I thought Graham Parker would be a big star back in the seventies, but it didn’t happen, even though, unlike some of his contemporaries, everyone liked him personally. There were a number of reasons for that, but the biggest one was his songwriting–it was good, but not quite good enough.
(That said, Parker is the author of my favorite first line of a pop song: “The Mona Lisa’s sister doesn’t smile.” Runner-up: “When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school.”)
“Cloud Symbols” is consistent with the rest of Parker’s career. It features more horns than guitars, and sounds somewhat similar (at least to me) to some of his early records, most notably “Heat Treatment.” It’s pleasant enough, but nothing in it is memorable. I listened to it a few times and put it away, probably forever.
Of the five old guy CDs I bought over the last two months, “Cloud Symbols” is easily the least interesting. With that, my music mini-series comes to an end.