AMG Review of Master Hits: Graham Parker

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Arista celebrated its 30th anniversary by releasing The Heritage Series, spotlighting the most popular artists on the label. The Graham Parker installment in The Heritage Series collects highlights from his stint at the label, concentrating on the acknowledged classic Squeezing Out Sparks. That album provides almost half of the songs on the 11-track compilation, with the remainder of the album devoted to selections from such albums as The Up Escalator and Another Grey Area. As such, it offers a nice portrait of his Arista years, even if it isn't as essential as Squeezing Out Sparks itself.