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Graham Parker is underappreciated

I have to disagree with some of that. Parker never approached anything as sharp as Lipstick Vogue (for example), the Attractions playing on which is up there with the finest “combo” work I’ve ever heard.
 
Yes the first four lps before trust all still sound great. Also really like gp too. Have lots of the records . He’s been quietly doing great work for years. Sometimes have days when I stream little else although wasn’t mad on the latest one.
 
Yes, it is rather odd that history has defined Elvis Costello as the sole winner there. Joe Jackson gets rather overlooked too. Alway surprises me that I can find their albums fairly easily and when I do they take an age to sell!

With Elvis Costello being the angry young man, Joe Jackson always struck me as being mildly peeved.
 
I have to disagree with some of that. Parker never approached anything as sharp as Lipstick Vogue (for example), the Attractions playing on which is up there with the finest “combo” work I’ve ever heard.

Hi Ricky,

I wouldn’t disagree that Lipstick Vogue was the Attractions’ virtuoso moment - EC and the A knew it too, given where they placed it on the album. Even there though, while its dynamic is terrific, the lyrics still jar. The Two Ronnies used to do a weekly sketch lampooning pop’s passing fashions, and too often Costello’s lyrics were indistinguishable from the type of thing Ronnie Barker would do in mockery. As in: ‘...sometimes I think that love is just a tumour; you gotta cut it out’ ...Boom boom! (Jokes set to music quickly lose their interest - as Morrissey was later found out. At least, they do for me, I guess.)

I don’t dislike Costello, by any means. GP never wrote anything during those years as considered as, for example, Watching the Detectives or Girls’ Talk.

In general though, I find Parker’s albums hang together and retain a wonderful freshness that the Costello contrivances oddly lack.

On their day, the Attractions were extraordinary live - however, too often, substance abuse resulted in live performances akin to wading through mud.

Costello later went on to knock the ball out the park with Trust - indeed, it travelled so far from the park, his audience could no longer see it. Which was a pity because, for my money, his writing and singing there - and the performances he teased out of his band on, for example, Clubland, Lovers’ Walk, Watch Your Step and, best of all, New Lace Sleeves - were never to be equalled. Before Trust, though, I find Costello’s most enduring recordings were the bits and pieces in shadowy margins of his early catalogue. Stuff like Radio Sweetheart, Hoover Factory, Ghost Train and Just a Memory.

Anyhow, just chewing the cud, my friend.
 
It is oddly predictable that we end up debating who was better even though this probably doesn't really matter.

Doesn't it? How else can we determine whether someone is under- or indeed over-appreciated? (I keep getting The Fall's Hip Priest on the brain whenever I read the thread title).

 
Doesn't it? How else can we determine whether someone is under- or indeed over-appreciated? (I keep getting The Fall's Hip Priest on the brain whenever I read the thread title).

Fair point, but my thinking is that more people should know about him rather than he's better than
 
Hi Ricky,

I wouldn’t disagree that Lipstick Vogue was the Attractions’ virtuoso moment - EC and the A knew it too, given where they placed it on the album. Even there though, while its dynamic is terrific, the lyrics still jar. The Two Ronnies used to do a weekly sketch lampooning pop’s passing fashions, and too often Costello’s lyrics were indistinguishable from the type of thing Ronnie Barker would do in mockery. As in: ‘...sometimes I think that love is just a tumour; you gotta cut it out’ ...Boom boom! (Jokes set to music quickly lose their interest - as Morrissey was later found out. At least, they do for me, I guess.)

I don’t dislike Costello, by any means. GP never wrote anything during those years as considered as, for example, Watching the Detectives or Girls’ Talk.

In general though, I find Parker’s albums hang together and retain a wonderful freshness that the Costello contrivances oddly lack.

On their day, the Attractions were extraordinary live - however, too often, substance abuse resulted in live performances akin to wading through mud.

Costello later went on to knock the ball out the park with Trust - indeed, it travelled so far from the park, his audience could no longer see it. Which was a pity because, for my money, his writing and singing there - and the performances he teased out of his band on, for example, Clubland, Lovers’ Walk, Watch Your Step and, best of all, New Lace Sleeves - were never to be equalled. Before Trust, though, I find Costello’s most enduring recordings were the bits and pieces in shadowy margins of his early catalogue. Stuff like Radio Sweetheart, Hoover Factory, Ghost Train and Just a Memory.

Anyhow, just chewing the cud, my friend.
Fair points, well put! Even though I disagree with you.
Something about early EC (right through to Spike) that for me is one of the great bodies of work. And live, the Attractions were quite brilliant every time I saw them.
 
(Jokes set to music quickly lose their interest - as Morrissey was later found out. At least, they do for me, I guess.)

I need to revisit Elvis Costello at some point as to be honest I never even listened to the words! I have the first four albums on vinyl and my only real memory is of liking the spiky edgy sneering aesthetic of it, but on a pretty superficial level. I lost interest in him when it became evident he thought he could sing/was a ‘serious musician’!

The simple reality is that 95%+ of pop/rock lyrics are drivel. For every Bob Dylan, Gil Scott Heron, Joy Division etc we get 11.6 million songs that do not deserve any scrutiny whatsoever and the voice should ideally just be viewed as another melody line/texture. FWIW whilst Morrissey has long since outed himself as a rather dreary and ugly Little UKIPer (one who lives abroad) I’d firmly stick The Smiths in the ‘great lyrics’ pile. They were an amazing band from any angle. Nothing wrong with a little humour in music as long as it is good and stands the test of time, and despite the best efforts of their co-creator since they still do IMO.
 
