Sparks – Indiscreet (1975) & Big Beat (1976) Vinyl Reissues Review
Hi, Phil Aston here from Now Spinning Magazine, and in this review I’m taking a look at two fascinating Sparks reissues: Indiscreet from 1975 and Big Beat from 1976, both freshly pressed on gloriously eccentric coloured vinyl via Demon Records.
Now, Sparks are one of those bands I’ve always been aware of but never fully immersed myself in—at least not until recently. Back in school during the mid-70s, it felt like everyone was carrying a copy of Kimono My House (1974) under their arm, even though you couldn’t actually play it at school. Just the sight of that sleeve meant you were one of the cool kids. I, meanwhile, was carrying around Black Sabbath albums and following the hard rock corridor of Purple, Zeppelin, and Status Quo.
Sparks, with Ron and Russell Mael’s completely unique image and sound, belonged in another corridor entirely—the quirky, arty, witty one alongside Bowie, The Kinks, early Floyd, 10cc, and Roxy Music. At the time I just didn’t get it. But listening now, with a lot more musical miles on the clock, I find myself increasingly drawn in.
Indiscreet (1975)
Indiscreet followed the breakthrough success of Kimono My House and Propaganda, but it took Sparks down an unexpected road. Produced by Tony Visconti (of Bowie and T. Rex fame), it blends glam rock with elements of swing, orchestral arrangements, vaudeville, and baroque pop.
Tracks like “Hospitality on Parade” show flashes of the big glam riffs I could latch onto back then, but the overall album was a tougher sell for the casual listener. It peaked at No. 18 in the UK but didn’t connect in the US. The singles “Get in the Swing” and “Looks, Looks, Looks” reached the Top 30, but the album didn’t hit the heights of its predecessors.
Listening now, though, what strikes me is how clever and satirical Sparks really were. Lyrically sharp, musically adventurous—this was an art pop record pushing at the boundaries, even if teenage me was too immersed in Sabbath and Purple to appreciate it at the time.
This new vinyl pressing comes on Tiger’s Eye Marbled vinyl with a gatefold sleeve. Nicely done, though I did give it a wipe down as there was a bit of static. The sound is solid, and for collectors, the coloured vinyl presentation is a lovely touch.
Big Beat (1976)
Then comes Big Beat. By this point, Sparks had dispensed with their original British band and were working with session musicians in the US. The result? A harder-edged, more straightforward rock sound. Ron Mael’s keyboards are largely absent, replaced by chunky guitars and a more AOR feel.
At the time, Big Beat was seen as a commercial misstep. It didn’t chart in the UK at all and stalled at 139 in the US. For a band who’d seemed unstoppable just a couple of years earlier, it looked like the magic had gone.
But for me—coming from a rock-centric background—this one clicks straight away. It’s Sparks making a rock record, plain and simple. Sure, lyrically they’re still Sparks (with plenty of eyebrow-raising moments), but musically it connects with that other corridor I was walking down at school. Looking back, it feels like the album where the worlds of Status Quo, Slade, and Sparks could have met in the same art classroom.
This reissue comes on Mineral Marbled vinyl, and again the presentation is excellent.
Rediscovering Sparks
One of the joys of running Now Spinning Magazine and being part of this community is the way other fans open doors to music you might have missed. I want to give a shout-out to fellow YouTuber Larry Graves, a huge Sparks fan whose enthusiasm has encouraged me to take this deeper dive. Larry even recently met Ron and Russell at a gig—that must have felt like me meeting Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore at the same time!
That’s the beauty of Sparks: they’ve reinvented themselves time and again, moving through glam rock, orchestral pop, hard rock, disco, electronic music, and beyond. Each album is a new chapter, and that unpredictability is part of their genius. Listening now, the quirkiness I once found off-putting has melted away, replaced by admiration for just how sharp, funny, and musically adventurous they were.
If you’re a long-time fan who started with the CDs, these coloured vinyl editions are a fun and striking way to revisit the catalogue. If you’re new to Sparks, these reissues offer a perfect excuse to dive in.
For me, this journey feels like going back to school—but this time I’m walking down both corridors. And I’m loving it.
ORDER INDISCREET ON VINYL HERE
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
