Customer Reviews

Seconds of Pleasure

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Rockpile was formed as a backing band for Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds' solo records and as an outlet for the two the hit the road and play live. Along with Billy Bremmer on guitar and Terry Williams on drums, the unit played on great albums like Lowe's Jesus Of Cool & Labour Of Lust and Edmunds' Tracks On Wax & Repeat When Necessary which were essentially Rockpile records. Seconds Of Pleasure is the only official release under the Rockpile moniker. The album kicks off with a great one-two punch. First is an ode to teenage lust "Teacher Teacher" and then moves into an old Joe Tex rave up "If Sugar Was As Sweet As You". The third song is "Heart", which is probably more familiar in its later incarnation as a slowed down reggae song on Lowe's Nick The Knife album, is a fast-paced power pop tune, which is superior to the remake. Other standout cuts include "When I Write The Book", "Play That Fast Thing", "Now & Always" and the humorous "A Knife & A Fork". The original album contained a bonus 45 with 4 Everly Brothers remakes and they are included as the last four tracks on the disk. The best of the four is "Crying In The Rain". This remastered version has a great crisp and clean sound as great production is what Mr. Lowe is known for. The set includes three live tracks, "Back to Schooldays" and "They Call It Rock" which are from a 1977 BBC radio session and "Crawling From The Wreckage" which is from the live album Concerts for The People of Kampuchea which has sadly never been released on CD. All three songs give a glimpse into the band's live prowess. Unfortunately after this album and a supporting tour, Rockpile never recorded as a unit or played live again. They only sporadically worked on Lowe & Edmunds' solo recordings. Too bad we couldn't have had a few more albums from this fine band.

Rockpile was formed as a backing band for Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds' solo records and as an outlet for the two the hit the road and play live. Along with Billy Bremmer on guitar and Terry Williams on drums, the unit played on great albums like Lowe's Jesus Of Cool & Labour Of Lust and Edmunds' Tracks On Wax & Repeat When Necessary which were essentially Rockpile records. Seconds Of Pleasure is the only official release under the Rockpile moniker. The album kicks off with a great one-two punch. First is an ode to teenage lust "Teacher Teacher" and then moves into an old Joe Tex rave up "If Sugar Was As Sweet As You". The third song is "Heart" which is probably more familiar in its later incarnation as a slowed down reggae song on Lowe's Nick The Knife album. Here it is a fast paced pop tune, which I think is superior to the remake. Other standout cuts include "When I Write The Book", "Play That Fast Thing", "Now & Always" and the humorous "A Knife & A Fork". The original album contained a bonus 45 with 4 Everly Brothers remakes and they are included as the last four tracks on the disk. The best of the four is "Crying In The Rain". Unfortunately after this album and a supporting tour, Rockpile never recorded as a unit or play live again. They only sporadically worked on Lowe & Edmunds' solo recording. Too bad we couldn't have had a few more albums from this fine band.

This was a reissue worth waiting for. The one official recording by Rockpile, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremmer and Terry Williams, this 1980 CD has been in my fave albums pile ever since it came out. Had this foursome not been bar and band mates for each other before "Seconds Of Pleasure," this platter would have been trumped as a supergroup. Edmunds and Williams had already been well established as far back as the sixties with hits, Lowe would be in the history books if only that he released Stiff Records' first single. That Lowe's albums ("Pure Pop For Now People," "Labour of Lust") and as well as Edmunds' solos ("Repeat When Necessary," "Trax On Wax 4") not already given them stature among the cognoscenti, their contributions to the sound of the period as individual producers would.

After all, between the two of them, they should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their production library. Edmunds for Stray Cats, kd lang, Fabulous Thunderbirds and (fer crying out loud) Foghat; Lowe for Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Pretenders, and John Hiatt all but sealing their rep as a pair of men that made a decade sound the way it did. Yet for all that star power, when it came time to record a proper album as a group, Rockpile made it sound like no sweat.

"Seconds Of Pleasure" took all things great about basic bar band rock and made it sound fresh. It was almost as if they came at you with the credo that anything that they couldn't make sound as simplistic as a Chuck Berry riff or Everly Brothers' harmony wasn't worth the tape it took. To that end, the band cribbed from the best, covering a pair of classics (Berry's "Oh What A Thrill" and Joe Tex's "If Sugar was as Sweet as You"), then surrounding them with originals that were every bit as perfect ("Teacher Teacher" and "When I Write The Book"). They were even so hot a band that Billy Bremmer got the lead vocal on what should have been a classic single, they bouncy "Heart."

Albums this effortless sounding are rare jewels. If you're an aficionado of this style of buoyant 80's sound or Brit Pub rock, "Seconds Of Pleasure" is absolutely indispensable. The addition of the original album's bonus EP, "Nick and Dave Sing The Everly Brothers," two unreleased live cuts and "Crawling From The Wreckage" from the "Concerts of Kampuchea" make this an even better buy.

To paraphrase one of Edmund's albums. "Git it." Four and a half stars.

