Graham Parker

Don't Tell Columbus

2007-04-17

Kicking things off with the Dylanesque "Discovered America" where he throws Christopher Columbus aside and claims to have discovered the real America, Graham Parker applies his razor sharp wit to everything from jabs at England’s royal family, "England’s Latest Clown," to the perils of taking a stand, "Ambiguous," the gulf that can develop in relationships, "The Other Side of the Reservoir", being locked in the past, "Suspension Bridge", and the disastrous consequences of staying the course in the face of evidence that the course is uninformed at best, "Stick to the Plan", which ought to have Karl Rove and his boy President pretty honked off. Clearly, Parker hasn’t mellowed with age and has no intentions of making nice when he sees things that strike him as wrong. While Parker can get a bit wordy for those who like their lyrics delivered in short verses with a repeating chorus he uses everything from doo-wop to crunchy heartland rock riffs worthy of a Mellencamp disc to help all the words find a home in your consciousness. Overall, this is another fine effort from this consistently engaging artist. Smitty

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