I like John Hiatt but pretty much stopped listening to him as I found his voice increasingly annoying.
Graham Parker is underappreciated
- Thread starter Woodface
- Start date
Yank
Bulbous Also Tapered
manicatel
pfm Member
I do like GP, however, I do think he is a notch or two below Elvis Costello. Plus, the Attractions were a fantastic pop band who really knew how to perform.
This was back when pub rock bands doing the circuit was my chosen entertainment & GP was definitely one of the bands I enjoyed.
This was back when pub rock bands doing the circuit was my chosen entertainment & GP was definitely one of the bands I enjoyed.
You are probably right in your assessment but I do feel he is almost forgotten. Even as a nipper I was aware of EC, only really 'got' Parker relatively recently. I do think EC over does the metaphors though.
Bluemessiah
Active Member
Another big GP fan here and in total agreement regarding 'Stick to Me', I've loved it since hearing my elder sister's copy when it was released.
He is touring later this year, sadly solo without The Rumour but I suspect it will still be a good night out.
It's 'The Rumour' rhythm section backing EC on 'Watching the Detectives'.
ciderglider
pfm Member
This thread has been driving me nuts. I saw GP's name and thought "Is that the bloke from Birmingham that BRMB used to puff up endlessly in the 70s?". Wikipedia said no, so I've spent many minutes trying to figure out who I was thinking of. The mystery artiste is Steve Gibbons.
manicatel
pfm Member
I recently bought Bring the Family. The follow up to that (ie same band line up etc) 'Little Village' is also superb.
Operajulian
Julian
Saw GP & The Rumour many times in the late 70's as part of the pub rock movement along with Dr Feelgood, The 101'ers, Kursaal Flyers, even Ian Dury in the Kilburns.
Was very good close up ( he is actually not very tall ). Songs like Soul Shoes, Hold Back The Night from the first couple of albums are great and have a sort of fury about them.
IMHO he got blander in albums like The Up Escalator / Squeezing Out The Sparks and later.
I have a rare-ish 1985 compilation " Look Back In Anger" on the TT as I write this. Paid all of $3 for it.
Saw him solo a couple of times over here in Canada and when I saw the re-formed gigs were coming up, I even flew to Glasgow back in 2013 to see them, with an old pal from Edinburgh, who I had last seen the band with at the Edinburgh Playhouse. Had a great time seeing the old line up. Like in the other topic - expensive gig if you count the airfare - but priceless to be with old and good friends.
Just the other day I took the plunge on his Cloud Symbols album that has Martin Belmont and the Rumour Brass on it. It's nice and pleasant but none of that passionate anger.
Oh well.
Mind you if they come and play in Toronto, I will probably go again.
Julian
Was very good close up ( he is actually not very tall ). Songs like Soul Shoes, Hold Back The Night from the first couple of albums are great and have a sort of fury about them.
IMHO he got blander in albums like The Up Escalator / Squeezing Out The Sparks and later.
I have a rare-ish 1985 compilation " Look Back In Anger" on the TT as I write this. Paid all of $3 for it.
Saw him solo a couple of times over here in Canada and when I saw the re-formed gigs were coming up, I even flew to Glasgow back in 2013 to see them, with an old pal from Edinburgh, who I had last seen the band with at the Edinburgh Playhouse. Had a great time seeing the old line up. Like in the other topic - expensive gig if you count the airfare - but priceless to be with old and good friends.
Just the other day I took the plunge on his Cloud Symbols album that has Martin Belmont and the Rumour Brass on it. It's nice and pleasant but none of that passionate anger.
Oh well.
Mind you if they come and play in Toronto, I will probably go again.
Julian
3
35451
Guest
My dad worked for A&m records back in the day. Joe Jackson was one of his acts. The record company had kittens when he came out at a time when they were pushing the whole laddish ‘look sharp’ thing. Ironically he did he best stuff and had best commercial success with Night and Day, containing his Real Men gay Magnus opus.
I prefer his bing band and orchestra work. He’s a great talent.
