Book Review: Cruel to be Kind: The Life and Music of Nick Lowe, by Will Birch (2019)

The US cover of Cruel to be Kind: The Life and Music of Nick Lowe, by Will Birch, 2019.

The UK cover of Cruel to be Kind, by Will Birch, 2019.

The eternally cool Nick Lowe.

Author and musician Will Birch.

British rocker Nick Lowe gets his due in the excellent 2019 biography Cruel to be Kind: The Life and Music of Nick Lowe, by Will Birch. Birch has known Lowe since the 1970’s, and he makes no bones about the fact that he is a big fan of Lowe’s work. Birch interviewed Lowe numerous times for the biography, and while it’s not an “authorized” biography, it was written with Lowe’s cooperation. (Although it did take Nick a long time to come around to the idea of someone writing a book about him.)

I’m a big Nick Lowe fan, so I’m quite thrilled there’s a biography of him. In December, I was watching a YouTube video of Nick singing “When I Write the Book” with Los Straitjackets at First Avenue in Minneapolis when I thought to myself “It’s too bad Nick will probably never write an autobiography, he’s such a cool guy. I guess that article in Rolling Stone last year will be the piece with the most biographical details in it.” And then, on the YouTube sidebar, I saw there was a conversation with Nick Lowe and Will Birch at the Strand bookstore in New York City. I was shocked that there was a biography of Nick Lowe that had been out for four months before I’d heard about it. 

Cruel to be Kind is a fantastic book for fans of Nick Lowe. There are lots of great stories from throughout Lowe’s fifty-year career in music. There’s also a lot of detail about his childhood, which was spent in some exotic locales, as his father, an officer in the RAF, was transferred from Jordan to Cyprus to Germany. 

One of my favorite tidbits that I learned from Cruel to be Kind is that in the early 1980’s Lowe wrote several songs for possible inclusion in the 1984 movie Top Secret! Sadly, Lowe’s songs didn’t make it into the film. I’ve been a fan of Top Secret! since I was a little kid, as it was written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, the guys who made the 1980 classic Airplane!

Birch is also astute at chronicling Lowe’s transformation from New Wave rocker to the veteran musician who has turned out excellent albums like The Impossible Bird, Dig My Mood, The Convincer, and At My Age. These albums have demonstrated that Lowe has become an even better songwriter as he’s gotten older, a rarity in rock music. 

Not surprisingly, Lowe’s old pal Elvis Costello has one of the best quotes in the book: “There’s something about wearing the clothes that suit you at the age you are. Who would you rather be—Steven Tyler or Nick Lowe? Steven’s a good character, but isn’t that an awful lot of work before you go out in the morning?” (p.305) 

If you’re a fan of Nick Lowe’s, you’ll enjoy learning more about his life in Cruel to be Kind.

Concert Review: Nick Lowe at the Dakota Jazz Club

Nick Lowe at the Dakota Jazz Club, January 3, 2019. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

My first concert of 2019 was one of my favorite people to see live: singer-songwriter extraordinaire Nick Lowe, who performed solo at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis tonight. I’ve seen Nick Lowe in concert several times before, and seeing him perform solo is always a treat. Inevitably, the songs sound somewhat different from the familiar studio versions, but it never feels as though they’re missing anything when Lowe performs them solo. Lowe’s rhythmic guitar playing propels the songs along.

Lowe’s songs are beautifully constructed—there’s not a wasted word or phrase, especially in his songs from the last 25 years or so. Minimalist masterpieces, they say a lot in their brevity. Songs like “I Read a Lot” and “House for Sale” describe experiences vividly in just a few stanzas. Lowe revealed that as he was writing “I Read a Lot” he was imagining Michael Buble singing it. To me, it sounds like a perfect Nick Lowe song. But Lowe has long said that when he writes a song he wants it to sound like it’s a standard, like it’s already been around for ages. 

“People Change,” the concert opener, is one of my favorite songs to explain Lowe’s gift for economy of language. It starts out “Storybook love, made for one another/Now she treats you just like a brother.” In 14 words, Lowe has created an entire story. We get the point immediately, no need for verse upon verse.

