Nick Lowe (again)
Steve Allen? The late Tonight Show host, comedy semi-genius and late-life anti-obscenity (but pro-Lenny Bruce) grumpus who wrote a song, we're told, every day of his life, but who could barely stand rock and roll? That Steve Allen? Nope, guessing another Steve Allen...but if it was THAT Steve Allen, it would be very cool. (Hey, the guy jammed with Jack Keourac!)
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
I've just seen this -
http://previewct.com/gbase/Music/content?oid=oid:80052
The Lowe Down
British rocker Nick Lowe talks to Preview Connecticut about punk rock, Elvis Costello and "Peace, Love and Understanding"
by John Adamian - September 2004
Nick Lowe is something of a quadruple threat -- co-founder of the influential Stiff Record label in the '70s (the Damned, Graham Parker), producer of classic recordings by people like Elvis Costello and the Pretenders, the songwriter behind the anthemic "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?" and a pop star and performer in his own right ("Cruel to be Kind"). Lowe plays the Iron Horse in Northampton, Mass., on Sept. 24 as part of his solo tour of the U.S. He spoke with Preview by phone recently about the different hats he's worn throughout his career.
Preview : Have you done a solo tour like this before?
Nick Lowe : I've done a few actually. I sometimes come with a band I've got, but even with the band it's sort of glorified solo -- you know, we play pretty quiet. It's the same sort of deal, except I'm making a little more money than if the other guys came with me.
P : Aside from the added money, how do you like playing solo?
NL : I like it quite a lot. I've gotten used to it now. The good thing about it, of course, is that you can change your mind. At any time you can change your mind about the set list, and you can speed up and slow down as you want. I generally have a framework of things that I know that people will want to hear and then I've got another sort of floating set of stuff that I can put in or take out -- there are a lot of covers that I like to do.
P : Are you working on a new record now?
NL : I suppose I am. I've recorded five or six cuts. . . . I was sliding down the totem pole as regards being a pop star, but I was still with major labels and you know you're just not their priority anymore, and yet, when it's time to put a record out, out comes the bullwhip, and so it was terribly dispiriting to know that you'd put out this piss-poor product basically -- well there might be two or three things that were good on it -- and you'd have to go out and promote it and everything, but about two or three albums ago something clicked with me and I suddenly found a little place all of my own that really suited me, and ever since then I've made up my mind that I wouldn't put out another record unless I thought -- and you know I'm my worst critic -- every cut was really good, no fillers. You know, let's face it, the world isn't exactly sitting at the edge of its seat waiting for a new Nick Lowe record, so when it's done, it will be done.
P : It seems like there aren't that many performers who can say that they were something of a record mogul, a producer and a songwriter and a performer. How did all of those roles shape each other? And how did your work as a producer affect your songwriting and your performing?
NL : That's a great question and one that is kind of hard to answer because I fell into so many of those things. I never really meant to be a record producer, but when the Stiff Record label was formed in the '70s and I was one of the three original people that were the nucleus of it, purely because I'd made more records than the other two -- I was the only musician of the three really -- I was sort of the house record producer. I didn't know what I was doing or anything like that, but it was really good fun because, as you know, all the rulebook was thrown out the window and I thought it was all over. I really did. I thought it was the end of the cycle. 'It's all been done now and along comes punk rock to kick the corpse and everyone will move on to something else.' But of course, we all know that's not what happened at all.
Of course, if you're producing someone's record -- especially in those days, I don't think they produce them like that any more -- in those days it was all about man management because we didn't use machines and things. So you had to work out where the power was in the group, which might not be the glamorous lead singer, you know, it might be that moody-looking bastard in the corner playing the bass. So you suck up to them. You find out where the power lies and then you can get things done. All those tricks that they use in all walks of life now, like trying to persuade them that your idea was actually their idea. I used to love doing that. Also, with other people's songs you can see exactly where they're going wrong. It's much harder to do it if it's your own. In fact, the best way of finding out -- from a songwriter's point of view -- how you're doing, is to actually stand up on a stage with an acoustic guitar, you very soon can hear exactly where the bad bits are, where you're losing people's interest.
P : In that way, does touring solo serve to help you iron out the kinks in your songs?