As fir GP, he was promoted hard and toured hard, but never was in right time, place, song scenario. The scene moved so fast at that time.
“Hey Lord don’t ...”. And “temporary beauty”. Are my favs.
Pine Marten
pfm Member
The new album "Cloud Symbols" is excellent. I have just about all GP's albums. First heard him courtesy of Alan Freemans Sat afternoon rock show on Radio 2 in the mid 70's. Am also a big fan of EC too. Look Now, his latest is one of his best. I have all his recorded work. Havnt played any Joe Jackson for a while and am missing a few albums. Discogs to the rescue perhaps?
neildalton
pfm Member
GP suffers from never having been fully ‘part’ of anything. Too late for pub rock, too soon for punk, too abrasive for new wave - his music straddled the period, yet never quite fitted its narrative.
It was a rough deal since his first two albums were unremittingly superb, as indeed was their companion piece, the Live at Marble Arch bootleg. Then there were his knockout 45s - in particular, the covers of Hold Back the Night and I Want You Back (Alive). (The latter technically a B-side, but who cares.) They were great on their release and, unlike so much from the period, they’ve aged well.
However, anyone lucky enough to have seen him with the Rumour around 76-77 will attest that even his best records didn’t begin to equal the pile-driving, soul-review power of his live shows. Those gigs, particularly the ones supported by peak-time Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, were truly something special.
It was a rough deal since his first two albums were unremittingly superb, as indeed was their companion piece, the Live at Marble Arch bootleg. Then there were his knockout 45s - in particular, the covers of Hold Back the Night and I Want You Back (Alive). (The latter technically a B-side, but who cares.) They were great on their release and, unlike so much from the period, they’ve aged well.
However, anyone lucky enough to have seen him with the Rumour around 76-77 will attest that even his best records didn’t begin to equal the pile-driving, soul-review power of his live shows. Those gigs, particularly the ones supported by peak-time Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, were truly something special.
Seeker_UK
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
Operajulian
Julian
"AIUI, he was an original member of The Rumour."
And many other bands including his own....
There is a very informative interview with Brinsley talking about his early days, working with GP and afterwards.
I am old enough to have remembered Kippington Lodge ( with Nick Lowe )
It's a good read - http://www.furious.com/perfect/brinsleyschwarz.html
And many other bands including his own....
There is a very informative interview with Brinsley talking about his early days, working with GP and afterwards.
I am old enough to have remembered Kippington Lodge ( with Nick Lowe )
It's a good read - http://www.furious.com/perfect/brinsleyschwarz.html
I think EC had a stronger image & was a bit cannier with the self promotion. He probably learned a bit from his dad.
neildalton
pfm Member
Defo cannier....
Elvis had the period’s top UK team round him (Jake Riviera, Glen Coulson), as well as - once Warners got involved (albeit disguised as Radar Records) - a much bigger budget.
It enabled Costello to refashion Graham Parker’s naturally wiry, awkward presence into something more clipped and studied to fit punk’s outsider schtick. His very stage name was a small stroke of genius.
More than the stylistic stuff, though, EC (like Springsteen) drew heavily upon GP’s courageous, somewhat trailblazing approach: taking white pop by the throat and bringing it all back home. That is, returning music to the timeless verities of its flinty, stripped back youth. This was garage rock, bleached through with a profound love of Motown and R&B.
EC aped Parker in this regard, but then stole a march on him with his feigned aggression and clever-dick lyrics. In the mood of the time, this enabled Costello to be seen as the more incisive and topical writer. (It was paradoxical that EC, having co-oped aspects of GP’s style, then found GP trying to ‘out-Costello’ him on the wordier and, to these ears, less satisfying Squeezing Out Sparks and Up Elevator albums.)
Whatever. It was all a long time ago and popular opinion circa 77-80 awarded Costello the gold rosette.
Nowadays though those early Costello albums (i.e. pretty much everything before Trust) are virtually unlistenable, at least to me; his lyrics in particular - with their misogyny, juvenile punning and general cuteness - having dated really badly. On the other hand, there’s a mojo at the core of the early Parker records that continues to charm.
Fantastically well put