Re: GP & the R

So Graham Parker and the Rumour have a new album coming out.

Details.

Is this true or just a rumor?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!

I am truly the King of Comedy.

I've heard they're going to tour with The Gossip.

"Fleetwood Mac recorded an album when they were all breaking up with each other"
"Rumors"
"No, it's true!"

-Flight of the Conchords

Looking forward to this! GP tends to stay close to home as a solo act. It's been over a decade since the wife and I have had the pleasure. Now with Added Rumour, the tour is sure to travel far and wide. Maybe down to the Southeast for a change.



Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
For further rumination on the Fresh New Sound of Yesterday®

I really wish I caught the reunion when I had the chance. I've been revisiting his catalog and while he has put out commendable records on his own, it's clear that the Rumour really took them to another level. Those four/five years of touring and recording together were pretty amazing and to me sound like the U.K.'s most potent answer at the time to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: just a marvelous blend of rock n' roll, soul and rockabilly shot full of garage rock energy, and while it's definitely Parker's vision, it also turns on the chemistry of the band, similar to Springsteen with the E Street Band. (I know Elvis Costello gets brought up a lot, but I think musically he explored similar territory for just one album before putting together the Attractions and heading in other directions.)

From what I can tell, none of his albums have even gone gold, which is pretty sad when the best ones with the Rumour are now 43 to 47 years old. As great as the music is, it's also highly accessible. When you look at other commercial breakthroughs that happened in 1976 while traveling similar ground, it's amazing Parker didn't do better commercially, at least in the U.S.

Picked up the double DVD and double CD set Live At Rockpalast 1978 & 1980 (which can be found for less than $20 at some retailers), and it's pretty great. I've only played the DVD's, my main reason for getting it, and Parker is a lot of fun to watch. He's so animated, and even though he's a very intense singer, he's clearly enjoying himself in the 1980 show. (The 1978 show is a more serious affair, but even then he cracks the occasional joke and smile.) The 1978 show is in front a TV studio audience, and half of them seem disengaged, while the 1980 show looks like a GA venue and it's a very raucous crowd. "Heat in Harlem" has never worked for me and seems to go on forever in the 1978 show, but it's really the only dud - all the songs from his 'lesser' albums come off really well here and may be an improvement over their studio recordings.

EDIT: FWIW, the company distributing it also made it available on YouTube: [www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2025 11:14PM by belfast.

After GP came out blazing with several tremendous albums, since 1980 GP has alternated between a peak of awesomeness each decade between really long stretches of ho-hum. Steady Nerves in 1985, Acid Bubblegum in 1996, Last R&R Tour in 2007, etc. Well he does seem to peak mid-decade and it is 2025 … maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll drop a new miracle on us!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2025 09:46PM by Wasproxy.

FWIW, Last R&R Tour was just reissued by Iconoclassics, and not only is it the first time it's been released on vinyl, it's apparently a big upgrade. There's a bonus performance of "The Girl At The End Of The Pier," and per the label's owner, it does a better job of capturing the original show: "A lot of stage patter / storytelling was removed to fit it on CD. Plus [this new double LP reissue was mastered from] a different mix. Created at the time, not new, but less loud [i.e. compressed] than the CD’s mix. It’s not just a mastering difference."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2025 12:49AM by belfast.