Time to give some respect to the classic first 2 records of Nick Lowe:What's the best track in "jesus of cool" and "labour of lust"?

what are the chances that the predictable won't happen and "breaking glass" ot "cruel to be kind" won't win?

i'll choose "cracking up" but "so it goes" is also a good candidate..

"Jesus Of Cool" is a better album overall, but "Cruel To Be Kind" is still his best ever moment. So that one.

This poll should've been postponed until after the reissue (yay!) so I could vote for "Rollers Show".

voted for "So It Goes," but the way this poll is goin', no one knows.

She was a winner that became a doggie's dinner
She never meant that much to me
Whoa oh poor Marie

I'm tempted to go with "Switchboard Susan" (the other radio hit from Labour of Lust, at least in Detroit, but I gotta be honest and go with "So It Goes."

So is "Rollers Show" (from Pure Pop For Now People) not on the Jesus of Cool reissue? Sorry, but if that's true, it stinks. (Also: Maybe they should have included "We Love You Bay City Rollers" or whatever it's called, which I've never heard, but I gather is an entirely different song?)

A guy at work was saying this week how the original (pre album) verson of "Cruel to Be Kind", by the way, was more "IPure Pop/Jesus of Cool sounding, but I have no idea if he was imagining things (or if I'd be able to tell the difference if I heard that version -- I never noticed the second album was a huge change in sound, to be honest.)

Songs by Nick Lowe I care about after 1979, by the way: Zero*. Though I may have heard two or three I liked before. That album this year sucked, though.

* -- "I Knew the Bride", which is probably my favorite Nick Lowe song ever come to think of it, doesn't count, since it had been around long before. But honestly, does anybody really think even the Rockpile album was really on the level of these two?

ps: "Marie Provost" is still the best song ever written about a dauchsand (even if Nick doesn't know how to pronounce the breed) (or maybe partly because he doesn't) (and I may not know how to spell it, actually, so I probably shouldn't talk.)

I'm tempted to go with "Switchboard Susan" (the other radio hit from Labour of Lust, at least in Detroit, but I gotta be honest and go with "So It Goes."

So is "Rollers Show" (from Pure Pop For Now People) not on the Jesus of Cool reissue? Sorry, but if that's true, it stinks. (Also: Maybe they should have included "We Love You Bay City Rollers" or whatever it's called, which I've never heard, but I gather is an entirely different song?)

A guy at work was saying this week how the original (pre album) verson of "Cruel to Be Kind", by the way, was more "Pure Pop/Jesus of Cool sounding, but I have no idea if he was imagining things (or if I'd be able to tell the difference if I heard that version -- I never noticed the second album was a huge change in sound, to be honest.)

Songs by Nick Lowe I care about after 1979, by the way: Zero*. Though I may have heard two or three I liked before. That album this year sucked, though.

* -- "I Knew the Bride", which is probably my favorite Nick Lowe song ever come to think of it, doesn't count, since it had been around long before. But honestly, does anybody really think even the Rockpile album was really on the level of these two?

ps: "Marie Provost" is still the best song ever written about a dauchsand (even if Nick doesn't know how to pronounce the breed) (or maybe partly because he doesn't) (and I may not know how to spell it, actually, so I probably shouldn't talk.)

And okay, here's a question I've never asked anybody, but I've wondered about for decades: on the cover of the debut album (whatever your country calls it), Nick Lowe is dressed up as several different "genres" of music (or maybe stars) (and the UK and US covers are slightly different, right?)

So.

1) Which genres, exactly is he dressed up as?

and

2) Which songs on the album correspond to those genres?

In one of the photos, he's clearly trying to look like Springsteen, but there is no Springsteen type song. Conversely, he never dresses up as the Rollers! But he does look sort of "metal" in one photo, which would match "Music For Money" I guess.

Yes, "Rollers Show" is on the reissue - there's a full track listing on that linked page above. Both "Rollers Show" and "They Called It Rock" were on PPFNP but not the original JOC, that's why they're not listed up there.

Songs by Nick Lowe I care about after 1979, by the way: Zero*. Though I may have heard two or three I liked before. That album this year sucked, though.

I'd say "songs by Nick Lowe I care about after 1994: zero." I'm very fond of Nick the Knife ("Stick It Where The Sun Don't Shine," "Too Many Teardrops," "Let Me Kiss Ya")

"Songs by Nick Lowe I care about after 1979, by the way: Zero"

the Impossible Bird and Convincer records are quite great exercises in country pop pastiche

This poll should've been postponed until after the reissue (yay!)

