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As
always, with an Ian Parker CD or concert there are so many different
levels to enter – it’s like a multi-storey car park. Does one examine
the superb singing voice or the stinging guitar technique? Maybe the
lyrics and emotions can wait for second play… or can they?
Having
promised, since the ‘Pilgrimage’, to return to his Blues roots, Ian has
now delivered the goods. And then some! The title track is a declaration
of intent which never wavers despite some drifts into Soul, Gospel and
even arena rock.
A
consummate performance sung with passion – sometimes restrained; almost
wrestled in; sometimes unbridled. Raw. Exciting. Emotive. And emotional.
Love
So Cold is certainly the nearest this selection veers towards
traditional Blues and it comes with startling guitar work. It reminds me
of an overheard comment at an Ian Parker show a year or so back ‘When he
goes off on a guitar solo, he takes you with him…’ I have no idea if
this was an original thought but it pertains equally to this CD and I
wish I’d thought of it.
With
Ian’s confidence in his own abilities seemingly at an all-time high, it
appears that the band – tighter than ever – have been allowed more
freedom to provide their personal input to the whole. Wayne Proctor and
Steve Amadeo on drums and bass offer more than a rhythmic backdrop to
Ian and Morg Morgan’ s
stylish melodies.
I really
like the tracks Before Our Eyes and Don’t Hold Back – both
compositions with several movements. Ian Parker has always worn his
heart on his sleeve (acknowledged in the latter track’s lyrics) but on
this CD, he wears his musical influences too – echoes of both Peter
Green and Led Zeppelin at their creative best to my ear. But absolutely,
convincingly and indisputably Ian Parker.
This
selection is mature, thoughtful, provocative. Always sincere. Ian has a
gift for language – not merely for the words but for the feel and
the context of the words. Could anyone else convincingly use the
words ‘altruistic, fraternising and meritocracy’ as lyric? Not your
standard fare but then there is nothing standard about this CD or,
indeed, this musician.
Dealing
not only with familiar territory of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, girl
comes back (boy is delighted) this represents a quantum leap for Ian as
a lyricist – the complexities of contemporary society are examined too.
And found wanting. There is, as one might expect, some self-examination
and personal battles here but this is no navel-gazing exercise.
Reviewing
CDs often involves brushing over a few tracks which the reviewer
considers substandard or just there to bulk out the product. Not so on
Where I Belong. Every track has a purpose, a verity, a raison
d’etre.
Ian
Parker is a craftsman. He has crafted his career on an evolution of his
thoughts, his immense talents and an open nod to his musical influences.
He crafts his songs as meticulously as any stonemason of old. He is both
the architect and the head of construction on the project. The end
result bears his hallmark in every block and every fill of mortar. It
gleams and shines above so much of the bland, manufactured pap flooding
the musical market.
And here
is the rub… Ian Parker, in seeking to return to his roots, has clearly
produced his most saleable CD to date. We, the guardians - the
custodians - of this precious musical genre must mutely accept the fact
that this CD deserves a wider airplay than we can offer within our
precious Blues community.
We have
jealously guarded the phenomenon that is Ian Parker during his formative
years. It must be with mixed emotions that we now have to release his
awesome, once in a Lifetime self upon a much-deserved wider audience. On
first play, I thought that 'Coming Home' was a song which could be
immensely successful within the mainstream (i.e. commercial) musical
marketplace. The trumpet intro kids you into thinking Herb Alpert has
wandered into the wrong studio but the song soon overtakes this
impression as it becomes progressively more impassioned. Subsequent
plays have reinforced my opinion. This song could be big.
Ian
Parker has a talent that has been unrushed. His is not an overnight
success. His talent has matured. He is not an X-Factor Will-(or
Shayne)-o’-the-wisp. His own focus and dedication to his vocation have
created a solid personal platform from which to embark. We must wish him
Godspeed as his journey to huge success takes him to new destinations.
But there may be a lump in our throats as we do…
If Ian
Parker believes that playing the Blues is where he belongs, I say
welcome home!
Blues
Show Bob, GTFM Blues Show – every Monday 10 to midnight |