NL : In a funny way, I'm quite a very reluctant strolling player. I mean I love doing gigs, but it's the strolling part. I'm one of those people that subscribes to the theory that you do the gigs for free, but you actually get paid for the other 22 and half hours of the day.
I don't want to sound like I'm whingeing, I really don't. Without sounding too wet about this, because the older I get, it really is a tremendous privilege to be able to make your living as a musician, especially as a songwriter. So I think it's piss poor if from time to time you can't heave your ass out of the door and get on a stage and play a few songs for a few people that are happy to be there.
P : People are always talking about how sardonic and wry and caustic and humorous your songs are, but I was thinking about "What's so Funny About Peace Love and Understanding" and I wondered if maybe you ever thought that people overemphasize that part of your style, and if maybe there's nothing ironic about that at all.
NL : Well, that's a funny song that is, because when I wrote it, which was a long time ago now -- about 30 years ago -- it was kind of a joke. It was supposed to be funny -- like an old hippie, because everybody was really down on hippies, everyone was like 'Oh, God what a mistake we made. Now we know where we're going; it's cocaine and booze.' So everyone was down on hippies, and so I wrote this song sort of in the voice of an old hippie saying, 'Yeah, you all think you're really smart now man, but what is so funny about peace and love?,' you know, that was the thing. But it wasn't until Elvis Costello did it and he suddenly put this other thing into it -- this anthemic thing, which everyone really seemed to react to, and that's the way it's seemed to have stayed. There isn't much to the song. It's just a great title. I think it's the first song that I wrote that I really thought 'This is an actual original thought' for the first time, not just stolen off of somebody else. And I remember being really surprised about that. And I also thought, 'Don't mess around with this too much. Don't make it too clever. Just keep it simple now and we'll be all right.'
P : The records that you produced for Elvis Costello stand out as being different from a lot of his other records, and I'm wondering if you think you had the effect of reining him in, of helping him shy away from more ornate, baroque production. Is that something that you had to struggle with working with him?
NL : It's kind of you to say this, and I wouldn't say this if I hadn't said it to EC himself, but my big gripe with Declan [Elvis' real name] was always that he was terrible at self-editing. He couldn't edit himself. I think a lot of those records produced themselves, and I really can't take much credit. I think in fact that I messed up quite a lot. I probably got a bit over-excited on certain things, but that's by the by. But I think certainly when he'd bring a song I'd say, 'That's really cool, but why are you going off on all this other bit? You've got about three songs in here. And please, enough words already, you know, I'm drowning in a dictionary of words. Can we please get a few of them out?'"
P : You grew up in the Middle East, right?
NL : That's right. My dear old dad was an RAF [Royal Air Force] pilot, so wherever he was stationed, that's where I went as a kid, so it was largely in the Middle East -- Cyprus, Jordon.
P : Did any of that affect your music-listening? Maybe you heard army radio or something like that?
NL : You bet. AFN [American Forces Network]. God bless AFN. The BBC was very straight. You'd be lucky to hear Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis -- just occasionally. But AFN, if you were lucky enough to hear that . . . then you heard really great stuff. That's when I first heard Howlin' Wolf for instance, which nearly scared me out of my wits.
http://previewct.com/gbase/Music/content?oid=oid:80052
The Lowe Down
British rocker Nick Lowe talks to Preview Connecticut about punk rock, Elvis Costello and "Peace, Love and Understanding"
by John Adamian - September 2004
Nick Lowe is something of a quadruple threat -- co-founder of the influential Stiff Record label in the '70s (the Damned, Graham Parker), producer of classic recordings by people like Elvis Costello and the Pretenders, the songwriter behind the anthemic "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?" and a pop star and performer in his own right ("Cruel to be Kind"). Lowe plays the Iron Horse in Northampton, Mass., on Sept. 24 as part of his solo tour of the U.S. He spoke with Preview by phone recently about the different hats he's worn throughout his career.
Preview : Have you done a solo tour like this before?
Nick Lowe : I've done a few actually. I sometimes come with a band I've got, but even with the band it's sort of glorified solo -- you know, we play pretty quiet. It's the same sort of deal, except I'm making a little more money than if the other guys came with me.
