An influential new wave pioneer reconciles his rockin' past with his lyrical present
By Sam Sutherland
For those seeking proof of life after rock, look no further than the surprising -- and heartening -- rebirth of singer, songwriter and producer Nick Lowe as a 21st-century crooner. Renowned for his sturdy pop-rock craftsmanship (and equally notorious for his impish sense of humor), the British pub rock and new wave pioneer can look back on two distinct, yet related identities.
First came Lowe's signal achievements in the '70s, when he helped combat England's epidemic of progressive rock pretensions with the stripped-down pop, rock and R&B accents of his first noteworthy band, Brinsley Schwarz, and his subsequent breakthrough as producer behind new wave standard bearers such as Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, the Damned and the Pretenders. (His nickname, "Basher," reflected Lowe's penchant for recording quickly when compared to the more lavish studio epics of the day.)
Mixing irresistible pop smarts with trenchant humor and barbed pop cultural satire, Lowe rocked on his own terms as a new wave prankster and self-proclaimed "Jesus of Cool" whether tweaking romantic conventions with witty lyrics, or dabbling in pop surrealism. Consider his power-pop ode to "Marie Provost," a real-life silent-screen star sidelined by the talkies "who became her doggie's dinner" when her starving dachshund feasted on its mistress, or the cheerfully cynical warning that "All Men Are Liars."
Such juxtapositions of power chords and punch lines likely prepared few of Lowe's early fans for his more recent emergence as a mordant, even introspective chronicler of life and love in middle age, a thematic left turn that began in the mid-'90s. This was the Nick Lowe that gave Johnny Cash the pitiless confessional ballad, "The Beast in Me," one of the stark new songs that enabled "American Recordings" to connect deeply with a new generation of music fans, and pointedly titled his most recent set of new songs "At My Age." With his shock of white hair and a wardrobe that now favors suits and crisp shirts over the hipper togs of yore, Lowe is the very model of a modern pop grown-up.
Both Lowes are brought together for the first time on "Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe," just released as a double album. (A deluxe edition adds a DVD with vintage music videos and recent live performances.) MSN Music caught up with Lowe recently to find out how a punk godfather metamorphosed into a subtle pop balladeer.
MSN Music: Your shift toward the more personal music you've made since the mid-'90s was fueled by an unexpected windfall -- a cover version of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding." Curtis Stigers' recording landed on the soundtrack album to "The Bodyguard" in the early '90s, which went on to sell 15 million copies.
Nick Lowe: My career was quite on the ground [at that time]. My standing wasn't so high. But then along came Curtis. God bless you, Curtis. Comes along, he records this song -- now, we're really good friends, but back then I didn't know him at all -- and he cut this song on "The Bodyguard." I haven't seen the film myself, but people who have seen it say they can't hear it appear anywhere in the film. But anyway, for whatever reason, it wound up on the soundtrack album, and I made a lot of money on that. God alone knows what Dolly Parton made. But I know what I did.
You first recorded the song yourself with Brinsley Schwarz in the mid-'70s.
Most people think Elvis Costello wrote that song, because he really popularized it.
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