Customer Reviews

Imaginary Television [Vinyl]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The ostensible premise behind Graham Parker's new studio release is that he created a batch of imaginary TV shows and then wrote the theme songs to accompany them. In the liner notes, he even provides a synopsis of each show rather than the song lyrics. It's an original, offbeat idea, befitting the witty Parker.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with the songs on this album. Not a damn thing. Yes, Imaginary Television is most certainly a concept album, but THAT isn't the concept. Rather than the collection of amusing novelty songs one might expect, Imaginary Television may be the most personal, vulnerable collection of songs Parker has ever released. It's a portrait of a man looking back over his life and re-evaluating everything, a man trying to come to grips with who he is---as an artist, a father, a husband, a human being.

Why the subterfuge? I suspect it's because some of these songs are so personal and cut so deeply for Parker that he felt he had to get a modicum of emotional distance from them before releasing them to the world. If I'm correct, then the entire television theme song concept is a mere fig leap to cover the emotional nakedness of the songs. Or, to borrow a phrase from the album itself, "a really cheap disguise."

And what songs they are. "Weather Report" concerns a man who feels out of step with the times; perhaps Parker's referring to his status as music industry outsider and this song is intended as his variation on John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels." "Broken Skin" is Parker reviewing the many disappointments he's experienced over the years and trying to lower his expectations ("We're all downsizing what we do with our lives"), something that must be challenging for an artist who once seemed destined to become (and, quite frankly, deserved to become) a huge rock superstar. In "It's My Party (But I Won't Cry)," he strives for resilience in the face of a broken relationship ("The wound is fatal, but I won't bleed") while "Bring Me a Heart Again" yearns for the romanticism of his youth ("I don't feel comfortable inside my own skin, it doesn't keep things in"). "Always Greener" addresses marital discontent and likens leaving a marriage to pulling the handle on a slot machine. And "1st Responder" is a refreshingly honest "tough love" song for his son, that's equal parts "I'll always be there for you" and "But try not to screw up too much, okay?"

But surely the emotional centerpiece of the album is a sequence of songs that each seems to pose the question "Who am I really?" in a different way. "See Things My Way" grapples with the impenetrable nature of personal identity, beginning with Parker's admission that, "There is more than one of me, so many I lose count," before concluding, "Everybody's head is filled with more than just one soul." That song then segues into "You're Not Where You Think You Are," in which Parker juxtaposes the physical dislocation of a musician on the road, waking up in a different city every morning, with the existential dislocation so many of us experience in our lives. Here Parker is at his most vulnerable and self-revealing: "This room got really weird, it changed before my eyes/And then I grew this beard, a really cheap disguise." And later, "The self I used to have has long since gone to waste, and in the coming years I will all be replaced/You're not who you think you are, you're not who you think you are anymore." It's a brilliant song, one of the finest Parker has even written, a poignant ode to anyone who's life didn't turn out the way he planned---in other words, just about everyone.

Next comes "Head on Straight," in which Parker seems to pull himself together, almost as if he's recovering from the two previous compositions, singing, "I had my week in the news, but now I'm old news now, I'm not the news they choose/But things are looking up alright, now I got my head on straight." Finally, the sequence concludes with a cover of Johnny Nash's "More Questions Than Answers." And while Nash's song isn't nearly strong enough to hold its own against Parker's original compositions, it does carry a certain emotional resonance, it's lyrics and reggae beat recalling Parker's own "Don't Ask Me Questions," a standout track from his 1976 debut album.

Or maybe I'm completely wrong. Maybe this really is just a random bunch of songs written around a clever but silly gimmick. Maybe if GP himself read this review, he'd laugh his ass off. But let's face it, if Dylan produced an amazing collection like this, people would be scouring every semicolon looking for meaning. So listen to the album and decide for yourself what you hear. What I hear is a collection of deeply personal songs---many poignant, some even profound---from a master songwriter. And one of the finest albums of Graham Parker's obviously still vibrant career.

