Graham Parker's Enduring Genius

Graham Parker has been kicking around for better than three decades now, and while some critics and all but his most faithful fans gave up on him back in the mid-80s, the truth is that ol’ GP has cranked out some damn good music during the interim. Never really obsessed with following trends, Parker has managed to mature and evolve as an artist without discarding the wit, humor and energy that made his work so essential in the first place. It’s telling that Don’t Tell Columbus, his third album for indie Bloodshot Records, finds the artist advancing further into singer/songwriter territory with a terrific collection of material.

It’s the songs that take center stage on Don’t Tell Columbus, and there’s not a daft move in these grooves. “I Discovered America,” from which the album’s title is based (get it?!), is a rollicking road trip of vivid memories and shared truths, Parker finding creative and spiritual renewal in his adopted homeland. “England’s Latest Clown” is a nifty little tale of vanity delivered with no little vitriol, Parker allegedly slamming the excesses of rocker Peter Doherty; but the shoe would fit just as well on many an out-of-control celebrity, both in the U.K. and stateside. “Ambiguous” is a jaunty little tale of non-descript madness, Parker’s tongue firmly planted in cheek as he attempts to take the middle ground with his life ‘cause it don’t really matter which way you swing these days, and “the meek inherit the earth from their friends the scum.”

Parker’s long-standing reputation as one of rock’s angry young men hasn’t mellowed much with age, and as a songwriter he can still bite like a rattlesnake. Vexed by President Bush’s incompetence where it comes to the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Parker uses this as a blueprint to discuss the administration’s stupidity on a number of fronts. Letting loose with the shotgun blast of “Stick To The Plan,” Parker sings “don’t pay no attention to what the experts say, too much intelligence gets in the way,” revealing the hypocrisy and arrogance of the Bush crew not only on New Orleans, but also in their approach to the environment, education (or lack thereof) and their absolute faith in religion in the face of reality.

Most of Don’t Tell Columbus is fairly laid-back and introspective, however, Parker waxing nostalgic on “Suspension Bridge” as he ponders the afterlife in comparing the deaths of the men that built the bridge with the loss of his parents. It’s a moving song, gentle in its handling with sparse instrumentation and a fine, emotional vocal performance. “Love Or Delusion” is a relatively upbeat tune, one befitting of a full rock-n-roll band treatment, with intricate lyrics, passionate vocals and an engaging arrangement while “Bullet Of Redemption” shuffles along, offering perhaps the most poetic portrayal of love’s power (good and bad) that I’ve heard in a long time.

Parker put together a skeletal band for Don’t Tell Columbus, playing most of the stringed instruments himself with drummer Mike Gent and keyboardist Ryan Barnum adding flourishes where needed. Most of the songs are mid-tempo singer-songwriter fare with definite folk influences and a bit of country vibe. Parker’s sound has always been reasonably roots-rock based, a cross between British pub-rock twang and deep South soul, and Don’t Tell Columbus doesn’t stray far from original Graham in spirit.

The songs here are all brilliantly outlined, with clever, intelligent lyrics paired with appropriately subdued instrumentation. Three decades after he blew us away with a “Howlin’ Wind,” Graham Parker continues to surprise, entertain, and make us think with his words. While many of his contemporaries have either retired or slinked off to the sheltered world of classical music, Parker is still trying to grab the tail of eternal truth and shake some sense out of the world. Bravo! (Bloodshot Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Don't Tell Columbus from Amazon.com)