Nick Lowe - Basher: The Best Of Nick Lowe (1989)

British pub rock meets New Wave pop meets roots rock. It works for me - I've been a fan of Lowe's since I heard Cruel To Be Kind on the radio back in the late '70s. That song reached #12 in 1979 and was Lowe's only Top 40 hit in the US, officially earning him one hit wonder status. Lowe might be better known for his work with Elvis Costello, particularly the writing of (What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?. Interestingly, in 1992, Curtis Stigers covered that song on the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, an album that sold over 40 million copies, providing Lowe with financial security for life. I'm guessing that sales of that album have picked up since Whitney Houston's recent passing, adding to Lowe's golden parachute. Lowe is still recording, but I have to confess that I've lost track of him. I admire his desire for not reliving past successes and wish him the best, but he'll always be an '80s artist to me.

 
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: A remarkably consistent 25 tracks. My favs are So It Goes, (I Love The Sound Of) Breaking Glass, Big Kick Plain Scrap, Cruel To Be Kind, and Time Wounds All Heels. I don't particularly like the music to Switchboard Susan, but the lyrics contains every phone sex double entendre imaginable so it always makes me chuckle.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I thought I was the only one in high school listening to Lowe, but it turns out I wasn't. Now I can't hear I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock 'N' Roll) without thinking of my classmate Krista. I also remember trying to get my local music store to get me a copy of Lowe's Labour of Lust LP with no results. I guess I've been holding a grudge for some time if I still remember that factoid 30 years later.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Abominable Showman (1983)