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Book Review: Sleepless in Bangkok
Graham Parker and The Rumour - “Squeezing Out Sparks” by Mott the Dog ***** 5 Star Rating If they ever write the film score to Pattaya, they do not need to look any further than this album for the soundtrack. Just take a look at the song titles to get a quick idea; in fact they should write the film around these songs. In 1979 in the after glow of pub-rock, Graham Parker was leading the pack being tipped as the next big thing to follow in the footsteps of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springstien, et all. Well it never happened but there was some high quality stuff before he sunk back into mediocrity, and this collection of songs highlights the twisted genius that was Graham Parker at this time. Backed by the equivalent of a pub rock super group, they blazed a trail through the musical hemisphere, with the dapper Brinsley Schwarz & the laddish Martin Belmont on lead guitars, Andrew Bodnar & Steve Goulding nailing down a rock steady beat & the quite frankly mad Bob Andrews on keyboards, they were as tight as the preverbal duck’s back. The album is superbly produced by the normally erratic genius of Jack Nietsche who came to fame working with Phil Spectre. Here he keeps every song sharp & concise, with its own uniqueness, keeping the band on, whilst never letting them cut completely loose, except possibly on the last song where Belmont & Schwarz get a chance to fly. “Squeezing Out Sparks” was not only Parker’s finest moment, but it still stands up today as a classic rock album. When it was first released, Arista also released a promotional live album, only distributed to radio stations and such, that featured the same songs in the same order just in a live setting plus a cover version of the Jackson 5, “I Want You Back” & Parkers vitriolic kiss off to his former label “Mercury Poisoning”. In the latest release of “Squeezing Out Sparks” these extra 12 radio recordings have been added on as bonus tracks making this a very good quality & quantity CD. Although the album is chock a block full of great up tempo Parker songs, the emotional center of the album is the slow burning acoustic ballad, “You Can’t Be To Strong”. Parker’s anti - abortion statement with the wince inducing lyrics “Did they tear it out with talons of steel, and give you a shot, so that you wouldn’t feel & washed it away as if it wasn’t real. It’s just a mistake, you 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.” With lyrics like this the critics were never able to pigeon hole Graham Parker and the Rumour as mere good time pub rockers. Sadly, after this album Graham Parker very much seemed to lose his way, but we have this album to remember what a powerful time we had of it all and remember as Graham Parker said in his previous single “Silly Thing”, “If it aint got that swing it don’t mean a thing”. Graham Parker - Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar
Track Listing 1. Discovering Japan
By Poppy This is a surefire heart-tugger, a well-made movie where Keanu Reeves as Conor O’Neill plays a down and out gambler who is living like a slob in a shabby apartment and hanging out at his local tavern, where his passion for betting on sports has plunged him $7,000 in debt. Facing serious threats if he doesn’t pay up, Conor turns to an old pal, Jimmy (Mike McGlone), a successful investment banker, who’s fed up with Conor’s errant ways and has an idea for Conor to take his place as coach of the Kekambas, a kids’ baseball team sponsored by Jimmy’s corporate employer, for $500 a week pay.
Gradually, Conor discovers just how important the team is to the boys in building their self-esteem and what a tremendous challenge their parents face in raising children in so dangerous and negative an environment. In the process, he comes to realize how important it is to take seriously their teacher’s insistence on learning. The teacher is Elizabeth (Diane Lane), a lovely but strict teacher at the local catholic school. Naturally, there’s a spark between Conor and Elizabeth. This movie is loosely based on the real experiences of writer Daniel Coyle, who coached in Chicago’s infamous Cabrini-Green projects. These kids, and the dangers they face every day, will break your heart. Directed by Brian Robbins Cast: Keanu Reeves, Diane Lane, D.B. Sweeney, John Hawkes, Trevor Morgan, Sterling Elijah Brim, Mike McGlone, Kristopher Lofton, Michael B. Jordan, A. Delon Ellis Jr., Alexander Telles, Brian Reed, Michael Perkins, Bryan Hearne, Julian Griffith, Carol B. Hall, DeWayne Warren, Michael Jordan, and Stephen Cinabro.
Updated every Friday Updated by
Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk. |
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The
language used is forthright and you are left in no doubt as to the sexual
proclivities of the principal characters. For example, “Confirming yet
again that the way to the top is through the bottom, Rupert had served his
time as a closet queen and an officer in Her Majesty’s armed forces.”
Mott’s CD review:
Andrew
Bodnar - Bass
Conor
finds unexpected salvation in coaching these adolescent baseball players in
a bleak and dangerous Chicago ghetto housing project.