135: Sparks - Balls (2000) - The Calm Before the Storm

Sparks explore the uneasy silence before everything changes on “The Calm Before the Storm,” the second single from Balls.We discuss the song’s 1990s pop production, unusual brass touches and whether its melody is immediate enough to carry a single. More importantly, we dig into some of Ron Mael’s strongest lyrics of the period: dogs allowing the postman through, empty beaches, postponed flights and a world reduced to monotone and monochrome. Nothing is happening—and that is precisely what makes it feel so ominous.The episode also takes in the charming animated music video, which gives the song an unexpected boost, and “The Calm Before the Opera,” a dramatic so-called anti-remix that rebuilds the bridge into an almost entirely new composition. With its repetition, orchestral weight and operatic atmosphere, this alternate version offers another striking glimpse of the direction Sparks would soon pursue on Lil’ Beethoven.