Generally regarded as Graham Parker's finest album, Squeezing Out Sparks is a masterful fusion of pub rock classicism, new wave pop, and pure vitriol that makes even his most conventional singer/songwriter numbers bristle with energy.
Not only does Parker deliver his best, most consistent set of songs, but he offers more succinct hooks than before -- "Local Girls" and "Discovering Japan" are powered by quirky hooks that make them new wave classics.
But Parker's new pop inclinations are tempered by his anger, which seethes throughout the hard rockers and even his quieter numbers.
Throughout Squeezing Out Sparks, Graham spits out a litany of offenses that make him feel like an outsider, but he's not a liberal, he's a conservative.
The record's two centerpieces -- "Passion Is No Ordinary Word" and the anti-abortion "You Can't Be Too Strong" -- indicate that his traditionalist musical tendencies are symptomatic of a larger conservative trend.
But no one ever said conservatives made poor rock & rollers, and Parker's ruminations over a lost past give him the anger that fuels Squeezing Out Sparks, one of the great rock records of the post-punk era.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discovering JapanGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:26 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 2 | Local GirlsGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:34 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 3 | Nobody Hurts YouGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:39 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 4 | You Can't Be Too StrongGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 5 | Passion Is No Ordinary WordGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 6 | Love Gets You TwistedGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 02:58 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 7 | ProtectionGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:50 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 8 | Waiting for the UFOsGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:07 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 9 | Don't Get ExcitedGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:03 | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| 10 | Mercury PoisoningGraham Parker | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:09 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | I Want You BackBerry Gordy, Jr., Alphonso Mizell, Freddie Perren, Deke Richards | Graham Parker, Graham Parker & the Rumour | Play | 03:26 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 12 | Saturday Night Is Dead | Graham Parker | Play | 03:17 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 41 mins | 94 MB | |||||
| 41 mins | 263 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob Andrews | Keyboards, Vocals (Background) |
| 2 | Martin Belmont | Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals (Background) |
| 3 | Phil Bodger | Studio Assistant |
| 4 | Andrew Bodnar | Bass, Drums |
| 5 | Berry Gordy, Jr. | Composer |
| 6 | Steve Goulding | Drums, Percussion, Vocals (Background) |
| 7 | Mark Howlett | Engineer, Mastering |
| 8 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 9 | Robin McBride | Mastering |
| 10 | Alphonso Mizell | Composer |
| 11 | Jack Nitzsche | Producer |
| 12 | Graham Parker | Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Liner Notes, Performer, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 13 | Graham Parker & the Rumour | Performer, Primary Artist |
| 14 | Freddie Perren | Composer |
| 15 | Deke Richards | Composer |
| 16 | Jeff Sanders | Mastering |
| 17 | Brinsley Schwarz | Guitar, Vocals (Background) |
| 18 | Nigel Williamson | Liner Notes |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |