GRAHAM PARKER AND THE EPISODES
Live From New York, NY
Rock The House (RTHCD 5051)

Graham Parker has never been at a loss for words, neither musically nor in his literary pursuits, so let's let him explain the genesis - in gently sarcastic terms - of this typically fine effort: "The decision to issue this little nugget on vinyl and gold CD available by mail order only is, of course, due to the trend started by Spinal Tap some years ago to become more 'selective' with one's audience. To weed out the riffraff, trim the fat, eviscerate the hoi polloi so that you, gentle listener, are getting an item of such obscure speciality that your hip credentials are boosted accordingly..."

With a set list that's heavy with numbers from Parker's 12 Haunted Episodes, the new album strikes a nice balance between the acoustic shows that Parker favoured in the late '80's/early '90's and the more aggressive Rumour-era Parker. Augmented by bassist Kenny Aaronson, keyboardist Mitch Margold and drummer Denny McDermott, Parker sounds totally at ease here, reworking some of his back catalog with much aplomb; the Dylany waltz-like arrangement of "Fool's Gold" clicks, as does the finger-poppin' version of "Crawlin' From The Wreckage," which is powered along by Margold's fine, honky-tonk piano.

Not that the old bile has disappeared from Parker's repertoire; the lyrics to tunes like "Stick to Me" and "Here It Comes Again" remain intense and involving, even as their author tones down the music a bit. And when the musicians get a chance to stretch out some, as they do on "Wake Up Next To You" and Squeezing Out Sparks' "Protection" (which is given the full reggae treatment), the results are invigorating. The grand finale is a take of Nirvana's "In Bloom" (with just Parker's acidic vocal and an electric guitar) that caps off the disc perfectly and proves that the difference between a young punk like Kurt Cobain and an older punk like Graham Parker ain't much at all. (1444 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028.)

John M. Borack

Reproduced with kind permission from John M. Borack.

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