Customer Reviews

Real Macaw

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Way back when, Parker gave Elvis Costello a run for his money. Just like Costello, he could not sustain his angry-young-man persona. This album was made after Parker's early pub rock sound period with Mercury Records and before he became an "indie" artist. Basically, it's a polished, glossy rock record that was made in the hope of getting a radio hit. So it's not as raw or exciting as Squeezing Out Sparks (from 1979). Instead, it's mostly an album of sunny optimism and happiness. With songs like "Life Gets Better" and "Anniversary," it is an essential purchase for anyone who likes Parker's music.

"Squeezing Out Sparks" was undoubtably Graham Parker's finest album, but this one ain't far behind and is a near-masterpiece. After disappointing efforts "The Up Escalator" and "Another Grey Area", this album firmly reestablished Parker as a first rate writer. Unfortunately the momentum of "Sparks" had been lost and this album didn't make a big commercial impact. Which is a shame, because this is great stuff, and has several of my all time favorite Parker compositions. "You Can't Take Love For Granted" is the first high point, with a great minor key moanful chorus, and "My Glass Jaw" continues the theme of the pitfalls of love (a recurring Parker theme). "Passive Resistance" is also great. The real greatness is found on Side 2 (or the last half of the CD...one thing I hate about CD's is no "Side 2"). The theme of this side is...happiness and contentment! (From Mr. Angry Young Man). "Life Gets Better" is soaring and great, one the best songs ever by anyone. "Miracle A Minute" hops along happily and is a great rockin love song. "Beyond A Joke" and "Last Couple On The Dance Floor" are great touching ballads with real nice melodic hooks. But the absolute best moment is "Anniversary" which is simply the most personal and touching song that Parker has ever recorded, a simple statement of love. Great writing, great singing.

The sound is sparer and more relaxed that on most of Parker's albums, which serves this batch of songs very well. The great Brinsley Schwarz is still around on guitar, along with Squeeze drummer Gilson Lavis. Parker himself is playing much more guitar than on past albums, a trend that will continue in his subsequent work.

This is truly a great album. The quality of the songwriting, singing, and arrangements is exceptional. If you are even a passing Parker fan or just appreciate great intelligent pop music, you gotta get this! The real deal.

This was a great album at the time and has some of Graham's best songs on it. Anniversary is beautiful. Lyrically, he was at a happy place and wrote wonderful relationship songs (Then he got bitter again on the next two releases! funny..)
My beef is with these new re-releases with the dance mixes on them. What a waste. No need to add value to brilliance.

This gets my vote for Graham Parker's second best album (behind "Squeezing Out Sparks"). It's the first time since separating with his great backing band The Rumour that he forges a sound that's distinct from his past, yet wonderful in it's own new way. The songs are great, especially "Glass Jaw", "Anniversary", "Last Couple On The Dance Floor", "Beyond A Joke", and, above all, "You Can't Take Love For Granted". This album is truly a gem, and it's a shame it never really got the attention it deserved.

"The Real Macaw" picks up where Graham Parker's Another Grey Area left off in that Parker was maturing away from the "Angry Young Man" persona that fueled the classic Squeezing out Sparks but was beginning to fizzle come The Up Escalator. This time, a more sympathetic producer helps actualize the songs, with David Kershenbaum having a better hand in these songs than Jack Douglas did on AGA.

Parker also seems in a better groove here. The Dylan-esque wordplay on "Just Like a Man" and "Sounds Like Chains" rate among Parker's best. Domesticity finally suits him, with the sweet-but-spiky "Our Anniversary" and the downright blissful "Life Gets Better" and "Last Couple on The Dancefloor" pointing towards the direction his RCA albums like Struck by Lightning eventually ended. There's also the obligatory industry slam in "Passive Resistance," blasting researched playlists that excluded people like Parker and Elvis Costello in the 80's.

