Music News Of The World

`Music News Of The World - October 1, 1996 - Edited by Michael Goldberg`

Graham Parker Still Fighting "Lame" Music

Parker to tour with The Figgs as backup.

Addicted To Noise's Scott Richard Warden spoke with Graham Parker recently. Yesterday we ran the first part of Warden's report. Here's part two: For whatever reason, there are seven, count'em, seven Graham Parker related releases out this year aside from his latest album, Acid Bubblegum. There's a re-issue of Squeezing the Sparks along with a bonus live disc from Arista Records which is no doubt still attempting to recoup losses [see yesterday's report]. There's a live disc of Parker with the now defunct Episodes from Razor & Tie and a three disc package from Parker's early years at Mercury. The other two releases are an unexpected disc of Parker reading Jack Kerouac's Visions of Cody (?!) and a tribute album of covers called Piss & Vinegar. Unlike Rush, who've dissed a recent Rush tribute album because they think the public is sick of the damn things, Parker is quite happy to see his songs covered by other artists on one CD. "They (Rush) are just uptight because they're afraid of not being seen as a viable force in modern music. But then, they were out of date when they started," says Parker who is really quite flattered by his own tribute album. "People spent a lot of time learning my songs although some got my lyrics completely wrong and changed the whole meaning of some songs. But I don't give a shit if they got it wrong. Everything is fine by me."

One band that has taken a more in depth interest in Parker's work is The Figgs, who often cover any number of songs from his catalogue in their live sets. The band has taken up Parker's offer to open for him and then double up as his backing band on the American tour in support of Acid Bubblegum which kicks off in Providence, Rhode Island on October 11...

Don't let the morons get you down.

"(Figgs frontman) Mike Gent professed a great interest in my music and I was really impressed by his interest," says Parker with a laugh. "The idea of me touring with them behind me was sort of a desperate idea. 'Will it save his career?' the critics will ask. No it won't, but he'll go down having a bit of fun. It'll be good to get out there with a young band. They're fucking rocking lunatics."

After nineteen releases, touring is something Graham Parker knows all about and although he's looking forward to hitting the road again, he knows it will at least financially be a losing proposition. "It's so fucking ungodly expensive," he moans. "I remember once waiting hours and hours for Journey to show up so we could open for them in front of a crowd of 10,000 fucking morons. I was 28 at the time so it didn't really bother me because I was in it for the usual perks like drugs and women basically. But if it were today, fuck off, time really is money you know."

Now hitched, residing in both London and New York, and with a nine month old son, Parker has left the frivolities of youth behind but somehow managed to resurrect his sound from that period in his life with Acid Bubblegum. After a month-long tour with the Figgs, Parker will most likely head out acoustically on his own which is reportedly easier on his throat which has a tendency to go out on him. "It pisses me off," he says of his fickle pipes. "My voice is way better now than it used to be, but that may have something to do with the fact I'm not screaming and emoting all over the place like I used to. God, that was horrible.

"When I started it seemed that pop was locked into a rhythm that no one was going to shake," he continues. "In the U.K. there were a lot of real gimmicky songs like 'Nights In White Satin.' I just went back to England, turned on Radio One and 'Nights In White Satin' was on. So I suppose nothing's changed really. There's still just as much lame music out right now as there was back then."

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