Entertainment For Lively Minds
What's so funny 'bout not having enough Nick Lowe records?
Posted by JoLean on 2 October 2011 - 8:22pm.
Despite admiring Nick Lowe for many years, I don't actually own anything but Jesus of Cool and the latest one, The Old Magic.
So, what I want is some 'How To Buy Nick Lowe' recommendations. What are the 2/3 LPs I MUST HAVE, or if that is impossible, in which order should I be buying five or so?
Is it worth getting the double CD best of that was released a couple of years ago instead?
All help much appreciated.
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The "Quiet Please" is nigh on perfect
and gives a pretty comprehensive comp but it you need a triple treat
The Impossible Bird
Dig My Mood
The Convincer
his "Brentford Trilogy" is the way to go.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brentford-Trilogy-Nick-Lowe/dp/B0029NZX3K/ref=sr...
Oh and for anyone with a turntable the charity shops are awash with copies of 'Labour Of Lust' now the CD has finally come out.
a lot of his eighties stuff post LOL is fairly throwaway until he found his own voicew again with 'Party of One'
Ah, Mr Boy...
...I've been expecting you.
Thanks for advice and for sorting out the other Nick Lowe thing *taps nose*. I'm enjoying it muchly.
EDIT: Forgot to say what a big fan of your work I am.
At My Age
Is also most worthy of consideration.
As well as what DFB said.
Also, go back and explore his work with the Brinsleys. Pub rock at its best.
'Dig My Mood' is a quiet masterpiece...
You won't regret buying it.
My take
I think the one that I've played the most over the years is Party Of One (and I've bought, and enjoyed every one of his solo albums in order on release) apart from that I would suggest Jesus Of Cool so you've got that as a bonus. Every album has some gems on them so you need a best of to keep you going. It's possible to survive on a best of... that was all that was available on CD for years. What you could do is just buy everything that's currently available and then catch up on the rest as they get rereleased - the lesser known ones, although excellent are currently quite pricey on Amazon.
you must have
"The Convincer" if only for "She's Got Soul" and Latley I've Been Letting Things Slide"
Exactly what Bingham said
The Convincer. Have quietly loved this album for some years.
'Indian Queens' is also on it, which is a masterpiece of balladry.
To confess, I was so taken by 'She's Got Soul' on first hearing I wept. But only a little because I'm a blerk.
another vote for Brentford trilogy
most songs are depressing mind
not that that is a bad thing
The Brentford Trilogy
Three masterpieces for under £17. You won't regret it - if you do I'll give you a full refund !
Impossible Bird
IB is just about perfect, over the years I think I've had seven different tracks that were 'my favourite track on the album' at different times.
The Convincer isn't far behind though.
I would suggest
the pretty exhaustive 4 CD box retrospective 'The Doings'. It used to be a bit tricky to find though. And expensive. Haven't checked Amazon recently.
Rockpile
OK, it's from over 30 years ago and leans more towards Dave Edmunds, as Rockpile did, IMHO, but the recently released Rockpile Live at Montreux 1980 is worth a listen too. As are some of the other (un)official releases out there by Rockpile. It is a bit blokey rock though.
I don't know if anyone uses public libraries much now but being hard up at the time that's how I got back into Nick Lowe after a few years away - they were all there, The Impossible Bird, The Convincer, Dig My Mood, even The Doings, all got me through a difficult year or two. And since I bought the Brentford Trilogy on re-release I don't feel so bad about it now.
I would say The Abominable Showman, Pinker And Prouder Than Previous, and Party Of One were his weaker efforts but even they contain the odd seam of gold if you dig deep enough.
Re Rockpile
If anyone likes Nick Lowe just for his songwriting, then Dave Edmunds "Get It" shouldn't be overlooked either (it's really the first Rockpile album).
PS - You're wrong about Party Of One but perhaps it shows that it's hard to properly identify a proper weak point when the standard is so uniformly high.
To be fair
I was probably being a little harsh on Party Of One. It marks the end of the "old" Nick Lowe for me but when his own standards are so high it's harder to forgive the odd lapse of judgement. Its weakpoint for me is it relies solely on his own songwriting talents, it doesn't give him the chance to show his skills as an interpreter of other people's songs which is something he excels at.
The Doings is long deleted
and dead expensive. The 4th disc or rarities is good
Agreed.
Although I find myself listening more to the middle discs. Just checked Amazon and you can pick one up for around forty quid, which isn't bad.
Big in Japan
Yes, quite a few of the tracks are recorded live in Japan where he has a loyal following. His song Gai-Gin Man refers to touring over there. They got their own Anthology CD in 2002 which although deleted is available as an import over here for the more, ahem, obsessive fan.