P : Aside from the added money, how do you like playing solo?
NL : I like it quite a lot. I've gotten used to it now. The good thing about it, of course, is that you can change your mind. At any time you can change your mind about the set list, and you can speed up and slow down as you want. I generally have a framework of things that I know that people will want to hear and then I've got another sort of floating set of stuff that I can put in or take out -- there are a lot of covers that I like to do.
P : Are you working on a new record now?
NL : I suppose I am. I've recorded five or six cuts. . . . I was sliding down the totem pole as regards being a pop star, but I was still with major labels and you know you're just not their priority anymore, and yet, when it's time to put a record out, out comes the bullwhip, and so it was terribly dispiriting to know that you'd put out this piss-poor product basically -- well there might be two or three things that were good on it -- and you'd have to go out and promote it and everything, but about two or three albums ago something clicked with me and I suddenly found a little place all of my own that really suited me, and ever since then I've made up my mind that I wouldn't put out another record unless I thought -- and you know I'm my worst critic -- every cut was really good, no fillers. You know, let's face it, the world isn't exactly sitting at the edge of its seat waiting for a new Nick Lowe record, so when it's done, it will be done.
P : It seems like there aren't that many performers who can say that they were something of a record mogul, a producer and a songwriter and a performer. How did all of those roles shape each other? And how did your work as a producer affect your songwriting and your performing?
NL : That's a great question and one that is kind of hard to answer because I fell into so many of those things. I never really meant to be a record producer, but when the Stiff Record label was formed in the '70s and I was one of the three original people that were the nucleus of it, purely because I'd made more records than the other two -- I was the only musician of the three really -- I was sort of the house record producer. I didn't know what I was doing or anything like that, but it was really good fun because, as you know, all the rulebook was thrown out the window and I thought it was all over. I really did. I thought it was the end of the cycle. 'It's all been done now and along comes punk rock to kick the corpse and everyone will move on to something else.' But of course, we all know that's not what happened at all.
Of course, if you're producing someone's record -- especially in those days, I don't think they produce them like that any more -- in those days it was all about man management because we didn't use machines and things. So you had to work out where the power was in the group, which might not be the glamorous lead singer, you know, it might be that moody-looking bastard in the corner playing the bass. So you suck up to them. You find out where the power lies and then you can get things done. All those tricks that they use in all walks of life now, like trying to persuade them that your idea was actually their idea. I used to love doing that. Also, with other people's songs you can see exactly where they're going wrong. It's much harder to do it if it's your own. In fact, the best way of finding out -- from a songwriter's point of view -- how you're doing, is to actually stand up on a stage with an acoustic guitar, you very soon can hear exactly where the bad bits are, where you're losing people's interest.
P : In that way, does touring solo serve to help you iron out the kinks in your songs?
NL : In a funny way, I'm quite a very reluctant strolling player. I mean I love doing gigs, but it's the strolling part. I'm one of those people that subscribes to the theory that you do the gigs for free, but you actually get paid for the other 22 and half hours of the day.
I don't want to sound like I'm whingeing, I really don't. Without sounding too wet about this, because the older I get, it really is a tremendous privilege to be able to make your living as a musician, especially as a songwriter. So I think it's piss poor if from time to time you can't heave your ass out of the door and get on a stage and play a few songs for a few people that are happy to be there.
P : People are always talking about how sardonic and wry and caustic and humorous your songs are, but I was thinking about "What's so Funny About Peace Love and Understanding" and I wondered if maybe you ever thought that people overemphasize that part of your style, and if maybe there's nothing ironic about that at all.
NL : Well, that's a funny song that is, because when I wrote it, which was a long time ago now -- about 30 years ago -- it was kind of a joke. It was supposed to be funny -- like an old hippie, because everybody was really down on hippies, everyone was like 'Oh, God what a mistake we made. Now we know where we're going; it's cocaine and booze.' So everyone was down on hippies, and so I wrote this song sort of in the voice of an old hippie saying, 'Yeah, you all think you're really smart now man, but what is so funny about peace and love?,' you know, that was the thing. But it wasn't until Elvis Costello did it and he suddenly put this other thing into it -- this anthemic thing, which everyone really seemed to react to, and that's the way it's seemed to have stayed. There isn't much to the song. It's just a great title. I think it's the first song that I wrote that I really thought 'This is an actual original thought' for the first time, not just stolen off of somebody else. And I remember being really surprised about that. And I also thought, 'Don't mess around with this too much. Don't make it too clever. Just keep it simple now and we'll be all right.'
