Book Review: Graham Parker’s Howlin’ Wind

On the face of it, an entire book dealing with the first album by Graham Parker and the Rumour might seem a bit excessive. While Howlin’ Wind is an important work and a superb debut, it represents a small slice of Parker’s body of work. Better, perhaps, to author a career overview with Howlin’ Wind as a major highlight?

Author Jay Nachman doesn’t see things that way, and after reading Graham Parker’s Howlin’ Wind, I am wholly convinced of the wisdom of his decision. While in some ways Nachman’s book is a biography of Parker’s life (up to 1976, anyway) in truth it’s much more than that. Nachman’s keen and deep appreciation and understanding of Parker’s music and artistry equips him to present a story that’s balanced in its emphases. With the help of quotes from Graham Parker and his associates (Parker and the Rumour are actually co-credited as authors!), Nachman dispels some long-held ideas about what was and was not “pub rock,” and how that critics’ retroactive invention (see also: freakbeat, proto-punk) glossed over some important qualities of the music being made in the ‘70s.

Nachman recognizes that Graham Parker’s work deserves discussion and consideration alongside that of higher profile artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison. He’s also unafraid to credit those artists as formative influences upon Parker’s work.

The book gets into some music criticism and analysis, but does so in a way that won’t fly over the heads of non-musos. Nachman writes with economy and wit (though free from snark) and his well-cultivated love for the music shines through on every page. He never oversells Parker, but readers who come to the book thinking, “Hey, Graham Parker’s a pretty fine artist” are likely to come away with an understanding that he’s much more than that. And rightly so. And like all of the best works of its type, Nachman’s Graham Parker’s Howlin’ Wind will not only lead readers back to its musical subject, but to the subsequent releases from this powerful and still wonderfully vital singer-songwriter.