BONUS EPISODE: The Dustbin #1 - Squeezing Out Sparks

Welcome to the first episode of The Dustbin, a bonus show in the Steady Diet of Music universe in which we examine albums that received notable critical acclaim in their time, but have since fallen out of favor. Do they deserve to be rediscovered by modern listeners, or should they remain in the dustbin of musical history?  In this first episode, we discuss Graham Parker & The Rumour's "Squeezing Out Sparks", a 1979 album with the dubious honor of having—by a considerable margin—fewer Spotify plays than any other winner of the Village Voice's "Pazz & Jop" poll. Does its combination of tightly-wound rock arrangements and surly, adenoidal vocals still worth listening to today? Join your hosts Brandon and Jesse as we discuss.  Content warning: A discussion of "You Can't Be Too Strong", a strikingly unsympathetic song about abortion, from 25:40 to 34:05. Also, I (Jesse) am annoyed with myself for referring to the anti-choice faction as "pro-life" at one point. Old framings die hard.  Links:  Squeezing Out Sparks on Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/album/4ZImzDF35hQWiN5FdAqQbN?si=-Hcof087SD6mhgMMm5j8oA&dl_branch=1 Squeezing Out Sparks on Apple Music  https://music.apple.com/gb/album/squeezing-out-sparks/1442237876 Graham Parker-related clips from "This is 40" https://youtu.be/Uf71beU8dPs The 1979 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll  http://robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres79.php Squeezing Out Sparks on Acclaimed Music  http://acclaimedmusic.net/album/A455.htm Donate to ActBlue's Texas Abortion Funds  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/abortionfund Next month's album is Arrested Development's "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...". Write into [email protected] with your take on the album, and we'll quote from it on the next show!