Search - Graham Parker, Rumour :: Live in San Francisco 1979

Get Excited!

Timothy P. Young | Rawlins, WY, USA | 01/24/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's only one way to describe this album--awesome. In 1979, Graham Parker was at the peak of his powers--a top selling album with Squeezing Out Sparks, and several tours into his association with the Rumour, one of the best live bands of the 70s. This show from San Francisco hits all the great moments from the aforementioned album, as well as tunes from previous albums, and each and every one of them sounds better in this iteration than they did in the studio.



Bob Andrew's keyboards lend piano flourishes to songs such as "Discovering Japan" and "Back to Schooldays," which adds a new texture to songs that were already great on record. Brinsley Schwartz is at his best, his lead guitar weaving in and out of each song, bringing something new to it while still serving the song. Bodnar and Goulding keep things pinned down nicely, and Martin Belmont's second guitar provides the perfect backing for Brinsley to do his thing.



And then there's Parker himself. His songs, always urgent, gain even more immediacy in this setting...every song seems to be a matter of life and death to Parker at this point, and his vocals show that without becoming histrionic at any point. From sharp to soft to full throated, you'll never hear Parker sing better than this.



This album is electric in all the right ways. The few bits of stage patter that are included here sound a little bit forced, but that just adds to the tension. Compared to the easy banter of his excellent 1988 acoustic tour documented on Live! Alone in America, Parker here sounds like someone who wants nothing more than to get back to sharing the music. And that's a very good thing here.



For those of you who are fortunate enough to already have 'Live Sparks,' the promo album included on the first 'Squeezing Out Sparks' remaster 13 years ago, and are therefore waffling about this one (same tour, after all), this is completely worth it. To have a full show from that era, and not just live versions of the 'Sparks' songs makes this into a must-buy.



Parker's always been good, often great, but rarely better than here. Get excited."

Great live recording!

Noise2Go | Philadelphia, PA | 01/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The is a great sounding live recording of Graham Parker and The Rumour during the best time of their career together. I was lucky enough to see them twice during this tour in 1979, once at the Spectrum (opening for Cheap Trick), and later that summer as headliners at the Shubert Theater in Philadelphia. This CD brings back great memories of those smokin' hot shows. If you love GP, you will love this complete show. Includes a spirited Mercury Poisioning, and ode to their former label."

GP & the Rumour @ their peak

R. C. Brooks | Mission Viejo, CA United States | 04/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First I would like to thank Dean for Dean & [...] for resurrecting this recording. I was fortunate enough to see Parker and team during this period and have tried to collect everything recorded ... from Live at the Marble Arch (wonderful) to the Live on the Test (not so much), and several others. IMHO, this does the best job of capturing one of the truly electrifying groups of the period. Graham Parker's songs are probably best experienced on his studio recordings, but the Rumour needs to be heard live. Always grounded by an incredibly tight rhythm section, I always loved the guitar interplay between Brinsley Schwartz and Martin Belmont. However, I must admit that on this recording Bob Andrews keyboards really shine.



If you have any interest in GP & the Rumour, you need to snatch this one up. The sound and mastering is just fine. However, heed GP's warning that like their live shows during that period it captures them at breakneck speed, "in our usual rocket launch mode." Finding this recording has been a real joy and brings back a lot of very pleasant memories."