# Let's talk about Nick Lowe. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920 "2005-09-03T19:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/1 "2005-09-03T19:14:05Z")
While I know everything about music, I’ve always only peripherally known about Nick Lowe - sure, I knew that he was the guy who wrote “What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding?,” and that he was a sort of Paul Weller-esque character who was a brash young punker that later got “distinguished” and dabbled in nonthreatening, adult-contemporary styles. Well, a friend turned me on to _Jesus of Cool_ recently - WOW, what an album! “I love the sound of breaking glass” has been in near-constant dood-jam rotation in my house and car, and every other track on the album is just tremendous - “tonight,” “So it goes,” “No Reason,” - the whole thing is perfect, punky pop straight through. I’ve jokingly started to refer to Lowe as “the real Elvis Costello” to give people a quick capsule description. So what else is good by Lowe? What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/2 "2005-09-03T19:30:35Z")
It’s harder trying to find something by Nick Lowe that isn’t any good. P.S.: You do not know everything about anything. Check your ego at the door, pal. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/3 "2005-09-03T21:08:07Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > P.S.: You do not know everything about anything. Check your ego at the door, pal. It was tongue-in-cheek, “Sport.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/4 "2005-09-03T22:24:42Z")
“Cruel to be Kind” is one of my favorite pop songs. He also wrote “(What’s so funny 'bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/5 "2005-09-03T22:26:39Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > He also wrote “(What’s so funny 'bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”. That’s in my OP. I checked out the album _Labor of Lust_, which “Cruel to be Kind” is taken from, but I thought the whole record was pretty poor. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/6 "2005-09-03T22:27:53Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > That’s in my OP. I checked out the album _Labor of Lust_, which “Cruel to be Kind” is taken from, but I thought the whole record was pretty poor. :smack: Did you ever see the video for “Cruel to be Kind”? It features actual footage of his wedding to Carlene Carter. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/7 "2005-09-03T22:31:34Z")
I’ll second the comments about having to search pretty hard for a bad Nick Lowe Record. “_The Impossible Bird_” is one of my favourite, favourite of all records. And Rockpile, in 1979, is still possibly the rockingest gig I’ve ever been to. mm ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/8 "2005-09-04T01:02:27Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Did you ever see the video for “Cruel to be Kind”? It features actual footage of his wedding to Carlene Carter. \I didn’t know that.\ Lowe’s one of my favorites as well. Rockpile’s “Crawing from the Wreckage” is a great driving song, so long as it’s not taken too far. I recommend the “Concert for Kampuchina” version (Paul McCartney’s “Live Aid” for Cambodia). Probably the best way to buy Lowe’s work is by the single. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/9 "2005-09-04T01:13:49Z")
> [@pesch](#): > > Probably the best way to buy Lowe’s work is by the single. Or by the compilation. There’s a 25-track CD titled _Basher_ that has all the Nick Lowe I’d ever want. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/10 "2005-09-04T02:37:10Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > Well, a friend turned me on to _Jesus of Cool_ recently - WOW, what an album! “I love the sound of breaking glass” has been in near-constant dood-jam rotation in my house and car, and every other track on the album is just tremendous - “tonight,” “So it goes,” “No Reason,” - the whole thing is perfect, punky pop straight through. I’ve jokingly started to refer to Lowe as “the real Elvis Costello” to give people a quick capsule description. > > So what else is good by Lowe? What do you think? Funny you should say that about Lowe and Costello. Lowe produced a lot of Costello’s early records and Elvis (or should I say Declan?) had acutally been a roadie for Brinsley Schwarz, Lowe’s pre-solo group. Outisde of _Jesus of Cool_, I would go with _The Rose of England_ as his best album. His Rockpile stuff with Dave Edmunds is good, too. However, Nick’s forte is beautifully structured ironic pop songs in a variety of styles so he’s not really an album guy. The collection_Basher_ is probably the best compilation of Lowe stuff available. However, 5-6 of its 25 songs were from _Jesus of Cool_. Brinsley Schwarz was a pretty good outfit, too. I’ve got a double album compilation of _Nervous on the Road & The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz_ that has the original versions of Peace Love and Understanding and Cruel to Be Kind and IMHO they’re far from the best songs on the albums. I would describe Brinsley Schwarz’ sound a s cross between a British power pop outfit and the Band. They have a good funky pop-country vibe going. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/11 "2005-09-04T04:24:01Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > :smack: > > Did you ever see the video for “Cruel to be Kind”? It features actual footage of his wedding to Carlene Carter. And Dave Edmunds played the limo driver! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/12 "2005-09-04T13:33:02Z")