P : The records that you produced for Elvis Costello stand out as being different from a lot of his other records, and I'm wondering if you think you had the effect of reining him in, of helping him shy away from more ornate, baroque production. Is that something that you had to struggle with working with him?
NL : It's kind of you to say this, and I wouldn't say this if I hadn't said it to EC himself, but my big gripe with Declan [Elvis' real name] was always that he was terrible at self-editing. He couldn't edit himself. I think a lot of those records produced themselves, and I really can't take much credit. I think in fact that I messed up quite a lot. I probably got a bit over-excited on certain things, but that's by the by. But I think certainly when he'd bring a song I'd say, 'That's really cool, but why are you going off on all this other bit? You've got about three songs in here. And please, enough words already, you know, I'm drowning in a dictionary of words. Can we please get a few of them out?'"
P : You grew up in the Middle East, right?
NL : That's right. My dear old dad was an RAF [Royal Air Force] pilot, so wherever he was stationed, that's where I went as a kid, so it was largely in the Middle East -- Cyprus, Jordon.
P : Did any of that affect your music-listening? Maybe you heard army radio or something like that?
NL : You bet. AFN [American Forces Network]. God bless AFN. The BBC was very straight. You'd be lucky to hear Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis -- just occasionally. But AFN, if you were lucky enough to hear that . . . then you heard really great stuff. That's when I first heard Howlin' Wolf for instance, which nearly scared me out of my wits.
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mood swung
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Mr. Average
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It is an interesting excerpt about Elvis self-editing, especially in light of the fact that you can usually hear Lowe's influence in the first few bars of an EC tune. But the bit about three songs in one is a brilliant comment I think, because it keeps with the proliferative nature of EC's work and the brilliance of his creative mind. He wil never and probably can't ever turn it off.
Thus, there is excitement in the fact that as long as he stays healthy (and I suspect that he has at least one good reason to stay extraordinarily fit) he will be putting out material for another 20 years or more. What will EC the septagenarian sound like? I don't know, but I hope Nick cuts down on the cigarettes so he will be around to Bash Out a few more statements with EC.
Whats so funny about walkers, prostates, and viagra?
Great post.
Thus, there is excitement in the fact that as long as he stays healthy (and I suspect that he has at least one good reason to stay extraordinarily fit) he will be putting out material for another 20 years or more. What will EC the septagenarian sound like? I don't know, but I hope Nick cuts down on the cigarettes so he will be around to Bash Out a few more statements with EC.
Whats so funny about walkers, prostates, and viagra?
Great post.
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
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Boy With A Problem
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and here's Nick Lowe from Fresh Air a few years ago - (making almost exactly the same comments regarding PLU)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=1130625
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=1130625
Everyone just needs to fuckin’ relax. Smoke more weed, the world is ending.
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mood swung
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http://www.breweryrecords.com/ and go to Artists
Lowe Profile samples now available. Tiffany Anastasia Lowe, ex-girlfriend of Quentin, granddaughter of June Carter, and adopted daughter of Nick, covers the Nick the Knife version of Heart.
Bless her heart.
Lowe Profile samples now available. Tiffany Anastasia Lowe, ex-girlfriend of Quentin, granddaughter of June Carter, and adopted daughter of Nick, covers the Nick the Knife version of Heart.
Bless her heart.
Like me, the "g" is silent.
Only know about 1/3 of the artists, but the song selection looks most choice.
And this Tiffany woman I've never heard of..."ex-girlfriend of Quentin"...as in Tarentino...or some other famous Quentin I can't recall? (Not Quentin Crisp, I'm pretty sure, being all dead and archetypally gay and all.) Is she Carlene Carter's daughter? (Hence the Lowe adoption...)
