jrathman@uokvax.UUCP (02/21/85)
Graham Parker = one of the best songwriters in the business today
and sad to say, many people have NEVER heard any
of his music. Here's a sample lyric - the music
is even better...
YOU CAN'T BE TOO STRONG
Graham Parker
Did they tear it out with talons of steal?
And give you a shot so that you couldn't feel?
And wash it away as if it wasn't real?
Well it's just a mistake I won't have to face
Don't give it a name, don't give it a place
Don't give it a chance - it's lucky in a way
It must have felt strange to have found me inside you
I hadn't intended to stay
If you want to keep it right
Put it to sleep at night
Squeeze it until it could say
You can't be too strong
You decide what's wrong
Well I ain't gonna cry, I'm going to rejoice
And shout myself dry and go see the boys
They'll laugh when I say I left it overseas
Yea babe I know it gets dark down by Luna Park
But everybody else is squeezing out a spark
That happened in the heat, somewhere in the dark
The doctor gets nervous completing this service
It's out of his gloves and no head
He fumbles the light switch
It's just another minor hitch
Wishes to God he was dead
But you can't be too strong
You decide what's wrong
You can't be too rough, too tough, too right, too wrong....cv@linus.UUCP (Chris Valas) (02/25/85)
Glad to see someone remembers Graham Parker, and had the good sense to
cite material from his best record, *Squeezing Out Sparks*. I've heard
several of his other efforts (both before and after this one) but none struck
me as even being in the same ballpark as SOS. I listen to this one regularly
but I've given up even looking for his latest stuff.
This is not a flame: Parker could easily have developed into another Elvis
Costello (well, maybe not... ;-) ). If you can recommend any of his later
records as highly as SOS I'll probably give them a listen.
Here's hoping...
Chris J. Valas {decvax,utzoo,philabs,security,allegra,genrad}!linus!cv
-=-
"In the autumn before the winter comes mans' last mad surge of youth..."
"Whatever are you talking about?"Joshua.Bloch@CMU-CS-A.ARPA (02/26/85)
All of Graham Parker's albums up to and including "Squeezing out Sparks" are excellent. It's hard to say which of the first three is best, but I'd say it's "Heat Treatment." My favorite song on this album is probably "Help Me Shake it." Despite the fact that it went cutout almost immediately, "Stick to Me" is a fine album. It has many great songs, including the New York Shuffle. (Yow!) I really like this album a lot, and would recommend it to anyone who likes SOS. GP's first album, "Howling Wind" is also great. Check out the title song. Also, if you can find copies, get the single "Mercury Posoning," and the extremely rare EP "The Pink Parker." His band on all of these albums was the Rumour, and they were truly great. Really tight ensemble work, always tasteful. Musically interesting without being pretentious or show-offy. Great guitar (Brinsley Schwartz ?) and keyboards (Bob Andrews ?). If you like this stuff, check out the first two albums by the band that became the Rumour, Brinsley Schwartz. They were reissued as two record set with the same name as the band. Great songs: What do you Suggest?, Mayfly, Rock & Roll Women, Ebury Down, Country Girl. This band was basically the same as the Rumour, but featured Nick Lowe on vocals & bass. Lowe also wrote the songs. I highly reccomend the double album, but I'm not sure it's available anymore. Josh P.S. I think Graham Parker last few albums are basically worthless. When "The Up Escalator" came out, I spent a week waiting for the quality of the songs to hit me. It never did. I don't know what happened to GP, but I'm really sorry it happened. Maybe he'll do something good again someday...
michaelf@ISM780.UUCP (02/28/85)
Side one of Squeezing Out Sparks is just too much. Every song is great. Definitely on my list of the top 5 sides of an LP ( With all due respect to you Beatlemaniacs and Pink Floydsters).
grant@rtech.ARPA (Grant Crossen) (03/01/85)
> Glad to see someone remembers Graham Parker, and had the good sense to > cite material from his best record, *Squeezing Out Sparks*. I've heard > several of his other efforts (both before and after this one) but none struck > me as even being in the same ballpark as SOS. I listen to this one regularly > but I've given up even looking for his latest stuff. > > This is not a flame: Parker could easily have developed into another Elvis > Costello (well, maybe not... ;-) ). If you can recommend any of his later > records as highly as SOS I'll probably give them a listen. > > Here's hoping... > > Chris J. Valas {decvax,utzoo,philabs,security,allegra,genrad}!linus!cv > -=- > "In the autumn before the winter comes mans' last mad surge of youth..." > "Whatever are you talking about?" How about *Heat Treatment* and *Howlin' Wind*, classic albums which, I believe, predate Elvis's debut? The production is not as slick as SOS, but the songs are just as strong. Also, he did a great song called "Mercury Poisoning" (not available on any album) which makes a statement about the first label he was on (Mercury). It's too bad Mercury didn't give him the promotion and marketing that Elvis was given by CBS. I do agree that his more recent material is not up to snuff. Grant Crossen Relational Technology