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A lot of compilations of this sort elicit a groan of “Not another one…” This set, however, should not. The great NICK LOWE has hardly been anthologized to death, especially not in America, where, until recently, his entire Columbia catalog from the 70s and 80s was represented by the 1989 comp Basher. (Yep Roc reissued the magnificent Jesus of Cool last year. We hope there are more to come, starting with Labour of Lust.) Now his current label gifts us with Quiet Please, the first Lowe best-of to cover not only his Columbia work, but also his 90s material, from the underrated Party of One (for Reprise) to his excellent recordings for Yep Roc (and its predecessor Upstart).
One can always argue about the track selection for comps like this (for the record, I miss “Born Fighter,” “Time Wounds All Heels,” “7 Nights to Rock” and the ROCKPILE track “Now and Always”), but I think this is as good an overview of Lowe’s rich career as can be hoped for, especially since the man himself guided the tracklist. All his best-known cuts are here, from “So It Goes” and Rockpile’s “When I Write the Book” to “All Men Are Liars” and his most recent “hit” “I Trained Her to Love Me,” from his early roots pop to his current country soul. Best of all, the disk kicks off with the original recording of his best-known track, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” as done by his early 70s band BRINSLEY SCHWARZ. (The story of Schwarz and all the acts that rose from its ashes could fill a book. Hopefully Yep Roc is contemplating a long-overdue Stateside best-of for them as well.) And for those who want a nice dose of Lowe’s rakish smile, there’s a deluxe edition with a DVD full of videos and a recent live show. Want to introduce that someone special in your life to the charm of Nick Lowe? Quiet Please… is the perfect way to do it.
