Christmas Song #7:

Sparks--Thank God It's Not Christmas



OK, so technically... it's not a Christmas song. Because that's the point of the song--that it's not Christmas. But it at least mention the dang thing, which is more than I can say about a lot of so-called Christmas songs... and it sounds vaguely seasonal. So there you go.

I doubt many of you know this band, so a couple of quick facts. Sparks are essentially two brothers from LA who played what could be loosely described as glam rock (although I've also heard them described as new wave--which they predated by about 8 years) who hit it big in the UK with their catchy melodies and dark and insanely dry humor. They never hit it big in the US, which is either because A) they were ahead of their time, B) the public was too busy buying Queen albums (not that I dislike Queen, but...), C) their sense of humor was too dry for America.

I'm assuming it's C. Which is unfortunate, because... despite the fact that lyrics aren't all that important to me... I appreciate a good sense of humor. And on Kimono My House (the album that this comes from... and the record holder for most I've ever spent on an album (it was out of print here, I was wanting to hear this band... and I was still buying CDs.)) there's plenty of this in spades. My favorite is an ode to a lover who chickened out on the promise of jumping off a cliff together, after the singer had already jumped. You know, that's the sort of thing we're talking about here.

But about this song (since... you know... I'm supposed to be writing about the Christmas songs and all). It's another one for the people who mostly regard the holiday season with bitterness, as the song is about a guy who hates the holidays because it's the only day in which he can't get out of spending time with his wife. It's not a sentiment I necessarily agree with (I mean, I have my less than ideal family members, but not enough to dissuade me from dreading the day), but I can appreciate it in song form. Plus, it's pretty much the perfect song for any holiday mix for any family member you hate. I can't think of any instance when you'd find yourself making a mix for someone you dislike, but...

The music itself here sounds kind of like a mix between your typical classic rock sound and what you'd expect a bad 80's Christmas song to sound like. Which, in this case, I think makes me like the song more. But it's really the tone of the song that sells it for me. If the lyrics was washed in the usual sentimentality and schmaltz that permeates through the worst Christmas music--then screw it. The song's catchy, but it's not THAT catchy. But the bitter and annoyed tone the lyrics have give it that little bit of edge that makes it extremely listenable.

Also, I would like to state that Ron Mael (the keyboardist) has had some of the best staches in music history. That's all, really.