The drummer in my current band was drumming in Carlene Carter’s band while she was married to Nick. According to him (my drummer that is), Nick is as nice a guy as he is talented - just an all around great guy. Carlene, on the other hand, was a coked-out bitch who slept around, took money and just about everything else you’d expect a self-centered, immature nutcase to do when they are on the verge of making big and thinking they are hot shit. She divorced Nick, never made it, stiffed her band (including my guy) and split back to rehab…what a piece of work. Back to the OP - I really enjoy his stuff and am a big Rockpile fan… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/13 "2005-09-04T13:35:28Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Carlene, on the other hand… While on tour in England, she was heard to tell her audience, “I’m here to put the “cunt” back in country”. Classy, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/14 "2005-09-04T14:09:21Z")
Lowe should also be revered for recording deliberate crap to force his label to release him. At least I think that is what _Bay City Rollers We Love You_ and _Let’s Go to the Disco_ were about. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/15 "2005-09-04T14:15:44Z")
In a bit of cultural silliness, _Jesus of Cool_ was renamed _Pure Pop for Now People_ in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/16 "2005-09-04T16:48:38Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > While on tour in England, she was heard to tell her audience, “I’m here to put the “cunt” back in country”. > > Classy, indeed. No, that was her sis, Roseanne Cash, at a Carnegie Hall concert back when she was doing cocaine. “Witnesses say the Man in Black turned red.”–\*People \* Magazine ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/17 "2005-09-04T16:54:33Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > No, that was her sis, Roseanne Cash, at a Carnegie Hall concert back when she was doing cocaine. > “Witnesses say the Man in Black turned red.”–\*People \* Magazine I did not know that! I always heard it was Carlene. Learn something new everyday. ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/18 "2005-09-04T17:14:17Z")
And you can’t forget what’s now becoming a wedding standard: _I knew the bride when she used to rock and roll._ ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/19 "2005-09-05T12:57:52Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > There’s a 25-track CD titled Basher that has all the Nick Lowe I’d ever want. > [@bmoak](#): > > The collection_Basher_ is probably the best compilation of Lowe stuff available. Bah! You guys may be unaware of the 4 disc set [The Doings](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000JKHI/102-4939629-4018520?v=glance&s=music&vi=samples#disc_1)! Now, _that’s_ some serious compilation action. The _Brinsley Schwartz_ stuff is available on CD too, conveniently packaged as two albums per CD (one example of which was provided by our good friend, **bmoak** ). When I heard about the band _Little Village_ (Nick Lowe, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner) I thought “Wow, that’ll be great!” Unfortunately the whole of this band was significantly less than the sum of it’s parts. An all together pretty bad album. But Nick Lowe is a great songwriter, I love his music. I always feel the need to educate people who put “Cruel to be Kind” on their lists of “Favorite One Hit Wonders”. Aaargh! The _wonder_ is that he didn’t have _more_ hits!!! He’s got a wonderful sense of humor too. After David Bowi **e** put out his album **Low** , Nick Low **e** put out an album titled **Bowi**. His last three albums are among his best (and post date the _Basher_ compilation that **ultrafilter** and **bmoak** have recommended). The first two of these three most recent albums (_The Impossible Bird_ and _Dig My Mood_) are included almost in their entirety on the _The Doings_ 4 disc set. The very most recent album _The Convincer_ came out after that box set, and is well worth owning by itself- a great album from start to finish. Do you remember Rick Astley? He had a big fat hit, it was Ghastly He said, “I’m never gonna give you up or let you down” Well, I’m here to tell you that dick’s a clown ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920/20 "2005-09-05T21:13:11Z")
I’ll second Rose of England as an album to get. I’ll also nominate _So It Goes_ as one of the best Pop songs ever. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-nick-lowe/319920.md?page=2)