Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins

Infobox Album |
Name = Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
Type = Album
Artist = Sparks


Released = November 1994
Recorded = 1994 Sparks Studio, Los Angeles
Genre = Rock
Length = 44:36
Label = Logic Records
Producer = Ron Mael, Russell Mael
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:zmev97bkkrat link]
Last album = "Interior Design"
(1988)
This album = "Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins"
(1994)
Next album = "Plagiarism"
(1998)

"Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins" is the sixteenth album by Sparks. After an absence from the music industry of 5-6 years, the pair returned with a new sound that returned to the synth orientated sound of "No. 1 In Heaven". However the songs retained an emphasis on pop song structure and a sound that was only slightly removed from that of the Pet Shop Boys. The acapella title track "Gratuitous Sax" looked back to the equally brief opener of 1974's "Propaganda".

Originally released in 1994. Re-released in 2006 as part of the Sparks "The Collection" series. This re-release featured new artwork, and additional sleevenotes in digipack-format. The contents of the disc itself were unaltered.

"When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'", "(When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing" and "Now That I Own The BBC" were each released as singles in the UK.

Track listing

# "Gratuitous Sax" - 0:31
# "When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'" - 4:37
# "(When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing" - 5:13
# "Frankly, Scarlett, I Don't Give A Damn" - 5:03
# "I Thought I Told You To Wait In The Car" - 4:02
# "Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil" - 5:37
# "Now That I Own The BBC" - 4:58
# "Tsui Hark" - 4:31 (Featuring Tsui Hark and Bill Kong)
# "The Ghost Of Liberace" - 4:15
# "Let's Go Surfing" - 5:02
# "Senseless Violins" - 0:47
# "When I Kiss You I Hear Charlie Parker Playing (Bernard Butler's Mix)" (Japanese only Bonus track)
* Written and Produced by Ron Mael and Russel Mael.

Personnel

* Russell Mael, vocals
* Ron Mael, keyboards

Chart Placings

Now That I Own The BBC