And this Tiffany woman I've never heard of..."ex-girlfriend of Quentin"...as in Tarentino...or some other famous Quentin I can't recall? (Not Quentin Crisp, I'm pretty sure, being all dead and archetypally gay and all.) Is she Carlene Carter's daughter? (Hence the Lowe adoption...)
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
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mood swung
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http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=69143
The Lowe Beats
(Scott McCaughey & Friends)
Sunset Tavern,Seattle Wa.
Dec.31,2002
(all Nick Lowe covers!)
1.Let's Eat
2.Switchboard Susan
3.You Got That Look / Peace,Love & Understanding
4.Crackin Up
5.Lately I've Let Things Slide
6.I Don't Want The Night To End
7.So It Goes
8.Born Fighter
9.Marie Provost
10.Lucky Dog
11.Rollers Show
12.Cruel To Be Kind
13.Breaking Glass
14.Play That Fast Thing
15.I Knew The Bride
16.They Call It Rock
17.So Fine
18.Heart Of The City
(bonus track):
19.Rollers Show (from the soundcheck)
The Band:
Scott McCaughey - vocals
John Ramsberg - guitar,vocals
Jim Sangster - bass,guitar,vocals
Graham Black - drums
w/
Christie McWilson - vocals on 10,11,12,19
Blackie - vocals on 10
Kurt Bloch - bells on 12
The Lowe Beats
(Scott McCaughey & Friends)
Sunset Tavern,Seattle Wa.
Dec.31,2002
(all Nick Lowe covers!)
1.Let's Eat
2.Switchboard Susan
3.You Got That Look / Peace,Love & Understanding
4.Crackin Up
5.Lately I've Let Things Slide
6.I Don't Want The Night To End
7.So It Goes
8.Born Fighter
9.Marie Provost
10.Lucky Dog
11.Rollers Show
12.Cruel To Be Kind
13.Breaking Glass
14.Play That Fast Thing
15.I Knew The Bride
16.They Call It Rock
17.So Fine
18.Heart Of The City
(bonus track):
19.Rollers Show (from the soundcheck)
The Band:
Scott McCaughey - vocals
John Ramsberg - guitar,vocals
Jim Sangster - bass,guitar,vocals
Graham Black - drums
w/
Christie McWilson - vocals on 10,11,12,19
Blackie - vocals on 10
Kurt Bloch - bells on 12
Just got this from Bill Kirchen and thought I'd pass it along:
NEWS FLASH!!!!
Bill has recently been in London recording a new CD for Proper Records,
with
Nick Lowe on bass, Geraint Watkins and Austin deLone on keyboards,
Bobby
Irwin on drums, and Paul Bassman Riley producing. Check billkirchen.com
News
section for a photo from the studio. Release date is estimated for May
of
2006.
Meanwhile, as we anxiously await the arrival of the latest all new
album, an
excellent retrospective CD has just been release by HighTone Records -
BILL
KIRCHEN, KING OF DIESELBILLY - It is made up of selections from their
KIRCHEN catalogue of what they call the rockingest BK ever, and
includes Hot
Rod Lincoln live, as well as Hot Rod Lincoln by the Twangbangers as a
bonus
cut......
NEWS FLASH!!!!
Bill has recently been in London recording a new CD for Proper Records,
with
Nick Lowe on bass, Geraint Watkins and Austin deLone on keyboards,
Bobby
Irwin on drums, and Paul Bassman Riley producing. Check billkirchen.com
News
section for a photo from the studio. Release date is estimated for May
of
2006.
Meanwhile, as we anxiously await the arrival of the latest all new
album, an
excellent retrospective CD has just been release by HighTone Records -
BILL
KIRCHEN, KING OF DIESELBILLY - It is made up of selections from their
KIRCHEN catalogue of what they call the rockingest BK ever, and
includes Hot
Rod Lincoln live, as well as Hot Rod Lincoln by the Twangbangers as a
bonus
cut......
-
mood swung
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Vez baby, yout tempt me to delve into new low(e)s of fandom with your cross-geek references!El Vez wrote:Untouched Takeaway is hella good stuff. Willow and Tara need to resurrect Frank Sinatra post haste so that he can cover "Faithless Lover."
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
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verbal gymnastics
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mood swung
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- Contact:
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mood swung
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http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/or/or070930nick_lowe
Nick Lowe
SUN SEP 30, 2007
Legendary singer, songwriter and producer Nick Lowe rides shotgun as guest DJ at 10pm. Lowe produced the early Elvis Costello albums and wrote the classic anthem "What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding." His new CD is At My Age.
Tracklist -
http://legacy.kcrw.com/pl/NowPlayDayNew.html
9:03 Nick Lowe Tonight Jesus Of Cool
Columbia
9:07 The Brunettes B A B Y Structure And Cosmetics
Subpop
9:07 Rogue Wave Lake Michigan Asleep At Heaven's Gate
Brushfire
9:12 Big Star September Gurls Poptopia: Power Pop Classics Of The Seventies
Rykodisc
9:15 Charlie Hunter Balls Mistico
Blue Note
9:16 [Break]
9:19 Mia Bamboo Banga Kala
Interscope
9:25 The Heavy Coleen Vengeance And Furious Fire
Ninja Tune
9:26 Calvin Harris The Girls I Created Disco
Almost Gold
9:35 Ursula 1000 Got Cha Kinda Kinky
Eighteenth Street
9:35 [Break]
9:40 Ben Lee American Television Ripe
New West
9:40 Animal Collective Derek Strawberry Jam
Domino
9:44 Jesca Hoop Summertime Kismet
Sony Bmg
9:47 Bird & The Bee How Deep Is Your Love Please Clap Your Hands - Ep
Metro Blue
9:49 [Break]
9:51 Steve Earle Satellite Radio Washington Square Serenade
Artemis
9:54 John Doe Golden State A Year In The Wilderness
Yep Roc
9:57 Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra P Walk Moods And Grooves
Ubiquity
9:57 [Break]
10:04 Nick Lowe Long Limbed Girl At My Age
Yep Roc
10:08 Peggy Scott And Jo Jo Benson Soul Shake
10:12 The Marvelettes The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
10:13 [Break]
10:19 Elvis Costello Pump It Up This Year's Model
Cbs
10:21 Nick Lowe Crackin Up Labor Of Lust
10:25 The Pretenders The Wait Pirate Radio
Sire
10:31 Nick Lowe People Change At My Age
Yep Roc
10:31 [Break]
10:40 Nick Lowe What's So Funny About Peace Love And Underst
10:41
10:41 Soul Brother 6 What Do You Got
10:44 Ron Sexsmith Hands Of Time
Nick Lowe
SUN SEP 30, 2007
Legendary singer, songwriter and producer Nick Lowe rides shotgun as guest DJ at 10pm. Lowe produced the early Elvis Costello albums and wrote the classic anthem "What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding." His new CD is At My Age.
Tracklist -
http://legacy.kcrw.com/pl/NowPlayDayNew.html
9:03 Nick Lowe Tonight Jesus Of Cool
Columbia
9:07 The Brunettes B A B Y Structure And Cosmetics
Subpop
9:07 Rogue Wave Lake Michigan Asleep At Heaven's Gate
Brushfire
9:12 Big Star September Gurls Poptopia: Power Pop Classics Of The Seventies
Rykodisc
9:15 Charlie Hunter Balls Mistico
Blue Note
9:16 [Break]
9:19 Mia Bamboo Banga Kala
Interscope
9:25 The Heavy Coleen Vengeance And Furious Fire
Ninja Tune
9:26 Calvin Harris The Girls I Created Disco
Almost Gold
9:35 Ursula 1000 Got Cha Kinda Kinky
Eighteenth Street
9:35 [Break]
9:40 Ben Lee American Television Ripe
New West
9:40 Animal Collective Derek Strawberry Jam
Domino
9:44 Jesca Hoop Summertime Kismet
Sony Bmg
9:47 Bird & The Bee How Deep Is Your Love Please Clap Your Hands - Ep
Metro Blue
9:49 [Break]
9:51 Steve Earle Satellite Radio Washington Square Serenade
Artemis
9:54 John Doe Golden State A Year In The Wilderness
Yep Roc
9:57 Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra P Walk Moods And Grooves
Ubiquity
9:57 [Break]
10:04 Nick Lowe Long Limbed Girl At My Age
Yep Roc
10:08 Peggy Scott And Jo Jo Benson Soul Shake
10:12 The Marvelettes The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
10:13 [Break]
10:19 Elvis Costello Pump It Up This Year's Model
Cbs
10:21 Nick Lowe Crackin Up Labor Of Lust
10:25 The Pretenders The Wait Pirate Radio
Sire
10:31 Nick Lowe People Change At My Age
Yep Roc
10:31 [Break]
10:40 Nick Lowe What's So Funny About Peace Love And Underst
10:41
10:41 Soul Brother 6 What Do You Got
10:44 Ron Sexsmith Hands Of Time
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invisible Pole
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Re: Nick Lowe (again)
Nick Lowe performing Long Limbed Girl on BBC Four Sessions.
A few more clips from the show are available on YouTube.
And with this wonderful song I wish you all a Happy New Year !!
A few more clips from the show are available on YouTube.
And with this wonderful song I wish you all a Happy New Year !!
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed
Then you don't know what you've missed
Re: Nick Lowe (again)
http://wolftrapinsider.blogspot.com/200 ... -nick.html
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Bill Kirchen as "the Musical Glue" for the Nick Lowe Tribute
In attendance for the Nick Lowe Tribute at The Barns this past Saturday night was Wolf Trap's friend and former colleague, Carter Nelson. Given his passion for Lowe's body of work, and his personal connections to some of the musicians on the evening's bill (which qualifies him to subjectively rate their performances), he approached me with the idea of guest posting a review of this show.
Carter is a great writer, and recounts last Saturday evening with remarkable enthusiasm and appreciation for a man who is clearly one of our author's most prominent musical heroes.
Check it out....
***********************************
With the fervor of a tent revival, the Barns at Wolf Trap shook with a mighty joy Saturday evening as a stalwart gathering of the Washington area’s finest musicians celebrated the genius of Nick Lowe -- U.K. pub rocker, tunesmith, producer, and onetime professed “Jesus of Cool.”
Those who know Nick Lowe also know that a more self deprecating soul can hardly be found in rock & roll so the moniker is now as humorous as it once was controversial when Lowe burst forth in 1978 with his debut solo album (re-titled Pure Pop for Now People for the US market) From the edgy, creative ferment of the punk rock era emerged a body of work that is well deserving of the homage paid -- thanks to the stunning efforts of Band House in staging an ambitious and well rounded tribute to this very-much active rock legend.
Providing the musical glue to the proceedings was local hero and longtime Lowe sideman, Bill Kirchen who, in the absence of the master himself, quite possibly knows the Lowe song catalog better than anyone else – at least on this side of the pond. Bill’s sublime command of the Fender Telecaster is routinely in demand for both recording sessions and on the road when Lowe performs in the US.
Appropriately enough, BK opened the show with a plaintive acoustic rendition of “What’s So Funny (Bout Peace Love & Understanding)” the Lowe chestnut made famous by fellow pub rock traveler Elvis Costello. From there, an astonishing parade of local talent (some 40 members strong) bent, conjured and teased that song catalog into a sparkling bouquet that provided testament to those in attendance of Nick Lowe’s sly brilliance.
Those, like myself, who were first introduced to his music via FM radio, were rewarded with the quirky, rollicking staples that, in their time, ran under the legs of period hit-making gladiators such Genesis, Foreigner and the Police. Personal highlights included a high octane version of “Switchboard Susan” courtesy of Johnny Castle & the Thrillbillys, beguiling harmony on “The Rose of England” from Deadmen’s Hollow and a seemingly pitch perfect vocal treatment on “Cruel To Be Kind” by bass player Cal Everett (formerly with homegrown new wavers, 4 Out of 5 Doctors.)
An added attraction was the deft use of a side stage during set changes which provided principle members of The Grandsons (and others) an opportunity to deliver “Lowe unplugged” while alternating as the horn section for the main stage. At the end of the evening the performers assembled en masse for a rousing encore of the timeless and increasingly symbolic “What’s So Funny (Bout Peace Love & Understanding)” sending the crowd home in tuneful glee.
- by Carter Rawson 1.10.08
Posted by Graham Binder at 8:49 AM
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Bill Kirchen as "the Musical Glue" for the Nick Lowe Tribute
In attendance for the Nick Lowe Tribute at The Barns this past Saturday night was Wolf Trap's friend and former colleague, Carter Nelson. Given his passion for Lowe's body of work, and his personal connections to some of the musicians on the evening's bill (which qualifies him to subjectively rate their performances), he approached me with the idea of guest posting a review of this show.
Carter is a great writer, and recounts last Saturday evening with remarkable enthusiasm and appreciation for a man who is clearly one of our author's most prominent musical heroes.
Check it out....
***********************************
With the fervor of a tent revival, the Barns at Wolf Trap shook with a mighty joy Saturday evening as a stalwart gathering of the Washington area’s finest musicians celebrated the genius of Nick Lowe -- U.K. pub rocker, tunesmith, producer, and onetime professed “Jesus of Cool.”
Those who know Nick Lowe also know that a more self deprecating soul can hardly be found in rock & roll so the moniker is now as humorous as it once was controversial when Lowe burst forth in 1978 with his debut solo album (re-titled Pure Pop for Now People for the US market) From the edgy, creative ferment of the punk rock era emerged a body of work that is well deserving of the homage paid -- thanks to the stunning efforts of Band House in staging an ambitious and well rounded tribute to this very-much active rock legend.
Providing the musical glue to the proceedings was local hero and longtime Lowe sideman, Bill Kirchen who, in the absence of the master himself, quite possibly knows the Lowe song catalog better than anyone else – at least on this side of the pond. Bill’s sublime command of the Fender Telecaster is routinely in demand for both recording sessions and on the road when Lowe performs in the US.
Appropriately enough, BK opened the show with a plaintive acoustic rendition of “What’s So Funny (Bout Peace Love & Understanding)” the Lowe chestnut made famous by fellow pub rock traveler Elvis Costello. From there, an astonishing parade of local talent (some 40 members strong) bent, conjured and teased that song catalog into a sparkling bouquet that provided testament to those in attendance of Nick Lowe’s sly brilliance.
Those, like myself, who were first introduced to his music via FM radio, were rewarded with the quirky, rollicking staples that, in their time, ran under the legs of period hit-making gladiators such Genesis, Foreigner and the Police. Personal highlights included a high octane version of “Switchboard Susan” courtesy of Johnny Castle & the Thrillbillys, beguiling harmony on “The Rose of England” from Deadmen’s Hollow and a seemingly pitch perfect vocal treatment on “Cruel To Be Kind” by bass player Cal Everett (formerly with homegrown new wavers, 4 Out of 5 Doctors.)
An added attraction was the deft use of a side stage during set changes which provided principle members of The Grandsons (and others) an opportunity to deliver “Lowe unplugged” while alternating as the horn section for the main stage. At the end of the evening the performers assembled en masse for a rousing encore of the timeless and increasingly symbolic “What’s So Funny (Bout Peace Love & Understanding)” sending the crowd home in tuneful glee.
- by Carter Rawson 1.10.08
Posted by Graham Binder at 8:49 AM
Re: Nick Lowe (again)
Nick Lowe with Ron Sexsmith
April 27, 2008 - Byham Theater
Tickets on sale Friday, February 22nd at 10am at the Theatre Square Box office, 412-456-6666 or online at pgharts.org.
April 27, 2008 - Byham Theater
Tickets on sale Friday, February 22nd at 10am at the Theatre Square Box office, 412-456-6666 or online at pgharts.org.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think that you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt
- M. Twain
- M. Twain
-
invisible Pole
- Posts: 2228
- Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 2:20 pm
- Location: Poland
Re:
This is the song:johnfoyle wrote:This blog tells of one of Nick's jollier japes -
http://scottythered.livejournal.com/1259.html
And Nick Lowe telling the story behind it :
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed
Then you don't know what you've missed
-
sheeptotheslaughter
- Posts: 762
- Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 10:51 am
Re: Nick Lowe (again)
I was in Spain on holiday with the family about three or four years ago and the hotel kept playing a version of Cruel to be Kind. One of those they do now where is it 'disco'd' up. It was a woman singing it. Anyone know of this.
Not recomended if you can avoid it
Not recomended if you can avoid it