You mean they are on their way back?

Whoever is responsible for these two albums being unavailable should be sent to Hague and be convicted for crimes against Humanity.

As for Lowe songs from after 1979, there were a couple good ones on the Rockpile album.

_The Doings_ box covers almost all the highlights of his career and includes a killer live disc. He had many great post-79 songs; the stuff from the last 10 years has it's moments but, yeah, isn't a patch on his first 10.

Nick Lowe post-1979 is way too much of a country act for me.

Nick Lowe post-1979 (and even more so as he's moved toward a certain age) is way too "sincere" for me. (I have nothing against sincerity, but it's not exactly this particular guy's forte'.)

And I'd probably like his country more if it didn't sound so "alt" (as in adult alternative more than alt-country I guess). (Though Brinsley Schwarz weren't bad, of course, and Labour of Lust had a couple country-ish tracks.)

I should listen to Nick the Knife again someday, though. I actually reviewed it along with Lindsey Buckingham's first solo album for my college newspaper when it came out, and I didn't hate it. But I also don't remember it being especially funny, and it was a big disappointment after the first two.

NTK catches him moving from funny to sincere, so it's far from a disaster. And there's a good balance between the schticky numbers like "Stick It Where The Sun Don't Shine" and "Too Many Teardrops."

post 79 i really liked half a boy and half a man:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uiYYHLz9M4A

I voted Breaking Glass. The other ones on jesus of cool are too panache-y for me.

I feel predictable saying "So It Goes," but damn, that's a really good song.

you should hear Nick The Knife again if you find it for cheap, Chuck. After that either the production/performances or the songwriting is pretty bleh.

I like the singles on Pure Pop/Jesus but I find Labour Of Lust to be a lot more satisfying a listen. Kinda bummed I can't vote for "American Squirm." Probably gonna go with "So It Goes."

I voted "No Reason", damn!

The original "Cruel to be kind" was the b-side of "Little Hitler" I think, it's more demolike than the hit version.

Hmm, still missing off re-issue:

Halfway to Paradise
Keep it out of sight
I've been taking the Truth Drug.

a curious thing how Nick Low is more popular in north anerica than his own country.
an evident of it is this thread which is more popular while north america ilxors are awake..

"this thread which is more popular while north america ilxors are awake.."

correct my theory if it's wrong?!

"Marie Provost," hands down.

"I voted "No Reason", damn!"

the begining of this song withe ghose angry drums/guitar bit is almost like its been taking from a "gang of four" album

Kinda bummed I can't vote for "American Squirm."
It was only on the US Labour? I think in the UK it was the b-side of a split single with Elvis Costello?

Oh, it was the a-side, by "Nick Lowe and His Sound" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" was the b-side. I wonder what it's like to listen to that album with "Endless Grey Ribbon" instead? Does the whole thing grind to a halt for that track?

"I like the singles on Pure Pop/Jesus but I find Labour Of Lust to be a lot more satisfying a listen"

otm i think

Yeah, that's about right.

cracking up

this is where he looks a little like mark e smith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNJz53uAL5s&feature=related

So is Labour of Lust not getting a reissue?

no,but maybe next year they will get the "30th Anniversary Edition" it also desrves

I'm going to be the Jesus of Lame and say "Cruel to be Kind."

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Nick himself said that the reason his early solo albums were out of print was because, as the licences in various countries were expiring, he was regaining the rights to the albums and wanted to release them once he could do so everywhere simultaneously. So in Geir's opinion, it is Nick Lowe who should be sent to the Hague - though since rapists and mass murderers get off easy there, Nick'd probably spend 11 minutes in the poke, if found guilty.

Here's the expanded tracklist:

Jesus Of Cool: 30th Anniversary Edition:

01 Music For Money
02 I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass
03 Little Hitler
04 Shake And Pop
05 Tonight
06 So It Goes
07 No Reason
08 36 Inches High
09 Marie Provost
10 Nutted By Reality
11 Heart Of The City (live)
12 Shake That Rat
13 I Love My Label
14 They Called It Rock
15 Born A Woman
16 Endless Sleep
17 Halfway To Paradise
18 Rollers Show
19 Cruel To Be Kind (original version)
20 Heart Of The City
21 I Don't Want The Night To End

That's all thirteen tracks from both the US and UK album versions, plus eight tracks previously on his rarities compilation "The Wilderness Years" and the early (cool) disco version of "Cruel To Be Kind," which was on his box set, but nowhere else CD-wise.

