Customer Reviews

The Impossible Bird

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is incredibly articulate and inventive, offering 13 melodic gems without a single filler track.

Hooks abound, but this is not just simple pop or country, as every song is infused with great emotional and musical substance to lure the listener back again and again.

My favorites include Lowe's own compositions The Beast In Me, Where's My Everything?, Lover Don't Go, Withered On The Vine and 14 Days, but the covers of True Love Travels On A Gravel Road, Trail Of Tears and I'll Be There are superb too.

If you like poetic lyrics set to beautiful melodies, you'll love this album. I do not even miss the absence of punk-influenced rockers at all, although I still love his first album "Pure Pop For Now People."

This is my absolute best musical discovery of 2001, thus far. It's rare to find such quality and talent on a single album.

I'd been a Nick Lowe fan ever since his Brinsley Schwarz days. Lowe's songwriting ability was clearly discernible way back then. I bought The Impossible Bird on faith, without having heard a single track before. And boy, no disappointment! Lowe combines woeful, deep lyrics with cleverly crafted, often bouncy melodies which make him sound like Paul McCartney's musical soul mate. Only Lowe's lyrics seem much more personal. The trauma the man must have gone through becomes depressingly clear, yet somehow his spirit and good humour seem to carry him through. This is an album, which people who had had a painful break-up/divorce etc. can easily relate to, and that's probably a large chunk of the world's population. With his excellent sense for melody, Old Nick even sounds great when he goes into Country. Geez, I despise C&W, but the way he delivers it, taking out most of the corniness that usually sticks to the genre, almost makes me a believer in C&W. Well, almost. Anyhow, The Impossible Bird has become one of my all-time favorites, and on the strength of it I bought his follow-up album, again, without ever having heard a single note from it before. But that's another story for another day ...

How many people would wonder, "who is this?" if they were lucky enough to have it grace their ears. Or would they instead ask you if you had any of that cool, pretentious Moby to put on instead.

Is anyone else flabbergasted that the sections for albums of this quality say, see all six reviews while garbage music has lines such as see all 625 reviews?

This is definitely Nick Lowe in full country mode, and I find more to like about it each time I listen to it. Gentle melodies and heartfelt lyrics are found throughout and while the occasional bit of rockabilly creeps in (Particularly on "12-Step Program" which would not have been out of place on CRUEL TO BE KIND)this CD would not be out of place on anyone's "Best of" country list. Tales of love and loss are here as are fairly common topics for country albums, but Lowe puts his own spin on them so they sound anything but cliched. If your looking for the Lowe of the 70's, this isn't him. This is an artist who decided to pursue a different route to finding his muse, and this recording shows that he is finding it with success.
PS. I know it's Nick's song, but Johhny's version of "Beast in Me" has so much more going for it that I almost wish I hadn't heard Nick's version. It pales in comparison.

Nick Lowe's "The Impossible Bird" is a plate full of strong and yet tender ballads. Listening to this CD,at times one feels as if they are at a revival meeting. The words of his tunes are simple, poetic, and reverberate almost Biblical themes at times. The song "Shelley My Love" is a wonderful pared down love song,passionate and simple. It's the kind of song, every guy would like to have written, when he has been in love.

Many of the songs have male background singers, lending a deep rich bass undertone to the music. A lone organ, and a few guitars complete the mood. One feels good just being in the room with this CD playing.

This CD truly gives meaning to the adage "less is more". Somehow Mr. Lowe gathers "bare, down to the bone" melodies, harmonies, and words and creates songs that are greater than all their parts.

This is definitely Nick Lowe in full country mode, and I find more to like about it each time I listen to it. Gentle melodies and heartfelt lyrics are found throughout and while the occasional bit of rockabilly creeps in (Particularly on "12-Step Program" which would not have been out of place on CRUEL TO BE KIND)Tales of love and loss are here as are fairly common topics for country albums, but Lowe puts his own spin on them so they sound anything but cliched. if your looking for the Lowe of the 70's, this isn't him. This is an artist who decided to pursue a different route to finding his muse, and this recording shows that he is finding it with success.
PS. I know it's Nick's song, but Johhny's version of "Beast in Me" has so much more going for it that I almost wish I hadn't heard Nick's version. It pales in comparison.

Iappreciate artists who challenge themselves with a different sound and fresh subjects. Nick Lowe has totally transformed himself from his pure pop beginnings. He's been a great producer and songwriter for a long time, but with this album he becomes a moving singer as well. Packed with great songs--tales of loss, regret and hope--it is especially effective in its quietest moments such as The Beast In Me and Withered On The Vine. Lowe also does a great version of True Love Travels On A Gravel Road, a song I thought no one could beat Elvis on (Elvis wins on vocal but I like Nick's arrangement better). But my favorites are Where's My Everything?, sung by a man who wonders why life hasn't delivered the treasures he expected and I Live On A Battlefield, one of the most devastating breakup songs I've heard. Please keep this great artist recording.By the way, his early albums like Pure Pop For Now People and Labour Of Lust are excellent too--get this and one of those and you'll have a sense of his range of talent.

Short and Sweet. This album is chalked full of wonderful songs. If you feel that all music must be loud and fast to be good, then that's too bad. But if your an individual who looks for quality SONGWRITING, then look no further. This was one of my favorite albums in the year that it was released. Enjoy. His follow up, Dig My Mood is also great.

Nick is now a folk, alt-country roots guy (and for a time Johnny Cash was his pappy-in-law) who has followed up his previous LP Party of One with a less humorous but more consistent effort. In fact, its a bit sad, dealing with lost loves, alcoholism and moving on. But music has to be sad to get us through the rough patches. The writing and fine production yield little nuances with each listening.

If you enjoy John Prine and John Hiatt then you'll love this. Mines the same turf musiclly and holds up well with those fine songwriters.

This is apparently not one of Nick Lowe's biggest albums. I am a fan of his newer music and this album did not disappoint. Several of these tracks are not on the recently released two disc plus DVD set and I am glad I got this one as well. I guess you can never have too much when you really like something.