Customer Reviews

Labour of Lust

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A local radio station specializing in music of the 60s, 70s and 80s (after recently dropping its 50s playlist and "Oldies" tag) included Nick Lowe and his "Cruel to Be Kind" on a recent "One Hit Wonders" weekend. Technically, that's true I guess. But for those of us whose perspective on rock music goes a bit further than the U.S. Top Forty, Nick Lowe deserves a little more respect and recognition than this benighted station was bestowing.

Anyone with at least a passing knowledge of rock history knows that Nick Lowe was a seminal figure in late 70s New Wave. As a producer, solo artist and band member (Rockpile), his contribution to that underappreciated genre (more tuneful than straight-on punk, truer to the spirit of rock 'n' roll than all that arena rock junk) cannot be emphasized enough. As good a songwriter and performer as Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson, he never got the recognition he deserved--at least on this side of the Big Pond.

"Cruel To Be Kind" was indeed pure pop for now (and "then") people, but the album itself was much rockier, and thematically edgier than the hit single might imply. "Born Fighter," "Switchboard Susan," and "Skin Deep" are bristling rockers. "Big Kick, Plain Scrap," a cooler, slower talk-song is a fairly frank, non-condemnatory drug song (not TOTALLY condemnatory anway) which probably didn't exactly enhance the likelihood of the album's getting more extensive airplay. Neither do the numerous not-so-ambiguous double-entendres in any number of songs on the record.

Nick Lowe seems to be enjoying a comeback of sorts as a dapper elder statesman of rock 'n' roll. I caught him at a festival last summer on his tour backing THE CONVINCER. The audience didn't need much convincing, however. As rockers go, Nick Lowe is the genuine article. If you're a newcomer to his music LABOUR OF LUST is a great place to start. But don't stop there. There's a whole catalog of material from the 80s and 80s to explore. And maybe...just maybe...someone will see fit to release his first solo record PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE on CD sometime in the near future.

It says something about the state of the world that this classic pop-rock album is now apparently available only as an import. According to the track listing, this import includes "Endless Grey Ribbon", a B-side ballad not on the U.S. release, but lacks "American Squirm" one of the best songs on the album. If this is true it would be a shame, but if you can't find a used vinyl copy this is still worth it. If the freak hit "Cruel To Be Kind" drove you crazy in 1979-80, songs such as "Cracking Up" or "Dose of You" or "Love So Fine" should take the curse off, and are each worth the price of admission alone. Layered acoustic and electric guitars, snappy melodies, excellent drumming, hooks galore, and (this being Nick Lowe) double entendres, puns and sick jokes all make for a hugely enjoyable, obsessively replayable album. Aside from "Cruel To Be Kind" Lowe's brand of pop irony never caught on with the public, but critics at the time assumed he would continue to release albums of this level of quality. Eleven years later, he did, with Party of One.

Jesus of Cool was a jukebox, spinning out a series of perfectly crafted - and decidedly quirky and subversive - pop singles. In contrast, Nick Lowe's second album, Labour of Lust, is the work of a bar band, in this case Rockpile, playing the hell out of the same type of songs. Naturally, the result is a more coherent sound that may be a little less freewheelingly eclectic, but it is no less brilliant. Recorded simultaneously with Dave Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary, Labour of Lust benefits from the muscular support of Rockpile, who make Lowe's songs crackle with vitality. Working primarily in the roots rock vein of Brinsley Schwarz but energizing his traditionalist tendencies with strong pop melodies, a sense of humor, and an edgy new wave sensibility, Lowe comes up with one of his best sets of songs. Not only is his only hit, the propulsively hook-laden "Cruel to Be Kind," here, but so are the rampaging outsider anthem "Born Fighter," the tongue-in-cheek, Chuck Berry-style "Love So Fine," the wonderful pure pop of "Dose of You," the haunting "Endless Grey Ribbon," the druggy "Big Kick, Plain Scrap!," and the terrific "Cracking Up," as well as his definitive version of Mickey Jupp's "Switchboard Susan." It's an exceptional collection of inventive pop songs, delivered with vigor and energy, making it one of the great records of the new wave. - Stephen Thomas, AMG

There is nothing more perfect than that "two minute" beauty. Mr. McMannes said it was easy to write the lengthy drone, but to create the perfect two minute song, well that is brilliance.
I have never understood why Nick Lowe was never embraced as a PopGod kind of guy. Who else writes the best pure pop for now people?
I came to the conclusion that we (ok, society) simply cannot embrace perfection, even broken, while pure and alive.
As usual, the Grand Poets universally embraced all had to die first.
Well, consider your first pilgrimage to a future grave.
But have fun along the way and buy this album.
Even tonight, in a STORE, I heard "Cracking Up," but not from Nick.
It was simply grand.

The first time (1979) I listened to LABOUR OF LUST it knocked me out. Twenty years later, I am still on the floor. Backed by the high-energy band Rockpile (including Dave Edmunds), Nick Lowe bashes at his room-rattling best on LABOUR OF LUST. Take away all but 10 of my hundreds of CDs, tapes and LPs, and LABOUR OF LUST will be among those I keep.

Nick Lowe's second brilliant solo album was a less quirky but more solidly written album than his "Jesus Of Cool (aka Pure Pop for Now People)". Lowe also upped the dynamic by bringing his Rockpile pals onboard. Where "Cool" was a delightful album on almost every front, Lowe was a one man band on that go around. Having Dave Edmunds, Terry Williams and Billy Bremmer in the studio made for better chemistry and that made all the difference.

