Sounds, February 25, 1978

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Sounds

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Stiffs strut their stuff


David Brown

Various stiffs
Stiffs Live Stiffs
4-star (of 5) reviews4-star (of 5) reviews4-star (of 5) reviews4-star (of 5) reviews

Though the panto season is now over for another year, here's a lively reminder to keep the kiddies (God bless 'em — Chas de Whalley) happy during these dreary winter nights.

The scene is set in a London backstreet, where Baron Riviera and his pals are out hunting. Leading the pack are Twiddle D. Edmunds and Twiddle Dum Lowe. "It's my turn to be leader," cries Lowe. "You've had your chance with that Rockpile, now for my turn at the action. And who cares if you had a hit with 'I Knew The Bride' who bleedin' wrote it then, eh?"

"Mind if I play guitar on it?" asked Edmunds, seemingly unaware that his partner is in fact Prince Charming. "Let's eat," snaps Lowe. But the pantry is bare and the hunt a failure. So, the Baron punishes Edmunds by banishing him from his kingdom and locks him away in a recording studio from which he was never meant to escape.

Meanwhile, Lowe is cleaning the grate, when in strolls the funny little man who does odd jobs around the house, Eric "Wreckless" Buttons. His guitar won't work and his bow tie won't rotate, but he has a plan that will let Nick get to the ball at the Lyceum. However, their plans are undermined by evil Ebenezer Larry Wallis, master of turning into inanimate objects, who turns into a police car (boo, hiss etc.) and gives chase. Yikes!

There is now a brief interval while Kosmo "If ya don't want the whelks don't muck 'em about," sells his perishable goods.

Locked up in a high tower-block is Elvis Costello, Power Pop troubadour, imprisoned for cheap publicity stunts and making people queue outside West London boozers in the cold. "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" he pleads with his capturers and prays for a "Miracle Man." And lo and behold and gor blimey if they're ain't one just around the corner:

Why, it's good old uncle Ian Dury and the Blockheads, who soon make everyone 'appy with a few choruses of "Wake Up And Make Love To Me" and "Billericay Dickie." So busy are the people enjoying themselves that they hardly notice as Lowe and Costello sneak away to the land of Radar, leaving Dury and Eric to live happily ever after in Stiff Manor. But all are friends and join in the chorus together with the whole ensemble as the magic spot bops along the wallchart with uncle Ian leading the chants of "Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll." And yes, the leather zipper jacket fits Prince Charming nicely, thank you.

All that and more for just £2.99, the ultimate animated programme from a never to be repeated event that summed up the summit of fun '77 — every gnome should have one.



Photo by Frances Newman.
Photo by Frances Newman.




Costello album


Sounds

page 8

Elvis Costello's first album for Radar Records is released on March 17, titled This Year's Model.

Produced by Nick Lowe, it features 12 new titles by Costello. Full track listing is: Side one: "No Action," "This Year's Girl," "The Beat," "Pump It Up," "Little Triggers," "You Belong To Me"; Side two: "Hand In Hand," "Chelsea," "Lip Service," "Living In Paradise," "Lipstick Vogue," "Night Rally."



Nick Lowe photo by Simon Fowler.
1978-02-25 Sounds photo 02 sf.jpg




Whirlwind


Hugh Fielder

Extract:

1978-02-25 Sounds clipping 02.jpg

"All these kids were there to see Elvis Costello and when the DJ announced us they cheered 'cos they thought we were another punk band. But as soon as we walked on there was one enormous gasp."

Nigel Dixon, singer-guitarist of Whirlwind was relating the take of the band's gig at the Roundhouse the previous week.



Remaining text and scanner-error corrections to come...





Tags: Live StiffsJake RivieraDave EdmundsNick LoweI Knew The BrideWreckless EricLarry WallisLyceum BallroomKosmo VinylI Just Don't Know What To Do With MyselfMiracle ManSex & Drugs & Rock & RollIan DuryThis Year's ModelRadar RecordsNo ActionThis Year's GirlThe BeatPump It UpLittle TriggersYou Belong To MeHand In Hand(I Don't Want To Go To) ChelseaLip ServiceLiving In ParadiseLipstick VogueNight RallyRockpileJesus Of CoolI Love The Sound Of Breaking GlassShake And PopHeart Of The CityNutted By RealityChuck BerryJim FordBrinsley Schwarz

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Sounds, February 25, 1978


David Brown reviews Live Stiffs.


Pete Silverton reviews Nick Lowe's Jesus Of Cool.


Sounds previews This Year's Model.


Hugh Fielder's profile of Whirlwind mentions their Jan. 20 support set for EC.

Images

Page 47 clipping - photo by Frances Newman.
Photo by Frances Newman.


Jesus is alright by me


Pete Silverton

Nick Lowe / Jesus Of Cool
4½ stars (out of 5) reviews4½ stars (out of 5) reviews4½ stars (out of 5) reviews4½ stars (out of 5) reviews4½ stars (out of 5) reviews

Page 44 clipping - photo by Simon Fowler.

You know how it is. You hear one word and you're tantalised into eavesdropping on the rest. Bars at receptions are a good place for it. "So Nick (c'mon, what other Nicks are there that matter?) said to me: 'What do you see in me? I'm dirty. I'm lazy. I drink too much. I look a mess. I just don't understand what women see in me'." If he didn't he wouldn't have known to name this lump of plastic Jesus of Cool.

Nor would he have split his image six ways on the cover. Professional busker come gigolo. Weekend acid rocker. Power pop balladeer (God help us all). Sharply dressed muso. Future present space musician. And last, the real Nick Lowe — bleary, bag eyed, unshaven, doing an impression of a man half asleep for five years.

Poked inside those visions of Nick as seen by himself and others is what the world has been waiting for, or at least awaiting with interest — the Nick Lowe solo album. At last — eleven new songs from the man of all rock 'n' roll seasons. Well, not quite. If you're a conscientious student of the Lowe oeuvre, you'll be familiar with five of the songs, three of the performances.

"So it Goes," "I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass" and "Marie Provost" in their original form. "Shake And Pop" is "They Called It Rock" (flip-side of "Breaking Glass") with a different tune and a minor word change. "Heart Of The City" is the twice as long live Rockpile treatment. And another song, "36 Inches High," is from the pen of Jim Ford who wrote "Ju Ju Man."

When I hurriedly played one side in the office, the general consensus was that they hadn't even noticed its passing. And that, I reckon, would be most people's initial reaction. Come to that, it's the story of Nick's life. He was the "star" of my local rock 'n' roll band when I was at school. And it's taken till the last couple of years for him to be widely recognised as a major talent. Anyone who'd listened to any of the Brinsley Schwarz albums could have told you that he was a supremely gifted songwriter five years ago.

And he's still the same... only different. Reviewing "Breaking Glass," I said he'd yet to create an idiom of his very own. I was wrong. His uniqueness rests on the very fact that he's able to "lift," "steal" and plagiarise. Echoes are the core of rock 'n' roll, especially the hit single. What's half-known is appreciated faster. "Shake And Pop" might be "Nadine" by any other name but it's definitely Nick Lowe, not Chuck Berry. Despite the track to track differences in sound. they're all so very Lowe — sparse, carefully selected instrumentation, delicacy of touch (apart from "Heart Of The City") and understated vocals.

Nevertheless, it still seems at times that there's not been quite enough effort — maybe Nick's deep down scared of laying down his art to the world... what happens if only a few critic pick up on it yet again? Lyrically, too many of the songs are little more than fragments: "Music For Money" although it is an excellent fragment. Even "Breaking Glass" is hardly a full song. Then that didn't hurt "Louie Louie" none.

And sometimes, Nick's main ambition seems to be to become the poet laureate of the music biz (you call that an ambition?). "So It Goes" and "Shake And Pop" obviously but he even squeezes a line into "Little Hitler" that runs, "I'll get serious. Let me guess, why you knocked me off the guest list."

But when he turns in masterpieces like "Marie Provost"' — certainly the best, most fully formed lyrics he's ever written — and JOC's answer to "Day in the Life," "Nutted By Reality" (it's both rooted in dream and composed of two, divergent tunes and sets of words), you forget the partial failures and the slightness of songs like "Tonight."

I should complain. Hell, a Nick Lowe album is a thing to be grateful for. Maybe if he stopped hanging out with some of his boozy, cynical companions, he'd be able to treat his music and his audience a little more seriously. They both deserve it. If only he wouldn't call it pure pop for now people. That makes it sound like a toothpaste advert.

But maybe that's what he wants.



Cover and page scans.
1978-02-25 Sounds cover.jpg page 8 page 47

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