classic...fabulous!!!

what can I say.. been a fan since 1979 (when you could play such things as "Love so Fine" unedited on the radio..one of the best ) Pure pop sensibility fused with a jolt of punk roots. Humorous , witty lyrics put to songs so catchy as to be unforgettable. Nick was not made for the MTV generation, he would never have passed "Go" in the video age. But don't pass up this rare gem ..excellent ! Of course you remember "Cruel to be Kind" -look deeper , into tracks like "Switchboard Susan "and "Ccracking Up" on to "Without Love" and "Skin Deep" . Hip before his time, he himself said " What I have is style & an eye for style" in a review at the time..this album is a classic & a few of the best tracks didn't make it on to the also-excellent "Basher" compilation..don't pass it up -if you like anything he's ever done --get this ASAP !!!

Great Rockpile CD

Jesus of Cool was a jukebox, spinning out a series of perfectly crafted - and decidedly quirky and subversive - pop singles. In contrast, Nick Lowe's second album, Labour of Lust, is the work of a bar band, in this case Rockpile, playing the hell out of the same type of songs. Naturally, the result is a more coherent sound that may be a little less freewheelingly eclectic, but it is no less brilliant. Recorded simultaneously with Dave Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary, Labour of Lust benefits from the muscular support of Rockpile, who make Lowe's songs crackle with vitality. Working primarily in the roots rock vein of Brinsley Schwarz but energizing his traditionalist tendencies with strong pop melodies, a sense of humor, and an edgy new wave sensibility, Lowe comes up with one of his best sets of songs. Not only is his only hit, the propulsively hook-laden "Cruel to Be Kind," here, but so are the rampaging outsider anthem "Born Fighter," the tongue-in-cheek, Chuck Berry-style "Love So Fine," the wonderful pure pop of "Dose of You," the haunting "Endless Grey Ribbon," the druggy "Big Kick, Plain Scrap!," and the terrific "Cracking Up," as well as his definitive version of Mickey Jupp's "Switchboard Susan." It's an exceptional collection of inventive pop songs, delivered with vigor and energy, making it one of the great records of the new wave. - Stephen Thomas, AMG

The LOWEst!

A local radio station specializing in music of the 60s, 70s and 80s (after recently dropping its 50s playlist and "Oldies" tag) included Nick Lowe and his "Cruel to Be Kind" on a recent "One Hit Wonders" weekend. Technically, that's true I guess. But for those of us whose perspective on rock music goes a bit further than the U.S. Top Forty, Nick Lowe deserves a little more respect and recognition than this benighted station was bestowing.

Anyone with at least a passing knowledge of rock history knows that Nick Lowe was a seminal figure in late 70s New Wave. As a producer, solo artist and band member (Rockpile), his contribution to that underappreciated genre (more tuneful than straight-on punk, truer to the spirit of rock 'n' roll than all that arena rock junk) cannot be emphasized enough. As good a songwriter and performer as Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson, he never got the recognition he deserved--at least on this side of the Big Pond.

"Cruel To Be Kind" was indeed pure pop for now (and "then") people, but the album itself was much rockier, and thematically edgier than the hit single might imply. "Born Fighter," "Switchboard Susan," and "Skin Deep" are bristling rockers. "Big Kick, Plain Scrap," a cooler, slower talk-song is a fairly frank, non-condemnatory drug song (not TOTALLY condemnatory anway) which probably didn't exactly enhance the likelihood of the album's getting more extensive airplay. Neither do the numerous not-so-ambiguous double-entendres in any number of songs on the record.

Nick Lowe seems to be enjoying a comeback of sorts as a dapper elder statesman of rock 'n' roll. I caught him at a festival last summer on his tour backing THE CONVINCER. The audience didn't need much convincing, however. As rockers go, Nick Lowe is the genuine article. If you're a newcomer to his music LABOUR OF LUST is a great place to start. But don't stop there. There's a whole catalog of material from the 80s and 80s to explore. And maybe...just maybe...someone will see fit to release his first solo record PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE on CD sometime in the near future.

The Lust of Labour

There is nothing more perfect than that "two minute" beauty. Mr. McMannes said it was easy to write the lengthy drone, but to create the perfect two minute song, well that is brilliance.
I have never understood why Nick Lowe was never embraced as a PopGod kind of guy. Who else writes the best pure pop for now people?
I came to the conclusion that we (ok, society) simply cannot embrace perfection, even broken, while pure and alive.
As usual, the Grand Poets universally embraced all had to die first.
Well, consider your first pilgrimage to a future grave.
But have fun along the way and buy this album.
Even tonight, in a STORE, I heard "Cracking Up," but not from Nick.
It was simply grand.