When eccentric LA brothers Russell and Ron Mael moved to Britain in 1973, they exploded onto the pop scene as Sparks – an act that stood out even amid the flamboyance of the glam rock movement that embraced them. Talent is an Asset captures the quicksilver essence of these two gifted musicians, who have spent decades deliberately remaining unpredictable and elusive. Hiding behind a dazzling gallery of jokes and musical idiosyncrasies, Sparks have ignited an esoteric musical flame that burns to this day. Packed with puns, pop culture nods, nostalgia and absurdist humour, shown through a kaleidoscope of styles from rock to glam to disco, Daryl Easlea distills seven decades of Sparks’ singular energy into this essential, unauthorised biography.
