Sparks / New Music For Amnesiacs: The Ultimate Collection box set

A new box set featuring the music of California band Sparks is released next week and has has been personally curated by Ron and Russell Mael.

New Music For Amnesiacs: The Ultimate Collection is a limited edition four CD collection presented within a a hardbound book, and comes with a selection of replica memorabilia, including posters, tickets, lanyards, photos and button badges. The 64-page book includes hundreds of photos from Ron and Russell’s personal archives, and features a foreword by Morrissey.

The detailed content of the box is as follows:

• • 64 page hardback book containing 4 CDs
• • A4 Certificate of Authenticity
• • A2 Poster
• • Vellum envelope containing
  • -2 replica tickets
  • -4 A4 black and white prints
  • -4 A4 colour prints
• • Brown paper envelope with replica address sticker containing three A4 black and white proof sheets
• • Souvenir CD in card wallet
• • Laminated AAA pass
• • Lanyard with plastic snap lock
• • Car window sticker
• • Button badge

The four discs feature 81 songs handpicked by the band, and remastered by legendary mastering engineers Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz from the original sources. The selection includes tracks from all 21 studio albums. In addition a bonus CD contains studio tracks commemorating two of Sparks’ live events, “Islington N1” from the Sparks Spectacular (21 albums in 21 nights), and “Two Hands One Mouth” from the eponymous tour.

New Music For Amnesiacs: The Ultimate Collection is released on 21 October 2013.

• UK Pre-order: New Music For Amnesiacs – The Ultimate Collection

Track listing

Disc: 1

• 1. Wonder Girl
• 2. Roger
• 3. High C
• 4. Girl from Germany
• 5. Batteries Not Included
• 6. Whippings and Apologies
• 7. This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us
• 8. Amateur Hour
• 9. Equator
• 10. Talent Is an Asset
• 11. Barbecutie
• 12. Propaganda
• 13. At Home at Work at Play
• 14. Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
• 15. Something for the Girl With Everything
• 16. Alabamy Right
• 17. Hospitality On Parade
• 18. Happy Hunting Ground
• 19. Looks, Looks, Looks
• 20. Get in the Swing
• 21. Miss the Start, Miss the End
• 22. Big Boy
• 23. Nothing to Do
• 24. Looks Aren’t Everything
• 25. Tearing the Place Apart

Disc: 2

• 1. Goofing Off
• 2. Over the Summer
• 3. The Number One Song in Heaven
• 4. Beat the Clock
• 5. Tryouts for the Human Race (Unreleased Version)
• 6. When I’m With You
• 7. Young Girls (Single Version)
• 8. Tips for Teens
• 9. Funny Face
• 10. I Married a Martian
• 11. Angst in My Pants
• 12. I Predict
• 13. Mickey Mouse
• 14. Eaten By the Monster of Love
• 15. Cool Places
• 16. Popularity
• 17. I Wish I Looked a Little Better
• 18. Pretending to Be Drunk
• 19. A Song That Sings Itself

Disc: 3

• 1. Music That You Can Dance To
• 2. Change
• 3. Let’s Get Funky
• 4. Singing in the Shower (With Les Rita Mitsouko)
• 5. So Important
• 6. A Walk Down Memory Lane
• 7. Madonna
• 8. National Crime Awareness Week (Psycho Cut)
• 9. Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins
• 10. When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way’
• 11. (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing
• 12. Tsui Hark (Feat. Tsui Hark & Bill Kong)
• 13. Let’s Go Surfing
• 14. Propaganda
• 15. Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat
• 16. This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us (With Faith No More)
• 17. Bullet Train
• 18. It’s a Knockoff
• 19. Calm Before the Opera

Disc: 4

• 1. Concerto in Koch Minor (Wunderbar)
• 2. The Rhythm Thief
• 3. How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?
• 4. My Baby’s Taking Me Home
• 5. Suburban Homeboy
• 6. I Married Myself
• 7. Dick Around
• 8. Perfume
• 9. The Very Next Fight
• 10. Metaphor
• 11. As I Sit Down to Play the Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral
• 12. Good Morning
• 13. Lighten Up, Morrissey
• 14. Strange Animal
• 15. Photoshop
• 16. I’ve Never Been High
• 17. I Am a Bookworm