Parker, Graham

Vinyl Records and Rare LPs:

	12 Haunted Episodes Audiophile - LP - RTH 2817 Mint 1995 180gm HQ With Insert From The Classic Records Stable. more
	12 Haunted Episodes Audiophile - LP - RTH 2817 Sealed 1995 Test Pressing With The Original Cover. more
	12 Haunted Episodes New - LP - RTH-2817-1 Sealed 1995 150gm HQ Original Released On The Classic Records Imprint. "12 Haunted Episodes, Graham Parker's First Album Recorded For An Independent Label, Is Appropriately Intimate And Warm, Recalling The Simplicity Of Struck By Lightning, But With A Gentler Approach. Parker Makes No Concessions To Commercial Radio On The Record, Dispensing With The Slick Productions That Tended To Plague His Albums For The Past Decade Or So. That Doesn't Mean The Record Is Raw -- It Means That It's More Personal And Intimate. At Its Core, 12 Haunted Episodes Is Not That Different Than Parker's Records Since The Mona Lisa's Sister: Most Of The Songs Are Love Songs To His Wife And Daughter, Or They're Tales Of An Aging Rebel, Trying To Keep His Youthful Fire Alive As He Grows Older. However, The Songs Are Measured And Reflective, Signaling That He's Settling Gracefully Into His Middle Age. When Parker Does Get Bitter -- Such As His Attack On Capitalism, "Disney's America" -- It Doesn't Seem Vengeful, It Seems Regretful, Which Helps Make 12 Haunted Episodes His Most Mature Album To Date." AMG - Stephen Thomas Erlewine. more
	12 Haunted Episodes New - LP - RTH-2817-1 Sealed 1995 150gm HQ Original Released On The Classic Records Imprint. "12 Haunted Episodes, Graham Parker's First Album Recorded For An Independent Label, Is Appropriately Intimate And Warm, Recalling The Simplicity Of Struck By Lightning, But With A Gentler Approach. Parker Makes No Concessions To Commercial Radio On The Record, Dispensing With The Slick Productions That Tended To Plague His Albums For The Past Decade Or So. That Doesn't Mean The Record Is Raw -- It Means That It's More Personal And Intimate. At Its Core, 12 Haunted Episodes Is Not That Different Than Parker's Records Since The Mona Lisa's Sister: Most Of The Songs Are Love Songs To His Wife And Daughter, Or They're Tales Of An Aging Rebel, Trying To Keep His Youthful Fire Alive As He Grows Older. However, The Songs Are Measured And Reflective, Signaling That He's Settling Gracefully Into His Middle Age. When Parker Does Get Bitter -- Such As His Attack On Capitalism, "Disney's America" -- It Doesn't Seem Vengeful, It Seems Regretful, Which Helps Make 12 Haunted Episodes His Most Mature Album To Date." AMG -Stephen Thomas Erlewine. more
	Another Grey Area Used - LP - AL9589 1982 Original With Inner Sleeve. more
	Another Grey Area Used - LP - AL 9589 1982 Original Still In Shrink With Hype Sticker more
	Another Grey Area Used - LP - AL 9589 1982 US Original, Still In Shrink With Custom Hype Sticker. "When Graham Parker Issued The Jack Nitzsche-Produced Squeezing Out Sparks In 1979, Many Inside The Music Industry -- From Execs To Critics -- Figured That His Next One Would Be It, Since Squeezing Just Missed, Though It Was Celebrated By Nearly Everyone Who Heard It. Two Of Parker's First Three Albums -- Howlin' Wind And Heat Treatment -- Were Top-Notch, Hard Hitting Rock & Roll Albums Full Of Great Songs And Mud-Slinging Pub Rock Production That Connected In England. It Felt Like Only A Matter Of Time. Arista In Its Infinite Wisdom Paired Parker With Jimmy Iovine For The Up Escalator In 1980, And For Some Reason, Iovine Decided To Slicken