Oct 21 2010 09:08 AM
Graham Parker (often but not always with his band, the Rumour) was a fiery soul-influenced British rocker who emerged from the "pub-rock" scene of the early 1970s (though Parker himself disavows participation in pub rock, several members of the Rumour including guitarist Brinsely Schwartz sure did). His first two records, Howlin' Wind and Heat Treatment (both 1976) were soul/R&B influenced records that were well-received by critics who'd grown bored with noodly prog-rock and were excited by Parker's hard-driving energy.
Parker junked the horn section for a slightly more contemporary sound and won even wider acclaim for Squeezing Out Sparks (1979), which produced the minor hits "Discovering Japan" and "Local Girls" (an early MTV hit). Rolling Stone ranked SOS among the top 500 albums of all time.
This success got Parker lumped in with other emerging artists Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello among "the angry young men of new wave" -- another label Parker rejected, although the "angry" part is certainly evident on some of his later hits including a "fuck-you" letter to his former record company "Mercury Poisoning," and "Stupefaction" and the incendiary "Empty Lives" off the underrated out-of-print classic The Up Escalator (1980).
The Rumour eventually broke up as Parker's post-1980 work was often characterized by a slow-burning dance edge and raggae rhythms ("You Hit the Spot", "Get Started, Start a Fire"). He's made a million records since then and most are good -- I included one song from his "later" work ("The Kid with the Butterfly Net") mainly because I made the below video starring Lunchpail.
Parker always struggled to find a wide audience -- his looks and Andy Martino-approved 'FU attitude' probably didn't help much -- and so the majority of his youtubeness is live footage with varying sound quality. I'd suggest the above pictured anthology for a good start if you can find it.
But for now, it's up to you to pick only one of the following selections (or a write-in of your choosing) to accompany you on your eternity stranded. And thanks for indulging me, I'm a fan if you couldn't tell.
Soul Shoes
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcFRga4we4w
Heat Treatment
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIYAMisgDXQ
Stick to Me
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAW6-_SsCOI
Thunder and Rain
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42uECgFwGjo
Local Girls
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C2SkcC3TXc
Discovering Japan
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjtGr41PUws
Empty Lives
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufirby3rrDs
Stupefaction
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06chZdW5fl4
Get Started, Start a Fire
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eqri71emGw
Mercury Poisoning
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws_DmRZXWBw
Break Them Down
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDW90zcbjEI
The Kid with the Butterfly Net
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cOdmQEjrvc
Fools Gold
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhP6YGw6h8Q
You Hit the Spot
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y1haBSKhOE