Nick Lowe C/D?

Oops, that first post should have started something like "Biggest surprise in the first few tracks..."

Anyway, I'm still not sure what anybody sees in Nick's post-Labour of Lust music, but I guess it's nice he still has his supporters.

couplea good ones on Dig My Mood. there's one good CD's worth of material post-partum. Party of One is actually really good. but don't confuse him with Lloyd Cole.

Nick The Knife is his best album, but, yeah, I'll agree that you can take or leave the rest.

Better than Pure Pop or Labour of Lust??? That's crazy talk, Alfred.

Little known fact I've never made public before: I actually reviewed Nick the Knife for my college paper at the time, along with Lindsey Buckingham's comparably overrated first solo album. Nick's wicked wit had pretty much been depleted by then, as near as I could tell, and the powerpop was losing its power and pop both. Not sure he ever gained any of it back, but periodic spotchecks since then suggested he didn't, much.

Well, if it's not his best, it's my favorite. There's a good balance of yuks and heart on Knife, something he couldn't achieve before and hasn't since ("Stick It Where The Sun Don't Shine," "Let Me Kiss Ya," "Too Many Tears")

I met him one time, backstage after a gig. One very nice bloke.

The 4 CD box, -The Doings-, is terrific. The first two discs have almost every track you need from his best period, the third disc has the choice cuts from his lesser albums and the fourth disc has great live stuff.

So Christgau gives both '70s albums A's, then EVERY '80s album a B+ (besides an '89 best-of that gets an A-), then there's an A- in 1990 and then an apparent dropoff. (So basically, Nick became just another sincere roots guy, more or less, right? But wasn't being insincere what made him great at first?)

http://robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=nick+lowe

keep beating that drum

He's never more sincere than when he's joking around. Dig My Mood was a real snooze.

the Brinsley Schwarz stuff is better than his early solo records anyway

Classic for Kippington Lodge alone!! :-)

a quick cut&paste from Tapestry of Delights (for anyone wanting to know):

Personnel:
BARRY LANDERMAN keyb'ds, vcls A
NICK LOWE bs, vcls A B C
BRINSLEY SCHWARZ gtr, vcls A B C
PETER WHALE drms A B
BOB ANDREWS keyb'ds, vcls A

CD:
1(-) KIPPINGTON LODGE '67-'69 (K 1P) 199?
NB: (1) is a bootleg containing all their 45 cuts plus BBC session versions of Younger Girl and Shy Boy.

EP:
1 Rumours/Lady On A Bicycle/And She Cried/Shy Boy (EMI NUT 2894) 1978

45s:
1 Shy Boy/Lady On A Bicycle (Parlophone R 5645) 1967
2 Rumours/And She Cried (Parlophone R 5677) 1968
3 Tell Me A Story/Understand A Woman (Parlophone R 5717) 1968
4 Tomorrow Today/Turn Out The Light (Parlophone R 5750) 1968
5 In My Life/I Can See Her Face (Parlophone R 5776) 1969

A late sixties pop group from Kent who evolved into Brinsley Schwarz in the early seventies. Schwarz and Lowe had earlier played together in school bands prior to forming this Tunbridge Wells - based venture in 1965. Their most successful 45 was Shy Boy, a Tomorrow song written by Keith West, but they never did get any hits. Their final 45, In My Life was a Beatles' track. Landerman departed to Vanity Fare and was replaced by Andrews but in October 1969 with a change of style came a change of name to Brinsley Schwarz. Whale dropped out of the music business at this stage but the other three stayed on in the new and much hyped band.

Musically they dished up pretty straightforward pop and two of their better efforts - Lady On A Bicycle and Rumours were both produced by Mark Wirtz.

Compilation appearances include: Turn Out The Light on Justafixation (CD); Rumours and Lady On A Bicycle on Not Just Beat Music 1965-70 (LP), British Psychedelic Trip, Vol. 2 (LP) and Great British Psychedelic Trip, Vol. 3 (CD); I Can See Her Face on Psychedelia, Vol. 3 (LP), We Can Fly (CD), Hen's Teeth, Vol. 3 (CD) and In The Beginning (LP); Shy Boy on A Teenage Opera - The Original Soundtrack Recording (CD).

