The Mona Lisa's Sister
1988 studio album by Graham Parker
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The Mona Lisa's Sister is a 1988 album by Graham Parker. It was Parker's first album for RCA following an acrimonious split with Atlantic and the first he produced himself (with Brinsley Schwarz). The "stripped-down" sound of the album garnered critical acclaim and presaged a back-to-basics trend in rock music in the 1990s.[citation needed] It was re-released by Buddah Records in 1999 with a bonus track, "Ordinary Girl", the B-side to "Get Started. Start a Fire". The album debuted at No. 132 on the Billboard 200 on 28 May 1988, peaking at No. 77.
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| The Mona Lisa's Sister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1988 | |||
| Recorded | 1987–1988 | |||
| Genres | Blues rock, soul, rhythm and blues, reggae fusion | |||
| Length | 38:48 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producers | Graham Parker, Brinsley Schwarz | |||
| Graham Parker chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
| Trouser Press | (Favorable)[4] |
In 1989, it was ranked No. 97 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 best albums of the 1980s.[5]
Track listing
All song by Graham Parker except (11)
- "Don't Let It Break You Down" – 3:34
- "Under the Mask of Happiness" – 3:34
- "Back in Time" – 3:24
- "I'm Just Your Man" – 3:41
- "OK Hieronymus" – 4:15
- "Get Started. Start a Fire" – 5:08
- "The Girl Isn't Ready" – 3:32
- "Blue Highways" – 2:35
- "Success" – 3:48
- "I Don't Know" – 2:47
- "Cupid" - (Sam Cooke) – 2:30
Bonus track – 1999 Buddha re-release
- "Ordinary Girl"
Bonus tracks – 2016 Expanded Edition
- "Ordinary Girl"
- "Durban Poison"
- "Burning on a Higher Flame"
- "There's a Ghost in My House"
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 81 |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 77 |
Personnel
- Graham Parker - lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, producer
- Brinsley Schwarz - electric guitar, backing vocals, percussion, producer
- Andrew Bodnar - bass guitar
- James Hallawell - keyboards
- Terry Williams - drums
- Pete Thomas - drums on (4) and (7)
- Andy Duncan - drums on (9)
- Christie Chapman - backing vocals
- Technical
- Jon Jacobs - engineer
- Martin Edwards - assistant engineer
- Jack Drummond - cover painting
- Jolie Parker - photographs
