Nick Lowe - The Abominable Showman (1983)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.

At the time of this release, I was in search of anything that could possibly sound something like the band Squeeze, so I picked up albums by Lowe, Paul Carrack, Rockpile, Dave Edmunds, etc. This album has its moments, but some of it is unlistenable (except to reach the goals of this CD listening project). This is an uneven affair to be sure. Songs are derivative of doo-wop, country, soul, rockabilly, and even ventures into '80s New Wave. The CD must currently be out-of-print because I see it going for more than $50 on auction sites. I wouldn't pay that, but I got it on the cheap (under $10) in the early '90s after it had been released on CD.

Press of the time:

• Trouser Press: "Has Nick the Knife lost his edge?"
• Rolling Stone (★★½): "Nick the Knife has lost his cutting edge."
• Billboard: "economical melodies and tongue-in-cheek lyric twists"
• Stereo Review: "consistently delightful"
• Robert Christgau (B+): "No tour de force, just unlabored love songs"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #129
• Billboard Rock: #30
• CashBox: #111

Tracks: My favs are the silly Chicken and Feathers and Saint Beneath the Paint. They are throwaway tracks, but full of '80s pop silliness and who among us doesn't love some deep album cut of filler? Also good are We Want Action and Ragin' Eyes. Unlistenable: Tanque-Rae, Paid the Price, How Do You Talk to an Angel?

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I remember listening to this exclusively in my bedroom because it wasn't good enough for me to record to cassette and take with me in my '73 Ford Maverick (a.k.a. the Markmobile).