"Imaginary Television" is a worthy addition to Graham Parker's 30 + year catalog. While it's one of Parker's more mellow and laid-back efforts -- the great hooks, great melodies, great lyrics, and great singing are still here in abundance. It's a really cool album and every song is worthwhile, including a wonderful cover of the 1972 Johnny Nash classic "There Are More Questions Than Answers". There is also a concept to the album that some may find interesting and fun if they want to play along.

Graham Parker's first album was released in 1976. While Parker has never come close to achieving the commercial success he's deserved, few have released as many quality albums over such a pro-longed period of time. All the guy does is put out one fantastic album after another that so few are aware of. That's a shame.

One of the great philosophical riddles is: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Here's a riddle to rival that: "If Graham Parker has continually put out great album after great album after great album that so few hear, does that mean he isn't one of the all-time greats?"

My only beef is the length of the CD (hence 4 *s). This is quality GP and I completely concur with the first reviewer on every line he has written. Awesome review bro! I couldn't help but reflect that it reminded me somewhat of Another Gray Area and Steady Nerves at times but I think it might just be the recording or that the voice is up in the mix. I kept hearing "When you Do That to Me" in spots. The lead guitar is awesome as well throughout.
But only GP can take me to places in my mind that no one else can. I always end up completely absorbed in the songs and hate to come out. Thank you for another top album Graham. Never disappointed!

a typical GP release....gets better with each listen. My only beef is the length.....under 36 minutes? Last time I checked a CD can hold 80. Come'on G...you didn't have another song or two in you?

I was a big fan of Graham Parker in the seventies and early eighties when either he or I dropped the ball. This is the first album of his I have bought since then and I have been delighted by the consistent quality, bite, and texture of the music as well as the high quality lyrics. He is (stilll?) on top of his game after all these years. I have enjoyed listening to the entire album many times since the purchase.

IMAGINARY TELEVISION, Graham Parker's 2010 C.D., is more pop and folksy than the more hard-driving R&B and rock music that first put the singer-songwriter on the musical map in the 1970s. But Parker is still rockin' for the working class and against the caste system. As if a recent C.D. title such as SONGS OF NO CONSEQUENCE were not enough of a hint that Parker would like to keep his fans guessing, its 16-page booklet presents IMAGINARY TELEVISION's eleven songs as though they are themes for television shows that don't exist.

Usually I would not write a review if previous comments either say everything I was thinking or, as is the case with Jeffrey Seeman's March 10, 2010, commentary, make keener observations than I do. But I like IMAGINARY TELEVISION so much I compose these thoughts to help promote it, especially since only seven people precede me here.

Seeman's review observes that Graham Parker only uses that T.V. show idea as a foot in the door for what are in reality autobiographical songs. So it's funny that in the age of so-called reality television, Graham Parker titles this record IMAGINARY TELEVISION. Not that I have seen more than a few reality programs, but much of what I've viewed strikes me as staged, between forced emotions and deceptive editing. But Graham Parker, pouring it all out (again, see the March 10, 2010, review), calls it imaginary.

When television host Bob Costas had his late night talk show on N.B.C. in the 1990s, he asked rock critic Dave Marsh why a recording artist such as Bruce Springsteen rose to great success in terms of record sales while one such as Graham Parker didn't. As both Parker and Springsteen's blue-collar roots showed in their music, it was an apt question; each emerged in the 1970s and took a few years to hit, but by the '90s Parker records were played less and less on the radio while a new Springsteen album was still an event. Marsh answered, "Because Springsteen wanted it more."

Perhaps Dave Marsh was right, or maybe Bruce Springsteen just had a better team of publicists behind him. Either way, what a loss for music fans who don't know Graham Parker's IMAGINARY TELEVISION.