Up The Singer/Songwriter And His Band Rather Than The Hard-Edged Production That Clicked When He Worked With Bruce Springsteen And Tom Petty. While The Songs Were There, The Sound Wasn't, And It Must Have Been Discouraging For Parker. His Moment Had Come And Gone. Parker Wasn't About To Let Fate Cheat Him, Though, And For 1982's Another Grey Area, He Teamed With Veteran Producer Jack Douglas, And Placed His Band On Recording Hiatus In Favor Of A Slew Of Studio Musicians Including Nicky Hopkins, Hugh Mccracken (!), David Brown And George Small Among Others. Things Start Well Enough With The Mid-Tempo Rocker "Temporary Beauty"; With Its Springsteen-esque Piano And Ondioline Courtesy Of Hopkins, The Rounded Lead Guitar Lines Fall Into Place, Wrapping Themselves Around Parker's Voice On The Refrains, And It Works. Parker Nearly Spits Out His Words, Full Of Irony, Empathy, Piss And Vinegar. They Even Hold Up On The Title Track, Which Cooks Along With A Bitter Edge, A Brisk Tempo Set By A Snare/hi-hat Combination And Six Strings Upfront Pushing The Singer. Female Backing Vocals To Fill It In And The Bassline Nearly Percolates. But Douglas' Production Begins To Wear Thin By "Big Fat Zero," Despite Parker's Fine Writing. He Doesn't Seem To Be Able To Capture The Knife Edge The Band Tries To Counter The Vocals With. It's All Swirl And Twirl Without Resolution Or Warmth. Ironically, It's The Rawness On Parker's Earlier Records That Made Them Warm. The Reliance On "New Wave" Sounding Electric Keyboards Also Mars The Tunes. The Ballad "Dark Side Of The Bright Lights," Works Well, As Does The Horn-Driven, Funky "You Hit The Spot." But The Sameness Of Some Of The Rockers Such As "Can't Waste A Minute" And The Poignant "Crying For Attention" Suffer. "It's All Worth Nothing Alone" Is Punched Up A Bit, But There Still Seems To Be This Glassfloor Sheen On Everything, Which Is Entirely At Odds With The Biting Humor And Scathing Social Observations Parker Makes In Both His Lyrics And His Delivery. Ultimately, Another Grey Area Is Another "Might Have Been If" Set For Parker, And About The Last Time He Believed A Word Of What Anyone From A Record Company Ever Said To Him." AMG - Thom Jurek. more
	Another Grey Area New - LP - AL 9589 Sealed 1982 Original With Custom Song Hype Sticker On Shrink. more
	Best Kept Girl In The West Used - LP - 4512 Rare "Live" Original Recorded At The Old Waldorf In San Francisco, 1970. Appears Unplayed. more
	Burning Questions Used - LP - FIEND 721 Rare 1992 Original. Record Appears Glossy, Unplayed. Cover Has Very Slight Corner Bump. more
	Heat Treatment Used - LP - SRM 1-1117 1976 Original Still In Shrink Wrap. more
	Heat Treatment Used - LP - SRM 1-1117 1976 US Original, Cut Corner. more
	High Times New - LP - RJ-7633 Japanese Pressing With Obi. more
	Howlin Wind Used - LP - SRM-1-1095 1976 US Original, Santa Maria Pressing. Strong VG+ Cover With Some Light Edge Rubs And touch Of Ring Wear. Features Brinsley Schwarz and Others. "For Most Intents And Purposes, Graham Parker Emerged Fully Formed On His Debut Album, Howlin' Wind. Sounding Like The Bastard Offspring Of Mick Jagger And Van Morrison, Parker Sneers His Way Through A Set Of Stunningly Literate Pub Rockers. Instead Of Blindly Sticking To The Traditions Of Rock & Roll, Parker Invigorates Them With Cynicism And Anger, Turning His Songs Into Distinctively Original Works. "Back To Schooldays" May Be Reconstituted Rockabilly, "White Honey" May Recall Morrison's White R&b Bounce, And "Howlin' Wind" Is A Cross Of Van's More Mystical Moments And The Band, But The Songs Themselves Are Original And Terrific. Similarly, Producer Nick Lowe Gives The Album A Tough, Spare Feeling, Which Makes Parker And The Rumour Sound Like One Of The Best Bar Bands You've Ever Heard. Howlin' Wind Remains A Thoroughly Invigorating Fusion Of Rock Tradition, Singer/songwriter Skill, And Punk Spirit, Making It One Of The Classic Debuts Of All Time." AMG - Stephen Thomas Erlewine. more
