FFS – FFS
FFS is the self-titled album created by an unlikely but remarkably natural collaboration between Franz Ferdinand and Sparks — bringing together the sharp indie rock of the Scottish band with Ron and Russell Mael’s eccentric, theatrical and unmistakably intelligent approach to pop.
 
Released in 2015 on Domino, the album sounds less like two established bands taking turns and more like the creation of an entirely new group.
 
Alex Kapranos and Russell Mael trade and combine vocals, while Sparks’ characteristic keyboards meet Franz Ferdinand’s guitars and tightly controlled rhythms.
 
The result is playful, theatrical and frequently very funny, but underneath the humour lies some seriously sophisticated songwriting.
 
Tracks including “Johnny Delusional,” “Call Girl,” “Police Encounters” and “Collaborations Don’t Work”demonstrate how naturally the two musical worlds fit together. The latter title is particularly appropriate: an ambitious song called “Collaborations Don’t Work” sitting at the heart of an album that provides rather convincing evidence that sometimes they absolutely do.
 
One of the album’s great strengths is that neither band disappears into the other.
The wit and eccentricity associated with Sparks remain instantly recognisable, while Franz Ferdinand bring the rhythmic drive and angular guitar sound that made them one of the defining British indie bands of the 2000s.
 
Two distinctive musical histories meet
 
The collaboration is particularly fascinating because of the difference in the bands’ histories. Sparks, built around brothers Ron and Russell Mael, had already spent more than four decades constantly reinventing themselves by the time FFS appeared.
 
Franz Ferdinand belonged to a much later generation, yet the influence of bands such as Sparks can be heard in the intelligent, stylised pop tradition from which they emerged.
 
Rather than looking backwards, however, FFS became its own record — eccentric, energetic and difficult to categorise neatly as either a Franz Ferdinand or Sparks album.
 
Presented here as a 2LP edition on Domino, the album is spread across two records and makes for an especially substantial physical presentation of this unique collaboration.
 
This copy is in exceptional condition. The vinyl is graded Near Mint, showing very little evidence of previous handling, while the sleeve is graded Mint.
 
Edition details
Artist / title: FFS – FFS
Artists: Franz Ferdinand & Sparks
Label: Domino
Catalogue number: WIGLP349
Format: 2 × Vinyl / LP / Album
Released: 2015
Media condition: NM
Sleeve condition: M
 
Every item at Mr. Hansen Records is conservatively graded according to the Goldmine Standard. Vinyl records are professionally cleaned before dispatch, and all orders are securely packed with collector-grade care.