Customer Reviews

Live-Alone in America

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

 

 

Having made yet ANOTHER major label switch to RCA, the modestly successful The Mona Lisa's Sister found Graham Parker touring solo. On a stop at Philadelphia's TLA venue, a stripped down Parker revisited a batch of his 70's material for a surprisingly affecting live CD, his second after The Parkerilla.

Parker is loose and jocular, letting a few between-song zingers loose. These include the infamous Cheese-steak comments, which I've now heard him have to live down twice in other Philadelphia shows. If anything, the looser setting makes songs like "White Honey" and "Hotel Chambermaid" sound more human than the manic energy of Parker's Mercury days. "Protection" and "You Can't Be Too Strong" put in an appearance from Squeezing Out Sparks, and shades of the old Angry Young Man appear on "Soul Corruption" (which includes a racial epithet that may make the squeamish squirm).

Given that Parker acoustic and solo pretty much distilled his songs to their essence, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the next albums were almost blissful in the folkish sensibilities (Human Soul and Struck by Lightning.) Ending the disc on a soulful note with Sam Cooke's call for harmony, "A Change is Gonna Come," is just icing on the cake. "Live Alone" may not be for many outside Parker's fan club, but it's a good reminder about why he generated such a songwriter's buzz in his early days.

I saw the tour from which this album was drawn. Just Gram and his guitar. He was charming and rocking. The CD brings back great memories of a great show for me. Being objective, most of the covers of his earlier work are spendid with one or two exceptions. The reason to own this one, however, is for the three songs that, so far as I know, do not appear on any other Parker release. The stand-out is "The Three Martini Lunch:" a sad but - oh so true - look at Hollywood in the 1980's and beyond.

Having made yet ANOTHER major label switch to RCA, the modestly successful The Mona Lisa's Sister found Graham Parker touring solo. On a stop at Philadelphia's TLA venue, a stripped down Parker revisited a batch of his 70's material for a surprisingly affecting live CD, his second after The Parkerilla.

Parker is loose and jocular, letting a few between-song zingers loose. These include the infamous Cheese-steak comments, which I've now heard him have to live down twice in other Philadelphia shows. If anything, the looser setting makes songs like "White Honey" and "Hotel Chambermaid" sound more human than the manic energy of Parker's Mercury days. "Protection" and "You Can't Be Too Strong" put in an appearance from Squeezing Out Sparks, and shades of the old Angry Young Man appear on "Soul Corruption" (which includes a racial epithet that may make the squeamish squirm).

Given that Parker acoustic and solo pretty much distilled his songs to their essence, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the next albums were almost blissful in the folkish sensibilities (Human Soul and Struck by Lightning.) Ending the disc on a soulful note with Sam Cooke's call for harmony, "A Change is Gonna Come," is just icing on the cake. "Live Alone" may not be for many outside Parker's fan club, but it's a good reminder about why he generated such a songwriter's buzz in his early days.

An incendiary and intoxicating blend of festive white-boy soul, rowdy Pub Rock, stark Reggae, acerbic social satire,languid & lusty love songs, all emphatically delivered by the suitably intense Mr. Parker. Toss in a cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and it's a party in a small, plastic rectangular box!G.P. bounces from the jaunty "White Honey" to the wistful "Watch The Moon Come Down," eventually hitting a skankin' groove on "Protection" and "Soul Corruption". The latter song contains a racial epithet that is, in context, only used to describe the injust way governments treat minorities. G.P. isn't the type to sugarcoat his emotions, whether on the poignant "Don't Let It Break You Down" or the bawdy "Hotel Chambermaid". Great stuff!

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST THOUGH OVER LOOKED LIVE ALBUMS EVER!!!! I AM A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN AND HAD PLAYED IN A ROCK BAND FOR YEARS. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT A SOLO ACOUSTIC PERFOMANCE WAS FINE FOR DINNER MUSIC, BUT NOTHING MORE. GRAHAM PARKER PROVED ME WRONG!!!!! GRAHAM PROVES THAT GREAT TALENT AND GREAT MUSIC CAN BREATHE LIFE INTO A SONG AND MAKE IT ENGAGING AND ENTERTAINING, EVEN WHEN DONE WITHOUT A BACKING BAND! I STARTED PLAYING SOLO ACOUSTIC GIGS IMMEDIATLEY AFTER HEARING THIS ALBUM!
"THREE MARTINI LUNCH" & "YOU CAN'T BE TOO STRONG", ARE REAL STAND-OUTS! INCREDIBLY INSIGHTFUL AND THOUGHTFUL LYRICS!
GRAHAM PARKER IS A TREASURE, AND THIS IS A TRUE GOLD MINE OF GREAT MUSIC!
THANK YOU GRAHAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tracks:
1) White Honey
2) Watch The Moon Come Down
3) Black Honey
4) Protection
5) Soul Corruption'
6) Gypsy Blood
7) Back to School Days
8) Durban Poison
9) The 3 Martini Lunch
10) Back in Time
11) Hotel Chambermaid
12) Don't Let if Break You Down
13) You Can't Be too Strong
14) A Change is Gonna Come