	Howlin' Wind New - LP - SRM-1-1095 Sealed 1976 Copy. Features Brinsley Schwarz and Others. Glossy, Unplayed Condition. Firecracker Hype Sticker On Shrink. Small Saw Cut. more
	Human Soul Used Import - FIEND 163 1989 UK Original With Custom Inner Sleeve. "On Human Soul, Graham Parker Begins To Retreat Further Into His Domestic Life, Writing An Album That Includes A Side Of Romantic Ruminations And A Side Of Social Commentary. With A Band That Comprises Guitarist Brinsley Schwarz, Bassist Andrew Bodnar, And Attractions Steve Nieve (Keyboards) And Pete Thomas (Drums), Parker's Music Is Subtly Diverse, Adding Elements Of Worldbeat, Reggae, Pop, And Folk To His R&B-fueled Rock & Roll; However, Most Of The Impact Of The Music Is Lost By The Slick, Radio-Ready Production. When Parker Stays At Home On The First Half Of Human Soul, He Makes His Most Impressive Music, From The Sultry Come-ons Of "Call Me Your Doctor" To The Reassuring "My Love's Strong." He Tends To Lose His Focus On The Latter Half Of The Record, When He Writes About Subjects That Don't Directly Affect His Home Life. Taken In Conjunction With The Self-conscious Musical Eclecticism, The Lyrical Stretches Make Human Soul An Intriguing, But Flawed, Record." AMG - Stephen Thomas Erlewine. more
	Imaginary Television New - LP - BS 172 Sealed, Out Of Print 2010 Limited Edition Original With Custom Hype Sticker On Shrink. more
	Live! Alone In America New - LP - 9673-1-R Sealed 1989 Original With Custom Hype Sticker On The Shrink Wrap. Recorded In Philadelphia, 1988. more
	Live! Alone In America New - LP - 9673 Sealed 1989 Original With Custom Hype Sticker On The Shrink Wrap. Tiny Cut Out Hole. Recorded In Philadelphia, 1988. more
	Local Girls Used - LP - IMP 1-102 1979 Original Recorded Live At The Roxy In Los Angeles, California On 14 April 1979. Appears Glossy, Unplayed. more
	Look Back In Anger New - LP - ALB6 8391 Sealed 1985 Compilation With Tiny Saw Cut. Features Bruce Springsteen On One Track. more
	Mona Lisa's Sister New - LP - 8316 Sealed 1988 Original With Custom Hype Sticker On Shrink. Saw Cut. more
	Mona Lisa's Sister New - LP - 8316 Sealed 1988 Original With Custom Hype Sticker On Shrink. Saw Cut. more
	Parkerilla Used - LP - SRM-2-100 1978 2LP Gatefold Original. Appears Glossy And Unplayed. more
	Pink Parker Colored Vinyl - 6831 040 1978 Pink Vinyl 4 Track Rarity. Hint Of Ring Wear On Cover. LP Appears Glossy, Unplayed. more
	Pourin' It All Out - The Mercury Years New - LP - 826 097 Sealed 1985 Compilation. Saw Cut. First Copy We Have Seen In Seven Years. more
	Pub Rockin' Used - LP - TAKRL 920 Rare Live LP Recorded At Marble Arch. Shrink Wrap Intact. LP Appears Glossy, Unplayed. more