I don't want to hear any complaints about how boring the eighties were. Perhaps Billboard's Top-100 was pretty lackluster during the decade, but for fans willing to search through the record store bins, rock'n'roll was alive and well. The original Rockpile LP was so cool because it came with a bonus EP. I had heard of an EP before, but this was my first (and only). Four Everly Brothers covers on a 45 showcasing the exquisite vocal harmonies of Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. The production is austere - Dave and Nick backed by acoustic guitar and a simple base line. It sounds like a first-take recording, with the reverberation of a school gymnasium. Many "unplugged" electric artists should have remained "plugged," but Dave and Nick display their vocal and musical talents "naked." The EP (CD tracks 13-16) is a befitting tribute to the princes of two-part vocal harmony, and an honest example of "less" production in rock often results in "more."

As for the "real" Rockpile album (tracks 1-12)? It's a marvelous marriage of two complementary genres: Dave Edmunds' classic rhythm and blues, and Lowe's peculiar Pop perspective. Rockpile is essentially a "live" band. Several songs are faster than customary for studio recordings, and include "live" endings instead of studio fade-outs. Edmunds seems to be in charge. Most compositions are traditional (Chuck Berry) rockers. My favorites are those featuring Nick Lowe's imaginative bass lines and quirky lyrics (Teacher Teacher, Pet You And Hold You, When I Write The Book). Dave and Nick sound like siblings - their vocal harmonies are delectable (Now And Always). It's not too late to start the eighties with passionate and energetic "no frills" rock. Grab a copy of Rockpile.

This is a terrific introduction into the world of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds. Though Lowe and Edmunds along with drummer Terry Williams and second guitarist Billy Bremner had been performing on each other's solo albums for years, this is their only true group recording--and what an amazing collection of songs.

Lowe (the only true songwriter of the group--though some songs get a group writing credit) serves up the bouncy "Heart," the tender "Now and Always," the get-up-and-boogie "Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)" and several other classic Rockpile tunes. The rest of the material comes from outside sources, including the obscure Chuck Berry "Oh What a Thrill." And the thing is, all of the songs blend into a cohesive whole. Lowe's originals mesh perfectly with the band's selection of covers.

As an added bonus, the CD includes the four Everly Brothers songs that were included on a separate EP with the original vinyl release in 1980, lovingly and faithfully performed by Edmunds and Lowe.

If this isn't enough Rockpile for you (and how could it be?), rush out and get the Dave Edmunds Anthology and Nick Lowe's The Doings (The Solo Years). If your budget can't afford that, start with Edmund's Repeat When Necessary and Lowe's Pure Pop for Now People (titled The Jesus of Cool in the UK) and go from there.

With the new millenmium starting with the Top 40 cluttered with over-hyped vocal boy groups and nymphette singers, it's good to know that some artists still know how to rock 'n' roll. HIGHLY Recommended

This was a reissue worth waiting for. The one official recording by Rockpile, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremmer and Terry Williams, this 1980 CD has been in my fave albums pile ever since it came out. Had this foursome not been bar and band mates for each other before "Seconds Of Pleasure," this platter would have been trumped as a supergroup. Edmunds and Williams had already been well established as far back as the sixties with hits, Lowe would be in the history books if only that he released Stiff Records' first single. That Lowe's albums ("Pure Pop For Now People," "Labour of Lust") and as well as Edmunds' solos ("Repeat When Necessary," "Trax On Wax 4") not already given them stature among the cognoscenti, their contributions to the sound of the period as individual producers would.

After all, between the two of them, they should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their production library. Edmunds for Stray Cats, kd lang, Fabulous Thunderbirds and (fer crying out loud) Foghat; Lowe for Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Pretenders, and John Hiatt all but sealing their rep as a pair of men that made a decade sound the way it did. Yet for all that star power, when it came time to record a proper album as a group, Rockpile made it sound like no sweat.

"Seconds Of Pleasure" took all things great about basic bar band rock and made it sound fresh. It was almost as if they came at you with the credo that anything that they couldn't make sound as simplistic as a Chuck Berry riff or Everly Brothers' harmony wasn't worth the tape it took. To that end, the band cribbed from the best, covering a pair of classics (Berry's "Oh What A Thrill" and Joe Tex's "If Sugar was as Sweet as You"), then surrounding them with originals that were every bit as perfect ("Teacher Teacher" and "When I Write The Book"). They were even so hot a band that Billy Bremmer got the lead vocal on what should have been a classic single, they bouncy "Heart."

Albums this effortless sounding are rare jewels. If you're an aficionado of this style of buoyant 80's sound or Brit Pub rock, "Seconds Of Pleasure" is absolutely indispensable. The addition of the original album's bonus EP, "Nick and Dave Sing The Everly Brothers," two unreleased live cuts and "Crawling From The Wreckage" from the "Concerts of Kampuchea" make this an even better buy.

To paraphrase one of Edmunds' albums. "Git it." Four and a half stars.

