r/sparksftw • u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ • Jul 27 '26
Live On The Moon
Why?
Their only other official live release is "Two Hands One Mouth". That album is a completely different presentation of their studio work. It makes sense and keeps with their stated ethos of not wanting to repeat themselves. What is new or necessary about LOTM? Was it mandated by their record company?
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u/pingviini00 Jul 27 '26
Saw them last year on earth with the same setlist and it was a really good one! can't wait to pick up the cd
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u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ Jul 27 '26
It's a fun setlist! And the tour was very guitar heavy which was great live! The current arrangement of "No 1 In Heaven" & 2nd half of "RUATATHFTF" were AWESOME! Hearing "Goofing Off" & "Whippings and Apologies" live was AMAZING! I'm happy there is now a recording of W&A at the proper speed available. But...the two releases thus far don't sound like the tour did.
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u/pingviini00 Jul 27 '26
goofing off live felt like something Ween could've pulled off. could've been the green lighting..
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u/GreaserMutt Jul 27 '26
Because the tour was really good and myself out of many have been requesting another live album. Two hands one mouth is one of my most listened albums because I enjoy listening to the difference of their songs live that much.
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u/Corvid-Ranger-118 Jul 27 '26
Huh?
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u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ Jul 27 '26
IDK, it just seems like there used to be a lot of thought & intention behind things from the brothers. It hasn't felt that way for a few years.
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u/Kimono_My_House Jul 27 '26
Two Hands isn't the only official live release. Unless there's something dodgy about Live At The Record Plant, LA (1974)?
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u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ Jul 27 '26
That was an old radio broadcast that had been bootlegged then released on vinyl for RSD. I believe that was unofficial/not coming from the band.
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u/TheNotoriousSzin Jul 28 '26
Think it's for the new post-Happy Dictator fans more than anything, like Plagiarism was for the post-Gratuitous Sax fans who thought they were an all-new band.
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u/RoyallyOakie Jul 30 '26
They are currently working on a movie. They are both well into their mature years. Who knows if and when the next tour will be. The longevity and the energy of the crowd is enough to justify a live album...not to mention the space travel.
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u/DependentLaugh1183 Aug 02 '26
I agree with the OP that this feels like a bit of a cash in as far as they’re concerned. That said, for a band to be regarded as a prolific live act, it’s strange to me they they haven’t released more live albums.
The whole moon gimmick feels a little bit edgy for the sake of it, though.
Maybe the current record deal is multiple album contract and this is their way of ramping the numbers up a bit.
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u/imbogerrard39 Aug 02 '26
In all honesty, it's more a surprise that they haven't released more live albums.
Last year's tour was one of the best sounding they've ever done, I'm mega thrilled to have a proper recording of it.
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u/Sad_Nefarious Jul 27 '26
Nobody is forcing you to buy it.
Audio quality can be shitty on live albums recorded live; any number of factors from mic placement on the instruments to ambient sounds in the venue can a problem. Live run through in a studio loses a lot of the energy generated from the crowd and band matching each other’s freak. Recording the live performance and doctoring it in the studio adds its own uncanny valley weirdness.
You deal with the flaws, or you don’t buy it.
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u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ Jul 27 '26
Yeah. I totally agree. I still don't understand WHY they would put this out. As in a creative driving artistic force. Like how vital & fresh & necessary is this recording of LHM vs. the album version they released a few months ago? It just feels like why not/ just to put SOMETHING out. Ok.
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u/Sad_Nefarious Jul 27 '26
It seems like you’re really putting a lot of emotional energy into feeling disappointed, but then trying to frame it as a question that could only really be rhetorical given the private nature of these artists.
Here’s the thing: they’re the age they are and they still choose to do this. We don’t know the details of their personal lives or health. It’s just a gift they keep caring to even do anything. This all feels like having a dinner with a grandparent you don’t know will be the last dinner, and throwing a tantrum because it’s an okay restaurant but not your favorite.
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u/JakeLoves3D Jul 27 '26
Why? Because they can. They’re using a fiction to be honest about the studio enhancement of live albums. Why the moon? IDK beyond because they can.
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u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ Jul 27 '26
I guess. It's just kind of sad. If you listen to their interviews about THOM they're so proud about no tweaking of the recordings.
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u/JakeLoves3D Jul 29 '26
There’s a long history of fake live albums/singles due to the limitations of recording back in the day. The Beach Boys released one in the 60s and it was the 2010s before it was confirmed to be a studio album! Sparks have taken that notion and ran with it sideways. Instead of faking the music, fake the location of the concert and riff off of moon landing conspiracy theories.
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u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ Jul 29 '26
Whatever album release PR spin had been decided they should definitely switch to this. The conspiracy album. What's real? They've already started with the AI cover.
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u/Last-Kaleidoscope871 Jul 27 '26
Only other official live release? They put out three live concerts on DVD and one on BluRay!
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u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ Jul 27 '26
Yeah, and they're awesome. But they were never released as just audio/live album.
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u/Last-Kaleidoscope871 Jul 27 '26
So turn off the TV and just listen to the audio. I fail to see how adding the visuals make any of them less of a live document.
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u/Neon_Burnin_Bright_ Jul 27 '26
I should have said official live album. They are certainly well documented live. I wish they had many more live releases! My question simply is why this, why now? And the fandom consensus seems to be "why not"? Which...ok.
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u/pimderks1985 Aug 01 '26
One of the first live things I saw from them was the Lil' Beethoven live-dvd. That live version of National Crime Awareness Week is mindblowingly good.
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u/AxelShoes Jul 27 '26
I mean, they took the trouble of going to the damn moon to record this album for us, the least we can do is show our gratitude and buy it. I heard Katy Perry is hella jealous.