Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe
March 13th, 2009 | 6:30 pm est |
Quiet Please bears the subtitle “The New Best of Nick Lowe,” making no attempt to disguise the fact that it’s been a full twenty years since Nick’s last hits collection, Basher. That “new” designation is also a subtle indication of the editorial slant of Quiet Please, how it shifts away from the frenzied new wave rocker toward the swinging songwriter of the ’90s and 2000s, and not just because the second disc of this double-disc is devoted to the mellow, deeply-felt country-rock and torch songs that have been Lowe’s specialty since 1994’s The Impossible Bird. Compilation producer Greg Geller admits to bypassing Lowe’s covers in favor of his originals - that explains why such singles as “Switchboard Susan,” “Teacher Teacher” and “7 Nights to Rock” aren’t here - but he also deliberately skews the selection of songs from the ’70s and ’80s to create a common thread from Brinsley Schwarz’s 1974 finale The New Favourites to 2007’s At My Age, one that concentrates on Lowe’s wry, immaculately crafted songs and not the pop prankster “Jesus of Cool”.
This approach may fit the sensibility of Lowe’s latter-day records, illustrating the through line from “Endless Sleep” and “You Make Me” to “Lately I’ve Let Things Slide” and “Indian Queens,” but it isn’t necessarily a more accurate reading of his career. After all, until The Impossible Bird, there was a lot of rock & roll in Lowe’s albums, something that this collection downplays quite a bit…but if that’s the side of Nick you need to hear, stick with Basher, whose title speaks to its style as much as Quiet Now. Plus, this rock & roll deficiency is the only flaw on this otherwise sterling collection, the first to cover pretty much his entire career, which means it’s the first to give an idea of just what a consistent body of work Lowe has built up over the years. Over the course of two discs and 49 tracks, the sounds may shift but the quality doesn’t: there’s not a dip in quality and everything on the second disc holds its own with the music on the first. Throughout it all, Lowe’s knack for sly, understated songcraft shines and if he doesn’t necessarily get better over the years, he might get seamless, writing songs so elegantly polished and delivered they seem effortless. While it could hardly be said to have all of Nick’s best - it not only is skimpy on rock and Rockpile, but also has only one cut from Brinsley Schwarz - it does what so few career-spanning compilations do: it tells a story and stands a testament to the artist’s enormous talents.
I’m so excited to hear this.
Will someone reveal to me the secret of Nick Lowe’s success? He is so overrated. Have you listened to Jesus of Cool.? Don’t. It sucks. Who needs a third rate Elvis Costello? A second rate Graham Parker? No one.
I’ve listened to Jesus of Cool. I love it. Clearly, though, endorsing him for you is pointless as you seem to have no desire to see anything to the contrary. Your loss, I suppose…
More of his 70’s to early 80’s stuff should have been included(What! no My Heart Hurts).That was definetly his peak period.He blows away Elvis Costello and Graham Parker(who himself is much better than Elvis Costello).Just listen to Nick Lowe’s original version of Whats So Funny…,it’s far superior to Costello’s cover version.
I love Nick Lowe but I have to admit, whenever I listen to the Jesus of Cool I think it’s overrated. I don’t think it’s aged nearly as well as most of his other work
When I was younger, Jesus Of Cool did not appeal to me at all. I’m 45 now, and it sounds great! It does age well. After 30 years of listening to Nick and Dave, they still sound better than most of the junk out there.
Ha-rumph. Elvis VS Nick is a no-brainer, Nick wins hands, er, songs down. Costello is extremely over rated in my view. Arguably, after his first, what, 4 albums (?) it is a steady and lo-o-ng downhill slide. He’ll be hosting a chat show here in Canada soon. I can hardly wait? Oh Please Lord, save us from his horrid jazz vocal stylings. A legend in his own mind methinks and it’s a small mind to boot. He married a Canuck girl. What was she thinking? Oh yes! Career move.
I thought this was a review of Nick’s Best, so I don’t understand the point of making this a Nick vs Graham vs Elvis. Each is excellent in his own way - Nick was always more pop while Graham had the soul and Elvis was the angry wordsmith. I think Elvis through Imperial Bedroom was awesome, but Nick and Graham have turned out better work in the last 10 years. I did not pick up Nick’s CD’s after I sold all my albums, so I’m really looking forward buying this Best Of.
Nick’s always been there ‘asn’t ‘e. Sometimes in the fore, most of it in the background. I bought ev’ry ‘un from Jesus of Cool to Rose of England-both quite great in their own right (skipped the Abominibal Showman)
Good to see a new compilation so I can catch up to what he’s been up to over the last 20 years.
I found “Basher” not entirely satisfactory..seems they slipped in a couple of my least favourite tracks…Maureen etc.
This Elvis vs Nick vs GP..all a load of cobblers, They were all great mates & part of the same scene. Life was a lot less superficial back in the late 70’s.
Nick is a lot like pecans. Nutty but essential. He has evolved in a way that could NOT be foretold by any of you punters.
The Man Is a Genuine Original and Pure Pop for Now People and Jesus of Cool are 2 of the coolest album titles ever and wasted on a barely varied version of the same record. Madness I say.. pure Madness.
and Little Village is under-looked at too.
Blimey. When will ya learn that a duck and a goose and a pelican can all share the same fuish?
Peace now. Listen On.
that’s FISH. sorry.