Record Mirror, February 25, 1978

Bibliography   72 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 UK & Ireland weeklies UK & Ireland magazines UK & Ireland newspapers US newspapers US rock magazines US music magazines US magazines US alternative weeklies European magazines European newspapers Canada  •  Mexico  •  Asia Australia  •  New Zealand South America  •  Africa Blogs  •  Fanzines  •  Books Online publications Record Mirror   1974 March 16 1977 March 19 1977 March 26 1977 April 16 1977 May 28 1977 July 16 1977 July 23 1977 August 6 1977 August 13 1977 August 20 1977 August 27 1977 September 3 1977 September 17 1977 September 24 1977 October 8 1977 October 15 1977 October 22 1977 November 5 1977 November 26 1977 December 3 1977 December 17 1977 December 31 1978 January 14 1978 January 21 1978 February 25 1978 March 4 1978 March 11 1978 March 18 1978 March 25 1978 April 15  1978 April 22 1978 May 20 1978 June 24  1978 July 8  1978 September 16  1978 September 30 1978 October 21  1978 November 18 1978 November 25 1978 December 30 1979 January 6 1979 January 13 1979 February 3 1979 March 3 1979 May 12 1979 May 19 1979 June 2 1979 October 13 1979 October 27 1979 December 15 1980 January 12 1980 January 19 1980 January 26 1980 February 2 1980 February 16 1980 February 23 1980 March 1 1980 March 8 1980 March 22 1980 April 12 1980 May 10 1980 August 23 1980 September 6 1980 October 4 1980 October 18  1980 December 6 1980 December 27 1981 January 3 1981 January 10 1981 January 17 1981 January 24 1981 January 31 1981 February 28 1981 March 14 1981 April 4 1981 June 13 1981 July 4 1981 August 8 1981 September 12 1981 October 3 1981 October 24 1981 November 7 1981 December 26   1982 January 9 1982 January 16 1982 March 27 1982 May 1  1982 June 5 1982 June 12 1982 June 19 1982 June 26 1982 July 3 1982 July 10 1982 July 24 1982 September 4 1982 September 18 1982 October 9 1982 October 16 1982 November 27 1983 January 1   1983 June 4 1983 July 2 1983 July 16 1983 July 30 1983 August 13 1983 September 10 1983 November 19 1983 December 10 1984 January 7   1984 March 24 1984 March 31 1984 April 14 1984 April 21 1984 May 5 1984 May 12 1984 June 2 1984 June 9   1984 June 16 1984 June 30 1984 October 20 1985 May 11  1985 June 15  1985 July 20  1985 September 21 1985 November 9  1985 December 7  1985 December 21  1986 February 22 1986 March 8 1986 April 26 1986 May 17  1986 May 31 1986 June 28 1986 July 12  1986 August 2 1986 August 23  1986 September 20 1986 November 8 1986 November 29 1986 December 6 1987 December 12 1988 February 27  1988 November 12 1988 December 17 1989 January 7  1989 February 4  1989 February 11 1989 February 18   1989 March 4  1989 April 29 1989 May 6  1989 May 13  1989 June 17 1989 July 1 1989 July 29 — Stiff's heroes Barry Cain Various artists: Stiffs Live Stiffs (Stiff Get1) In the golden age of the movies the high street cinema queues bought their tickets for Astaire's spats, Gable's dimples, Rogers' feathers. Taylor's. Arneche's, Flynn's, Donat's pencil moustaches — the personality as opposed to the plot. In the platinum age of the movies attractions switched. The intelligentsia and the increasingly aware became hip to fashionable directors. Now people got wet because of Fellini's flirtations. Russell's paranoia. Kubrik's fantasising. Although not quite on the same scale — more of an abstract influence than an overwhelming belief — punters are beginning to check out record labels. And yes, it has been known for a fan to buy an album bearing a Stiff logo regardless of whatever artist happens to be etching his dreams on vinyl. No doubt their current offering will inveigle itself into a few collections precisely because of that fact — but Costello and Dury have since transcended the Stiff fascination. Live Stiffs is a £2.99 Reader's Digest version of the recent tour with the aforementioned heroes plus Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric and Larry Wallis Now epithets may be etiquette when talking of Stiff but this album ain't as hot as it could have been. Atmosphere is reduced because of clumsy editing — each track fades out with audience cheers, pause, then cheers intro. Annoying. The first side is nicked by Wallis with a convincing rendition of 'Police Cars'. Lowe aided by Dave Edmunds, never really gets cooking on his two donations 'I Knew The Bride' and Let's Eat" while Wreckless Eric's incoherent set is saved from utter