Graham Parker

從某種程度上說，70年代早期出現(xiàn)于英國的酒吧搖滾與傳統(tǒng)舊式搖滾并沒有多大的區(qū)別，因為它也是由許多演奏搖滾樂，鄉(xiāng)村搖滾樂和藍掉搖滾樂的樂隊組成的。但是，酒吧搖滾樂與傳統(tǒng)搖滾樂間仍存不同之處，突出體現(xiàn)在音樂表達上。酒吧搖滾是一種輕松隨意不拘一格的音樂風格----這也是眾多演奏者著重想要表現(xiàn)的特性。具有代表性的酒吧搖滾樂隊----Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, Bees Make Honey, Ace, Dr. Feelgood----都有各自不同的音樂背景，包括民謠搖滾，藍調，鄉(xiāng)村搖滾和傳統(tǒng)搖滾。與在英國有廣泛影響的迷幻搖滾，重搖滾，和前衛(wèi)搖滾相比，具有多元化特點的酒吧搖滾是一種完全不同的音樂風格。因此，該風格的樂隊很難找到演出的機會，他們只好在英國的隱秘的地下酒吧演出，以次創(chuàng)造自己公演的空間。不久，反傳統(tǒng)主義浪潮及其處于巔峰時期的回歸式搖滾成為酒吧搖滾樂愛好重整旗鼓的極佳推動力。盡管沒有哪一只該風格樂隊取得過很大的成功，可是他們我行我素的態(tài)度和不帶矯飾的音樂----包括酒吧音樂獨具創(chuàng)造性的演奏場所----為日后朋克搖滾的產生和發(fā)展鋪平了道路。后來，許多酒吧搖滾樂隊----如Brinsley Schwarzs Nick Lowe, the 101ers Joe Strummer, Flip Citys Elvis Costello, Kilburn & the High Roads Ian Dury and Graham Parker----在70年代中期第一次朋克搖滾浪潮退去后成為新生朋克搖滾的代表。
Graham Parker，這個已經搖滾了將近30年的英國男人，如今已經徹底把他的朋克精神獻給了他所忠愛的美式R&B和鄉(xiāng)村民謠，你可以說他是個守舊的Pub歌手，沒有更多的驚喜，但又抵抗不住沉迷于他手下柔韌清亮的旋律，從痛烈的搖滾到寂寞哀傷的民謠呈現(xiàn)著Graham人到中年的異想天開和沉思。
 
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stereotyped early in his career as the quintessential angry young man, Graham Parker was one of the most successful singer/songwriters to emerge from Englands pub rock scene of the early 70s. Drawing heavily from Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones, Parker developed a sinewy fusion of driving rock & roll and confessional folk-rock, highlighted by his indignant passion, biting sarcasm, and bristling anger. At the outset of his career, his albums crackled with pub rock energy, snide witticisms, and gentle insights, earning him a devoted following of fans and critics, who lavished praise on his debut, Howlin Wind. Despite all of the positive word of mouth, Parker never managed to become a star, and he was soon overshadowed by the emergence of Elvis Costello, a singer/songwriter who shared similar roots. After delivering Squeezing Out Sparks in 1979, Parker attempted to make a few crossover albums before settling into a cult following in the late 80s, continuing to garner critical acclaim.
After spending much of his early adulthood working odd jobs, ranging from breeding mice and guinea pigs to working at a gas station, Parker began seriously pursuing a musical career in 1975. Until that time, he had played in a number of obscure pub rock groups, including a cover band that had spent time playing in Morocco and Gibraltar. But it wasnt until 1975 that he began shopping his demos. That year, Dave Robinson, one of the co-founders of the new independent label Stiff, heard one of Parkers demo tapes and encouraged the songwriter, helping him assemble a backing band called the Rumour. Robinson rounded up several stars of the pub rock scene — guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and keyboardist Bob Andrews, both formerly of the leading pub rockers Brinsley Schwarz, former Ducks Deluxe guitarist Martin Belmont, former Bontemps Roulez drummer Steve Goulding, and bassist Andrew Bodnar — to form the Rumour, and the band was soon supporting Parker on the dying pub rock scene. With the assistance of DJ Charlie Gillett, the group landed a record contract with Mercury by the end of 1975.
