Spoons - Arias And Symphonies

Eric · September 2020

ARTIST: Spoons
ALBUM: Arias And Symphonies
LABEL: A&M, Ready Records
SERIAL: SP 4920, LR-027
YEAR: 1982
CD REISSUE: 2012, Universal (Canada), SK-2043

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
LINEUP: Sandy Horne - bass, vocals * Gordon Deppe - guitar, vocals * Rob Preuss - keyboards * Derrick Ross - drums, percussion

TRACK LISTING: 01 Trade Winds * 02 Smiling In Winter * 03 One In Ten Words * 04 No Electrons * 05 No More Growing Up * 06 Arias And Symphonies * 07 Nova Heart * 08 South American Vacation * 09 A Girl In Two Pieces * 10 Walk The Plank * 11 Blow Away

WEBLINKS: www.thespoons.ca

Background

Nestled on the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario between the cities of Hamilton and Toronto is the town of Burlington, a quiet bedroom community and not exactly the kind of place you expect a group like Spoons to call home, especially in the late 70's when Canadian hard rock was the norm.

Formed by high school friends Sandy Horne and Gordon Depp and working through a handful of line-up changes, Spoons released a single in 1980 followed by their debut album 'Stick Figure Neighborhood' in 1981.

Support slots with OMD and Simple Minds followed and the record received some air play on the college charts, although none of this prepared anyone for the follow-up 'Arias & Symphonies' which would become one of the biggest Canadian albums of 1982.

The Songs

Owing much of their sound and image to the new romantics, but more importantly Ultravox a band they were often compared to at the time, Spoons sound more British than Canadian.

Shades of the ever influential 'Vienna' come to light with the opening instrumental 'Trade Winds' and the following 'Smiling in Winter' which was one of three hit singles the album produced.

The other two, the classically influenced title track which again reveals a debt to Ultravox and the quirky, but catchy 'Nova Heart' shows a band of uber talent despite lacking originality.

Despite it's faults and the hits aside, the album works exceptionally well and will leave most synth-pop fans drooling with tracks like the upbeat 'No More Growing Up', 'South American Vacation' and the dreamy 'A Girl In Two Pieces'.

In Summary

Spoons would go on to release a few more albums of varied quality before breaking up with Rob Preuss moving on to Honeymoon Suite.

Incredibly 'Arias & Symphonies', like so many Canadian classics is out of print on CD although the best of 'Collectable Spoons' is a bit easier to find.

A CD of unreleased material 'Unexpected Guest At A Cancelled Party' was released in 2007 and can be ordered along with other Spoons releases from the band's extensive and informative website.

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