In Sparks immense back catalogue there are many many musical delights and surprises to be found. If I had to choose a list of my personal favourites it could quickly become quite lengthy. But The Shopping Mall of Love would be certainly one on that list. Its taken from their 1985 album Music That You Can Dance To. This album was their some what mischievous response to a music executive's question - why couldn't they just produce music you could dance to, in order to be more successful. That man was not best pleased,apparently, when they chose to take the piss. This just goes doubly to show how little he understood Sparks satirical raison d'etre.
The Shopping Mall of Love is remarkable for many reasons. It is almost entirely built around a singular drum sound that loudly pounds away like a pile driver in a concrete bunker. In addition there is the very real joy and rare example of Ron Mael taking up front man duties, and brother Russell being merely a backing vocalist. One hears for the first time, the dry satirical quality to his vocal delivery. Flat toned, suppressed, with all the expressively stilted charm of the emotionally disconnected male.
But when you stop to think about it, what is this song about? After all, where and what exactly is the Shopping Mall of Love? Is it a brothel? A sex accessories shop? Is Jill an inflatable doll and does she come mail order? You get little hints in the lyric, but nothing definitive. But she is a work of art, so uninhibited!
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