Lil' Beethoven

Lil' Beethoven
Studio album by
Sparks
ReleasedNovember 26, 2002
Recorded2001–2002
StudioSparks Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length44:36
Label
  • Palm (US)
  • Lil' Beethoven / Artful (UK)
Producer
Sparks chronology
Balls
(2000) 		Lil' Beethoven
(2002) 		Hello Young Lovers
(2006)
Singles from Lil' Beethoven
  1. "Suburban Homeboy" b/w "Wunderbar (Concerto In Koch Minor)"
    Released: March 24, 2003

Lil' Beethoven is the nineteenth studio album by the American rock band Sparks, released on October 14, 2002. Written and produced by members Ron and Russell Mael, and self-described as their "genre-defying opus", the album was considered a radical musical departure from their recent work, which had been predominately electronic and beat-orientated in nature.

On Lil' Beethoven, the duo started afresh, downplaying rhythm and employing repetitive song structures reminiscent of minimalist music, as well as making extensive use of piano, choral voices, and orchestral sounds, with live drums and percussion only used sparingly. The duo have stated that despite the album's references to classical music, including composer Ludwig van Beethoven in its title and the use of symphonic textures, they did not set out to create a 'pseudo-classical' record, and that it was more an exercise in how big and aggressive they could sound with very basic elements.[4]

Upon its release, Lil' Beethoven received critical acclaim in the UK and the US, who praised its challenging and innovative sound, and helped to bring renewed interest in the band internationally. Sparks took an equally idiosyncratic approach to promoting the album live: the first half of the set consisted of the album performed in its entirety, with the band incorporating performance art and screen projections, followed by a more standard greatest hits set in the second half. Only one single, "Suburban Homeboy", was taken from the album. In 2004, a performance at the Södra Teatern in Stockholm, Sweden was filmed and released on DVD as Lil Beethoven - Live in Stockholm.[5]

  1. ^ "Expect the Unexpected: A Conversation with Sparks". September 13, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "Sparks - Record Collector Magazine". recordcollectormag.com. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Beyond Bowie: The mutating art-pop of Sparks in 10 records - The Vinyl Factory". November 17, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "Ron & Russell Mael: 45 Years In Showbiz - Sound on Sound". Sound on Sound. December 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  5. ^ "Sparks: Lil' Beethoven: Live in Stockholm (2004)". Cinema Paradiso. Retrieved October 23, 2024.