European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Entertainment caught in the act Graham Parker the say they want you for your colourful evocation the Way you turn a cliche into a sensation hut All they Ever wanted was that same vibration the one that shimmers around Success. A so t Ess. Cham Parker Story and photo by Paul Batterson if Success in Rock music were measured in Clever lyrical twists and entertaining guitar riffs Graham Parker would probably be a household name. Instead Parker a precursor of Punk Rock who has been compared to Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen arid Elvis costello is still performing in Small Halls and releasing a string of critically acclaimed though poorly Selling albums. Yet in this age of laser lights smoke machines and extravagant sets Parker has Learned that less May be Best when it comes to live shows. Armed with Only a bar Stool two guitars and a pair of his trademark sunglasses Parker thrilled a Par ked House at the Luxor in Cologne Germany last week. \ the Smoky Luxor seemed to be the Porfe backdrop for Parker one of the More Sulci Soful graduates the British pub scene in a style similar to what he displays 00 his Solo album live alone Parker breezed through a 90-minu.te, mostly Acou Slac Sot without a backup band. Opening with watch the Moon come Down he kit ked into an assortment of his favourites and crowd pleases. The ballads the three Martini lunch from live alone and Don t let it break you Down from 1988 s the Mona Lisa s sister received rousing responses. A vast portion of the show s material came from the Mona Lisa s sister. That album which was rejected by Parker s former record Label Atlantic Cost Ria Only $60,000 to make and landed a spot on rolling Stone Magazine s top 100 albums of the 1980s. Most of Parker s older selections a the ones he originally recorded with backup bands the Rumour and later the shot a took on new meaning when stripped Down to the Bare essentials. The acoustic renditions of you can t be too Strong an anti abortion song on the 1979 album squeezing out Sparks seemed More Stark and poignant than the original full orchestrated version. Parker did t stick Only with his own material. The guitarist showed his influences selecting an interesting mix of tunes from the who s substitute to Bob Marley s no woman no cry to sitting on a Fence an obscure tune by the rolling stones. His most Peculiar Choice was Billy idols 5vveef sixteen. Quot i have been w or Kingon his sneer Quot Parker told the audience using a guitar pick to raise his upper lip into idol s trademark Smirk. From Start to rollicking finish with hey lord Don t ask me questions Parker delivered a fresh and Lively set that did t gel lost in a Haze of technicolor smoke. Parker is touring Europe to promote his latest album struck by lightning. Hell be performing at the Fabrik in Hamburg Germany March 18, anti at the town amp country club in London March 30. Paul Bai Teison is a Iree Lance writer living in of Ank Turt German Chart top a singles 1 All the Man that i need Waif they Houston 2 someday Man a Carey a 3 one More try Timmy t 4 where does my heart beat now Celine Don 5, Gonna make you sweat a amp a music factory least eng Freedom Williams 6 wicked game Chris Isaak 7 show me the Way styx 8 All this time sting 9 around the Way girl l l 10 coming out of the dark 6 i d love you All Over again Alan Jackson 7 i could t see you leavin Conway Twitty 8. Little things Marty Stuart 9 two of a kind. Work1n on a full House Garth Brooks 10 what a Way to go a Ray Kennedy ramp by singles coot j Gloria Esteban top a up s 1 Mariah Carey Manah Carey 2 to the extreme Vanilla a Cen a 3 the soul cages sting 4 please Hammer Don t Hurt Emaj c Hammer 5 i m your baby tonight Whitney Houston 6 Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips 7 into the night Gina Sielan 8 the Simpsons sing the blues the Simpsons 9 the immaculate collection Madonna 10 some people s lives Bette Mirin or country a singles t walk on f Arth in to firt a ? if you want me Tojo Ihie 3 brother Jukebox Maizc . 4 Loving bund k amp Don i Tell me what to do Pam t All the Man that i need Whitney Houston 2 something in my heart Michelle 3 written All Over your face rude boys 4 when will i see you smile again Bell big Devoe 5 All season Levert 6 Don t let me Down o jays 7 this House Tracie Spencer 8 fairy tales Aorta Baker a 9 Gonna make you sweat a amp a music factory featuring Freedom Williams 10 i like the Way i five jazz a albums 1 we Ahe in love Harry Conick or 2 alone with three giants Marcus Roehs 3 roots revisited Maceo Parker 4 you won t forget me Shirley Horn 5 Auve Chi Corea 6 dropping things Betty Carter 7 african Exchange student Kenny a Mitt h f redo in Freeloader Jon hersooncks.-.-.-. A extensions Dave Holland. �?�1 to inf. In tomorrow the Ong Inai sound Lack Wynton masa1 is compiled by Iii Doardt from a distance strikes a chord by Jean Marbelia Baltimore Sun imagine that you hate War a a its senselessness its Cost auction its All out inhumanity a and so you write a song expressing that. But no one s particularly interested in hearing it until an actual War starts. Quot it s sadly ironic that the song is meaningful now Quot said Julie Gold who Fias watched from a distance a song she wrote five a ars ago become an unofficial Anthem of the persian Gulf War. 1 the Ballad performed by Belle Midler won the song of the year grammy last week and is one of the most frequently requested songs both on radio stations in the United states and on armed forces radio in saudi Arabia. The Wistful affecting tune has struck the proverbial chord . Perhaps it is emblematic of the. Mood surrounding the War a it s not an angry song but a melancholy one a Call to Harmony rather than to arms or even to protest. Quot to hear people Tell me what i be done to affect their lives. I had a woman crying on the phone to me. They say it s Given them strength a Gold said. From a distance is the first recorded work for the 35-year-old songwriter. In fact it was t so Long ago that Gold supported herself by demonstrating vacuum cleaners and working in a venetian Blind factory. A native of Philadelphia w to moved to new York after College Gold has been writing songs just about forever. Although she quit her last Quot Day jobs 18 months ago to concentrate on songwriting it was t until from a i stance became so popular that she Felt that she d arrived. The song was rejected All around until her Friend Christine Lavin a Folk artist started pushing it and struck Home with Singer Nanci Griffith. That version recorded three years ago became a no. 1 hit in Ireland. Quot she sings it in Belfast and catholics and protestants embrace a Gold said. Since then some 20 artists including the Byrds Judy Collins and Kathy Mattea have covered it. The song sprang naturally from her own life said cold. Quot growing up in the 60s, the Vietnam War civil rights a i write from that experience. To me it s a larger comment on a she said she hates War but supports the warriors in this Case. Quot i m heartbroken that we Are at War again. But i support the president. I do Quot she said. Quot what s happening right now is a necessary evil. I wish it was Bette Midler s version of from a distance has become the unofficial Anthem of the Gulf War. 4 strips. Maga inv february 2h, 1991
