Graham Parker
Squeezing Out Sparks

What has been Graham Parker's real misfortune? Why do so many overlook him? Is it because he's ugly or dresses poorly? While his nemesis Costello focuses on looks and charming antics, good old Graham thinks only of playing, indifferent to everything and everyone (I recommend checking out the cover of his latest album, Three Chords, to see what I mean).

After three excellent albums in 1979, the one that many consider his masterpiece "Squeezing Out the Parks" was released. An album where melancholy is transformed into pure anger and energy, where Graham teaches us to fight and not give up, kicking the misfortunes of life, acting as our mentor, advisor, and above all, friend, as when in the ballad "You Can't be Too Strong," with a paternal tone, he invites us to consider our actions and make the right choices. Enthusiasm and vigor can be found in tracks like "Discovering Japan," which opens the record, or "Nobody Hurts You," where we are completely overwhelmed by guitar riffs that draw us directly into the music with a formula that will serve as the leitmotif for all the tracks.

There is also space for hits like "Local Girl," which is penalized by an annoying chorus, the sad "Love Gets You Twisted," the pop of "Waiting For the UFOs," which veers towards softer and more relaxed tones, or "Passion is No Ordinary World," another gem, with dry and powerful drums and yet another enveloping guitar. The best track remains "Protection," where it's hard to stay still; it alone is worth the album and somewhat represents the sum of the entire record.

A direct album with few embellishments that perhaps only lacks in heterogeneity. Rich in influences, from the Stones to Springsteen, up to the rougher punk, for music that is narrowly and poorly labeled as pub rock. Among the many caricatures and contrived characters that thrived in the second half of the seventies, I choose the genuineness of Graham Parker. Let's (re)discover an artist who perhaps suffered from too much sincerity and give a big round of applause to rock’s underdog.