Episode description
Episode description
On this episode, we have a listener pick: Nick Lowe and his 1994 album The Impossible Bird.
Nick Lowe has been a topic of conversation several times on This Is Vinyl Tap due to the indelible mark the man has left on pop music. Lowe was a bass player, singer and songwriter of the influential pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz. He was a member of the the fabulous Rockpile. He is a producer of some note, having worked with countless artists including Elvis Costello, the Pretenders, Graham Parker, and the Damned. And he is one hell of a song writer, penning such timeless tunes as "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," "Cruel to be Kind," "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass," and "The Beast In Me."
Having found himself is a but of a rough creative patch in the late 1980's, his luck changed withe the success "The Bodyguard" soundtrack, which included a cover of "Peace, Love, and Understanding." That gave Lowe the financial freedom to pursue new musical directions and the music buying public were much the richer for it. The Impossible Bird was a bit of a reboot for Lowe and a different kind of Nick Lowe album; more mature and stripped down, with his vocals front and center. It was not quite country, not quite rockabilly, not quite folk, but a flawless combinations of all of the above. Its a collection of choice covers and fantastic Lowe originals expertly executed by a crack band and easily one of Lowe's finest musical statements that includes some of his most endearing and enduring songs.
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