 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(April 2024) |
| Stick to Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1977 | |||
| Recorded | Eden Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 36:44 | |||
| Label | Vertigo, Mercury | |||
| Producer | Nick Lowe | |||
| Graham Parker chronology | ||||
| ||||
Stick to Me is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and the Rumour, released in 1977. [1]
Parker, interviewed by Steve Hammer, recalled the making of the album:
...for Stick to Me, we had an 80-piece string section playing. But the whole album had to be scrapped because the master tape was leaking oxide or something. The producer, again, didn't seem to spot it. We saw this black stuff coming off the tapes but he didn't notice it. When we came to mix it, it was un-mixable. The hi-hat was leaking through all the tracks. It was a nightmare, because we had a tour coming up. In those days I had a manager, and managers are always saying, "We have to play in Sweden now," like that's the most important thing to do. So we re-made the record in a week with Nick Lowe. It's not what I wanted at all. It's a very intense, grungy-sounding record, but I kind of like it now for that reason. I think people are trying to get that sound now, and have been since the late '80s, when we finally got rid of that Phil Collins drum sound and got real again. If a band made a record like that now, it would be hailed as a great low-fi record. But in those days, of course, the American press panned it. They thought I should sound like Boston or Journey or something. They thought I should have a slicker sound. But they had a point. [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A− [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [5] |
| Q | [6] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10 [8] |
| Uncut | [9] |
Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh found that Stick to Me lacks highlights on the level of the best songs from Parker's previous releases and criticized its production, which he said "obscures the songs' drive and power, making murky some of the most lucid music around." [10]
Critical opinion of Stick to Me generally ranks it below their first two albums, Howlin' Wind and Heat Treatment . An undeniable shortcoming is the sound: the sessions suffered from a production mishap. [3] The original recording was ruined, and all the songs needed to be rerecorded hastily. This accounts for the absence of bonus tracks on reissues – there weren't any leftovers.
All songs written by Graham Parker except as indicated.
Additional personnel
| Chart (1977–78) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [11] | 35 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [12] | 17 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [13] | 29 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [14] | 19 |
| US Billboard 200 [15] | 125 |
Graham Thomas Parker is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.
Avalon is the eighth and final studio album by the English rock band Roxy Music, released on 28 May 1982 by E.G. Records, and Polydor. It was recorded between 1981 and 1982 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, and is regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of the band's later work. It has been credited with pioneering the sophisti-pop genre.
Flag is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor released on May 1, 1979. The album included songs from Taylor's music score to Stephen Schwartz's Broadway musical, Working, based on the book by Studs Terkel.
Discipline is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 22 September 1981 by E.G. Records in the United Kingdom and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States.
Caribou is the eighth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 24 June 1974 by MCA Records in the US and on 28 June by DJM Records in the UK. It was his fourth chart-topping album in the United States and his third in the United Kingdom. The album contains the singles "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", which reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart and number two in the US, and "The Bitch Is Back", which reached number 15 in the UK and number four in the US. Both singles reached number one in Canada on the RPM 100 national Top Singles Chart, as did the album itself.
Street Hassle is the eighth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in February 1978 by Arista Records. Richard Robinson and Reed produced the album. It is the first commercially released pop album to employ binaural recording technology. Street Hassle combines live concert tapes and studio recordings.
Bob Dylan at Budokan is a live album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released August 1978 on Columbia Records in Japan only, followed by a worldwide release in April 1979. It was recorded during his 1978 world tour and is composed mostly of the artist's "greatest hits". The performances in the album are radically altered from the originals, using almost all the musicians that played on Street-Legal, but relying on a much larger band and stronger use of woodwind and backing singers. In some respects the arrangements are more conventional than the original arrangements, for which the album was criticized. For a few critics, such as Janet Maslin of Rolling Stone, the differences between the older and newer arrangements had become less important.
Roxy Music is the debut studio album by English rock band Roxy Music, released on 16 June 1972 by Island Records.
Metamorphosis is the third compilation album of the Rolling Stones music released by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records after the band's departure from Decca and Klein. Released in 1975, Metamorphosis centres on outtakes and alternate versions of well-known songs recorded from 1964 to 1970.
Let's Stick Together is a 1976 album by Bryan Ferry. His third solo release, it was his first following the disbanding of Roxy Music earlier in the year. Unlike Ferry's two previous solo releases, Let’s Stick Together was not a dedicated album project, instead predominately made up of singles, B-sides, and an EP. Three tracks were exclusive to the LP, all remakes of Roxy Music tracks: "Casanova", "2HB", and "Chance Meeting". It had a generally favourable critical reception, but only just made the UK Top 20.
The Mona Lisa's Sister is a 1988 album by Graham Parker. It was Parker's first album for RCA following an acrimonious split with Atlantic and the first he produced himself. The "stripped-down" sound of the album garnered critical acclaim and presaged a back-to-basics trend in rock music in the 1990s. It was re-released by Buddah Records in 1999 with a bonus track, "Ordinary Girl", the B-side to "Get Started. Start a Fire". The album debuted at #132 on Billboard 200 Album chart on 28 May 1988, peaking at #77.
Too Long in Exile is the twenty-second studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. The album was produced by Morrison and draws on urban blues and soul jazz sounds, including collaborations with John Lee Hooker and Georgie Fame. Released in 1993 by Polydor Records, Too Long in Exile received positive reviews from most critics and reached #4 on the UK Albums Chart. It reached #29 in the US, Van Morrison's highest ranking since 1978's Wavelength (#28) and until 1999's Back on Top (#28).
The Dream of the Blue Turtles is the debut solo album by English musician Sting, released in June 1985. The album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the US Billboard 200.
Heat Treatment is the second album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and his band The Rumour, released in October 1976. A close follow-up to Parker's debut album Howlin' Wind, Heat Treatment was well received by critics and contains signature Parker songs like the rollicking title track, "Pourin' It All Out", and "Fool's Gold". "That's What They All Say" is a Dylan-esque putdown from a realist perspective, while "Turned Up Too Late" was perhaps Parker's most emotionally mature composition to date. "Black Honey" is a dark, downcast sequel to the debut's upbeat first track "White Honey". "Hotel Chambermaid" was covered many years later by Rod Stewart. The Rumour was credited on the back cover and the label, but not on the album's front cover.
Howlin' Wind is the debut album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and his band the Rumour, released in April 1976. The Rumour were mainly former pub rock musicians, including guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and keyboardist Bob Andrews of the band Brinsley Schwarz; Parker's recent jobs included working as a petrol pump attendant. The music is a blend of rock and roll, R&B, reggae and folk music, behind Parker's searingly intelligent lyrics and passionate vocals. Critics likened Parker's spirit to British punk rock, then in its early stage, and retrospectively to that of singer-songwriters Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, who would release their debut records within a few years of Howlin' Wind.
Squeezing Out Sparks is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and his band the Rumour. The album was released in March 1979. Although the Rumour were not credited on the cover, their name was included on the album label.
Aretha is the thirty-first studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, originally released on October 27, 1986, by Arista Records. It is the third album with the Aretha title to be released by Franklin, following her 1961 album and 1980 album.
The Real Macaw is an album by Graham Parker, released in 1983.
The Parkerilla is a 1978 live double album by Graham Parker and The Rumour. It was recorded at Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, Manchester Opera House, Apollo Theatre, Oxford and The Palladium, New York City; and mixed at Rockfield Studios, Wales.
Escape Artist is an album by Garland Jeffreys, released in 1981 by Epic Records. The album originally included the EP Escapades. The cover photography is by Anton Corbijn.
