A Passionately Performed Concert CD, ‘Quality Footwear,’ from Graham Parker: Review

Still squeezing out sparks: Graham Parker with the Goldtops.

British roots-rocker Graham Parker’s many earlier live albums have been among the best things in his catalog, and the new Quality Footwear: Live at the Brook delivers yet another example of his potent stage presence. Backed by his band, the Goldtops, Parker serves up 11 performances that show he still knows how to squeeze out the sparks.

Recorded in 2023 at the Brook, a music venue in Southampton, England, the set mixes early triumphs with recent compositions. It includes “Back to Schooldays” and “Don’t Ask Me Questions” from Howlin’ Wind, Parker’s 1976 debut, as well as “Hotel Chambermaid” from Heat Treatment, his sophomore release.

Also here are “It Mattered to Me,” “Lost Track of Time,” “Since You Left Me Baby” and “Sun Valley,” four of the best tracks from 2023’s Last Chance to Learn the Twist, which Parker was promoting at the time of this concert.

The album’s quirky title reflects the inclusion of two songs with titles that reference footwear: KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Boogie Shoes” and Parker’s own “Soul Shoes,” which features Brinsley Schwarz, the original lead guitarist in his 1970s band, the Rumour. Rounding out the set are “Black Lincoln Continental,” from 1985’s Steady Nerves, and “Get Started. Start a Fire,” from 1988’s The Mona Lisa’s Sister.

For now, this album was released on June 26, 2026, only digitally and on vinyl, but Parker has indicated there’s a “possibility” of an expanded CD from the show. Fingers crossed for that.

Related: From 2016, our Graham Parker interview

[A recent book about Parker’s debut album, 1976’s Howlin’ Wind, and the U.K. pub scene of the era, has been written by Jay Nachman. It’s available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.]