	Squeezing Out Sparks New - LP - AB 4223 Sealed 1979 Original. CC. “Generally Regarded As Graham Parker's Finest Album, Squeezing Out Sparks Is A Masterful Fusion Of Pub Rock Classicism, New Wave Pop, And Pure Vitriol That Makes Even His Most Conventional Singer/Songwriter Numbers Bristle With Energy. Not Only Does Parker Deliver His Best, Most Consistent Set Of Songs, But He Offers More Succinct Hooks Than Before — "Local Girls" And "Discovering Japan" Are Powered By Quirky Hooks That Make Them New Wave Classics. But Parker's New Pop Inclinations Are Tempered By His Anger, Which Seethes Throughout The Hard Rockers And Even His Quieter Numbers. Throughout Squeezing Out Sparks, Graham Spits Out A Litany Of Offenses That Make Him Feel Like An Outsider, But He's Not A Liberal, He's A Conservative. The Record's Two Centerpieces — "Passion Is No Ordinary Word" And The Anti-Abortion "You Can't Be Too Strong" — Indicate That His Traditionalist Musical Tendencies Are Symptomatic Of A Larger Conservative Trend. But No One Ever Said Conservatives Made Poor Rock & Rollers, And Parker's Ruminations Over A Lost Past Give Him The Anger That Fuels Squeezing Out Sparks, One Of The Great Rock Records Of The Post-Punk Era.” - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide more
	Squeezing Out Sparks New - LP - AB 4223 Sealed 1979 Original With Custom Black Inner Sleeve (Has Catalog Number On It). Includes The Great "Local Girls." “Generally Regarded As Graham Parker's Finest Album, Squeezing Out Sparks Is A Masterful Fusion Of Pub Rock Classicism, New Wave Pop, And Pure Vitriol That Makes Even His Most Conventional Singer/Songwriter Numbers Bristle With Energy. Not Only Does Parker Deliver His Best, Most Consistent Set Of Songs, But He Offers More Succinct Hooks Than Before — "Local Girls" And "Discovering Japan" Are Powered By Quirky Hooks That Make Them New Wave Classics. But Parker's New Pop Inclinations Are Tempered By His Anger, Which Seethes Throughout The Hard Rockers And Even His Quieter Numbers. Throughout Squeezing Out Sparks, Graham Spits Out A Litany Of Offenses That Make Him Feel Like An Outsider, But He's Not A Liberal, He's A Conservative. The Record's Two Centerpieces — "Passion Is No Ordinary Word" And The Anti-Abortion "You Can't Be Too Strong" — Indicate That His Traditionalist Musical Tendencies Are Symptomatic Of A Larger Conservative Trend. But No One Ever Said Conservatives Made Poor Rock & Rollers, And Parker's Ruminations Over A Lost Past Give Him The Anger That Fuels Squeezing Out Sparks, One Of The Great Rock Records Of The Post-Punk Era.” - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide more
	Squeezing Out Sparks New - LP - ALB6 8363 Sealed Early 80's Second Issue. Saw Cut. more
	Struck By Lightning Used - LP - FIEND 201 Rare 1991 UK Original. Appears New, Unplayed. more
	Struck By Lightning New Import - FIEND 201 Sealed Rare 1991 UK Original, With Additional 5 Track 45 RPM EP more
	The Mona Lisa's Sister Used Import - FIEND 122 1988 UK Original With Custom Inner Sleeve. Beuatiful Copy! Released On The New Wave Imprint Demon Records Founded By Jake Riviera , Elvis Costello and Andrew Lauder in 1980. more
	The Real Macaw Used - LP - AL 8 8023 1983 US Original, Indianapolis Pressing. Mild Ring/Shelf Scuff. "Graham Parker Must Have Sensed That Replacing A Backing Band As Solid As The Rumour Wasn't Going To Be Easy After He Parted Ways With The Group, And The Session Heavyweights Assembled For Another Grey Area Either Couldn't Or Wouldn't Summon Up The Passion And Soul Parker's Music Demanded -- And The Mushy-sounding Production Didn't Help, Either. The Real Macaw, While Hardly Perfect, Is A Significant Improvement; The Musicians, Who Include Former Rumour Guitarist Brinsley Schwarz And Squeeze Drummer Gilson Lavis, Sound Tight And Snappy Throughout, And