Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool
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Free Music Notes for Jesus of Cool
Free Music Review: 1970s avante garde rock
Hit: 4 Stars
This was one of the best albums of its era, if you missed out but love Elvis Costello, I'd say you'd like this one. Not all the rock of the Nixon-Ford years stood the test of time, but this one still makes for a good listen in the 21st Century, because, well, you know, "they call it rock!"Free Music Review: Too Cool for School
Hit: 5 Stars
Wow - what can you say? Aside from the blatant blasphemey in the title and the way the disc liner folds out (where were the zealots when this came out?), you got Nick Lowe at the height of songwriting and singing career (his role as a producer for myriad other artists is another story in of itself). Some of the best songs he's written, some of coolest melodies and singing with real emotion ranging from sarcastic twit, just because he can be, to a man with a hole in his heart, it's one of the best collections Lowe has ever put together. As much as I like the "smoothness" that permeates his latest release ("At My Age"), this is Nick in his prime and you shouldn't miss it.Free Music Review: A must have for any serious music fan
Hit: 5 Stars
Nick Lowe's merit to and appreciation by the music industry is long overdue and this 30th anniversary release of his debut album (initially released in the US as "Pure Pop for the Now People") hopefully will set the record straight once and for all.
"Jesus of Cool" (21 tracks, 64 min.) brings the original album (11 tracks) with tons of B-sides and other rarities. As to the original album, it amazingly still sounds as fresh as it did 30 years ago. Check out "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass", which was a hit single back in the day, and I remember buying it as a single. I hadn't heard this in many many years, and it still sounds as great. Other highlights include "So It Goes" (released as single in the US). with a clear legacy to Steely Dan's "Reeling In the Years", the reggae-flavored "No Reason" (reminding me of Elvis Costello, who was on the same label at that time), and the last track "Heart of the City", a rousing live track, featuring David Edmonds on guitar.
As to the 10 bonus tracks, they are a treasure find. Check out the short instrumental (and B-side) "Check That Rat", the tongue-in-cheek "I Love My Label" (recorded for a label compilation), the irreverent "Born a Woman" (from a UK-only released EP), "Rollers Show" (a UK-only single) and the last track, a romping "I Don't Want the Night to End" (another B-side), just beautiful. This reissue come with insightful liner notes and great pictures from back in the day. In all, a terrific reissue and a must for anyone who want to know what the UK music scene felt like 30 years ago. Highly recommended!
Free Music Review: Jesus of Cool
Hit: 5 Stars
There are five or six records that define "new wave" in the late 1970's and this is one of them. Nick Lowe is a genius and this record proves it. He wrote a pop classic about the Bay City Rollers, rocked hard with "They called it RocK" yet still had time to write classics such as "So it Goes" and "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass". Remember, there would be no Elvis Costello with Nick, so if you like this period in rock, buy this CD. I guarantee you will not regret it.Free Music Review: An Astounding, Timeless Record
Hit: 5 Stars
I had never heard of Nick Lowe until I saw a five-star link for this reissue on the corner of the main site for allmusic.com. The title "Jesus of Cool" intrigued me, and the review did so even further. It was described as a masterpiece of pop, a genre I've always been a huge fan of, from the Beatles' pop to Weezer's pop to the Shins' pop to the Format's pop. I ordered the CD from Amazon, and sure enough, it has fast become one of my all-time favorites. Let met do a track-by-track review now.
"Music for Money": This is a wicked opener, loud, head-thumpy, and instantly catchy.
9/10
"I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass": This is the one of the best songs on the record - the singing is a little more laid back than in most of the other tracks, but it is entirely beneficial to the song.
10/10
"Little Hitler": This is one of the catchiest songs, and among the most disturbed, as the title suggest.
9/10
"Shake and Pop": This is another song in the vein of the opener - a cynical, hilarious take on the record industry. Nick Lowe always has the last laugh with these songs.
10/10
"Tonight": The only slow song on the album, this is a gorgeous ballad that won't leave your head.
9/10
"So it Goes": One of the singles, this is a highlight of the disc.
10/10
"No Reason": Nick Lowe sings with a voice similar to "Tonight," but since the song isn't a ballad, it comes off as very haunting (and I mean that in a good way).
8/10
"36 Inches High": This is the most irregular song on the record. It is a hazy sort of song that you almost drown out until hours after listening to it you find it gets completely under your skin.
10/10
"Marie Provost": The album's centerpiece, if not undesputed highlight. It is a funny, and true, track about an actress from the silent film era (whose actual name was Mary Prevost) who met a depressing end dying alone in her house and then being chewed at by her dogs before days later she was discovered.
10/10
"Nutted by Reality": This song features an alternately rough pop and bouncy style, and it works great, making it a real treasure.
9/10
"Heart of the City (Live)": Though a studio version of this song exists (and can be found amongs the bonus songs on this release and was included in place of this version on the American release of "Jesus of Cool"), it's the live version that's really killer. With insanely awesome drums and an evil energy, it all makes for a great closing track.
10/10
BONUS MATERIAL:
The ten bonus tracks include the three tracks from the American release of this record, which was retitled "Pure Pop for Now People," that were different from those on the original UK release. Only one of those songs, "Rollers Show," cannot be found in any form on the actual CD. The other two are the aforementioned studio version of "Heart of the City," as well as "They Called it Rock," a slightly altered (for the worse, though it's still a good song) version of "Shake and Pop." Other tracks include an early version of "Cruel to Be Kind," his sole big hit in America, and "Shake that Rat," "Endless Sleep," and "Born a Woman," songs from his first EP, Bowi, which also included "Marie Provost" and was released a year before this album.
BONUS MATERIAL SO FAR ADDRESSED:
8/10
There is one more bonus track truly worth mentioning here, and I shall now address it:
"I Love My Label": I cannot fathom why this song was cut from the record, except that maybe his label was unwilling to release it. It is a perfect mix of the embittered musician from tracks like "Music for Money" and "Shake and Pop" with the brilliant, simple pop sound of tracks like "Little Hitler" and "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass." It has the funniest lyrics of any song here and is perhaps even the catchiest.
10/10
For any fan of pop music, this CD is a must-buy, especially since it comes incredibly cheap from Amazon considering it contains ten bonus tracks.