Squeezing Out Sparks

Number 334 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time:  Graham Parker, 'Squeezing Out Sparks'.  This 1979 release was Parker's fifth studio album and includes hit "Local Girls".  There is a reason why this record is on the list of the top 500.  It was album of the year in 1979 and has a sound of new wave pop and rock, a mix of two popular genres of the time period.  This is said to be his best album, and although he has several hits from other albums, it's the way this album was done along with the ten new wave songs.  Some say it's the consistency of the songs that makes this album the best, others believe it's the fact that it was a post-punk record, and then there are the people who just feel the album was a huge success because it's, well, Graham Parker.  There's a reason why he was and is so popular.

Graham Parker

I am officially very jealous of my parents. They are seeing Graham Parker and the Rumour tonight and I wish I was there.
Graham Parker is a fantastic musician who has had several hits such as "Temporary Beauty" and "Local Girls". To me, he sounds a bit like Elvis Costello, actually to the point where I sometimes get their voices confused.
The English-born singer-songwriter has been in a band from about the age of 12 [wikipedia.com] and says that all he wants to do is "send a shiver up people's spines" (NME - February 1979).
Now at 62-years-old, he is still going strong, performing places for our entertainment.