If they ever write the film
score to Pattaya, they do not need to
look any further than this album for the
soundtrack. Just take a look at the song
titles to get a quick idea. In fact they
should write the film around these songs.
In 1979, in the after glow of pub-rock,
Graham Parker was leading the pack being
tipped as the next big thing to follow
in the footsteps of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen,
et all. Well, it never happened. However,
there was some high quality stuff before
he sunk back into mediocrity, and this
collection of songs highlights the twisted
genius that was Graham Parker at this
time.
Backed by the equivalent of a pub rock
super group, they blazed a trail through
the musical hemisphere with the dapper
Brinsley Schwarz and the laddish Martin
Belmont on lead guitars; Andrew Bodnar
and Steve Goulding nailing down a rock
steady beat; and the quite frankly mad
Bob Andrews on keyboards. They were as
tight as the preverbal duck’s back.
The album is superbly produced by the
normally erratic genius of Jack Nietsche
who came to fame working with Phil Spectre.
Here he keeps every song sharp and concise
with its own uniqueness, keeping the band
on whilst never letting them cut completely
loose, except possibly on the last song
where Belmont and Schwarz get a chance
to fly.
“Squeezing Out Sparks” was not only Parker’s
finest moment, but it still stands up
today as a classic rock album. When it
was first released Arista also released
a promotional live album only distributed
to radio stations and such like, that
featured the same songs in the same order
just in a live setting plus a cover version
of the Jackson 5 “I Want You Back”, and
Parker’s vitriolic kiss off to his former
label “Mercury Poisoning”. In the latest
release of “Squeezing Out Sparks” these
extra 12 radio recordings have been added
on as bonus tracks making this a very
good quality and quantity C.D.
Although the album is chock a block full
of great up tempo Parker songs. The emotional
center of the album is the slow burning
acoustic ballad “You Can’t Be To Strong”,
Parker’s anti-abortion statement with
the wince inducing lyrics “Did they tear
it out with talons of steel, and give
you a shot, so that you wouldn’t feel
and washed it away as if it wasn’t real.
It’s just a mistake, you won’t have to
face, don’t give it a name, don’t give
it a place, don’t give it a chance, it’s
lucky in a way”.
With lyrics like this the critics were
never able to pigeon hole Graham Parker
and the Rumour as mere good time pub rockers.
Sadly, after this album Graham Parker
very much seemed to lose his way, but
we have this album to remember what a
powerful time we had of it all and remember
as Graham Parker said in his previous
single “Silly Thing” “If it aint got that
swing it don’t mean a thing”.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
