Squeezing Out Sparks was released in March, 1977 and marked a change in Parker’s style. He dropped his horn section and moved more in line with New Wave. The guitars & fast pace are front and centre. His songwriting excellence and gritty tone remain, though, and I think crank it up a notch. He’s not shy at all about taking on social issues, such as abortion. Critics and fans feel this is his best record. Here’s a review on the album.
Interesting that Graham Parker, Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson seem to be compared with each other. I think that it’s because they were all at the start of New Wave in the late ’70’s and were all English singer songwriters, with their own twists. This 1977-80 period is my preferred era for all these guys. Here are their releases over this period.
| Graham Parker | Elvis Costello | Joe Jackson |
| Howlin’ Wind – April 1976 | ||
| Heat Treatment – October, 1976 | ||
| My Aim is True – July 1977 | ||
| Stick It To Me – October, 1977 | ||
| This Year’s Model – March 1978 | ||
| Armed Forces – January, 1979 | Look Sharp – January, 1979 | |
| Squeezing Out Sparks – March, 1979 | ||
| I’m The Man – October, 1979 | ||
| Get Happy! – February, 1980 | ||
| The Up Escalator – May 1980 | ||
| Beat Crazy – October, 1980 |