Hit Parade: "Angry Young Men Edition Part 1" (November 19, 2022)

Host: Chris Molanphy

Episode Overview

This episode of Hit Parade spotlights the rise of British "Angry Young Men"—Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, and Nick Lowe—tracing their evolution from pub-rock renegades and post-punk innovators into unlikely pop hitmakers. Host Chris Molanphy delves deep into their origins, their genre-defying sounds, and how they bridged UK and American music charts, sometimes in spite of commercial odds. The episode situates these musicians in the context of "new wave" and post-punk, showing how their artistry and attitude reshaped popular music.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining the "Angry Young Men" and New Wave (00:00–08:46)

• Chris sets the scene: In late 1978, Elvis Costello (with his Attractions) covers "What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?"—a Nick Lowe song. Both artists, along with Joe Jackson and Graham Parker, are central to the New Wave, an umbrella term for the blend of pub rock, power pop, and post-punk emerging from the UK.

• Describes these musicians as having both an acerbic streak and a soulful, sophisticated sensibility:

  “These acerbic blokes became known as the Angry Young Men, an ironic title considering they were tender and soulful as much as they were angry.” (03:36)

• Notes their eventual necessity to evolve their style to chart in America, leaning into pop, jazz, and R&B:

  “The Angry Young Men had to diversify their sound to crack our top 40. They got poppier, jazzier, leaned toward ballads and R&B...” (05:31)

2. Pub Rock, Power Pop, and their Roots (08:46–27:45)

• Contrasts the simplicity and directness of pub rock/new wave to the complexity of prog rock (ex: Emerson, Lake, and Palmer), which the "Angry Young Men" were reacting against:

  “It’s almost easier to define these categories by what they are not. Lugubrious, intricate, weighty—the very things that progressive rock fans prized... were what the musicians I’m going to focus on today were trying to counteract.” (08:55)

• Dave Edmunds’ early 70s hit "I Hear You Knocking" is highlighted as a blueprint for back-to-basics rock and roll.

• Discusses the pub rock scene as an anti-glam, denim-clad movement thriving in London clubs with bands like Brinsley Schwarz—Nick Lowe’s original group.

• Explains power pop’s rise in the US (e.g., the Raspberries, Big Star, Todd Rundgren), and how those melodic impulses bled into the UK scene.

3. Nick Lowe, Producer and Songwriter (18:07–27:45)

• Lowe’s songwriting breakthrough with “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” and subsequent work as a producer, particularly for Graham Parker and Dave Edmunds.
• Lowe’s role as the “incubator” for new wave talent via Stiff Records, crucially backing Costello and Parker.

4. Graham Parker’s Critically Acclaimed Ascent (18:07–27:45)

• Parker’s fusion of white soul, R&B, and punk edge is profiled.

  “Parker’s songs were soulful, but Lowe presented them with ragged frugality. Not since Bruce Springsteen had a new rock performer been greeted with such critical acclaim.” (27:04)

• Parker’s albums Howlin’ Wind and Heat Treatment dominate the Village Voice’s Paz & Jopp critic’s poll but see only moderate commercial success, save for minor Hot 100 showings.

5. Elvis Costello: From Pub Rock to TV Punk Icon (27:45–38:26)

• Costello, originally Declan McManus, enters the scene via Stiff Records and gains notoriety for biting, melodically catchy songs like “Less Than Zero” and “Alison.”
• His legendary 1977 Saturday Night Live debacle:

  “[Costello] stopped 'Less Than Zero' live on the air... ‘I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, there’s no... reason to do this song here.’... and switched to 'Radio Radio.' This gesture established Costello as a punk fellow traveler, an actual angry young man.” (35:54–37:04)

• The stunt, intended as a swipe at record label pressure and American inattention, gets him banned from SNL for 12 years but massively boosts his stateside visibility.
• Costello’s experimentation with reggae (“Watching the Detectives”) links his music to the rhythmic crosscurrents animating late 70s punk and new wave.

6. Joe Jackson’s Entry into the “Angry Young Men” (38:55–47:00)

• Joe Jackson, with a deep background in jazz and classical music, emerges as the least likely punk. He adapts his style to the new wave mold for commercial success.

