Nick Lowe C/D?

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.

Hasn't cut loose on "I Knew The Bride" since about 1978 sadly.

At least he didn't go the route of making alt-country children's music, like some.

Really want to read the Will Birch bio.

Last time he cut loose on stage was probably when he was alongside Elvis Costello.

Happy Birthday!

love

A low-key favorite:

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

I actually just found a good $3 copy of Nick the Knife. forgot how good that record is...the dodgy stuff comes after. idk when is a good time to get back on the bus though. I've heard "Impossible Bird" but I don't remember a thing about it.

but yeah - "Raining Raining" on Nick the Knife is such a great tune. its something McCartney could've wrote

"The Convincer" wouldn't be a bad place to test the waters IMO, it's appropriately named.

I drove through Indian Queens lately, it's in Cornwall and really not very attractive.

Nick the Knife was weird. Believe it came shortly after Rockpile broke up iirc, so there was a little bit of a letdown and loss of momentum, but yeah, probably not that bad in retrospect.

Ahh nice I think I actually spotted The Convincer in the used section, if it's still there I'll pick it up

kinda dig a (semi) famous musician letting his hair go white like that. I feel like I'm headed in that same direction by the time I'm that age.

Nick the Knife is all over the place but song for song it's pretty strong. IMO it's got more memorable tunes than the next 4 or 5 albums combined. he's such a cornball lyrically though

OTM. Seems like he got less and less interesting until the "comeback" of Party of One.

I take it back, sort of. Really, really like Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit.

xxxp Not bad, it's got some highlights like a good version of "Heart" (not better than Rockpile's but for a stripped down solo recording, it's very good) and "Stick It Where the Sun Don't Shine" is a great rip-off of the "Green River" guitar riff.

Rose of England is a favorite, and hilariously the one track I never liked (the inferior re-make of "I Knew the Bride") convinced the label to put it out. IIRC they rejected the album for having no hit singles, then Huey Lewis (a good guy even if his records aren't) got the idea of producing "I Knew the Bride" and sticking it on there, believing it will sell the album. Lowe was deeply skeptical, especially since the song was about seven years old at that point, but Lewis said something like "who plays it though? Great record but not a lot of people know it, so let's do it." And he was right!

I like it more than Party of One, but both are pretty good albums. Impossible Bird is probably his best once since Jesus of Cool and Labour of Lust - I always got the impression it was the first one in a long time (maybe ever) where he seriously didn't care about making $ and just did something he'd enjoy without any commercial considerations, thanks to that Bodyguard money.

I bought Party of One as a boomer-friendly teen in 1990 and...didn't get it. Still don't. The Dave Edmunds mix improves on Lowe's increasingly muddled self-production.

I'm a fan of Nick the Knife! His last consistently funny album.

btw I checked: "I Knew the Bride" (1985) earned honest-to-goodness heavy rotation on MTV in the fall of '85.