127: Sparks - Gratuitous Sax and Senseless (1994) - Let's Go Surfing

Sparks finally arrive at their surf song, but naturally, nobody actually goes surfing.

“Let’s Go Surfing” finds its characters trapped in a grey, landlocked town, dreaming of California from a room “only Dickens could love.” We discuss the contrast between its bright, distinctly 1990s Europop production and Ron Mael’s wonderfully literate lyrics, filled with Wagnerian, Shakespearean and misanthropic references that no ordinary surf anthem would dare attempt.

We also debate whether it should have been chosen as a single in 1994, its eventual release in 2019, and whether its busy arrangement and divisive chorus make it a charming late-album highlight or one of the record’s less memorable moments.