Nick looked good, sharply dressed and rail-thin, wearing a white button-down shirt and black slacks, and black dress shoes. Lowe’s shock of pure white hair gives him a distinguished air, as do his black-framed glasses, behind which are a handsome pair of very blue eyes. 

Lowe sang a new song, “Love Starvation,” and looking back at my review of Lowe’s 2016 concert at the Dakota, I recall that he sang some new songs then as well, so perhaps we can hope for a new album in the not-too-distant future? Fingers crossed, anyway. 

Lowe sang a couple of covers, including a lovely version of “Heartbreaker,” written by the Bee Gees for Dionne Warwick, and included on Lowe’s 2018 EP Tokyo Bay. In Lowe’s hands, the song becomes a stripped down cry of anguish. Lowe’s voice is very expressive, and he uses it to great emotional effect, especially on ballads. My wife and my mother both find Lowe’s voice very sexy. (My wife adores Nick’s song “Let’s Stay in and Make Love.”)

I was very pleased that Lowe sang “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day,” which is one of my favorites of his. Inevitably, “Cruel to be Kind” made an appearance, and after it was done, Nick reprised the catchy chorus and we all sang along loudly, which was a lot of fun. We also got to sing along to the chorus of “When I Write the Book,” one of Lowe’s power pop gems from the band Rockpile. 

Lowe made a funny joke about the “new musicians’ rules going into effect this year: no encores.” (He was kidding, of course.) The first encore concluded with “(What’s So Funny ‘bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” Lowe’s most famous song, which is ironic, since Lowe’s original version, cut with the band Brinsley Schwarz, isn’t that famous. It was Elvis Costello’s 1979 cover version that made the song a classic. And it was Curtis Stigers’ version on the soundtrack of The Bodyguard that netted Lowe a windfall in royalties when he most needed it. Nick came back for a second encore, his beautiful, heartfelt version of Elvis Costello’s “Alison.”

Setlist: 

People Change

Stoplight Roses

Love Starvation

Long Limbed Girl

Has She Got a Friend?

What’s Shakin’ on the Hill

Ragin’ Eyes

The Club

Heartbreaker

Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day

Without Love

I Live on a Battlefield

I Read a Lot

Cruel to be Kind

Heart

Tokyo Bay

House for Sale

Lonely Just Like Me

I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)

When I Write the Book

(What’s So Funny ‘bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

Alison

Concert Review: Nick Lowe at the Dakota Jazz Club

Nick Lowe at the Dakota Jazz Club, October 11, 2016. (Photo taken by my wife.)

Nick Lowe with his trusty guitar.

Last night Nick Lowe performed at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis. Lowe has appeared at the Dakota before-I reviewed his 2008 concert here. Last night’s concert was the 6^th time I’ve seen Nick Lowe live, and he always puts on an excellent show. Lowe forgot a couple of lyrics last night, which he apologized for, and his British charm ensured that his fans quickly forgave him. Lowe was witty, as always, as he said after playing “Cruel to be Kind,” “That was a medley of my hit.” 

Lowe performed solo, which is my favorite way to hear him. Lowe is a performing who can keep the audience spellbound with just his voice and guitar. His guitar playing is very rhythmic, and it keeps the songs rolling along. Lowe’s voice is superbly expressive, and when he sings sad songs the ache is his voice is very moving. The set list was an excellent collection of Nick Lowe’s greatest songs, and as usual, focused mainly on his songs over the last twenty years, and not his early songs from the 1970’s and 1980’s-although some of those songs made appearances as well. 

Nick was in a good mood, and he shared some interesting stories about songwriter and guitarist Henry McCullough, an acquaintance of Lowe’s who recently passed away. (McCullough was in Wings, and played the great guitar solo on “My Love.”) Lowe sang a moving version of McCullough’s song “Failed Christian,” which appeared on Lowe’s 1998 album “Dig My Mood.” Other highlights of the evening included “What’s Shakin’ on the Hill,” “House for Sale,” which positively ached with loneliness, “People Change,” and the encores of “When I Write the Book” and “Alison.” 

