Struck by Lightning was the culmination of
Graham Parker's previous two records, where he increasingly began to chronicle domestic tasks and affairs of the married heart. For such an intimate subject,
Parker wisely decided to scale back the musical ambition of
Human Soul on
Struck by Lightning, recording a lean, stripped-down album that relied heavily on acoustic guitars. Appropriately, his lyrics were some of the most concise he had written in years, breathing life into tales like "The Kid with the Butterfly Net" and "Wrapping Paper."
Parker's music was similarly simple and tuneful, making
Struck by Lightning his best effort since the early '80s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine