334) Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool

Name me a legend. You have read the title (I assume the odd person reads) but no one would have said Nick Lowe, to be fair I wouldn’t.

I am ancient, 55 in December, note never a picture of me on here, but Mr Lowe released his first record with his band Brinsley Schwartz in April 1970 eight months before I was born and had a solo album out in 2024, many of these records have been revered, guess why?  He’s a bloody legend. I’d also love his hair, he is twenty-two years older than me but what a head of hair this man has, mine I’d rather not discuss.

The problem is apart from his wonderful role as a producer to the first punk single, New Rose and further production duties with Elvis Costello and The Pretenders his other most mainstream hit is this, his debut solo album, he has released many excellent records (fifteen solo albums) but none have done as well as his solo debut.  Backed by old friend Dave Edmunds, a Blockhead and a couple of Attractions this record shows the many talents of Nick Lowe.

This record contains two wonderful singles, I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass, a classic piano throughout, and So it Goes, that has one of those hooks from the start, with a great chorus sang by Lowe and I love the deep guitar forty seconds from the end before Lowe comes back in.

Opener Music for Money never deviates and is about the cynical music industry and who would have thought a song with Hitler in the title would be a gorgeous acoustic led singalong, well Little Hitler is just that and Shake and Pop has a bar room piano and rocks from start to finish and Tonight could have been on an early Beatles record, all harmonies and  a lush Spanish guitar.

Marie Provost is wonderful song, catchy as hell just don’t dig too much into the detail as is a true story of an actress who was partially eaten by her dog, sample lyric “she was a winner, that became the doggie’s dinner.”

Nutted By Reality I am reminded of The Jackson’s, I Want You Back before the chorus comes in and it becomes a different song, clever and imaginative but excellent pop.

 Oh, by the way he used to be Johnny Cash’s son in law, told you, legend.

7/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: So It Goes