Squeezing Out Sparks [LIVE]

Graham Parker

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 1, 1996)
• Original Release Date: October 1, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VS5
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,789 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Squeezing Out Sparks was not only Parker's finest moment, but it still stands up today as one of rock's best albums. When it was first released in 1979, Arista simultaneously issued Live Sparks, a collection of live radiocasts that featured the same 10 songs in the same order plus the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" and Parker's kiss-off to his former label, "Mercury Poisoning." The latter package was made available only to radio stations and critics, but it was a riveting live record worth all of the $40 it commanded on the collectors' market. Now Arista has reissued the 10 studio tracks and the dozen live tracks on an invaluable single CD. Included are two versions each of rock's best pro-choice abortion song ("You Can't Be Too Strong") and best Hiroshima song ("Discovering Japan"). --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant and Sophisticated Ending to the Seventies, July 25, 2000

By	dev1 (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

Squeezing Out Sparks closes the seventies British pup rock era on a high note. Yes, the music is loose, unpretentious and back-to-basics rock & roll; however, there's something left out, and something new added. Gone is the rebellious "angry young man," and in his place is an intelligent adult burning with a need to speak his mind. Past the point of "playing for the hell of it," Parker's compositions are eloquent expressions of passion and understanding.

The emotional center of the album is the burning acoustic ballad `You Can't Be Too Strong.' I understand how the line "It's just a mistake I won't have to face / Don't give it a name, don't give it a place / Don't give it a chance, it's lucky in a way" is easily interpreted as an indictment of abortion. Another interpretation may be that Parker is resentful that after releasing three albums, critics have pigeonholed him as a "good time" pub rocker. `Passion Is No Ordinary Word' questions the selfish act of sexual conquest: "Everything's a thrill / And every girl's a kill / And then it gets unreal / And then you don't feel anything." And although critics may have approved of his previous work, Parker names himself as his worst enemy ("Nobody hurts you...harder than yourself" from `Nobody Hurts You'). `Love Gets You Twisted' again examines the value of romance, sex and relationships.

Parker faces his fears in `Protection' pleading "Turn off all the information," but is unable to escape to a safe haven. If peace and tranquility are not possible on Earth, they may be awaiting in the skies above (`Waiting for the UFO's'). Both `Saturday Nite Is Dead' and `Local Girls' are aggressive, peddle-to-the-metal rockers from the Rumour. Squeezing Out Sparks is a brilliant and sophisticated ending to the seventies ushering in, well, how about five skinny punks from New York.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, May 13, 2007

By	J. Seiwert "tcfsdom" (Wichita, KS United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an album that came close to changing my life! In 1978 I first heard this while browsing for vinyl at the local college record store. Parker and the Rumour were playing, introducing me to what we called "new wave" at the time. Trouser Press used to debate whether Elvis Costello or Graham Parker was the best band of this new era of rock and roll, giving the edge to Parker because of the back-up band! History may have chosen differently, but this is an album that can still bring a tingle to your spine! If you have not heard it, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen. If you like it, then you need to find a copy of "Live--Alone in America" to hear the most stripped down, soulful version of someone who completely "gets it" even if his talent is not singing, but interpreting.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Album From An Unheralded Song Writer, April 25, 2002

By	Gordon S. Clarry (Barrie, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is amazing that of all the names that emerged from the New Wave era that Graham Parker's name hasn't figured more prominently in North America. "Squeezing Out Sparks" combines great tunes with intelligent and thought provoking lyrics that covers a variety of subjects. The UFO craze of the 1970's and the future X-Files are covered in "Waiting For The UFO's". Teenage angst and hormones are addressed in "Local Girls" and "Saturday Night Is Dead". The album is in fact an amazing analysis of the human condition in "Nobody Hurts You", "You Can't Be Too Strong", "Passion Is No Ordinary Word", and "Don't Get Excited". All told, this is an album that never bores. The Live Sparks version adds an interesting dimension to an already memorable album.