Stick to Me

Stick to Me is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and his first group, the Rumour.

For the album's title track, see Stick to Me (song).
Stick to Me
Studio album by
Graham Parker
ReleasedOctober 1977
RecordedEden Studios, London
GenreRock
Length36:44
LabelVertigo, Mercury
ProducerNick Lowe
Graham Parker chronology
Heat Treatment
(1977)		 Stick to Me
(1977)		 The Parkerilla
(1978)

Background

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.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Q[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[7]
Uncut[8]

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.[2] 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.

Track listing

All songs written by Graham Parker except as indicated.

  1. "Stick to Me" – 3:29
  2. "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" (Earl Randle) – 3:26
  3. "Problem Child" – 3:25
  4. "Soul on Ice" – 3:01
  5. "Clear Head" – 2:58
  6. "The New York Shuffle" – 2:58
  7. "Watch the Moon Come Down" – 4:49
  8. "Thunder and Rain" – 3:15
  9. "The Heat in Harlem" – 7:00
  10. "The Raid" – 2:39

Personnel
Additional personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1977 Billboard Pop Albums 125
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References
  2. Ruhlmann, William. "Stick to Me – Graham Parker & the Rumour / Graham Parker". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 March 2006.
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Graham Parker: Stick to Me". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the '70s. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN 0-89919-026-X. Retrieved 5 March 2006.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
  5. "Graham Parker: Stick to Me". Q (180): 125. 2001.
  6. Abowitz, Richard (2004). "Graham Parker". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 616–17. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  7. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Graham Parker". Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  8. "Graham Parker: Stick to Me". Uncut (52): 102. September 2001.
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