Wasn't 'Rollers Show' written as a Japanese single?
Nick mentions it in an interview
with the Vancouver Sun
That is the one to get.
It fits the OP perfectly. From BUY1 to the second Brentford. Great choice of songs too.
Brinsley Schwarz
Any recommendations for them? I loved their version of "What's so funny..." on a couple of the mix CDs - far better than EC's. They sound to me like a band worth investigating.
I'd go for...
Nervous On The Road (despite the title, it's not a live album)
The New Favourites Of... (despite the title, it's not a best of)
I bet there's a best of/anthology out there though.
This clip has been posted here innumerable times before but, any excuse...
(Brinsley Schwarz/Surrender To The Rhythm)
Absolutley loving Nick's
suede/skinhead look in the clip pre-dating Madness & the Specials by a good 5 years.
A pedant writes
I must take issue with you, Mr Loaf, on this matter as I feel that the hairstyle is remarkably similar to a certain David Bowie's at the time, and only the absence of hair colour distinguishes it from his cut, which is popularly known as a mullet.
The Dame?
In a button down gingham check & a battered cardy?
Sorry Mr Loaf
Not sure what the skinhead fashions were at the time, but I thought you were referring to his hairstyle, which is short and spiky on the top and collar length at the back.
There's a best of comp
called (you'll never guess) 'Surrender Of The Rhythm' which does a good job
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Surrender-Rhythm-Best-Brinsley-Schwarz/dp/B00004...
Far better than EC's? Right outside now!
Cheers
(also thanks to Stimpy above). I'll go and reconnoitre at some point.
EC: some great songs, but my dear, that *voice*...
Oh and, in passing, your mix CD was a thing of wonder. "Chapeau", as I believe the French say.
"Thing of Wonder"
aka
"I wonder where he gets all this shite from?"
ECs voice
It was his voice that initially caused me a problem too so I see your point. I was lucky enough to get over it just before My Aim Is True came out.
Despite not liking his voice, you should watch, if it's not too late, the fabulous duets with Bruce Springsteen that were on television a few weeks ago. Two men giving proper performances to the best of their ability clearly because they love music so much. They just made me grin. I'm surprised they haven't been mentioned elsewhere round these parts.
The Freebies
It's been mentioned here before so many times but NPR is an excellent source of free downloads of Nick playing live which is when I think he's at his best.
And as also previously mentioned you can sign up for a couple of free tracks at his website but you'll be trapped in script hell with no escape - aargh!
Another vote for The Convincer
As Track 1 Side 1 songs go this is a doozy.
Kippington
Lodge.
[go on, you know you want to]
Aha
My psych-sense is buzzing...
I only know "Shy Boy" from a psych comp; what else is worth hearing?
Er, (shuffles feet), that's all I've heard too.
I think there were, like, 3 singles. Probably worth seeking out tho'.
I assume the comp you mean is "The Psychedelic Years", Sequel 1990 - 3CDs of bliss.
I heard it
on a vinyl comp (I think late 80s?) which might have been collected on the CD issue you mentioned.
If a kindhearted stranger could perhaps see his (or her) way to, say, burning a copy of said 3 CD comp, I have a feeling that it would be met with a degree of gratitude in certain quarters... Merely a general observation, of course...
Er, me too
Mine got nicked, with about fifty others and a lovely old Technics CD player, in 1998. It's long since deleted, of course.
[grinds teeth]
Suggested thread: Favourite nicked records. Call it group therapy. (Like most other threads)
Thanks all...
...this is really helpful & interesting.
Looked in my local library and there are a few there to try too, but all the enthusiasm has me fired up.
Thanks again.
Labour of Lust
I think his definitive album is "The Impossible Bird", followed by, from that era, "The Convincer". The most recent two are fine records but not as good as those two.
Earlier, I have a lot of time for "Labour of lust", with "Cruel to be kind", "Breaking glass", "Endless grey ribbon" etc. All 100% meat, no flab.
As a third fun one, "Nick Lowe's Cowboy Outfit" has much to recommend it. Just thinking about it brings back the beer+slightly damp walls fragrence of my mate's rented house in Anglesey in 1985. Oh yes, we partied to that one.
can I put in a vote for
"The Rose of England"?
Some really nice, zippy, upbeat stuff on there eg "7 Nights to Rock" and "Hope to God I'm Right".
I'd agree that "Impossible Bird" was a real rebirth, and a great record, but there are lots of good things on the preceding albums eg his version of "Big, Big Love" on "Pinker and Prouder..." and much of "Party of One".