The Up Escalator

Graham Parker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 10, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: AMERICAN BEAT
• ASIN: B001OSC4A6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,926 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Although already a veteran of the English pub-rock scene when his first solo record came out in 1976, his American record label decided to market Graham Parker in the same 'angry young man' vein as fellow countryman Elvis Costello. The fact of the matter is that Parker had more in common with the likes of Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones than the punk scene that he was being equated with. The Up Escalator, Parker's fifth studio release (and last with his great backing band, The Rumour), features a duet with Bruce Springsteen and more of the gritty, non-nonsense rock & roll that made Graham a darling of the rock critics. A must have!

Customer Reviews

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., July 21, 2001

By 

Stephen Caratzas (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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, April 27, 2001

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, August 4, 2002

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.