Now Playing: Thee Holy Brothers’ ‘My Name Is Sparkle’
Thee Holy Brothers are here! The tuneful twosome is re-releasing their 2020 premiere platter, My Name Is Sparkle, on March 28th. But first, for those not yet familiar with the act in question, a bit o’ background.
Thee Holy Brothers
Thee Holy Brothers is a Los Angeles, California-based power duo consisting of singer-songwriter Marvin Etzioni (a.k.a. Buddy Holy, formerly of Lone Justice) and singer/multi-instrumentalist Willie Aron (a.k.a. Johnny B. Holy). Sources confirm that while this is the performing pair’s debut disc, they have actually known each other since the late 1970s. They met as teens at Aron’s Records in L.A. where they bonded over a mutual love of The Who’s famous Live at Leeds album.
Today they have impressive resumes in the music business. Etzioni is a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with such acts as Voice Of The Beehive and Counting Crows and Aron is an award-winning composer and popular session musician. They have worked together on a veritable plethora of projects.
Nevertheless, they never considered doing a disc from scratch until their Rabbi off-handedly referred to them as the Holy Brothers. They liked the name and in true Traveling Wilbury-style, they took the first names of Buddy and Johnny B. as a tribute to Buddy Holly and Johnny Ace. The tuneful twosome prefaced Holy Brothers with “Thee” as a tip of the hat to the well-known East L.A. act Thee Midnighters.
Signature sound
Thee Holy Brothers’ signature sound is a melange of multiple music genres including (but not limited to) folk, jazz, rock n’ roll, and soul. Their inspirations include the Beatles, Buddy Holly, Simon and Garfunkel, and The Who.
My Name Is Sparkle
Dropping one day prior to Passover, this 10-track disc is an odd, fun concept album. It presents the fascinating tale of the spiritual quest of an androgynous character named Sparkle in search of God. It’s neither sacrilegious nor too heavy-handed.
It’s simply great musical theatre. Sparkle is worried that God might be ready to give up on man so he travels to Jerusalem. There our plaintive pilgrim discovers not the Lord but the King of Rock Elvis Presley.
Thee Holy Brothers lead the way on the autoharp. acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin, piano, and vocals. They are ably assisted by such other artists as James Gadson (drums) and Double G (horns).
Track by Track
Act One of this Tommy‘-like audio offering opens on the funk-tinged “Elvis In Jerusalem.” This one is highlighted with effective sax, a good bassline, and clever lyrics that immediately foretell what is to come.
The second selection is the title track “My Name Is Sparkle.” Here on this bare-bones melodious cut, the listener is aptly introduced to the platters principal character and the purpose of his question-filled quest. Sparkle’s concerns are expressed over modestly backed by maracas and guitar which indicates how well this would work even on a live stage.
The original compositions continue with "Woman Needs Man, Man Needs Woman.” Witness such biologically-imperative, lyrical lines as “It’s better to be alone with a woman and talk about God than to be alone with God and talk about a woman.” The music blends afro-funk and Jamaican folk.
“A Sudden Gunshot” closes out Act One as our hero quietly contemplates suicide. The track has a Paul Simon-like melody and includes discordant harmonies and military-like drum rolls to underscore the suspenseful moment as the listener wonders what will happen.
Act Two opens on “Let the Great World Spin.” This hopeful song includes welcomingly lighter Dixieland jazz and Klezmer music. Sparkle has decided that life goes on within you and without you and chooses life over an early death. It’s an apropos. upbeat inclusion.
The next number is the bluesy bit “Glad It’s Gonna Rain.” This one underscores the theme of acceptance. Sparkle has chosen to take what life has to offer in a song that could almost be something that John Lennon might have written or his famous his Imagine album,
“Divine Love” also sounds similarly inspired. The poignant ponderer has realized that he has, indeed, found God that comes complete with nice, little musical elements.
“Keep Crushing Me” is another pivotal piece. Yes. it is a bit religious in its message. Still, even an Atheist should recognize the importance of the doo-wop-tinged tune. It is calm, strong, and musically expresses Sparkle’s acknowledgment and more importantly acceptance of the stress and strain to which we are all oft'times subjected and endure.
The CD's closing cut is the bonus track “The End of Suffering” which is right on time for Seder. It’s an apt album endnote as it offers audiences an appropriate message as well as an anthemic end to Sparkle’s story.
Overall…
Overall, this album is an ambitious, entertaining experiment that musically melds the secular and spiritual. The work might possibly bring to mind George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass or even Pete Townshend’s Who Came First but the messages are not in-your-face and even, often surprisingly universal. It is a fun, humorous, and sometimes uplifting presentation. So check out Thee Holy Brothers’ My Name Is Sparkle and discover “Divine Love.”
(Photo credit: Francis A Willey)