As we noted last November with our review of Graham Parker & The Rumour’s brand new release, Three Chords Good, “While he experienced much success in the ‘80s and beyond, these days Graham Parker’s best work is widely considered to be the fine run of albums he recorded in the mid/late-‘70s with The Rumour, a group of pub rock vets that helped propel the singer-songwriter into the company of Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and the young Joe Jackson as a direct, classicist (and UK-based) breath of fresh musical air.”
“They’re back together again after a 30-plus year break with Three Chords Good. It’s a solid if modest success, mainly because its attitudes regarding the past and the present are kept in proper balance…
…this isn’t six guys refusing to grow up, but rather out to prove that growing older hasn’t erased their ability to make quality music in the tradition from where they sprang. And maybe the most immediately noticeable difference is in how much Parker’s voice has changed. Where he was once somewhat comparable to Costello, though a stronger natural singer with some of the attributes of the young Van Morrison, on Three Chords Good he’s positively and proudly grizzled, coming off not unlike Vic Chesnutt, a singer that often sounded older than his years, though the attitude and delivery here are still pure Parker.”
“Three Chords Good is… a definite keeper if not a masterpiece, and in plain terms it’s not the place for a Parker newbie to start.
The way to begin is with the original stuff with The Rumour, natch. Grab a copy of Squeezing out Sparks and work backward, and if all that makes a positive impression, then by all means proceed to this new one. It’ll impress with some fine tunes, a strong creative spirit and maybe most of all, the healthiness of the whole endeavor.”
Enter to win a pair of tickets to see Graham Parker & The Rumour at the Gramercy Theatre by naming your favorite LP from GP&TR – and why it’s your preference – in the comments below. We’ll choose 2 winners for a pair each a week from today, 4/8.
Tickets are still available right here!