Better than AGA and on a par with Escalator, "The Real Macaw" is probably my second favorite Parker album from his tenure at Arista. It was also his last before jumping to his next label for Steady Nerves, his last uniformly decent album and back in print after a long absence.

I agree with the reviewers that suggest that THE REAL MCCAW is the number two Parker album, and that it is vastly underrated. This is possibly because of its cover (which I happen to like). However, I would select STEADY NERVES, as Parker's best, it was the last of his smoking rock albums and he was at the peak of his powers. Any Parker studio album before HUMAN SOUL is excellent, and this is no exception. Parker is firmly in the grip of his muse, he is fiery, acidic and witty. His music is hard driving and pulse pounding. Here you will find his finest song `Life Gets Better', one of the all time great love songs. All the tracks are great, but also worthy of special note are the smart, sarcastic `Passive Resistance' (if it's not for them then it's not for you') the biting, self deprecating `Just Like A Man' and the excellent bonus track (Michael Jackson's `I Want You Back'). If you like Parker, you'll love this album, never mind what critics may tell you. If you don't know Parker, you're in for a treat, he is a peerless songwriter and a rock virtuoso who must be heard top be believed. Check it out. Also recommended are ACID BUBBLEGUM and LAST ROCK & ROLL TOUR (available here at amazon).

As a collector of 80s 12" single mixes on CD, I was actually thrilled to see the 'dance mix' of The Smart Bomb included here--although, it isn't particularly a 'dance' re-mix, simply an extended version. However, it is blatantly mastered (barely) from vinyl. You can actually HEAR the needle dancing in the groove of the vinyl at the beginning of the song, and there is noticeable noise and hiss indicative of vinyl throughout the track. Sure it's great to have it preserved on CD either way, but it would have been nice if they could have found a clean copy of the vinyl.

This is probably his best work after Squeezing Out Sparks. Anniversary, Glass Jaw, just an all around great album. He got a little soft after this one, including this one, actually. But still great stuff. No Love Gets You Twisted here, but lyrically and musically in his top three. One caveat, though...a dance mix?? Really!!

This had been one of my least listened-to Graham Parker albums; I was always aware that it was on the shelf, but nothing really inspired me to play it. However, after years of overlooking it and now acquiring it on CD, I hear it in a different light. The CD format definitely helps because this one grows on you if you listen to the whole thing in one sitting. In fact, it's one of those discs you could listen to twice in a row and not lose interest. Loaded with poppy, upbeat songs darkened by GP's snide lyrics, this is kind of a water-treading period, representing his last album with Arista, his reunion with Brinsley Schwarz, and the album just before he assembled the Rumor-soundalike band The Shot. Drawbacks are tied to 1980s obsessions with electronica. Though Squeeze drummer Gilson Lavis played on this, there's an annoying Linn drum overdub throughout, giving it that plastic sound, as do the '80s-drenched keyboards that punctuate the intros to "Glass Jaw" and "Life Gets Better." (The intros are almost note for note identical.) Still in all, lots of great songs and very easy listening. The bonus track, "I Want You Back" is a Rumour-era cover of the Jackson 5, and it works well.

I love this CD in fact the reason I wrote this is because I have been listening to this release for three days now and was curious what others thought.
I agree with most of the other reviews with just a few departures.
I enjoy the bonus track I want you back and (Too Late)The Smart Bomb but the CD would be stronger without them kind of like the White Album by the Beatles would be stronger without Honey Pie if you know what I mean.
Having said that the remaining tracks are amonst his strongest he's ever released,the trio of Glass Jaw,Passive Resistance,and Sounds Like Chains are remarkable to me even after hundreds of listens.
Anyone and I mean anyone would love these on their resume.
Just like a Man starts out the album with a furious rock track whick really kicks,You can't take love for granted hits the mark on so many levels lyrically and musically it really makes me sit back and wonder am I doing enough to show my angel that I love her.
Life gets better is ear candy which makes me wonder why this couldn't get heavy rotation on the radio.
Anniversary is a sweet love song and a great finish in my mind to a great CD.