chris Sutton came across really well and very clued up.
The demos with Mick Ronson were for about one day on YouTube, I think because they were being offered for sale, and I've always regretted not downloading them in that brief window of opportunity! But someone must have done, so I'm sure they are out there.
There was a guy on the old Mael list, whom I think in fact might be interviewed in the Sparks 74 book (which I have but didn't bother to read so far), who was at the Marquee club show. From memory he said that Queen were supposed to open but didn't, but were in the audience. He was really knowledgeable about those days, having been a fan since the start and in touch with all the people. It's a shame Chris Sutton didn't make contact with him.
Those old TOTP shows I think all exist in private hands, at least they used to. There was some kind of dispute, I forget the details maybe when the original owner died, so some might have got lost. I've seen the "other" Looks Looks Looks one though, so that definitely still exists.
Yes and TJ it's just Faltermeyer on keys. Even with WIWY that second break is written by Faltermeyer not Ron. That must have been a pretty low point for Ron. It's a shame that the book pretty much peters out at this point, if there were to be a sequel it would be great if the time from Number One onwards could be beefed up.
I think that Ron's contribution to music has been severely undervalued, I'd put him with McCartney and Bowie. I think maybe he lost out from being in Sparks. (Of course there are much greater performance artists like Queen or Springsteen, but that's not the same thing) |
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