Alone In America Live - Graham Parker

Advantages: Charming acoustic songs
Disadvantages: Quality not completely sustained

...doesn't get started. But elsewhere their is real quality. It is amazing to think that Graham didn't write songs sooner. 'A Day Is Far Too Long', complete with indulgence of using an organ, is quite outstanding and definitely my favourite tracks. It is paradoxically uplifingly sad. 'Where'd You Go?' is another track that I really enjoy and it seems to have been recorded in the hallway. Such is the religious adherence to using acoustic guitars, 'Who The Fuck?' comes as a bolt from the blue. It as almost as if Graham wanted an album that was the antithesis of his electric plugging on Blur releases. But WTF? seems to follow that same Blur rule of having one punk song a la 'Chinese Bombs' or to a lesser extent 'Globe Alone'. It is a raging bull of a song. The drums are superb and the riff is nigh on impossible to play. As it turns out... Read review

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Advantages: A diverse musical choice, the good, the bad & the ugly.
Disadvantages: No Damned, Costello or Dury! Oh, the humanity!

...such as Lene Lovich's slightly OTT song 'Lucky Number', a nicely demented song sung by what appeared at the time to be an unhinged young gypsy lady. Memorable, I think is the best word to apply there. And let's not forget Kirsty McColl's cover of Billy Bragg's 'New England'. Throw on top of that Costello's old friend Nick Lowe ('Heart Of The City'), Jona Lewie ('Stop The Cavalry') and Ten Pole Tudor ('Swords Of A Thousand Men') and you have a nice selection of late 70's pop hits to thrill your lugholes. In the second category we have The Members, The Adverts, Department S, The Tyla Gang, old underground hippies The Pink Fairies (making a last stab before they gave up for good. Maybe Stiff DID pick the right slogan after all...), The Rumour (without Graham Parker) and Lew Lewis (with a great little gem of an old fashioned blues track). All tracks... Read review

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Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: not many

...Let's take a little trip back…picture the scene, it's the beginning of the 80's, Thatcher's Britain, riots on the streets the miners on strike. A feeling of gloom descends on the nation… Musically the nihilistic punk explosion as subsided, Punk is not quite dead but it's definitely in intensive care and the outlook isn't good! A new wave of …New Wave music is starting to surface, bands like Elvis Costello, The Jam, Eddie and The Hotrods, Joe Jackson, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Joy Division and from across the Atlantic, Blondie, Talking Heads… So what's this got to do with The Strokes? I hear you shouting at your computer screen… well you know how Proust said that a smell can vividly trigger memories, well music can do the same and listening to the Strokes debut album transported me back to the bad old days of the early 80's. Just... Read review

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