This is one of the great records of the early 1980's. The story of Rockpile is quite interesting. Formed in 1976, for most of the late 1970's, Rockpile was primarily known as the backup band for either Dave Edmunds or Nick Lowe. When backing up Dave Edmunds, Rockpile was a great roots revival band. When backing up Nick Lowe, they were a dynamic power pop/new wave band. However, Rockpile was more that just a backup band. In fact, many fans of the band will tell you that Rockpile's best vocalist was not Lowe or Edmunds, it was Billy Bremmer. Rockpile had a reputation of being THE great live band of its day. Unfortunately, due to contractual entanglements, this would be the only album that they recorded as Rockpile. Rockpile broke-up shortly after this album was released and although Lowe and Edmunds continued with their solo careers, in my opinion, they never recorded any album as good as the ones they recorded with Rockpile.

There is not a bad cut on this album. My personal favorites are the Nick Lowe cuts "Now and Always" and "Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)", Edmunds' "Fool Too Long," and Billy Bremmer's "Heart." The new re-issue adds the 4 cuts of Lowe and Edmunds signing Everly Brother's covers (originally included with the album as an EP) and three live cuts, two never before released. My only complaint is that I wish there were more live cuts. Also, the liner notes are somewhat mundane and the so-called rare photos are basically alternate versions of photos inclded on the album and EP record jackets. However, these are minor quibbles. This is a great record, you should own it.

Who said all rock'n'roll tragedies have to be fatal? One of the greatest is the dissolution of Rockpile in 1980, just as they were on the cusp of something really, really big. Four musicians who knew what they were doing, two gifted songwriters (Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds) with encyclopedic knowledge and big names of their own, most of them working together for years on Dave and Nick's "solo" albums before the big break came -- and then it all fell apart. At least The Everly Brothers, whom the dynamic duo so lovingly paid homage to, eventually reunited.

What was puzzling to outsiders about the Rockpile breakup was that it was such a contrast to the upbeat, almost joyous music on their only album under the band name. They rumbled out of the gate with that catchy "Teacher Teacher," with Nick singing in that distinctive British wise-owl voice of his (I never knew it was a Gene Chandler tune), straight into Dave and his high-pitched Welsh warble belting out Toe Tex's "If Sugar Was as Sweet as You" as another sing-song soul raveup. And save for a couple of speed bumps, they kept up the pace for a full album, with the high point being the pure, unadulterated, full-on, boyish "Heart," sung in high spirits (and high register) by bassist Billy Bremner. And along the way, there are also the bar-band bounce of "Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)" and "You Ain't Nothin' but Fine," Edmunds driving home the rock'n'roll grind of Difford & Tilbrook's high-rev "Wrong Again (Let's Face It)," a very Berry remake of Chuck Berry's "Oh What a Thrill," and the overreaching heartache of "Now and Always," a tune that wouldn't have been out of place in Buddy Holly's record collection. "Seconds of Pleasure" was one great big lovable pile of rock when I bought it in college and played it over and over, and 25 years later, it still is. The only things that have aged are the musicians and their fans.

And the bonus tracks make it all the better. The live cuts are OK (all said, I wish they could've licensed their version of "Little Sister" with Robert Plant from the Kampuchea album), but the inclusion of the "Nick Lowe & Dave Edmunds Sing The Everly Brothers" EP, a limited-edition four-song 7-incher from the early pressings of the LP, is just plain wonderful. They paid loving tributes to Phil and Don without trying to ape them, and just to have pristine versions of their incredibly sweetly sad versions of "Message to Mary" and "Crying in the Rain" is worth the price of the CD.

Y'know, every time I hear or see Nick Lowe these days, I get this feeling of sadness. These days, he kills us quietly with his stellar writing and his acoustic guitar. But I remember too fondly the days of Rockpile -- of this album and previous clever Nicktunes such as "Cruel to Be Kind," "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," "They Called It Rock," "American Squirm" and "Rollers Show" -- and just wish for one more bit of that Rockpile magic. And having the enhanced CD brings back the very same feeling.

One of the great underrated albums of the late '70s/early '80s, this CD captures Edmunds, Lowe, Bremner, and Williams at their peak. Any fan of roots rock and new wave power pop ala "Cruel To Be Kind" will "get it," it's one kickin' classic after another, with Dave and Nick doing their best Everlys impersonation as a bonus. If you like rock, you'll love Rockpile.

Originally saw the light of day in October, 1980. I knew a LOT of fans and patrons that practically worshiped this sole Rockpile album. Best described as 'new wave pop'. Tracks here I was most impressed with were "If Sugar Was As Sweet As You", "Knife And A Fork", their Chuck Berry cover "Oh What A Thrill", the inspiring "Fool Too Long" and their Everly Brother's "When Will I Be Loved". It's been so long since I heard this disc in it's entirety. Personnel: Dave Edmunds and Billy Bremner-guitar & vocals, Nick Lowe-bass & vocals and Terry Williams-drums. I also remember that Rockpile gave contenders like Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker and the Pretenders a good run for their money.