I recently got Nervous On the Road/New Favourites. I was plesantly surprised, as I never really got into much pub rock before. He was a strong songwriter since the beginning.

The Brinsleys were fairly hit or miss, but they got better as they got more concise and moved away from country rock. ALL of the Kippington Lodge 7" tracks are on the "Hens' Teeth" compilation credited to Brinsley Schwarz, along with several singles BS recorded under pseudonyms. Worth looking for . . .

yer all avoiding the main question: does the lex know who nick lowe is??

Extremely doubtful.

So the lex probably won't be pushing the Jim Ford reissue.

I was pretty miserable that one day in high school when future record company executive Micha3l Krump3r told me that Rockpile had broken up.

I was pretty confused that one day after college when I turned on MTV and saw Terry Williams playing a Terry Bozzio-sized drum kit for Dire Straits.

These young upstarts that I have up until now avoided called The Click Five do an okay version of "So It Goes." I never realized before that it sounds like "The 59st Street Bridge Song" and then like "Georgy Girl."

I never really made the connection before but Nick was really channeling rockabilly and doo-wop on his first two records, which I suppose fits as aspect of the punk ethos of returning rock to it's primal period.

anyone buy the new comp?

whoa just listening to him when I saw this. and again thinking that "I love the sound of breaking glass" sounds exactly like Phoenix, or at least the first couple of phoenix records

So you're saying I don't need Phoenix records when Nick's already done it so well? "Big Kick, Plain Scrap", goddamn the drums just rule...

"...Breaking Glass" is one of the few in-jokes that works on its own terms. So silly!

otm re sounding like template for phoenix there.

Phoenix?

Funny, was just thinking last night about when I met him. We had a bit of a discussion about "Nutted by Reality", re the "Castrated Castro" bit.

recent research reveals that i like brinsley schwarz better than solo nick - silver pistol LP is classic

Many of the songs on Pure Pop/Jesus of Cool are take away from other songs. "Music for Money" is a rip of 10cc's "Art For Art's Sake". "So it Goes" takes the verses from Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years". "Nutted by Reality" is very similar to "I Want You Back" (at least, the bass line is). There are a few more examples mentioned upthread. I think this was kind of the point of the album and I can't deny how great it turned out. His later releases are kind of naff. Nick the Knife is great. Abominable Showman has some good songs...all the other albums up to Party of One are baaaarf

"No Reason" had bit(s) from "All along the watchtower"

Labour of Lust to be released in deluxe fashion by Yep Roc Records on March 15.

"Nutted by Reality" is very similar to "I Want You Back" (at least, the bass line is).

Damn stingy extras on the LoL reissue. Just the one b-side? Pfft!

"Endless Gray Ribbon"? "Basing Street"?

Yeah, and they've called it a "deluxe" edition!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0l3QWUXVho

How is the box set? Is there anything critical missing?

Going to see him again tonight. Anyone know who's been opening for him on this tour? Hope he plays this one — my fav.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUHWh810L0M

Never mind. Looks like it will be Kim Richey. Was hoping for Bill Kirchen like last time. He was awesome.

He did play "Half a Boy and Half a Man" last night and didn't even bother dedicating it to the POTUS.

I know he's past 70 but the tempos were a little slow for my taste, even w/ Los Straitjackets.

I was hoping that he and/or the band would cut loose on "I Knew the Bride" but I didn't mind the stateliness overall.

Love stately Nick Lowe. Perfect songs.

mea culpa, he aint 70 yet

Yeah, he's just been grey/white headed for 30+ years.

Think the last time I saw him was a decade ago at The Supper Club

It was the tour with Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham opening, so make that two decades. Time wounds all heels.

Dud.

Pub-rock cobblers.

Weird comment.

Anyway, nice new interview here:

http://variety.com/2017/music/news/nick-lowe-talks-peace-love-and-understanding-johnny-cash-1202481424/

I was hoping that he and/or the band would cut loose on "I Knew the Bride" but I didn't mind the stateliness overall.

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, August 6, 2017

A friend who saw him a few years back grumbled that he didn't rock out at all. I guess he's moved on from that.

He's been moved on from that for decades now.

*Liars

I think it's a fun novelty song, but IIRC Lowe regrets the Rick Astley lyric. (I don't listen to his records, but I think Astley is supposed to be a genuinely nice guy - I'd leave him be.)

