Could've been better

If you're a fan of Nick Lowe you will most likely have almost all of the tracks here-with the exception of a few home demos there's nothing that can't be found elsewhere. However, it's nice to have those rarities on one collection, and the booklet included is fairly well done. Nine tracks each from The Impossible Bird and Dig My Mood seems a bit much, though. Why not Nick's lead vocal numbers from Little Village or some of his duets/harmony with Carlene Carter? I'm glad to own it, but with most box sets it seems to have been put together by businessmen. The three stars are for the song selection. Jesus of Cool, Labour of Lust, Party of One, The Impossible Bird, and Dig My Mood would all get 4 to 4 and 1/2 from me. If you're a Nick Lowe novice I suggest you begin with one of those.

Great career summation--all you need is here!

I always loved the pop-God phase of Nick Lowe and to get all the best stuff here in beautiful sound is heaven. If you liked the 3-chord pop of So It Goes or his Hiatt cover She Don't Love Nobody, this is the set for you. There's way too much of his later darker period here, which is why it loses a star. While his writing during that period was more direct, gritty and realistic, the melodies aren't there and many songs just don't have the vibe that Nick talks about in the set's booklet. The unreleased stuff is really good, not great--cool covers, neat live versions, and some demos that work better than studio finished versions. As a fan, I could quibble with the selection of songs slightly and there are inaccuracies in the booklet, but to you, the more casual listener, this is the place to get it all. Since Rockpile split, Nick's output has always been good, but there hasn't been a great record in the bunch. This gathers most of the wheat and dispenses with much of the chafe.

Interesting and compelling song selection plus great rarites

You can quibble all you want about which of your favorite tracks were overlooked but it doesn't dimish the impact of this boxed set. Nick Lowe always has shown a flair for turning pop conventions inside out. Lowe's flair for melody, word play and his expressive voice all combine to make him one of the finest exports from the UK since...well you know who. Among British song writers Lowe is only equaled by his contemporaries Andy Partridge, Elvis Costello, Lennon-McCartney and Ray Davies for the depth and creativity packed into each song.

Since this represents the solo years there isn't anything from Brinsley, but that's ok since most of that is available as imports from Edsel and other companies. Lowe's remake of his classic (What's so funny) about peace, love and understanding is the definitive version--besting both the Brinsley version and EC's.

It's about time that Nick was appreciated. Sadly, in the US his he has a fairly small audience who appreciate his intelligent, witty songs. Try and catch him on tour as he is just as much fun (and engaging) live as he is on record (something that can't be said for every performer).