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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Graham Parker's most underrated albums.,
By
This review is from: Up Escalator (Audio CD)
I wholeheartedly agree with reviewer Prymel's thoughts (see review below): `The Up Escalator' is a woefully underappreciated gem - and would definitely get the nod as my favorite Graham Parker and the Rumour album. While `Squeezing Out Sparks' is lauded left and right - and is probably the only one of Parker's discs a casual fan could name - `The Up Escalator' has languished in obscurity, despite all the makings of a breakthrough album.Consider: Producer Jimmy Iovine (Tom Petty's `Damn the Torpedoes', Dire Straits' `Making Movies', Bruce Springsteen's `Born to Run') brings his breathtaking panoramic sound to the table, recording the musicians live in the studio - giving the album his telltale larger-than-life stamp. This is an ideal compliment to the Rumour's superb backing, as they were always a top-notch live band. The guitar parts are interlocking like gears, and the rhythm section sounds crisp and clear - sidestepping the muddy production that often afflicted earlier GP+R releases. Springsteen himself contributes backing vocals to the great (and Sprignsteen-esque) "Endless Night". E Street Band member Danny Federici (organ) and noted session pianist Nicky Hopkins (The Rolling Stones' `Exile on Main Street', The Who's `By Numbers') replace departed Rumour keyboardist Bob Andrews, providing their signature sounds to the proceedings. The songs are all simultaneously catchy and full of vitriol, ranking them among Parker's best. As Prymel astutely notes, every song has an infectious hook, with "No Holding Back", "Stupefaction", and "Jolie Jolie" taking top honors. The album's centerpiece, "Empty Lives", is a bile-spewing rail seemingly directed against everyone within listening distance who has ever questioned Parker's abilities - and kept him from the stardom he deserved. As a piece of sonic and lyrical outrage, it is almost without peer.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Underappreciated Gem,
By "prymel" (Anaheim, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Up Escalator (Audio CD)
Most Graham Parker fans gravitate towards 1979's "Squeezing Out Sparks" as his finest achievment, but I respectfully disagree. "The Up Escalator" has been one of my favorite rock/pop albums ever since it was released; it's incredible to me that this album never received greater recognition. It is filled with wonderfully melodic, intelligently constructed rock that is an absolute joy to listen to. Virtually every song has a killer hook, with "No Holding Back" and "Jolie Jolie" being particularly vibrant standouts. I was thrilled to see this album being reissued. Pick this one up if you can, it's simply fantastic.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Up Escalator Can't Get Much Higher,
By "guitarsolo" (Charleston, SC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Up Escalator (Audio CD)
Though "Squeezing Out Sparks" is considered to be the best GP album, this nearly flawless follow-up is, for my money, even better. The only criticism I have is that it is a trifle formulaic, attempting to simulate the success of "Sparks" by having similar-sounding or similar-themed songs arranged in a similar sequence to its fabled predecessor. Nonetheless, there's no escaping the infectious riffs of "Stupefaction" or "No Holding Back." "Devil's Sidewalk" is a true GP gem, though often overlooked. "The Beating of Another Heart" is one of his all-time best; his duet with Springsteen on "Endless Night" soars, "Empty Lives" still stands as an archetypal Rumour-era song, and "Love Without Greed" is perhaps one of the most literate all-time insights into jealousy issues. If you study this one all the way through, there's very little wrong with it, even more than 20 years later. Makes me wonder why the Rumour split after this masterpiece -- and had they remained together, if they could have propelled GP's next effort, "Another Grey Area," to higher heights. CD bonus track, "Women in Charge" is worth having too, BTW.
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