• Debut Look Sharp! (1979) earns comparisons to Costello for its “cutting lyrics and new wave pop hooks.”

• "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" becomes his first US top 40 hit, marking new wave’s American chart breakthrough.

  "Like Costello’s 'Alison,' Jackson’s 'Is She Really Going Out with Him?' was a bitter lament by a solitary man... beneath its caustic facade, it was melodically graceful and romantic. It’s an incel anthem that plays like a love song." (47:00)

7. Nick Lowe’s Hit & Costello’s Breakthroughs (47:47–60:36)

• Nick Lowe’s power pop gem “Cruel to Be Kind” (1979) reaches #12 in both the US and UK—it becomes his only American hit and a staple of his career.

• The collaboration between Lowe and Costello is highlighted, with the Costello/Attractions version of “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” becoming definitive.

• Graham Parker finally cracks the US album top 40 with Squeezing Out Sparks (1979) and tops the critic’s polls, cementing his status despite continued pop chart turbulence.

• Costello's biggest UK hit, "Oliver's Army," is mentioned alongside controversy for its use of a racial slur and subsequent PR troubles in the US due to a drunken incident.

  “Costello, who had been part of England's Rock Against Racism movement... felt foolish and expressed deep regret for the incident.” (60:36)

8. Reinvention and New Directions (60:36–End)

• Costello records Get Happy!! (1980), a homage to classic American soul, as a form of redemption—“I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down” rejuvenates his UK chart success.
• Joe Jackson continues with creative, empathetic songwriting on his 1979 follow-up “I’m The Man” and his biggest UK single, “It’s Different for Girls.”
• The episode closes with a tease of how the Angry Young Men would embrace jazz, pop, and baroque influences to reach new heights in the 1980s.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the irony of “Angry Young Men”:

  “They were tender and soulful as much as they were angry. But the name stuck. Costello, Jackson, and Parker were the locus of what New Wave became...” (03:36) —Chris Molanphy

• On Costello’s SNL rebellion:

  “I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, there’s no reason to do this song here.” (35:54) —Elvis Costello, live on Saturday Night Live

• On the musical backlash to prog rock:

  “It’s almost easier to define these categories by what they are not. Lugubrious, intricate, weighty...” (08:55) —Chris Molanphy

• On Joe Jackson finding his place in new wave:

  “Despite his classical education... Jackson admired the punk and new wave movements... and if he was using the new wave label as a flag of convenience, the style... was a good fit for him.” (43:48) —Chris Molanphy quoting William Ruhlmann

• On Nick Lowe’s surprise success:

  “In America, by the way, it’s Lowe’s only top 40 hit. He is definitionally a one-hit wonder here, but what a hit.” (47:47) —Chris Molanphy

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–03:36: Introduction to the “Angry Young Men” and their context in new wave/post-punk
• 08:46–15:24: Roots of pub rock, power pop, and the anti-prog rock stance
• 18:07–27:45: Brinsley Schwarz, Nick Lowe’s early career, and Graham Parker’s ascension
• 27:45–38:26: Elvis Costello’s emergence, SNL incident, and the reggae/new wave hybridization
• 38:55–47:42: Joe Jackson’s background and breakthrough hit
• 47:47–56:21: Nick Lowe’s “Cruel to Be Kind,” Costello/Lowe collaborations, and Parker’s critical triumphs
• 56:21–60:40: Late 70s transitions, controversy, and the soul-music redemption of Costello
• 63:57–End: Teaser for Part 2: genre reinvention in the 1980s

Episode Highlights

• The interplay between cynicism and musical sophistication that characterizes all four “Angry Young Men.”
• The crucial mentorship and production work provided by Nick Lowe to Parker, Costello, and higher-profile new wave artists.
• Costello’s live TV rebellion as a pivot point in rock history and a boon to his American popularity, despite fallout.
• The nuanced position of these artists as critical darlings who, against odds and trends, sometimes crossed over to mainstream charts.
• The episode's final segment teases deeper dives into the stylistic experiments and successes of these artists in the coming 1980s.

This summary covers all major discussion points, charts the episode’s chronological narrative, and provides context and highlights for anyone interested in the pivotal transition from pub rock and punk to new wave and pop stardom among the so-called "Angry Young Men."