If The Album Rarely Rocks As Hard As You Might Hope For From Parker, The Accelerated Tempos Of "Just Like A Man" And "Last Couple On The Dance Floor" Indicate The Band Could Kick It Out When The Situation Demanded, And The Quieter Songs Still Display A Potent If Low-key Energy. While David Kershenbaum's Production Is A Bit Too Stereotypically Mid-'80s For Its Own Good In Spots (Especially The Periodic Use Of The Linn Drum And Those Regrettably Dated Keyboard Patches), It Packs Plenty Of Presence And Gives The Songs A Bright, Listenable Surface That Serves Them Well. And Parker Has A Batch Of Gems This Time Out; In The Wake Of His Recent Marriage, Relationships Have Apparently Been On His Mind, And He Has Plenty To Say About The Ups, Downs, And Plain Hard Work That Goes Into Being In Love, Ranging From The Rueful "Can't Take Love For Granted" And The Bitterly Self-chastising "Just Like A Man" To "Life Gets Better," One Of The Most Openly Optimistic Tunes He's Ever Allowed Himself To Write. After The Disappointments Of His Final Album With The Rumour And His First Solo Album, There Was Certainly Room To Wonder If He'd Become A Spent Force, But The Real Macaw Makes It Clear Parker's Muse Is Still On Duty And Working Hard To Put Him Back On Track." AMG - Mark Deming. more
	The Up Escalator Used - LP - AL 9517 1980 Original Still In Shrink With Hype Sticker. more
	The Up Escalator Used - LP - AL 9517 1980 US Original, Terre Haute Pressing With Custom Inner Sleeve. "While It Was Something Short Of A Hit, Squeezing Out Sparks Did Win A Measure Of Richly Deserved American Recognition For Graham Parker & The Rumour, And For The Follow-Up, Parker's American Record Label, Arista, Paired Him Up With Hotshot Producer Jimmy Iovine. The Idea Looked Good On Paper; Iovine Had Produced Or Engineered Great Sounding Hard Rock Records For Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, And Patti Smith, And His Tough But Vibrant Sound Would Seem The Perfect Match For Parker And His Band. But One Listen To The Up Escalator Reveals That Iovine's Trademark Sound Somehow Escaped Him For This Project; The Recording And Mix Are Flat And Poorly Detailed (Brinsley Schwarz's Lead Guitar And Stephen Goulding's Drums Suffer The Most), And The Often Mushy Audio Manages The Remarkable Feat Of Making The Rumour, One Of The Most Exciting Rock Bands Of Their Day, Sound Just A Bit Dull. But Parker Fights The Muddy Sound Every Step Of The Way, And If His Batting Average As A Songwriter Is A Shade Lower Than On Squeezing Out Sparks, He Certainly Offers Up His Share Of A-List Material, Including The Incendiary "Empty Lives," The Passionate "The Beating Of Another Heart," And "Endless Night," Which Features One Bruce Springsteen On Backing Vocals. Parker's Singing Is Sharp And Commanding, And Even Though The Mix Lets Them Down, The Rumour's Performances Are Tough And Precise Throughout. The Up Escalator Failed To Catch The Ears Of The Mass Audience, And Parker Would Soon Part Ways With The Rumour, But If This Album Doesn't Present Them In The Best Light, It Shows That They Could Play Tough, Passionate Rock & Roll That Could Survive Even The Most Adverse Recording Conditions." AMG - Mark Deming. more
	Up Escalator New - LP - AL 9517 Sealed 1980 US Original. Unable To Confirm Pressing Info. Custom Album Hype Sticker On The Shrink Wrap With Cut Corner. Produced By Jimmy Iovine. more
	Up Escalator New - LP - AL 9517 Sealed 1980 Original. Custom Album Hype Sticker On The Shrink Wrap. more