Lowe said that there were some new songs mixed in with the other songs, he said he hoped they didn’t stick out too much. One is probably called “Crying Inside,” and it was a lovely song, hopefully Lowe will record it soon. Lowe’s songs might sound simple and straight forward, but you can tell that the words have been carefully chosen. His songs of the last twenty years don’t have any fat on them-there’s nothing extraneous there. Every word serves a purpose. 

Here’s the set list from last night:

People Change

Stoplight Roses

Long Limbed Girl

Raging Eyes

Has She Got a Friend?

What’s Shakin’ on the Hill

Crying Inside (new song)

Until the Real Thing Comes Along

The Shoes I Used to Wear (new song)

I Trained Her to Love Me

I Live on a Battlefield

Failed Christian

Cruel to be Kind

Sensitive Man

Somebody Cares for Me

House for Sale

Only Make You Lonely (new song)

Peace, Love, and Understanding

I Knew the Bride When She Used to Rock and Roll

Encore:

When I Write the Book

Alison

Rin Tin Tin

Concert Review: Nick Lowe, Los Straitjackets, and The Cactus Blossoms at First Avenue

Nick Lowe, frolicking in the snow and being left-handed. (Left-handed people are the best. Nick Lowe, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, David Byrne and Philip Roth are all left-handed. I rest my case.)

Album cover of Nick Lowe's "Quality Street," 2013.

The Cactus Blossoms

Nick Lowe, one of my favorite artists, came to the Twin Cities again this week as he performed at First Avenue on Tuesday with Los Straitjackets backing him. Veteran British rocker Ian McLagan was due to open the show, but sadly he passed away on Tuesday after suffering a stroke on Monday. I was looking forward to seeing McLagan, who was the keyboard player with the Small Faces and the Faces. Local duo The Cactus Blossoms filled in for McLagan on the bill, and they did a great job. The Cactus Blossoms are two brothers, Jack Torrey and Page Burkum, who specialize in Western swing, and their voices combine just as beautifully as the Everly Brothers. Torrey and Burkum performed as a duo, with just their acoustic guitars, and that worked very well for their sound. One of the highlights of their set was a lovely cover of the Beatles’ “This Boy.” 

Lowe took the stage alone and sang the first few songs of his set solo, which always highlights what a great guitar player he is, and how good his songs are. Lowe spoke a little about McLagan’s tragic passing and that he would have wanted the show to carry on. As Nick played “7 Nights to Rock,” Los Straitjackets came onto the stage to accompany him. Los Straitjackets proved to be an inspired choice to back Lowe, as their 1960’s surf/garage rock style worked very well on rockers like “Ragin’ Eyes” and “Half a Boy and Half a Man.” Los Straitjackets also brought a palpable energy to the stage, and when Lowe left the stage for a break they entertained with instrumental versions of “Sleigh Ride,” “Bus Stop,” “Linus and Lucy,” and Lowe’s own “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass.” 

Although the tour’s official title is the “Quality Holiday Revue,” taking its title from Lowe’s 2013 Christmas CD “Quality Street,” Nick only sang four holiday songs. But I don’t think the audience minded. Lowe sang a lot of his best-known songs, but the set list also featured songs I haven’t heard him sing live before, like “The Rose of England” and “Half a Boy and Half a Man.” Lowe brought his customary energy and good humor to the stage, and the highlights of the concert for me were a lovely solo version of “Heart,” the slyly humorous “Christmas at the Airport,” and two great tracks from Nick’s 2007 album “At My Age,” “Not Too Long Ago,” and “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day.” Lowe closed the evening by singing a beautiful solo version of Elvis Costello’s “Alison,” a song that Nick originally produced for Costello’s debut 1977 album, “My Aim Is True.” Lowe’s soulful voice and spare guitar worked well to bring out all of the emotion in Costello’s song. 

Here’s the set list for the songs that Nick Lowe sang:

Solo:

The Rose of England

Heart

Long Limbed Girl

A Dollar Short of Happy

7 Nights to Rock

With Los Straitjackets:

Only a Fool Breaks His Own Heart

Ragin’ Eyes

Christmas at the Airport

Not Too Long Ago

Sensitive Man

Somebody Cares For Me

North Pole Express

Half a Boy and Half a Man

Cruel to be Kind

Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day

I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday

I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)

Encore:

Tokyo Bay

(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?

Second encore:

Alison-solo