Struck by Lightning | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1991 | |||
Genre | Rock, pop | |||
Label | Demon RCA [1] | |||
Producer | Graham Parker | |||
Graham Parker chronology | ||||
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Struck by Lightning is a solo album by the English musician Graham Parker, released in 1991. [2] [3] It was Parker's best selling album of the 1990s, reaching number 131 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. [4]
Produced by Parker, Struck by Lightning was recorded in Woodstock, New York. [5] [6] Jay Ungar, Larry Hoppen, and Garth Hudson contributed to the album. [7] [8] [9] Pete Thomas played drums; Cindy Cashdollar played lap steel and dobro. [10] [11] John Sebastian played autoharp on "She Wants So Many Things". [12] Parker played all of the guitar parts. [13]
Many of the album's songs are about getting older and family life. [14] "Ten Girls Ago" references Parker's former drug addiction. [15] "They Murdered the Clown" and "When I Was King" are about the music business. [16]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [17] |
Calgary Herald | B [18] |
Chicago Tribune | [19] |
Los Angeles Times | [20] |
Orlando Sentinel | [12] |
Rolling Stone | [21] |
The Tampa Tribune | [7] |
Vancouver Sun | [10] |
The Milwaukee Sentinel wrote that "Parker is obviously trying to stake out his own vision of what a middle-aged rock musician ought to be." [22] The Boston Globe determined that, "musically, he's still playing in the melodic pop area that's been his stomping ground for some time." [23] The Los Angeles Times stated that "Dylan's John Wesley Harding, Smokey Robinson and early Van Morrison are among the key stylistic and spiritual touchstones here." [20]
The Austin American-Statesman concluded that Struck by Lightning "completes his transformation from British firebrand to Woodstock family man, though it retains both the emotional edge and lyrical incisiveness that have long distinguished his best work." [24] The Chicago Tribune wrote that the album "sounds as intimate as a living-room jam session." [19] The Calgary Herald deemed the songs "solid, workmanlike efforts." [18]
CD Version:
Vinyl version:
Side One
Side Two
Bonus EP, Side One
Bonus EP, Side Two
Chart (1991) | Peak position |
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United States (Billboard 200) [4] | 131 |
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