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.
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