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Rating:
Greil Marcus never understood a damn thing and especially not about music, so let me explain how it works.
It works like this: someone releases, one after the other, three magnificent records and then publishes a live album to whirl everything into a vortex of passion.
That's how it went for the greatest of all time, the Ramones.
That's how it went for Graham Parker: "Howlin’ Wind," "Heat Treatment," "Stick To Me," and then "The Parkerilla".
Recorded in England, Wales, and the United States, "The Parkerilla" is the faithful testament to fiery performances, with Graham pouring his soul into nearly definitive renditions of some standout tracks, leading the loyal Rumour in true sonic forays where soul music and pub rock merge into a memorable union, as if Sam Cooke wandered arm in arm with Wilko Johnson in the seediest pubs of London.
"The Parkerilla" is a breathless ride, from "Lady Doctor" to the finish line of "Soul Shoes": Graham roars continuously and louder with track after track, the horns thunder, the guitars reel off a rosary of groovy riffs that give no rest to an audience that asks nothing more than to be exhausted, the rhythm section supports it all.
The groove is carved deep, between rock’n’roll, R&B, and p-funk.
Graham runs fast, but he lives his best moments when he slows down. "Gypsy Blood" and "Watch The Moon Come Down" are two soul ballads of enchanting beauty, one in crescendo, the other in decrescendo, and they clearly demonstrate how Graham isn't just a mere pub-rocker, much less the dumb cousin of Johnny Rotten.
Greil Marcus once slammed "The Parkerilla" in the pages of Rolling Stone; a few years later, Rolling Stone included the live album among the best of all time, in one of its indispensable rankings; Graham Parker has always ignored both Marcus and Rolling Stone, following only his passion.
What I think about Graham and his big sunglasses I have already written about extensively, so I'll stop here and leave you to judge "The Parkerilla," considering only that without this album even Claudio Sorge wouldn't have accomplished anything with his life.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Don't Ask Me Questions (05:33)
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions, Plea-ease
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, ain't no answer in me
Well, I stand up for liberty, but I can't libera-ate, uhh
And pent up agony-y-y-y-y, I see you take first place
Well, who does this treachery
I shout with bleedin' ha-a-nds
Is it you or is it me, well, I never will understand
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions, Plea-ease, no-no-no-no-no-no
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, ain't no answer in me
Who waves his mighty hands and breaks the precious rules
Well the same one got to understand
Who wasted all these fools
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions, Plea-ease, no-no-no-no-no-no
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, ain't no answer in me, yeah
Ain't no answer in me, No
Ain't no answer in me *(Full Boar version fades and ends here)
Oh-no, Oh-no
Ain't no answer, ain't no answer, no answer in me
Ain't no answer, ain't no answer, no answer in me
Ain't no answer, ain't no answer, no answer in me
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