For most intents and purposes,
Graham Parker emerged fully formed on his debut album,
Howlin' Wind. Sounding like the bastard offspring of
Mick Jagger and
Van Morrison,
Parker sneers his way through a set of stunningly literate pub rockers. Instead of blindly sticking to the traditions of rock & roll,
Parker invigorates them with cynicism and anger, turning his songs into distinctively original works. "Back to Schooldays" may be reconstituted rockabilly, "White Honey" may recall
Morrison's white R&B bounce, and "Howlin' Wind" is a cross of
Van's more mystical moments and
the Band, but the songs themselves are original and terrific. Similarly, producer
Nick Lowe gives the album a tough, spare feeling, which makes
Parker and
the Rumour sound like one of the best bar bands you've ever heard.
Howlin' Wind remains a thoroughly invigorating fusion of rock tradition, singer/songwriter skill, and punk spirit, making it one of the classic debuts of all time.
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi