"New Wave" at the time basically meant everyone who played stripped down rock and roll, or otherwise didn't sound like Journey or Boston. It was a group who at the time counted among themselves everyone from Blondie and the Talking Heads, to Graham Parker, and even Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen (they both wore leather jackets on their album covers, after all).
Hard to fathom now, isn't it?
As unlikely as people like Petty and Springsteen would seem as "punkers" or "new wavers" today, Nick Lowe was probably even a less likely candidate to be embraced by this crowd of malcontents. Yet, embraced — adored, even — he was.
Earlier this week, indie label Yep Roc reissued Nick Lowe's power pop classic Jesus Of Cool in one of those spiffy, enhanced deluxe editions that have become so popular these past few years. Unlike the young, loud, and snotty (to quote Stiv Bators and the Dead Boys) punk rockers of the seventies, Lowe actually cut his musical teeth with Brinsley Schwartz in the British pub-rock scene, which eventually would also spawn people like Graham Parker and Elvis Costello.
What got Nick Lowe first noticed in America however, was his talents as a producer who had a unique ear for a pop hook — particularly with his production work on the first three Elvis Costello albums (which many Costello fans still regard as his best). At the same time, Lowe was also being recognized as an equally fine pop songwriter. As good as Costello's own songs were, Nick Lowe's "(Whats So Funny Bout') Peace Love And Understanding" remains one of the most memorable songs from EC's Armed Forces album.
Aside from his credentials as a producer, Nick Lowe's association with Stiff Records — the seventies indie label best known for punk and new wave acts like Ian "Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll" Dury and Wreckless Eric — all but cemented his seventies punk rock cred. The only thing left for Nick Lowe was to do his own record.
But as was the do-it-yourself punk rock mantra of the day, the blueprint of first doing 7" singles was also called for. This is where Lowe's trademark sense of humor, combined with his keen ear for a great pop hook was first displayed for the world to see.
Lowe's singles ranged from the dead-on Bay City Rollers tribute "Rollers Show" ("Calling out across the land/calling every single Rollers fan"), to the EP Bowi (a play on David Bowie's Low album). Lowe would also pay tribute to Bowie with the song "(I Love The Sound Of) Breaking Glass" (after the similarly titled song from Low).
Article comments
1 - JC Mosquito
Now if there was just a real great Rockpile album to go along with it...
2 - Mark Saleski
great article glen.
to jc: what's wrong with Seconds of Pleasure?
3 - JC Mosquito
Seconds of Pleasure was OK.... but supposedly their live show put it to shame by a long, long shot. Most critics at the time were of the same opinion. I heard a boot years ago, and sound quality aside, I'd agree - they really kicked live.
4 - Mark Saleski
now that i believe. i mean, check out the Lowe's version of "I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock and Roll)" on that Live Stiffs record. really killer.
5 - JC Mosquito
Check these classic Rockpile performances (hope the links work)
6 - Glen Boyd
Thanx for the comments guys. Sketter, those links are really frickin' cool, and as you can now see I went ahead and added the one for "Down, Down, Down" to the article.
So thanx again!
-Glen
7 - JC Mosquito
No prob, Glen - greatgawda'mighty, they could sure rock and roll, couldn't they?
8 - Glen Boyd
Yes they could Skeeter, yes they could.
-Glen
9 - Leslie Bohn
The record company is being nice and streaming the whole album for free.
And of course, Jesus of Cool/Pure Pop really is a proper Rockpile album, just like Labour of Lust and the contemporaneous Dave Edmunds albums (Repeat When Necessary and Trax on Wax) are. The two guys were signed to different record companies, so they couldn't record as Rockpile, at least until Dave Edmunds eventually finished his deal with Swan Song.
True Rockpile nuts should seek out Carlene Carter's Musical Shapes from around the same time. Produced by Lowe (her husband) and backed by Rockpile, it's her best album, one that wouldn't sound out of place on the radio today next to, say, Brad Paisley or Miranda Lambert: smart, funny and very rock-informed.
10 - Glen Boyd
Seconds of Pleasure was the only "official" Rockpile album Leslie. The key word here being "official." Very cool that Yep Roc is streaming this. Smart too. Once people hear how great the record is, they'll buy it. Thanx for the comment.
-Glen
11 - Holly A Hughes
Nice review, Glen. But I'm not quite sure why you say Nick Lowe's a surprising punk/new wave candidate. I know what he's been recording lately sounds different, but the evolution makes sense if you listen to his albums in order. (Granted, the jump from his latest, "At My Age", back to "Jesus of Cool" is a bit surprising.) And if you think about it, the retro-country-soul place he's ended up isn't really all that different from where the Brinsleys were ages ago, and only a little bit away from the rockabilly sound he and Dave Edmunds were digging in the later 70s.
Still, you're right to point out what a classic craftsman of the pop song Nick always has been. If you couldn't say it in three verses and chorus -- and under 3 minutes -- then you were just being lazy. That's what punk and New Wave had in common, and for those of us who were weaned on it, no wonder we couldn't stand the extended solos of the arena rockers or the head games of the prog rockers.
12 - JC Mosquito
I liked the 3 mintues or less format since the time of the Monkees, but I also liked the songs that took up while sides of albums too (i.e., Deep Purple's live Space Truckin'). And most everything inbetween too, now that I think of it. For different reasons, obviously.
Punk & New Wave - in some ways, New Wave was a tag invented to sell punk and post punk popsters - I dunno - it was a strange but productive time, and I still don't know how the whole thing supported itself til grunge kinda blew in a newer wave altogether.
13 - Leslie Bohn
Mr. Boyd:
You lamented that there's no "real, great Rockpile album." Joyfully, there are four or five!
14 - Glen Boyd
Leslie,
I think you've got me confused with JC (comment #1).
-Glen
15 - Leslie Bohn
D'oh. Apologies!
16 - JC Mosquito
Technicalities, perhaps, Ms. B - but allmusic.com list only one album by Rockpile, and makes a pretty good case why Nick Lowe's & Dave Edmunds's albums backed by Rockpile are solo albums as opposed to band efforts.
And though they are all decent records, I just remember seeing Rockpile play Heart of the City on TV when I was younger, and wondering why their albums didn't sound as muscular.
17 - SlyStoneBio
Great article. Thanks for remembering Sly.