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Graham Parker
Deepcut To Nowhere
Razor & Tie Records
Age and a head full (what's left of it anyway) of gray hair have not mellowed Graham Parker. And that's a good thing. The songs here are as sarcastic and biting as anything he's ever done. And that's a good thing. And something a little different here - Graham handles all the guitar work. His playing, whether driving acoustic, tasteful electric rhythm playing, or nice, biting or crunchy electric work, is as good as the songwriting.
Fans of Graham will absolutely love stuff like "I'll Never Play
Jacksonville Again" and "Dark Days" with their cynical and jaded outlook.
"Socks and Sandals" is a hysterical look at all of us who are approaching
middle age and see ourselves as rock and rollers. The punchline (one of
many in the song) tells us socks and sandals ain't rock and roll. You can
figure out the idea behind the song with that one line alone, but there
are other great ones you don't want to miss. For a little Graham
preachin', Seeing as how this is Graham's first album of new songs
since '96, fans of Parker should be happy to see it. And they won't be
disappointed in the results. If you're a newcomer to his work, feel free
to start here. It's a good example of what he does best. If you like it,
move backward from there.
This review originally appeared in VG’s December 2001 issue.
- John Heidt
Copyright ©2001 Vintage Guitar, Inc.