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Graham Parker - The Best of Graham Parker 1988-1991 Audio CD

A fair review of the Graham Parker "The Best of Graham Parker 1988-1991" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Graham Parker reviews here, or go back to the Graham Parker tabs.

Graham Parker Band: Graham Parker
Title: The Best of Graham Parker 1988-1991
Rating:
Release Date: 1992-09-29
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Get Started, Start a Fire 2: Ordinary Girl 3: Ten Girls Ago 4: 3 Martini Lunch 5: Little Miss Understanding 6: Success 7: Don't Let It Break You Down 8: Soul Corruption 9: Sun Is Gonna Shine Again 10: That Thing Is Rockin' 11: I'm Just Your Man 12: And It Shook Me 13: Durban Poison 14: Call Me Your Doctor 15: Hotel Chambermaid 16: Brand New Book 17: Wrapping Paper 18: You Got the World (Right Where You Want It)

Graham Parker: The Nipper Years
The albums The Mona Lisa's Sister, Live! Alone In America, Human Soul and Struck by Lightning were of this period, and they chronicle Parker's gradual shift from Angry Young Man into Average Domestic Man. Graham Parker had a four album stint on RCA that is condensed into this 18 song collection. While this shift was evident as far back as Another Grey Area, calculating the balance of themes on this best of, 10 of the songs deal with relationships and mostly in a contented way.

In Parker's case, this is a pretty good thing. While no one is going to mistake him for James Taylor, a song as warm as "I'm Just Your Man" is miles away from Squeezing Out Sparks' sneering "Local Girls. " That Parker also delivers this (and the homage to Sam Cooke "The Sun is Gonna Shine Again") without a trace of irony speaks to his growth over the years. There's also the fine "Brand New Book" and "Wrapping Paper. "

The pungent barbs are still there, though. His best known song from this period, "Get Started. Start a Fire" is a lost single and smolders in the way his best early work still does. The politically charged "Soul Corruption" unleashed some of the old vitriol, and the music industry takes in on the chin ala "Mercury Poison. " The previously unreleased "That Thing Was Rocking" and "Success" (from "Mona Lisa") take square aim at the world of popstars and prefabs, and when Parker hisses "suck-sessssss" in the later, it's the passionate crank we've known and loved. The sad thing is that after MLS, Parker's albums and audience dwindles to his fanbase even as his work became richer and more sophisticated.

Whittling the four RCA albums down to their essence helps confirm that fact. While this CD has been out of print for a while now, it's going used for cheap. Most of the other best ofs have skipped this period, so all the more reason to pick this one out.


You can see a complete list of all Graham Parker discography, or go back to the Graham Parker tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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