Nick Lowe - Nick the Knife (1982)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP, later replaced by a CD. The CD I listened to was the 2017 Yep Roc reissue. Good job on the remastering.

Thanks to my buddy Jim, I was exposed to all sorts of British pub/roots rock in 1982, including the music of Nick Lowe, who, if he wasn't recording the records I was buying, he was writing, playing, or producing the records I was buying. This album may be a mixed bag of genres, but it sure is a fun listen. There are Lowe songs I like better than the tunes on Nick The Knife, but from top-to-bottom, I think this is his best release (granted, I haven't kept up with his entire catalog over the years although I probably should have).

Lots of great musicians on this release. Lowe gathered up friends from Rockpile, The Rumour, The Attractions, and Squeeze along with his then-wife Carlene Carter, whose backing harmonies often steal the show. Also notable for being the rare Lowe album without a cover song or two.

Reviews were mixed upon release, to say the least:

• Smash Hits (7 out of 10): "fast and clean rock'n'roll songs"
• Rolling Stone (★★★½): "catchy hooks and clever twists of phrase"
• Stereo Review: "almost uniformly blah"
• Trouser Press: "he never alienates his audience"
• Robert Christgau (B+): "the music is tossed off with what sounds like indolence rather than charm"
• Musician: "a surprising letdown"
• Record Mirror (★★★★★): "A dozen pearls and every one a winner."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #50
• Billboard Rock: #22
• CashBox: #48
• Rolling Stone: #28

Tracks: My top picks are Burning, Heart, Stick It Where The Sun Don't Shine, Too Many Teardrops, Raining Raining, and One's Too Many (And A Hundred Ain't Enough). There's also a few fun throwaways like Ba Doom and Zulu Kiss. The demos included as bonus tracks are of interest only once or twice.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Nothing comes to mind, but last time I put together a list of my favorite albums of 1982, I ranked this at #41.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Basher: The Best Of Nick Lowe (1989)
The Abominable Showman (1983)