A BOX OF...
Graham Parker - A BOX OF... Graham Parker [1976-2023] (56 x CDs)
Graham Parker was born in London in 1950, and by the mid‑1970s he emerged as one of Britain’s sharpest, most combustible songwriters. His voice, a wiry, soulful rasp, carried the urgency of rhythm and blues into the new era of pub rock and early new wave. Parker’s writing was always direct, emotional, and unafraid of social bite, but beneath the fire sat a craftsman with deep affection for American soul, Motown, and classic rock’n’roll. Over five decades he has recorded with a revolving cast of bands, most famously The Rumour, whose tight, soulful attack helped define his early sound. Parker’s catalogue is a long, restless journey: electric, acoustic, political, romantic, and always unmistakably his.
This A BOX OF... set gathers the full sweep of Parker’s recorded life, beginning with the explosive Mercury and Vertigo years. Howlin’ Wind (1976) and Heat Treatment (1976) introduced a songwriter who could fuse R&B punch with literate, bruised storytelling. The Rumour, a band of seasoned players with roots in soul, pub rock, and rhythm & blues, gave these early records their muscular drive, a sound that carried through The Up Escalator (1980) and the Stiff singles of the same era.
The Arista period brought a cleaner, more spacious production style. Albums like Another Grey Area (1982) and The Real Macaw (1983) showed Parker stretching into pop‑rock, balancing sharp hooks with reflective writing. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, The Mona Lisa’s Sister (1988), Human Soul (1989), Struck by Lightning (1991), Parker had settled into a confident, mature voice, blending acoustic textures with his trademark lyrical bite.
Across the 2000s and 2010s, Parker’s catalogue expanded again. Collaborations with The Figgs brought back the electric snap of his early years, heard on Songs of No Consequence (2005) and Imaginary Television (2010). Later albums such as Cloud Symbols (2018) reveal a songwriter comfortable in his skin: warm, witty, and still capable of sharp turns of phrase.
Throughout his career Parker recorded under many group configurations — Graham Parker & The Rumour, The Goldtops, The Episodes, The Latest Clowns, The Shot, The Small Clubs, The Twang Three, and others. Each ensemble brought a different shade to his music: the Rumour’s horn‑driven soul attack, the Figgs’ power‑pop energy, the stripped acoustic intimacy of his solo live recordings.
Stylistically, Parker’s music sits at the crossroads of pub rock, new wave, blue‑eyed soul, and roots‑driven rock’n’roll. His songs carry the emotional directness of soul, the punch of early punk, and the storytelling of classic singer‑songwriters. Across more than forty albums and countless live releases, Parker has remained fiercely committed to honest, human‑scale songwriting, sharp, melodic, and always alive. (B)
Included in this set are the following:
01 Albums
Howlin' Wind [1976]
Heat Treatment [1976]
Stick to Me [1977]
The Up Escalator [1980]
Another Grey Area [1982]
The Real Macaw [1983]
Steady Nerves [1985]
The Mona Lisa's Sister [1988]
Human Soul [1989]
Struck By Lightning [1991]
Burning Questions [1992]
12 Haunted Episodes [1995]
Acid Bubblegum [1996]
Loose Monkeys [1999]
Deepcut to Nowhere [2001]
King Biscuit Flower Hour [2003]
Your Country [2004]
Songs of No Consequence [2005]
Don't Tell Columbus [2007]
Carp Fishing on Valium [2009]
Imaginary Television [2010]
Three Chords Good [2012]
Mystery Glue [2015]
Cloud Symbols [2018]
Last Chance to Learn The Twist [2023]
02 Box Sets & Best Of
The Parkerilla [1978]
Squeezing Out Sparks [1979]
Passion is No Ordinary Word [1993]
Passion is No Ordinary Word CD1 [1993]
Passion is No Ordinary Word CD2 [1993]
Vertigo CD1 [1996]
Vertigo CD2 [1996]
Don't Ask Me Questions, The Best Of [2014]
These Dreams Will Never Sleep CD1 [2016]
These Dreams Will Never Sleep CD2 [2016]
These Dreams Will Never Sleep Cd3 [2016]
These Dreams Will Never Sleep CD4 [2016]
These Dreams Will Never Sleep CD5 [2016]
These Dreams Will Never Sleep CD6 [2016]
03 Live & Other
The Pink Parker (EP) [1977]
Live at Trent Poly Sports Hall, Nottingham 1977 [2019]
Live on The Test [1978]
Live at Marble Arch [1976]
Live at The Rainbow Music Hall [1979]
Live Sparks [1979]
Seattle [1979]
Sweet Home Chicago [1983]
1991/02/08 Hammersmith Odeon, London [1991]
Solo Acoustic (Bootleg) 08/02/1991 Hammersmith Odeon, London CD1 [1991]
Solo Acoustic (Bootleg) 08/02/1991 Hammersmith Odeon, London CD2 [1991]
1994 Graham Parker's Christmas Cracker [1994]
That's When You Know [2001]
The Official Art Vandelay Tapes V1 [2003]
The Official Art Vandelay Tapes Vol. 2 (Live, Remixes, alternate Takes etc.) [2005]
Reunion [2010]
Squeezing out Sparks, 40th Anniversary Acoustic Version [2019]
5 Old Souls (Live) [2021]
The Middlesex Demos [2022]
Movie
Graham Parker & The Rumour - This Is Live [2013]
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01 Albums
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02 Box Sets & Best Of
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03 Live & Other
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Movie
Graham Parker & The Rumour - This Is Live [2013]
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Track lists
Refer to the following page for track lists...
https://www.discogs.com/artist/289622-Graham-Parker
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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