"Labour" also has Lowe's two biggest singles, including his lone American hit, "Cruel To Be Kind." Coming off as muscular Motown with guitars, "Cruel To Be Kind" jangles along as the doot-doot chorus makes for great sing-along. The one song Lowe didn't write, "Switchboard Susan," is a chuckler of the best grade, making all sorts of telephone man jokes like "when I'm with you girl, I get an extension...and I don't mean Alexander Graham Bell's invention." With Lowe's naturally Beatle-esque vocal abilities, he gets away with such silliness, including "Dose Of You."

As meticulous as Lowe is with production, "Labour's" new remaster is terrific. Edmunds' guitar now crackles on "Born Fighter" and "Switchboard Susan." Both the odd tracks between the US and UK version are present, along with an extra B-Side ("Basing Street"). From the stateside version, "American Squirm," and from the English, "Endless Grey Ribbon." "Squirm" is also unusual in that it features Elvis Costello and The Attractions' Pete Thomas. Huey Lewis (a pal of Lowe's before forming The News) blows a mean harmonica on "Born Fighter." And finally, Will Birch from fellow 80's popsters The Records and now a biographer contributes a good essay and interview with Lowe.

"Labour Of Lust" sounds so grand and brings back memories of just how great Lowe is as a solo artist that I'm now hoping for more of his 80's albums start showing up. Especially "The Abominable Showman" and "His Cowboy Outfit."

This release, featuring the Rockpile folks playing behind Nick, is the perfect companion to "Pure Pop For Now People" (also released as "The Jesus of Cool"). The playing is tight and sharp, especially the guitar work. It features the hit single "Cruel to Be Kind", penned by Lowe and Ian Gomm, which was inspired by the line "Got to be cruel to be kind" in the Kinks song "The Hard Way". Dave Edmunds can clearly be heard in the chorus of the next tune, "Cracking Up", which also received radio air play. "Big Kick" is another tune where Edmunds' vocals are strong on the background and chorus as is "Born Fighter". "You Make Me" is a slow song where Nick's echo layered voice stands alone against sparse acoustic guitar chords. "Switch Board Susan" is an interesting rocker written by another Stiff artist, Mickey Jupp. Nick took Mickey's original recording, stripped out his vocal lead, and over dubbed his own voice singing the song. I have never heard the Jupp version, but Nick's vocals are stellar. "Without Love" is a great pop song, which appeared in the movie "Americathon", with John Ritter and Harvey Korman among others. "Love So Fine" is a classic Nick tune, with a great shuffle beat. In all, this is almost as strong a release at "Pure Pop", and the perfect companion disk. Get it!!

This album is as good as JESUS OF COOL and deserves the kind of respect that album has now recently gotten. Yet, I'm seeing almost the entire list of first rate Nick Lowe albums as being discontinued? That's insane!! This man is *NOT* a one hit wonder. I'd seen him with his Cowboy Outfit band, opening for Elvis Costello (and promoting that particular album) and, that night, he blew Costello off the stage. I think that Elvis Costello was out on tour promoting his PUNCH THE CLOCK album. Nevertheless, there is no greater force out there than Nick Lowe with various configurations of Rock Pile, and I beg the record company owning the rights to these recordings to give this man his due. Perhaps plans are underway to do just that, but thus far, I haven't seen notice of those plans!!

what can I say.. been a fan since 1979 (when you could play such things as "Love so Fine" unedited on the radio..one of the best ) Pure pop sensibility fused with a jolt of punk roots. Humorous , witty lyrics put to songs so catchy as to be unforgettable. Nick was not made for the MTV generation, he would never have passed "Go" in the video age. But don't pass up this rare gem ..excellent ! Of course you remember "Cruel to be Kind" -look deeper , into tracks like "Switchboard Susan "and "Ccracking Up" on to "Without Love" and "Skin Deep" . Hip before his time, he himself said " What I have is style & an eye for style" in a review at the time..this album is a classic & a few of the best tracks didn't make it on to the also-excellent "Basher" compilation..don't pass it up -if you like anything he's ever done --get this ASAP !!!

Yep Roc continues to do justice to Nick Lowe's back catalog of classic albums. "Labour of Lust" arrives in a nicely remastered version done by Vic Anesini and includes both the songs from the original UK release as well as the songs that were added as for the U.S. release. The combination makes this the ultimate edition of this terrific sophomore solo release from Lowe.

Every song here is a gem from "Switchboard Susan" to the opening track his biggest hit single in the U.S. "Cruel to Be Kind" (there are TWO versions of the song by the way--this is the second version and the one that became a hit). "American Squirm" with its quirky humor ("I made an American squirm/It felt so right/On the screen was a musical worm/Deep deep into the night")and "Born Fighter" both crackle with energy courtesy of Rockpile who back Nick on this release.

For those interested there are digital downloads (a fixture of Yep Roc reissues it seems)included with this release as well but they are tracks from Lowe's later (fine)albums NOT previously unreleased demos or songs as I had hoped.

This along with "Jesus of Cool" and "The Rose of England" represent some of Lowe's best "early" work (he was one of the main songwriters in Brinsley Schwarz--check out some of their fine albums as well such as Nervous on the Road/New Favorites or Brinsley Schwarz/Despite It Al)\

Highly recommended.