073: Sparks - In Outer Space (1983) - Cool Places

“Cool Places” opens In Outer Space with Sparks doing something both very deliberate and very of-the-moment. This is a sleek, radio-facing pop single built from sharp early-80s drum sounds, a propulsive synth pulse, and very little excess — a song that knows exactly what it wants to be. The duet with Jane Wiedlin gives it extra lift, not just as a novelty but as a genuine contrast to Russell Mael’s voice, framing the track as playful rather than arch.

Musically, it’s minimal and almost stubbornly catchy. Two-note figures do most of the work, the groove stays locked in, and the whole thing feels sunlit and cinematic — cruising music rather than introspective Sparks. It’s one of those rare moments where the band aren’t ahead of the curve or rewriting it, but sitting squarely on it, embracing the sound of 1983 without irony.

As an album opener, “Cool Places” divides opinion. It doesn’t have the immediate weirdness or dramatic punch of many classic Sparks openers, but it makes a strong first impression in a different way: friendly, accessible, and unmistakably aiming for airplay. That intent paid off, becoming their highest-charting U.S. single and a fixture on MTV, helped by a memorably odd video where Ron Mael leans fully into his sinister-magician persona.

The track also captures a specific Sparks tension: immediate pleasure versus long-term depth. It’s easy to love on first listen, easy to imagine blasting from a car stereo, and just as easy to wonder whether subtler tracks might grow larger over time. As the gateway into In Outer Space, “Cool Places” sets the tone for an album that’s confident, polished, and unapologetically pop — even if it leaves some listeners waiting for the twist.