The Mona Lisa's Sister

The Mona Lisa's Sister is a 1988 album by Graham Parker. It was Parker's first album for RCA following an acrimonious split with Atlantic and the first he produced himself (with Brinsley Schwarz). The "stripped-down" sound of the album garnered critical acclaim and presaged a back-to-basics trend in rock music in the 1990s. It was re-released by Buddah Records in 1999 with a bonus track, "Ordinary Girl", the B-side to "Get Started. Start a Fire". The album debuted at #132 on Billboard 200 Album chart on May 28, 1988, and peaked at #77.

The Mona Lisa's Sister
Studio album by Graham Parker
Released	April 1988
Recorded	1987–1988
Genre	Blues rock, soul, rhythm and blues, reggae fusion
Length	38:48
Label	RCA
Producer	Graham Parker & Brinsley Schwarz
Graham Parker chronology
Steady Nerves (1985) The Mona Lisa's Sister (1988) Live! Alone in America (1989)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	C+[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]
Trouser Press	(Favorable)[4]

In 1989, it was ranked #97 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 best albums of the 1980s.[5]

Track listing

All song by Graham Parker except (11)

1. "Don't Let It Break You Down" – 3:34
2. "Under the Mask of Happiness" – 3:34
3. "Back in Time" – 3:24
4. "I'm Just Your Man" – 3:41
5. "OK Hieronymus" – 4:15
6. "Get Started. Start a Fire" – 5:08
7. "The Girl Isn't Ready" – 3:32
8. "Blue Highways" – 2:35
9. "Success" – 3:48
10. "I Don't Know" – 2:47
11. "Cupid" - (Sam Cooke) – 2:30

Bonus track - 1999 Buddha Re-release

12. "Ordinary Girl"

Bonus tracks - 2016 Expanded Edition

12. "Ordinary Girl"

13. "Durban Poison"

14. "Burning On A Higher Flame"

15. "There's A Ghost In My House"

Personnel

• Graham Parker - Lead & Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Producer
• Brinsley Schwarz - Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Producer
• Andrew Bodnar - Bass Guitar
• James Hallawell - Keyboards
• Terry Williams - Drums
• Pete Thomas - Drums on (4) and (7)
• Andy Duncan - Drums on (9)
• Christie Chapman - Backing Vocals
• Jon Jacobs - Engineer
• Martin Edwards - Assistant Engineer
• Jack Drummond - Cover Painting
• Jolie Parker - Photographs

Notes

1. "The Mona Lisa's Sister - Graham Parker | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
2. Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Graham Parker". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
3. DeCurtis, Anthony (May 19, 1988). "The Mona Lisa's Sister". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
4. "Graham Parker (and the Rumour)". Trouser Press. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
5. The Editors (1989-11-16). "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980's". Rolling Stone. No. 565.