Graham Parker & the Rumour headed into the studio to cut their debut album with producer Nick Lowe, who gave the resulting record, Howlin Wind, an appealingly ragged edge. Howlin Wind was greeted with enthusiastic reviews upon its summer release, as did the similar Heat Treatment, which followed in the fall. Despite the positive press, Parker was growing frustrated with Mercury, believing that the company was not properly promoting and distributing his records. His third album, Stick to Me, had to be re-recorded quickly after the original tapes were discovered to be defective prior to its scheduled release. As a result, Stick to Me received mixed reviews upon its fall 1977 release, which derailed Parkers momentum slightly. Furthermore, Elvis Costello, a fellow pub rock survivor who not only possessed a more pop-oriented style of songwriting, but also a more dangerous persona, soon eclipsed Parker in popularity. Frustrated by his career hitting a standstill, Parker released the live double album The Parkerilla in the summer of 1978 in order to get out of his contract. Following a short but intense bidding war, he quickly signed to Arista Records, where he released Mercury Poisoning — a blistering attack on his former record label — as the B-side of a promotional single as his first record for the label.
Squeezing Out Sparks, Parkers first album for Arista, put a halt to that decline. Sporting a slicker, new wave-oriented production — it was the first of his records not to have any involvement from Nick Lowe — the album was greeted with terrific reviews and, on the strengths of radio hits like Local Girls, it became his most successful album, reaching number 40 on the American charts and selling over 200,000 copies. Parker was poised for a major breakthrough, but that didnt happen. He followed Squeezing Out Sparks in 1980 with the Jimmy Iovine-produced The Up Escalator, which was considerably slicker than its predecessor. The Up Escalator didnt sell, and Parker decided to ditch the Rumour, who had already begun a solo career. For 1982s Another Grey Area, he hired producer Jack Douglas and a team of session musicians, resulting in a radio-ready production that received mixed reviews, yet managed to peak at number 51. The Real Macaw, which followed in 1983, suffered a similar fate. For 1985s Steady Nerves, Parker moved to Elektra Records and formed a backing band called the Shot with guitarist Brinsley Schwarz, who helped him deliver his most radio-ready collection. This time, the pop move paid off. Wake Up (Next to You) became his only Top 40 hit, and the album stayed on the charts for nearly as long as Squeezing Out Sparks.
Despite his moderate commercial success with Steady Nerves, the album wasnt widely praised, and he also ran into trouble with Elektra, leaving the label after just one record. He briefly moved to Atlantic, which dropped him without releasing a single record. Consequently, Parker wasnt able to deliver another album until 1988, when he signed with RCA and released The Mona Lisas Sister in the spring. Hailed as a comeback by several critics upon its release, the album generated a college radio hit with Get Started (Start a Fire) and spent 19 weeks on the charts. Instead of being the beginning of a comeback, the album turned out to be a last gasp — it was the last time Parker was able to crack the Top 100. Live! Alone in America (1989) received positive reviews but was ignored, and 1990s mild worldbeat experiment Human Soul received mixed reviews and peaked at number 165 on the charts. Parkers final album for RCA — and his last album to chart — was the stripped-down Struck By Lightning (1991), and while it was critically praised, it didnt find an audience outside of his cult. The following year, he switched to Capitol and released Burning Questions, which was ignored.
Following the release of 1993s double-disc anthology Passion Is No Ordinary Word, Parker made the leap to independent labels — he had spent time at all but one of the major labels (Columbia/Sony) with little success. In 1994, he released the Christmas Cracker EP on Dakota Arts, and then he signed with Razor & Tie, where he released 12 Haunted Episodes in the spring. Like The Mona Lisas Sister and Struck By Lightning before it, 12 Haunted Episodes was hailed as a comeback, and it sold in respectable numbers for an indie release. Parker followed it with two albums in 1996, Live from New York, NY and Acid Bubblegum, which appeared within two months of each other late in the summer. Early in 1997, he released yet another live album, the double-disc The Last Rock N Roll Tour, which was recorded with the power pop quartet the Figgs. Parker continued to issue a steady stream of archive and live releases into the mid-2000s, and moved into singer/songwriter mode for the albums Deepcut to Nowhere and Your Country, the latter a roots rock-influenced affair released by the Chicago-based Bloodshot Records. The Figgs were back for 2005s Songs of No Consequence, an album that Parker declared rocks like safari park chimp in pre-release publicity. Unreleased material, rare edits, and remixes were featured on Official Art Vandelay Tapes, Vol. 2, which appeared two weeks after Songs of No Consequence. Dont Tell Columbus arrived in March 2007.