It skips these early number from "The Wilderness Years":

Fool Too Long
Let's Go To The Disco
Everybody Dance
Bay City Rollers, We Love You
Allorolla Part 1
Truth Drug
So Heavy
Keep It Out Of Sight
Heart (demo)
I Got A Job

Hopefully these songs will show up on the reissue of "Labour Of Lust," because (if I'm not mistaken) there is only one released song ("Basing Street") not on either previous UK or US albums. The albums shared:

Cruel To Be Kind / Cracking Up / Big Kick, Plain Scrap! / Born Fighter / You Make Me / Skin Deep / Without Love / Dose Of You / Love So Fine / Switchboard Susan

The British album had: Endless Grey Ribbon
The US album had: American Squirm

That leaves room for the leftover tracks, even if it doesn't make sense chronologically.

Good news. Hopefully "Labour Of Lust" is back in sale again shortly as well.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Wow! The first time that my pick was #1.

I thought "36 Inches High" was going to get at least one RIP Jim Ford sympathy vote.

Missed the vote but would've gone for "Marie Provost." Misspelling, mispronouncing, and in general not giving a shit (about a truly tragic tale, y'all), Lowe created the best popist fight song since "The Great Pretender."

"Marie Provost" was the surprise here, really. Didn't expect a non-single to do that well here.

But, Geir, poor Marie "became a doggie's dinner". Who could argue with that?

And it was a single, or at least the lead track on the "Bowi" e.p.

oh hang on, that was "Born a woman". As you were.

Eh, so it goes.

Officially out today. And so it goes.

but where it's going on one knows

February 19, 2008: Yep Rock re-releases "Jesus of Cool," Fidel Castro steps down. Coincidence?

cause he was living in a different world!

Have to get this. Especially glad to see "Rollers Show" back in circulation (a VERY clever piece of work which also works as straight celebratory/tribute pop); Radcliffe (with Mark Ellen) played it last night and spoke about this album at length. Loved the original when I was a kid.

After much thought, I've decided that Labour Of Lust is just about a perfect pop album--whatever "perfect" means.

^^^^

I just picked up these two albums (the Yep Roc reissues). Great power-pop! Damn I love the drumming on "Big Kick Plain Scrap".

Did 'American Squirm' make it onto one of them? So great.

Yeah, it was on the LoL reissue. Gotta track down those Wilderness Years tracks not on either reissue.

Guys, can you do me a favor? Listen to "Cruel To Be Kind" on headphones and tell me if you hear a table tennis game going on, very faintly, in the background.

Is that what that sound is?

I mean I can't hear continuous volleys but there are sounds every once in a while that seem to be a ping pong ball being hit.

That was my guess... it doesn't sound like it's a product of any of the instruments in the song, also doesn't sound like percussion. But it creeps in here and there and seems most noticeable towards the end of the song.

Also thanks for noticing SOMETHING there, man, it's been haunting me. Heh.

There's a 'glitch' noise the last time he sings 'I don't know why', what about that one?

Seems like you may be the first to have noticed this. I looked around the web and the closest thing I could find was not really related. http://www.thebluegrasssituation.com/read/shift-list-chef-john-currence-shares-soundtrack-his-rock-%E2%80%98n%E2%80%99-roll-life

If you don't want to click- it's a chef talking about his past in an indie rock band- here is the relevant part, perhaps not relevant enough but just bizarre enough to mention

The band relocated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where they wound up recording with legendary producer Mitch Easter, who had helmed R.E.M.’s earliest recordings. Easter’s relationship with the indie pioneers led to a surreal moment at one of Chapter Two’s own sessions. The band was at his house one day, trying to get a sound effect down on tape in his driveway, when a car pulled up. “We were in the middle of a take and we were like, ‘Who is this asshole?’” says Currence. “And then Mike Mills [of R.E.M.] gets out of the car, so our tune changed a bit.” The bassist stuck around and even helped with the session, creating a rhythm component for a song by hitting a baseball mitt with a ping-pong paddle

Also, one of the chef's favorite songs is the one under discussion.

Ha. Weird. I wonder if Nick Lowe is involved with his Facebook page at all... this all winds up with me living in a house with NICK LOWE-SECRET SOUND FX-CIA MIND CONTROL painted on the front, right?

(Oh and Mark G I think that's the noise I'm talking about!)

xpost
I hear the "ping-pong" as well — most noticeably between 2:44 and 2:50.

And run like the wind
The nation's young men steam