The British ‘Pub Scene’ of the mid-seventies marked an awkward time for the English music scene.

Due the rise in prominence of ‘Art Rock’, the country was overwhelmed with hyper-inflated bands performing near-Herculean feats not to be attempted by mere mortals. Queen, Genesis, King Crimson, Yes, 10 CC, and their ilk were all making music that was either impossible or nearly so for listeners to emulate. At this point in time, the fan’s job was to stand in awe of the masters who perfected their craft. While these acts utilized recording studios to create sonic masterpieces, the rest of us became mere observers.

Gone were the days when kids were inspired by rhythm and blues records or their skiffle forebears. In 1975, such an anachronism became quaint and embarrassingly naïve. By then, everybody knew that you needed to go to Art school if you wanted to be a rock star, and you needed to learn to play your instrument cleaner/faster/harder/louder than any other human being. Multi-tracking suggested the possibility of perfection, so records started to take months to complete instead of days. End products were mixed and mastered by professionals who envisioned a brave new world of über-artists controlling the music industry. Pity the poor kids who lived through that. Before all of this ‘artistry’, a fan could have learned a few chords and faked their way through a tune or two. Now, you had to count on your toes just to find the time signature. A reckoning was bound to happen, but it started out modestly.

Those who couldn’t keep up with the music gods decided to fend for themselves, playing in pubs to an audience that craved something direct and comprehensible. The rhythms were direct, almost always in 4/4, and the chord patterns were built around sturdy melodies. While the gods sang fantastical fictions about their time spent in outer space, the pub-rockers sang about making enough money to buy a pint, or a girl they fancied. Pub rock started out slowly because everyone considered it too simple for serious consideration, but after a while, a few people grew tired of hearing nonsensical syllabics feigning better-than-thou poetics, sung over pristine orchestral arrangements. My God, does anybody remember laughter? How about dancing? Lord knows that Britain certainly has a lot of pubs, so while rock stars vied for theaters, the more plebian bands took to the bars. Dr. Feelgood, Ducks Deluxe, Brinsley Schwarz (with Nick Lowe) Eddie and the Hot Rods and an unknown Joe Strummer (in the 101ers) all played the circuit. Because these bands relied heavily on the energy of their live performance, most studio albums failed to have an impact and the scene splintered, but not before establishing the basic tenets for Britain’s punk rock scene.

Graham Parker was a working-class kid who still loved old R&B and wanted to perform with the energy of the pub rockers, but also with the nuance of American soul music. While the scene fell apart around his head, Parker found support from a manager named Dave Robinson (working from a tiny office above pub rock’s Valhalla, The Hope and Anchor Pub), who grabbed a few members from Brinsley Schwarz and a few more from Ducks Deluxe to form a backing band called The Rumour. Parker provided original songs and a rough vocal style that sounded like a British working-class version of Otis Redding. From years of pub work, the musicians were sharp and disciplined, capable of a variety of styles and they fell together remarkably well. The resulting album, “Don’t Ask Me Questions,” was nuanced and eclectic. Parker filled expectations as rock and roll’s new angry young man, but the band played like an ensemble, with an attention to detail rivalling American acts like Little Feat or The Band. Seemingly out of nowhere, Graham Parker and The Rumour sounded ready to take on rock’s mainstream…and then punk exploded onto the scene.

Featured Tracks:

White Honey

Nothin's Gonna Pull Us Apart

Silly Thing

Gypsy Blood

Between You and Me

Back to Schooldays

Soul Shoes

Lady Doctor

You've Got to Be Kidding

Howlin' Wind

Not If It Pleases Me

Don't Ask Me Questions

July 1976 – Billboard Did Not Chart