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THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Alan Sculley writes about pop and rock music for a number of publications.
FOR MUCH of his career, whenever Graham Parker's name appeared in print, it was usually attached to a label such as "rock's angry man."
It's not hard to see how that image came about. Many of Parker's early songs were defined by his ability to mix venom and humor with pinpoint accuracy. Anyone who's heard Parker's broadside against his original record label, "Mercury Poisoning," has encountered a classic example.
But with his latest CD, "12 Haunted Episodes," Parker may finally succeed in exploding that image. Despite its title, "12 Haunted Episodes" is defined most by several upbeat romantic tunes, including "Partner for Life," "Pollinate" (one of the most ingenious tunes about sex you're likely to hear), "Next Phase," and especially "First Day of Spring," which opens with this couplet:
The sky might be massive up above
But it's not as blue as love.
Clearly not the words one would expect from an angry rocker.
Song for song, "12 Haunted Episodes" may contain more optimism than any other Parker album, but he's been showing a softer side for some time - as Parker is more than willing to point out.
"It's a pigeonhole kind of thing," Parker said. "Because there is no image of me, really, the press have to make an image. ....