Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod the Mod finds his solo footing, headed for stardom, with the Faces in his wake.
6:00 AM GMT 22/06/2011
Features Disc of the day
Nick Lowe
The Convincer
(Proper Records, 2001)
Songwriting masterclass comes with ahead-of-its-time Middlesex soul groove.
Not that he’d ever tell you himself, but Nick Lowe is one smart dude. When I first heard this CD, back in 2001, what struck me was the gentle economy of his writing. In his 23 years as a solo artist of melody and wit (31 if you count his time with Woodbridge country-rockers Brinsley Schwartz) Lowe had honed his lazy, Cajun-on-Thames country cool into something unassumingly… classic. By mixing his own, acutely observed compositions with such mongrel soul classics as Johnny Rivers’ Only A Fool and Poor Side Of Town, Lowe was quietly placing himself in the great pantheon of blue-eyed soul saltimbancos, gentlemen from the mild side of town who could craft a deep heartbreak ballad that Bobby Bland would be unable to tell from the real thing. Seven plus years on, The Convincer still, erm, convinces with such countrified tales of middle-aged dissipation as I’m A Mess, Homewrecker and Lately I’ve Let Things Slide. And Lowe’s rich, folk mythologising of a bypass on the A30, Indian Queens – but what also strikes me now is Lowe’s production with Neil Brockbank. A subtly engineered throwback to the warm, analogue sounds of Chess, Hi and Bearsville, The Convincer now sounds several steps ahead of the curve, capturing a comforting retro mood that has been the recent holy grail of everyone from James Hunter and Richard Hawley to Pete Molinari and Eli “Paperboy” Reed. Well, as if you didn’t know it boys, Nick beat you to it.
Andrew Male
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 15/12/2008
Further Listening
Nick Lowe – At My Age (Proper, 2007)
Bobby Charles – Bobby Charles (Bearsville, 1972)
James Hunter – People Gonna Talk (Rounder, 2006)
Previous Disc of the day
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Earl Brutus - Larky
Last salvo of Ginsters Pasty-Warholism from Britpop ramraiders.
12:04 PM GMT 08/06/2011
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Loudon Wainwright - T-Shirt
An overlooked small wonder from an unpredictable career.
6:00 AM GMT 03/06/2011
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Landscape - From The Tea-rooms Of Mars… To The Hell-holes Of Uranus
Dry computer club Futurists, upon hitting implausible chart paydirt.
6:00 AM GMT 17/05/2011
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Causa Sui - Summer Sessions Vol 1-3
Epic Danish jams, for when the neighbours get you down.
6:00 AM GMT 12/05/2011
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Comments
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Well, this record is a timeless masterpiece and it's true, steps ahead of time. Alongside "The Impossible Bird" and "Dig My Mood" is a wonderful trilogy of warm, relaxed and masterful soul.
Lowe is a underrated songwriter but stands te test of time without any doubt.
Posted by carneham at 7:46 PM GMT 15/12/2008 Report Abuse
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An enduring masterpiece. One of my favourite albums.
Posted by JoC at 10:12 PM GMT 15/12/2008 Report Abuse
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Nick Lowe is a great songwriter, possibly one of the finest this country has ever produced.
This album is great - but, truth be told, my favourite of Mr. Lowe's recent output is Dig My Mood.
Posted by Andrew Marsden at 4:27 PM GMT 02/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Let us not forget that Nick also works with some of the best in the UK, e.g. Geraint Watkins.
Posted by Robert Kok, The Netherlands at 2:57 PM GMT 16/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Let us not forget that Nick also works with some of the best in the UK, e.g. Geraint Watkins.
Posted by Robert Kok, The Netherlands at 2:57 PM GMT 16/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Let us not forget that Nick also works with some of the best musicians in the UK, e.g. Geraint Watkins.
Posted by Robert Kok, The Netherlands at 2:58 PM GMT 16/01/2010 Report Abuse
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