failure by his connecting extemporeaneous raps. Side Two is an improvement — it has to be with Costello singing 'I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself' and 'Miracle Man' in such an indifferent way and Dury's defecating vocal style on 'Wake Up & Make Love With Me' followed by the Casanovian splendour of 'Billericay Dickie'. But the side is ruined by is disastrous ensemble attempt at 'Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll'. Appropriately chaotic on the night it nowhere near makes it on record. Still. I guess it's worth having. But maybe, you'll all be better off with John Wayne's walk. Or Errol Flynn's swashbuckle. And did he have swashbuckle. Tags: Stiff Records  •  Live Stiffs  •  Ian Dury  •  Nick Lowe  •  Wreckless Eric  •  Larry Wallis  •  Dave Edmunds  •  I Knew The Bride  •  Wreckless Eric  •  I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself  •  Miracle Man  •  Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll << >> Record Mirror, February 25, 1978 Barry Cain reviews Live Stiffs. Tim Lott reviews Nick Lowe's Jesus Of Cool. Images Page scans. It'll cost you but it's worth it Tim Lott Nick Lowe Jesus Of Cool What is zis thing called Lowe? He is this, and that, and the other, too. ‘Pure Pop For Now People’ is the mystical announcement on the cover, but that’s just one of ol’ bleary eyes’ facets. To deal with subject matter, Nick likes: Songs about the biz – ‘Music For Money’, ‘So It Goes’ ‘Shake And Pop’, occupying three spaces on this album. Also: Songs about the biz-arre – ‘Marie Prevost’ tells the cautionary tale of a Hollywood actress who gets chomped by her Fidos, ‘Nutted By Reality’ which ostensibly, is about Fidel Castro being castrated (but for you deep bods it’s about living in the real world rather than on cloud nine). Also: Fifties romance, ‘Little Hitler’ and especially ‘Tonight’ could have come from Dave Edmunds rock ‘n’ roll heart, so gushing and soft centred. The sides of Lowe are all here, for they are legion. And they are special. At the butt of this review are five little crucifixes which means “unbeatable”. That doesn’t mean to say I’m not disappointed or even worried. Because five of the 11 tracks, ‘Heart Of The City’, ‘So It Goes’, ‘Marie Prevost’, ‘I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass’ and ‘They Call It Rock’ (retitled here as ‘Shake And Pop’) have been released already, leaving only six tracks at £3.79 for true fans who’ve already bought up the catalogue. Music for money, eh Nick? Anyway, as to those five regurgitated cuts, everyone’s a winner, and the rest ain’t any doggy’s dinner. The best of the new releases is ‘36” High’ which is peculiarly retrospective. It’s slow as a glued up tank, three times as powerful. What sounds like Bob Andrews on keyboards interjects weirdo piping punctuation. It reminds me of Brinsley Schwarz (the band). Lowe even mentions silver pistols, the title of the best BS album. Though compelling on the musical front, hypnotic even, lyrically ‘36” High” is rubbish. And … hold everything! Enlightenment … a swift glance at the label reveals that the cut was written not by Lowe but Ford. The J. Ford that contributed two tracks to ‘Silver Pistol’? Has to be. OK, so that leaves us with five new Lowe compositions. And it’s no surprise that ‘Little Hitler’ was co-written by Dave Edmunds, because his fifties rehash smear is all over it. Probably the weakest track here. So, to the big four. ‘Music For Money’ has been around awhile, featured on Lowe’s solo tour. Jerkoff jerky, a guitar mini epic without a solo in sight. Likeable but no classic. ‘Tonight’ on the other hand, is lush and slush, sentimental beauty a true teenage romance. And ‘No Reason’ is white reggae, similar to the obscure GT Moore And The Reggae Guitars, with production frills that make a very basic rhythm approach interesting. ‘Nutted By Reality’ is the best of the bunch, with pure pop intro that Lowe has mastered so incredibly well plus lazy sub calypso soft centre. I could listen to it till the middle of next week. But still – so few brand new? With three years gone since the last Brinsleys’ album he’s not learnt much from stablemate Costello in terms of being prolific. Great title, though, great title. Wonder where he found it? He’s got a lot(t) to be thankful for. Cover.

External links

• Wikipedia: Record Mirror
• Wikipedia: Tim Lott
• Flickr: Michael Kane
• americanradiohistory.com