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Nick Lowe
Posted by Laila Hanson on 01-Jul-08 @ 11:45 AM|
FILE UNDER: Pure Pop For Punks YEARS OF EXISTENCE: 1949-present RECORD TO START WITH: Jesus Of Cool (1978, Stiff; 2008, Yep Roc) AFTER THAT, CHECK OUT: Basher: The Best Of Nick Lowe (1989, Columbia) and At My Age (2007, Yep Roc) GO DOWNLOAD: "So it Goes," "Marie Provost," "Cruel To Be Kind," "Raging Eyes," "When I Write The Book," "The Rose Of England, "All Men Are Liars," "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love And Understanding" (live) THE MUSIC, THE MESSAGE: "Godfather of Punk" has already been handed to everyone who played loud before 1976 and didn't wear bellbottoms. Nick Lowe is no godfather of punk. He's punk's favorite uncle: A member of the family, for sure--showing up at reunions, helping out the kids when they need it and cracking up everyone when they get too serious--but he's not a direct progenitor. Lowe co-founded the legendary English label Stiff Records, produced great early records of the Damned and Elvis Costello and, as frontman for the band Brinsley Schwarz, was a major figure in the punk-preceding movement called pub-rock. But Lowe's solo work transcends genre. It's got the punk ethos of short, sharp songs, a cupful of classic '60s pop, bits of classic American soul, the playfulness of the English comedy/novelty tradition and all the wit of Elvis Costello without any of the bitterness. On 1984's Nick Lowe And His Cowboy Outfit, he tinkered with traditional country at least a decade before it was cool--then followed that muse far enough to pen "The Beast In Me," the centerpiece to Johnny Cash's first American Recordings album. Lowe's great 1990 rockabilly-pop track "All Men Are Liars" made hysterical fun of Rick Astley approximately 15 years before the invention of Rick-rolling. He's never fit into any of the movements he's helped inspire, but Lowe is nothing if not ahead of the curve. PUNK-ROCK RELEVANCE: In an '82 interview with Rolling Stone, Elvis Costello recalled a teenhood trapped in the flatulent early-'70s music scene--it was Nick Lowe and the pub-rock, he said, that made him "see the light." One of Costello's best songs was actually written by Lowe: "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love And Understanding." But Lowe's influence extends way beyond his protégé. Some of the best '90s bands were confirmed fans, including J Church and the Muffs. The greatest testament to Lowe's impact this century is the work of Portland's great Exploding Hearts: They were known for a charged live version of "So It Goes" and a 2003 debut, Guitar Romantic, that owed as much to Lowe as the Undertones or the Clash. CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: Born in the ancient London suburb Walton-On-Thames, Lowe now lives in Huntington Beach, California. His music, though, has lost none of it's wit or depth, certainly none of it's diversity--and his past two studio albums, The Convincer and At My Age, add a few layers of elegance. Pick up the new 30th Anniversary deluxe reissue of Jesus Of Cool and get to know your new favorite uncle. --Andrew Marcus |
