Balls (Sparks album)

Balls

Studio album by Sparks

Released

August 2000

Length

48:45

Label

Oglio (US), Recognition (UK)

Producer

Ron Mael, Russell Mael

Sparks chronology

Plagiarism
(1997)

Balls
(2000)

Lil' Beethoven
(2002)

Singles from Balls

"More Than A Sex Machine"
Released: September 1999
"The Calm Before The Storm"
Released: August 2000
"The Angels"
Released: 2000

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

Balls is the 18th album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 2000.^[2]

"It's a Knockoff" was recorded for the movie Knock Off, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, directed by the acclaimed Hong Kong based producer/director Tsui Hark^[3] (who had appeared on his own tribute song by the band on the album Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins). It is featured over the closing credits.

Release

Balls was not a success in terms of chart performance and failed to match the performance of Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins. It did not chart in Germany, UK or US. The album was packaged in a translucent jewel case that came in 4 colours (red, yellow, green, and blue) with a reflective die-cut silver slipcase.

"More Than A Sex Machine", "The Calm Before The Storm" and "The Angels" were released as singles but did not pick up any significant sales or radio play.

Re-issue

In 2008, Sparks' own record label Lil' Beethoven Records reissued the album in a digipak sleeve, featuring different sleeve-art and with two bonus tracks; "The Calm Before the Opera" and "The Calm Before the Storm (Full Length Instrumental)".

Track listing

All tracks written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Balls"	4:24
2.	"More Than a Sex Machine"	5:04
3.	"Scheherazade"	4:29
4.	"Aeroflot"	4:28
5.	"The Calm Before the Storm"	4:03
6.	"How to Get Your Ass Kicked"	4:19
7.	"Bullet Train"	4:20
8.	"It's a Knockoff"	3:42
9.	"Irreplaceable"	5:06
10.	"It's Educational"	4:02
11.	"The Angels"	4:48

Personnel

Russell Mael - Vocals, production
Ron Mael - Keyboards, programming, production
Tammy Glover - Drums
Aksinja Berger - Speech on "Aeroflot"
Amelia Cone - Narration on "Scheherazade"
John Thomas - Mixing, engineering

References

↑ Allmusic review
↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/balls-mw0000090005
↑ J.R. Taylor. "Lively Sparks". New York Press. Retrieved 2006-04-13.

Sparks

Ron Mael Russell Mael Jim Mankey Earle Mankey Harley Feinstein Martin Gordon Adrian Fisher Norman "Dinky" Diamond Trevor White Ian Hampton Bob Haag Leslie Bohem David Kendrick Christi Haydon Tammy Glover Dean Menta

Albums	Halfnelson/Sparks A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing Kimono My House Propaganda Indiscreet Big Beat Introducing Sparks No. 1 in Heaven Terminal Jive Whomp That Sucker Angst in My Pants In Outer Space Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat Music That You Can Dance To Interior Design Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins Plagiarism Balls Lil' Beethoven Hello Young Lovers Exotic Creatures of the Deep The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman Two Hands, One Mouth: Live in Europe FFS (as FFS)

Singles	"This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" "Amateur Hour" "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" "I Want to Hold Your Hand" "The Number One Song in Heaven" "Beat the Clock" "I Predict" "Cool Places" "Dick Around" "Johnny Delusional"

Related	Halfnelson Giorgio Moroder Telex Gleaming Spires Les Rita Mitsouko Todd Rundgren Sparks Spectacular Tony Visconti Jane Wiedlin FFS

discography

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