Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Nick Lowe's 'Labour' reissued this week

I'm glad to see this finally become available on a wider basis. Lowe is truly an underrated talent and has gotten even better with age, evidenced by his efforts in the '90s and '00s. Here's more info...

As the bassist and primary songwriter for Brinsley Schwarz, Nick Lowe was one of the catalysts of the British pub rock phenomenon in the early 1970s. As the co-founder and house producer at UK label Stiff Records, he would help create the blueprint for the modern indie rock label and usher in British punk and new wave, helming historic recordings for The Damned, Elvis Costello, and The Pretenders

Now his landmark second solo album Labour of Lust gets the deluxe reissue treatment, sporting an expanded 12 pg. booklet with period photos, new essays and artwork by groundbreaking graphic artist Barney Bubbles.

The reissue also includes Nick's biggest US hit "Cruel To Be Kind," the originally U.K.-only "Endless Grey Ribbon" and U.S.-only "American Squirm" plus bonus B-side "Basing Street." 'Labour' is the only of Lowe's solo albums to hold the distinction of featuring Nick's Rockpile cohorts Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams on every track.

Originally released in 1979, 'Labour' is Lowe's highest charting album in the U.S. to date and has been out of print for nearly 20 years. Remastered from the original source, it is available on CD and LP (due 4/12) and for the first time ever, digitally, thus reintroducing this masterpiece to a new generation of pop music obsessives.  

Check out Yep Roc Records' website [yeproc.com] for a new Q&A with Lowe.

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