This is my favorite track off Party of One. The keepers have all been anthologized on Quiet Please - unless you want a deep dive into his catalog, you can probably skip it if you've already got that compilation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Biv8XSH8PSs

Mine is "Rocky Road," which he'd try to duplicate on his Serious Records later.

I kind of got off the bus after "cowboy outfit", I could see where it was going and it wasn't for me.

This is my favorite track off Party of One

It's pretty charming that Nick Lowe still brings travel wash on his tours so he can wash his own clothes.

"It costs a small fortune to have a pair of socks laundered in most of these hotels," chuckles Lowe (74) down the phone from New York.

That windfall from The Bodyguard was big, but I'm certain it went a LOT further thanks to his modest living.

Also, he was great last night and joined Elvis for the encore, appropriately "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love & Understanding." When he talked about Elvis reaching out to him to open his tour, he jokingly translated that into "warm up the crowd as they come in and find their seats," but it was a very enthusiastic reaction to both him AND Los Straitjackets (who played two fast-paced instrumentals as well). Audience was equally enthusiastic when he came back and he clearly enjoyed being on stage for that number.

Elvis's show was one for the fans - a lot of deep cuts (including three from Hey Clockface) that were often substantially different thanks to the rare addition of a horn section. The highlights were mostly things like "The Comedians" (first time I ever heard him play a song from that album), "Poisoned Rose" (which seemed to sway like a gospel number), "Blood and Hot Sauce" (which was worthy of Randy Newman's Good Old Boys), and the Hey Clockface numbers, though an unplanned "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" was pretty great too. Strangely his voice was hit or miss where on certain numbers any issues he had in the previous number would miraculously disappear. This was most noticeable when he had to sing high notes - on some numbers his voice would crack and struggle, and on others he would completely nail it. Maybe he just needed some water (which he kept on stage)?

It's funny, the first time I saw Elvis was also at the Beacon back in 2011, and that was an amazing 'best of' show - two and a half hours long, there were a handful of surprise covers (Prince's "Purple Rain," the Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing," the Rolling Stones' "Out of Time," Rockpile/Nick Lowe's "Heart of the City" and since it was Dylan's birthday a solo acoustic "License to Kill") but it was mostly his own songs. Only two came after 1986 - "Veronica" and "I Lost You" (with surprise guest Jim Lauderdale). This time was very different.

That windfall from The Bodyguard was big, but I'm certain it went a LOT further thanks to his modest living.

I remember him saying in an interview circa Dig My Mood wherein he said he'd spent it all by buying some nice shirts, eating some extravagant meals, paying his band what they were worth, self-financing the recording of The Impossible Bird, and taxes.

In video clips I saw of a recent gig Nick Lowe slowed everything down including rockers like “I Knew the Bride.” It was ok but I wanted circa 79 energy

Yeah

I can’t find it at the moment but several years ago there was an article about him where he basically said he wasn’t into hard, fast rock n’ roll anymore and that it was a product of simply aging and maturing into a different phase of his life. To drive the point home, he’s at a show watching someone else and the act plays “I Know the Bride.” So I was actually surprised when he did those old songs when I saw him soon after, but he’s definitely settled into a mid tempo groove. Works great with “Without Love” and “When I Write the Book” though. Would love a Rockpile reunion but even if they wanted to, I don’t think it can happen due to age and health. Edmunds is definitely retired.

I can’t find it at the moment but several years ago there was an article about him where he basically said he wasn’t into hard, fast rock n’ roll anymore and that it was a product of simply aging and maturing into a different phase of his life. To drive the point home, he’s at a show watching someone else and the act plays “I Know the Bride.” So I was actually surprised when he did those old songs when I saw him soon after, but he’s definitely settled into a mid tempo groove. Works great with “Without Love” and “When I Write the Book” though. Would love a Rockpile reunion but even if they wanted to, I don’t think it can happen due to age and health. Edmunds is definitely retired.

Fun one from last week:

When you play a Nick Lowe song on the Fenway organ and then find out that Nick Lowe WAS AT THE GAME pic.twitter.com/ZxLGNCJs0B

— Josh Kantor (@jtkantor) July 7, 2023