It's been over 20 years since Graham Parker has managed to chart an album on the American top 200, yet the man has been building a steady and sturdy body of work now since "Struck By Lightning" squeaked onto the charts in 1991. Like many of his fellow pub rockers from the period, like Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello, Parker has mellowed with age, but not gone dull. "Imaginary Television" finds Parker playing a game where he invents his own Television network and writes themes for the shows he dreams up. Instead of a lyric sheet, Parker comes up with a synopsis of each show and tart mini-reviews.

The music? Parker can still turn as clever a phrase as ever, but his music now is more folk-rock than pub-rock. His voice is still hardy and gruff, suiting the temper of his selections. "Weather Report" is the closest thing to an electric song here, and one of many character sketches Parker places through the album. Best of the bunch is the sardonic "It's My Party (But I Won't Cry)," which both nods to Leslie Gore and Parker's longevity as an artist. Even the lone cover, of Johnny Nash's "More Questions Than Answers," lopes along on an easy reggae groove.

I'm also partial to the album's closer, "First Responder," about a Dad who tells his kid he'll be there no matter what. Even if the kid's gonna get a 'box your ears till your head comes loose' comeuppance from the old man. It's a fun song and actually has a sweet center, despite the lyrical twists. It's just one more reason why, to his loyal legion of fans that have been picking up the occasional Parker CD since he went independent (on the terrific "12 Haunted Episodes" in 1995), you'll never walk away with a let-down.

Soy un seguidor español de Graham Parker desde el año 78, desde que yo era un "pipiolo" de 16 años y amanecía en esto de la música rock , y comenzaba a escuchar a Elvis Costello & The Attractions ,Squeeze, The Jam , Joan Armatrading, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, John Hiatt,John Mellencamp( entonces "Cougar"),Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Nick Lowe,Randy Newman, Paul Collins'Beat,The Plimsouls, Garland Jeffreys y tantos otros que dejaban huella sonora indeleble e imperecedera. Entonces a Graham Parker lo arropaba un "grupazo" de impresión como eran The Rumour(con Brinsley Schwarzt, Martin Belmont, Andrew Bodnar, Steve Goulding y Bob Andrews).Cuando se desmenbró el grupo a principios de los años 80 tuve la suerte de verlo actuar en directo en abril del año 87 en la sala "Universal" de Madrid (España). Estaba de gira promocional de su disco "The Mona Lisa sister" del año 86. Todavía tocaban con él Brinsley Schwarzt y Andrew Bodnar de los antiguos Rumour. Ahora más de 30 años despúes de sus comienzos y habiendo cruzado "el charco" ( de U.K. a U.S.A.)y buscarse nuevas y remozadas compañías (The Figgs) el tiempo sonoro parece no haber pasado por él y suena joven ,conservando todavía ese "feeling" personal, inconfundible e intransferible para hacer pequeñas joyas en cuanto a duración de tiempo pero inmensas en cuanto a fondo y contenido. Como muestra, la de su útimo disco, "Imaginary Television" que destila clase,imaginación y estilo por los cuatro costados, y demuestra que aunque en el rock ya todo está inventado, hay artistas como Graham Parker, que todavía hacen posible que lo viejo parezca como nuevo y original. Una vez más, "play it again, Graham!". You're a modern juglar until the day you're dead! I hope it will be until you are 100 years old or more!

I love Graham Parker's music. I think everyone should buy it. Imaginary Television is an amusing and entertaining record. The concept that inspired the music is interesting and the songs sound like they belong together. Fans will enjoy this record. Other people who like imagination and television will enjoy it too. However, porn channel enthusiasts might be disappointed not to find something for them. This is not a major criticism. No one has ever written any good songs about television porn.

In summary, Graham Parker is a great artist, you should buy this record, and Graham should bring his band to Milwaukee WI more often. Please pardon the commercial (come on Graham, swing up from Chicago). If you like reviews with more meta-conceptual beef in them then read some of the others. I don't have that much energy. Just trust me, Graham Parker is a giant.