Lions & Ghosts

During the 1980s, college radio embraced Lions & Ghosts in much the same manner as Camper Van Beethoven and the Replacements, while commercial stations offered little support. The Los Angeles quartet formed around Rick Parker on vocals, guitar, and keyboards, Michael Lockwood on guitar and vocals, Todd Hoffman on bass and vocals, and Michael Martin Murphey on drums and vocals. Their melodic guitar rock fit college playlists yet became one of many American acts positioned by labels as the next R.E.M. after that band’s unexpected Top 40 breakthrough in 1987, prompting a rush to mine campus airwaves for the subsequent major act. Critics dismissed the group’s 1987 debut album Velvet Kiss, Lick of the Lime for lacking innovation or scope, though left-of-the-dial programmers gravitated toward its power pop rhythms. “Mary Goes Round,” reminiscent of the Replacements, and “Man in a Car” received steady rotation on smaller alternative stations, and the former even developed a cult following on Manila’s new wave frequencies in the Philippines. Commercial U.S. outlets found the songs too understated and moody for widespread play. The 1989 follow-up Wild Garden met a similar response, even after the band adopted a more direct roots-rock approach, and weak sales prompted their breakup. Parker released the solo album Wicked World on Geffen Records in 1992, which vanished amid grunge’s rise. Following a hiatus, he reappeared with Sparkler, featuring bassist Tommy Black and drummer John Wilmer. Celebrating ‘70s pop and glam influences, Sparkler issued Wicker Park in 1997, prompting comparisons to Matthew Sweet and Jellyfish. In 2001 Parker co-wrote several tracks on Miranda Lee Richards’ The Herethereafter.