Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
NOW THIS IS POP MUSIC I CAN SINK MY TEETH INTO, April 30, 2001
Nick Lowe not only has produced some of the best groundbreaking albums by the likes of Graham Parker and Elvis Costello, he's also made a few great records himself. His first 2 albums were especially strong. "PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE", also named "JESUS OF COOL", and his second "LABOUR OF LUST" were his best works and are amply represented here by the first 14 songs. The rest of this material are from his later weaker albums. But even those albums had a few hidden gems, such as HALF A BOY AND HALF A MAN", THE ROSE OF ENGLAND, AND I KNEW THE BRIDE, which Dave Edmunds made a hit out of a few years earlier. It's hard for me to pick a favorite from these 2 early albums, I've got so many. I can tell you the 2 songs that really stick you in the ribs from the first album are SO IT GOES, in which Lowe blatantly rips off the hook to Steely Dan's REELING IN THE YEARS, and the Chuck Berry driven HEART OF THE CITY, both of which were singles for Lowe. A couple good songs off his second album is AMERICAN SQUIRM, which was another single, and the crazy Mickey Jupp rockabilly song SWITHCHBOARD SUSAN. His biggest hit was CRUEL TO BE KIND, a mid-tempo song that I remember getting alot of airplay when it first came out, but didn't stick around long. Ever since his days with the British pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz, Lowe has honed his musicial skills. He throws every kind of musical influence into his music. If you like rockabilly, soul, Motown, country, or blues, well Nick Lowe does it all. I know first hand this guy is an old accomplished workhorse musician. I once saw him when he came to Oklahoma City in the mid 80's with his band 'THE COWBOY OUTFIT". In the middle of their show the electricity that powered the bands musical instuments went out. Instead of stopping the show, Nick Lowe pulled out his acoustic guitar, and with nothing but a spotlight shining down on him, did 30 minutes of some of the best unrehearsed pop music I've ever heard come out of one person. I was sitting in the back of that big auditorium and could hear every word that he sang without a microphone. When the juice came back on, the band started playing again without missing a beat. I never forgot that night, and became an even bigger Nick Lowe fan that I already was. Nick Lowe has never been a big moneymaking artist, but at least he got a little recognition in 1992 when Curtis Stigers did a cover of his song 'WHAT'S SO FUNNY BOUT' PEACE, LOVE, AND UNDERSTANDING", which was included in the popular soundtrack THE BODYGUARD. The royalities from that song earned Lowe a nice little 7 figure check. Sometimes there is a little justice in this world. If you like pure pop music, but without the bubblegum that usually comes with it, I highly recommend you get this 77 minute 25 track essential Nick Lowe, and discover a true pop talent.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timeless Pop (for "now people" too), October 25, 2000
The first Lowe song I can remember was "Cruel to Be Kind" (which oddly enough reminds me of someone I once dated who often slapped me around) with its smooth rhythm guitar and biting lyrics. Soon after, I got into "So It Goes" (with that solid bottom), "Little Hitler" (I suppose Elvis Costello's "Two Little Hitlers" was an answer of sorts), "No Reason" (great reggae fill), "Heart of the City" (more solid rhythm guitar) and "Marie Provost" (for some reason he pronounces it "Mary"). The guy was just a machine when it came to writing good songs with car-radio-type hooks and solid beat. Why he wasn't a bigger star is a mystery to me.Now along comes this album, covering most (but not all) of his career and now I have to add "Half a Boy" and "The Rose of England" to my list of faves. Just a notch below would be "When I Write the Book". Let my add my voice to the chorus praising this album. Nick Lowe, along with Elvis Costello, were the two supreme talents to come out the "new music" period (I can't call it punk, not when there are melodies this good) of the late 70's. This CD is priced like a single album, but you get 25 tracks, uncommon value. You won't regret buying this one, especially if you liked British rock and pop of the 60's and 70's.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All Time Lowe, August 1, 2000
Nick Lowe may be best known as the producer of the best of Elvis Costello's 70's & early 80's albums, but he has crafted some the smartest & wittiest music around. Lowe came out of the early 70's English pub-rock scene, playing in the genre's biggest group, Brinsley Swarz. After he left the band, he released his first solo record, "So It Goes". It was also the first ever release on the seminal label Stiff Records. The song set the mold for which Lowe would follow for much of his career. The lyrics on the surface appear to be somewhat humorous but underneath they are laced with cynism. Other great songs include "American Squirm", "Marie Provost" which tells of an old movie star who died and the police found her half-eaten by her dog, "Little Hitler", "Cracking Up", "Heart Of The City", the reggae remake of his Rockpile song "Heart", the rockbilly of "Half A Boy, Half A Man", the pretty country-flavored "Without Love" and his only hit in America, "Cruel To Be Kind", which is one of the most overlooked hit songs of the 70's. The album is sequenced in chronilogical order and some the later songs are weak, especially compared to the early stuff, but one cannot complain when you get 25 songs on a single cd. If you love Nick Lowe, this album is indepensible and if you are unfamiliar with him, it is more than worth checking out.
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