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Thursday, August 05, 2021
Reviews I'd Forgotten I'd Written About Albums I'd Forgotten Existed (An Occasional Series): Part IV -- Titles With Three "P"s in Them Edition
From the June 1988 issue of The Magazine Formerly Known as Stereo Review, my musings on a Nick Lowe album I doubt I've heard since.
Anybody out there have a copy of this record? Anybody think I got it right?
Spot on indeed. Pinker and Prouder is one of Nick's best from his pre-90s, pre-crooner pop era. Swell Nick Lowe career overview at https://kleaveburg.blogspot.com/2021/05/nick-lowe-1970-2020.html
Simels is the reason I became a music critic. (I wanted to be shorter.) So please accept my respect and forgive this irrelevant response. It's just that I would really like to hear this question debated in this community: Should the Stones call it the No Refunds Tour?
I’ve got this one one cassette. T’was before my car had a CD player, and at the time I would buy anything by Lowe / Edmunds. This album never connected with me. Never was played much
Conversely the female in the apartment across the hall loved me playing the Abominable Showman. She bough the record too. I never could overcome he boyfriend, but Nick and I tried.
Ok, so just listened again. It's not bad, it's just not great. Not a great hook anywhere on the album (though it was a surprise to heart Big Big Love after listening to the KD Lang version all these years).
If I can put myself back in the time, it follows the Cowboy Outfit albums, which makes Pinker seem like Rockpile leftovers. Don't recall if anything was released between Pinker and Party of One, but Pinker sounds like a rehearsal for Party of One.
So, I'd call it not a keeper, but if any of the songs turned up on the radio, I wouldn't turn them off, but I would probably think to myself, Somebody wants to be Rockpile.
You review was and is spot on.
ReplyDeleteNow, let’s see if I can dig up the CD.
Or maybe I had the vinyl LP.
I’ll stream it while I search.
Thanks For the memories, Steve!
Spot on indeed. Pinker and Prouder is one of Nick's best from his pre-90s, pre-crooner pop era. Swell Nick Lowe career overview at
ReplyDeletehttps://kleaveburg.blogspot.com/2021/05/nick-lowe-1970-2020.html
Just checked, and I do have the LP. Probably haven't listened to it since about the time you wrote the review. Will have to give it a spin and see.
ReplyDeletewhat no Performance & Recording grades?!
ReplyDeleteSimels is the reason I became a music critic. (I wanted to be shorter.) So please accept my respect and forgive this irrelevant response. It's just that I would really like to hear this question debated in this community: Should the Stones call it the No Refunds Tour?
ReplyDeleteThe Abominable Showman isn't as good as the first two, but it contains a lot of great songs.
ReplyDeleteI’ve got this one one cassette. T’was before my car had a CD player, and at the time I would buy anything by Lowe / Edmunds. This album never connected with me. Never was played much
ReplyDeleteConversely the female in the apartment across the hall loved me playing the Abominable Showman. She bough the record too. I never could overcome he boyfriend, but Nick and I tried.
Ok, so just listened again. It's not bad, it's just not great. Not a great hook anywhere on the album (though it was a surprise to heart Big Big Love after listening to the KD Lang version all these years).
ReplyDeleteIf I can put myself back in the time, it follows the Cowboy Outfit albums, which makes Pinker seem like Rockpile leftovers. Don't recall if anything was released between Pinker and Party of One, but Pinker sounds like a rehearsal for Party of One.
So, I'd call it not a keeper, but if any of the songs turned up on the radio, I wouldn't turn them off, but I would probably think to myself, Somebody wants to be Rockpile.