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Sparks were doomed to obscurity from the beginning. Like Oscar Wilde and the turn-of-the-century decadents and dandies who inspired the Mael brothers, scandal both brought them fame and prevented the public from taking them seriously. Vocalist Russell Mael played the rock star with all the flamboyance of a peacock, while songwriter and keyboardist Ron Mael contrasted his brother's excesses with his ascetic scowl and Hitler mustache. The latter's favorite ploy has always been exposing people squirming in insecurity behind screens of wealth, vanity, professionalism and mediocrity. "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" (1974) is a classic case in point, and one of the few Sparks songs to crack the charts. "Number One Song in Heaven" (1976) also gained them a rare bit of exposure. It's easily one of the most bizarre songs ever to be a Disco hit -- a celestial stairway of rapturous melodies heavily greased with irony and black humor. Though in the 1980s and beyond the Maels tended to settle for Disco chintz over rock 'n' roll substance, their music still retains the stinging wit that gives it savor and makes Sparks absolutely unique.
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