Trouser Press, October 1977: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> Nick Lowe's | <center><h3> Nick Lowe's brainscram scam! </h3></center> | ||
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<center> Bruce Rosenstein </center> | <center> Bruce Rosenstein </center> | ||
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In the ever-fluid rock world, Nick Lowe comes as close to being the man-of-the-hour as anyone. To paraphrase a Stiff Records ad phrase, he is playing "today's music today," but it may have nothing to do with what he'll be up to in six weeks. Emerging from the relative obscurity of Brinsley Schwarz (the band), in which he served several years as lead singer, songwriter and bassist, followed by a period of general laying about after the breakup of the Brinsleys in mid-1975, Lowe has literally burst into prominence by dint of a virtual landslide of recent projects. From cult band to cult leader, Lowe seems on the verge of becoming a household name, an honor he has long deserved. | In the ever-fluid rock world, Nick Lowe comes as close to being the man-of-the-hour as anyone. To paraphrase a Stiff Records ad phrase, he is playing "today's music today," but it may have nothing to do with what he'll be up to in six weeks. Emerging from the relative obscurity of Brinsley Schwarz (the band), in which he served several years as lead singer, songwriter and bassist, followed by a period of general laying about after the breakup of the Brinsleys in mid-1975, Lowe has literally burst into prominence by dint of a virtual landslide of recent projects. From cult band to cult leader, Lowe seems on the verge of becoming a household name, an honor he has long deserved. | ||
I talked with Nick in late July about the highlights of the past year, his plans for the immediate future and his feelings about being nearly | I talked with Nick in late July about the highlights of the past year, his plans for the immediate future and his feelings about being nearly famous…with a bullet! Clearly a busy chap, Lowe has, in the past two years, produced albums for Graham Parker and the Rumour, the Damned and Elvis Costello; released two solo singles and an EP (named ''Bowi'' to get back for ''Low''); produced and played on parts of the ''Bunch of Stiffs'' album; produced a 45 for an American band, Clover; written songs and played on Dave Edmunds's ''Get It''; and joined Edmunds's Rockpile band for his aborted US tour. | ||
Judging by both his inventive production work for others and his non-pareil songwriting and solo performing, Lowe has developed quite a rep for his talented self. His dry humor and bitter enthusiasm makes him the perfect fed-up rock star, but one who doesn't ride to gigs in a Rolls. Armed with a knack for doing the right things with the right people, Lowe has shown so many glimmers of brilliance lately, that his threatened solo album may just be a masterpiece. | Judging by both his inventive production work for others and his non-pareil songwriting and solo performing, Lowe has developed quite a rep for his talented self. His dry humor and bitter enthusiasm makes him the perfect fed-up rock star, but one who doesn't ride to gigs in a Rolls. Armed with a knack for doing the right things with the right people, Lowe has shown so many glimmers of brilliance lately, that his threatened solo album may just be a masterpiece. | ||
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We talked a good deal about possible stardom, and if his current degree of popularity has affected his life. "Well, I mean it has a bit," he answered, "I pull a lot more chicks now since they've seen my name in the papers; so it's affected me in that respect, which I completely welcome. | We talked a good deal about possible stardom, and if his current degree of popularity has affected his life. "Well, I mean it has a bit," he answered, "I pull a lot more chicks now since they've seen my name in the papers; so it's affected me in that respect, which I completely welcome. | ||
"I think in a way it's sort of inevitable. I don't make any moves to make myself famous, if you know what I mean. I don't give a shit about that. I'm an acid casualty; I have enough trouble every day just opening my eyes in the morning and keeping my sanity together. I'm involved in the music business as my work, my job. Some people fry hamburgers, some people work in biscuit factories; I involve myself with anything that's a challenge. I've got to keep my sanity together. . I don't think of fame as, 'Oh, I'm starting to make it now, man.' I just get on with what I think is good music and for some reason it seems to fit with the times." | "I think in a way it's sort of inevitable. I don't make any moves to make myself famous, if you know what I mean. I don't give a shit about that. I'm an acid casualty; I have enough trouble every day just opening my eyes in the morning and keeping my sanity together. I'm involved in the music business as my work, my job. Some people fry hamburgers, some people work in biscuit factories; I involve myself with anything that's a challenge. I've got to keep my sanity together... I don't think of fame as, 'Oh, I'm starting to make it now, man.' I just get on with what I think is good music and for some reason it seems to fit with the times." | ||
If you've listened to Lowe's songs for the Brinsleys, you know that he can write well in almost any rock style. Funk-rock, country-rock, light soul, reggae, pop ballads, hard rock, pop-rock — it's all on their albums. With a catalog of many great and some brilliant songs behind him, Nick's now staking out new territory. | If you've listened to Lowe's songs for the Brinsleys, you know that he can write well in almost any rock style. Funk-rock, country-rock, light soul, reggae, pop ballads, hard rock, pop-rock — it's all on their albums. With a catalog of many great and some brilliant songs behind him, Nick's now staking out new territory. | ||
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I asked him if he likes ''Bowi''. "Good question, that, because those are really outtakes; they're alright tunes and everything, but they're like a sample of what I've got, what I've recorded at Pathway. I just banged them out. When I went to America, with Edmunds, Jake [Riviera, Nick's manager as well as head of Stiff] said, 'Look, if you're going to be away for three or four months you've got to have something out.' So I said, 'All right, let's do this track, this track and this track, bang 'em out, run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it.' I don't think it's very good, I think some of the tracks are kind of interesting, but it was done purely to keep my name in the papers." | I asked him if he likes ''Bowi''. "Good question, that, because those are really outtakes; they're alright tunes and everything, but they're like a sample of what I've got, what I've recorded at Pathway. I just banged them out. When I went to America, with Edmunds, Jake [Riviera, Nick's manager as well as head of Stiff] said, 'Look, if you're going to be away for three or four months you've got to have something out.' So I said, 'All right, let's do this track, this track and this track, bang 'em out, run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it.' I don't think it's very good, I think some of the tracks are kind of interesting, but it was done purely to keep my name in the papers." | ||
Most of the songs on Lowe's own album will be originals, though there will be a Jim Ford song (the Brinsleys did several Ford tunes) called "36 Inches High," and his version of a Billy Fury song, "Halfway to Paradise." Some of Nick's own tunes are " | Most of the songs on Lowe's own album will be originals, though there will be a Jim Ford song (the Brinsleys did several Ford tunes) called "36 Inches High," and his version of a Billy Fury song, "Halfway to Paradise." Some of Nick's own tunes are "Shake 'n' Pop," "Music for Money," "Tonight" and "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass." He described the LP as "killer stuff, all pop, real melodious pop stuff. But it's got a bit of a catch in the words." | ||
Although Nick said he had a great time on the Edmunds/Rockpile tour of America (supporting Swan Song label-mates Bad Company), he wasn't thrilled about the way the band was dropped from the bill. He figures there were three reasons: (1) attendance was relatively poor and it was felt a stronger opening act was needed, one which could fill a few seats on its own; (2) the reviews of the tour either were negative to Bad Company, ignoring Rockpile, or (worse?) negative to Badco and quite complimentary to Rockpile; and (3) which according to Lowe "is more incredible than any of the others. I've heard this said from some quite reliable sources, some sources quite close to Bad Company, and I find it absolutely incredible, but another reason why we got thrown off the tour is that they [Bad Company] are so freaked out with | Although Nick said he had a great time on the Edmunds/Rockpile tour of America (supporting Swan Song label-mates Bad Company), he wasn't thrilled about the way the band was dropped from the bill. He figures there were three reasons: (1) attendance was relatively poor and it was felt a stronger opening act was needed, one which could fill a few seats on its own; (2) the reviews of the tour either were negative to Bad Company, ignoring Rockpile, or (worse?) negative to Badco and quite complimentary to Rockpile; and (3) which according to Lowe "is more incredible than any of the others. I've heard this said from some quite reliable sources, some sources quite close to Bad Company, and I find it absolutely incredible, but another reason why we got thrown off the tour is that they [Bad Company] are so freaked out with what's happening in England at the moment — not so much the punk-rock thing, but the whole new wave thing in London — they're so paranoid about it, that they figure because I produced the Damned I was ringleader of a conspiracy to overthrow them, something like that. They actually didn't like me, didn't want me on the tour personally." | ||
Although Lowe and Edmunds have been working together for several years, Nick left the band after the US tour. He said that apart from the fact that he liked the band members and their music, the main reason he agreed to join in the first place was to tour the US which he had never done before. | |||
On their solo album, ''Max'', the Rumour has recorded Nick's "Mess with Love," which was going to be on the last never-released Brinsleys LP. A song Nick wrote and recorded as a joke, "Bay City Rollers We Love You" (by "the Tartan Horde"), went to number one in Japan, so he's done a follow-up, "Rollershow." It's on UA/Toshiba in Japan. And perhaps to bring things full circle, he's produced an EP for the satire-rockers Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias; a take-off on punk. It has songs from a successful play they are presenting in London called ''Sleek''. Instead of punk rock, it's "snuff rock," and you can guess what happens. Lowe and the Albertos recorded the EP in one day. | |||
"As soon as it comes out it's gonna scotch all the 'one-two-three-four!' BEEEDLEEDL million-miles-an-hour stuff. I mean, if I see another group with dyed hair that thinks they're tough with razorblades around their necks, I'll go mad. They're wimps. I don't think it's a threat anymore. It used to be good fun when it was a threat. But now it's wimpy. It's what the Easybeats were to the Beatles." | |||
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{{Bibliography notes header}} | {{Bibliography notes header}} | ||
{{Bibliography notes}} | {{Bibliography notes}} | ||
{{Bibliography next | |||
|prev = Trouser Press, September 1977 | |||
|next = Trouser Press, November 1977 | |||
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'''Trouser Press, No. 22, October 1977 | '''Trouser Press, No. 22, October 1977 | ||
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[[Bruce Rosenstein]] | [[Bruce Rosenstein]] interviews [[Nick Lowe]]. | ||
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[[Dave Schulps]] reviews ''[[My Aim Is True]]''. | [[Dave Schulps]] reviews ''[[My Aim Is True]]''. | ||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
[[image:1977-10-00 Trouser Press page 29.jpg|x240px|border]] | |||
[[image:1977-10-00 Trouser Press page | [[image:1977-10-00 Trouser Press page 43.jpg|x240px|border]] | ||
[[image:1977-10-00 Trouser Press page 43.jpg| | <br><small>Page scans.</small> | ||
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<center><h3> My Aim Is True </h3></center> | |||
<br> | <center> ''' Elvis Costello </center> | ||
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<center> Dave Schulps </center> | <center> Dave Schulps </center> | ||
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{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
[[image:1977-10-00 Trouser Press page 42.jpg|100px|border|right]] | |||
Who is this little fella striking a defiant Presleyesque pose on the cover of ''My Aim Is True''? Why, it's Elvis, of course. Not the late great, but Stiff's newest future superstar flaunting this year's most auspicious debut album. Produced by (who else!) Nick Lowe (whom many thought actually was Elvis before proof of Costello's existence was revealed), Elvis sounds like a cross between Lowe — apparently Costello was a super Brinsleys fan and his phrasing is strikingly similar to Lowe's — and Graham Parker, whose musical influences he seems to share (though more rock, less Motown). But as much as I'll admit to being a sucker for Lowe and Parker and their style of music in general, there's an intangible quality about Elvis that not only sets him apart from both of them, but makes me think he's destined for great things in the near future. | Who is this little fella striking a defiant Presleyesque pose on the cover of ''My Aim Is True''? Why, it's Elvis, of course. Not the late great, but Stiff's newest future superstar flaunting this year's most auspicious debut album. Produced by (who else!) Nick Lowe (whom many thought actually was Elvis before proof of Costello's existence was revealed), Elvis sounds like a cross between Lowe — apparently Costello was a super Brinsleys fan and his phrasing is strikingly similar to Lowe's — and Graham Parker, whose musical influences he seems to share (though more rock, less Motown). But as much as I'll admit to being a sucker for Lowe and Parker and their style of music in general, there's an intangible quality about Elvis that not only sets him apart from both of them, but makes me think he's destined for great things in the near future. | ||
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<br><small>Cover and page scans.</small> | |||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[http://www.trouserpress.com/magazine/issue_pop.php?i=22 TrouserPress.com] | *[http://www.trouserpress.com/magazine/issue_pop.php?i=22 TrouserPress.com] | ||
*[https://www.facebook.com/626108390865317/photos/?tab=album&album_id=719659391510216 Facebook: Trouser Press] | |||
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[[Category:Bibliography 1977 | [[Category:Bibliography]] | ||
[[Category:Bibliography 1977]] | |||
[[Category:Trouser Press| Trouser Press 1977-10-00]] | [[Category:Trouser Press| Trouser Press 1977-10-00]] | ||
[[Category:Magazine articles | [[Category:Magazine articles]] | ||
[[Category:Album reviews | [[Category:Album reviews]] | ||
[[Category:My Aim Is True reviews | [[Category:My Aim Is True reviews]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Interviews]] | ||
[[Category:Nick Lowe interviews]] |
Latest revision as of 19:34, 2 July 2020
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