The simple reality is that 95%+ of pop/rock lyrics are drivel. For every Bob Dylan, Gil Scott Heron, Joy Division etc we get 11.6 million songs that do not deserve any scrutiny whatsoever and the voice should ideally just be viewed as another melody line/texture. FWIW whilst Morrissey has long since outed himself as a rather dreary and ugly Little UKIPer (one who lives abroad) I’d firmly stick The Smiths in the ‘great lyrics’ pile. They were an amazing band from any angle. Nothing wrong with a little humour in music as long as it is good and stands the test of time, and despite the best efforts of their co-creator since they still do IMO.

I could never understand the whole 'The Smiths are miserable/depressing' thing. Morrissey's lyrics are often hilarious.
 
I could never understand the whole 'The Smiths are miserable/depressing' thing. Morrissey's lyrics are often hilarious.

Absolutely! It just baffled me anyone could miss that aspect. I liked the odd kitchen sink movie quotes, references etc I picked up on too (I’ll have missed many more than I spotted).
 
Yes trust was a high water mark . Imperial bedroom too. I saw both of those tours. The band and the performances were insanely good. BRutal youth is over looked and really good too
 
I am currently listening to Joe Jackson - Night & Day on vinyl, holds up very well. Probably more in common with Steely Dan than anything new wave. Really good recording, first listen to it on AT33 PTG, certainly digs out all the foot tapping detail in a way the Koetsu Black didn't
 
A bit late to this thread as I've been out of the country.

I was a huge fan of both Parker and Costello in 77/78 and saw them both live quite a few times.

At the time Parker looked more like he could be a British Springsteen and a few critics saw The Rumour as being a British E Street Band. Live some of their songs like Fools Gold hinted at that potential. The Attractions were in some ways tighter but the musicianship of the Rumour was something else. There's no doubt that Costello was a more charismatic performer and sat more comfortably in the punk / new wave category than Parker who , for me , was closer to Springsteen or even The Band circa Stage Fright - from where he Rumour took their name. By Squeezing Out Sparks and the Up Escalator Parker seemed to go more for the US audience while Costello just wrote better and better songs. For me Imperial Bedroom was his masterpiece.

tbh I lost interest in Parker after The Up Escalator which I thought was a rather dull and workmanlike record but I still return to the first four on occasions which, as full records, give all of the earlier Costello records ( maybe apart from My Aim is True) a run for their money. Their live shows around that time were fabulous.

The Blockheads were the other band who had that quality of musicianship - I saw them a few times at around the same period. Some great musicians who came out of the pub rock scene who had their moment alongside the punk / new wave bands. Unlike the Blockheads and The Attractions, though, The Rumour were never in any way cool or streetwise.
 
A bit late to this thread as I've been out of the country.

I was a huge fan of both Parker and Costello in 77/78 and saw them both live quite a few times.

At the time Parker looked more like he could be a British Springsteen and a few critics saw The Rumour as being a British E Street Band. Live some of their songs like Fools Gold hinted at that potential. The Attractions were in some ways tighter but the musicianship of the Rumour was something else. There's no doubt that Costello was a more charismatic performer and sat more comfortably in the punk / new wave category than Parker who , for me , was closer to Springsteen or even The Band circa Stage Fright - from where he Rumour took their name. By Squeezing Out Sparks and the Up Escalator Parker seemed to go more for the US audience while Costello just wrote better and better songs. For me Imperial Bedroom was his masterpiece.

tbh I lost interest in Parker after The Up Escalator which I thought was a rather dull and workmanlike record but I still return to the first four on occasions which, as full records, give all of the earlier Costello records ( maybe apart from My Aim is True) a run for their money. Their live shows around that time were fabulous.

The Blockheads were the other band who had that quality of musicianship - I saw them a few times at around the same period. Some great musicians who came out of the pub rock scene who had their moment alongside the punk / new wave bands. Unlike the Blockheads and The Attractions, though, The Rumour were never in any way cool or streetwise.
'The new Springsteen' is probably 2nd only to 'the new Beatles' in terms of cursing long-term success. I've never made the Springsteen connection as I came to Parker very late. I do envy you in seeing the 'Pub Rock' scene as I find a lot of the music from that era very compelling.
 
'The new Springsteen' is probably 2nd only to 'the new Beatles' in terms of cursing long-term success. I've never made the Springsteen connection as I came to Parker very late. I do envy you in seeing the 'Pub Rock' scene as I find a lot of the music from that era very compelling.

A friend who is just in his 40s bought me a badge "I may be old but I've seen all the great bands". Nowhere near true - but I did see some great bands in the mid 70s- early 80s. I then became a dad while also a student and that was the end of it for a while...

Mind you, I saw some right tosh as well - we used to go and see whatever was on at St Albans Civic on weekends when we couldn't afford to go to London. We saw, amongst others The Edgar Broughton Band, Brand X, UFO, The Climax Blues Band, Magna Carta, Camel, The Pink Fairies - some real quirky and often very ploddy stuff. One of my mate's brothers was in a band who often got a support slot so I had a sort of excuse. On the upside I saw The Groundhogs three times and The Kursaal Flyers twice!

A lot of us at school loved GP though and saw him 3-4 times. The weirdest was at The Roundhouse. It was straight after a Rock Against Racism march and gig in Brixton where The Clash played. Parker was supported by Pere Ubu who emptied the venue in about 5 minutes and played one of the most amazing sets I've ever seen. Parker was good but I left utterly besotted with Ubu and from then on pub rock just didn't do it in quite the same way for me any more.
 


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