Search - Nick Lowe :: Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe

It doesn't get much better than this.

Doug Baldwin | Portland, OR | 05/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"BASHER was a terrific best-of disc. But QUIET PLEASE is a true collection, a retrospective that reveals the songwriting and performing genius of Nick Lowe.



Disc One collects his earlier, more rock-oriented material; about 60% of it mirrors what's on BASHER. Highlights: "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," a track omitted from BASHER; the vicious and funny, "American Squirm"; and the incredibly catchy "I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock and Roll)". Quibble #1: Lowe has chosen to omit his cover of John Hiatt's "She Don't Love Nobody."



Disc Two is mellower, more acoustic and more personal. As much as I like the earlier stuff, this is the disc I find myself listening to more often (like right now, as I write this). Highlights: "All Men Are Liars," which as funny as it is, cuts a little too close to the bone; "People Change," a sweet, wise and sad rumination on one of life's core truths; and "Don't Think About Her When You're Trying To Drive," the demo version of the Little Village song, which differs significantly from the previously released version.



There are 49 tracks here, so of course there are one or two clunkers. And (quibble #2) there are no printed lyrics included. But if you want to follow a major musical artist from the beginning of his career to current day, and get a look into his heart, soul and funny bone, you really won't go wrong with this utterly addictive collection."

The best ever!

W. G. Herried | Bemidji Minnesota | 09/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A couple of weeks ago I happened to see a man on Austin City Limits, while channel surfing. I was mesmerized by his charisma. I had never heard of him before. He had the audience, including myself, eating right out of his hand. After his perfomance, I ran to my computer and read everything I could about him. I ordered this album and have not listened to anything else for over a week. I am still trying to decide which song I like the best. So far it has been I Trained Her To Love Me, but my choice seems to change daily. I will have to include Nick Lowe along with Jimmy Buffett and Gordon Lightfoot as my favorite artists."

All the best in a two-CD package!

Todd Bartholomew | Atlanta, GA USA | 04/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a prolific career spanning more than 30 years how on earth do you pick the greatest hits for a package? The answer is to make it a two CD set packed with 49 tracks that cover not only all the hits, but a huge number of fan favorites from over the years. While many artists tend to frequently repackage older material Lowe has largely eschewed that option and it's been nearly 20 years since "Basher," probably his best greatest hits package until now. While "Basher" was great compilation Lowe has continued to crank out consistently good CDs since that time which have largely been overlooked by the public even while garnering critical raves. That's a shame, because CDs like "The Impossible Bird" "Dig My Mood" and "At My Age" were all well worth the listen. The good news is you'll get samples from all of them here along with older classic Lowe material.



Lowe is probably best known to Americans for his hit "Cruel to be Kind" from nearly 30 years ago, but in his native England and elsewhere he's had more than 20 hits over the years. "Quiet Please" charts his growth and development into a truly talented musician with a knack for catchy tunes with quirky offbeat lyrics. And while most people associate Lowe's music with pub rock there's a bit more variety to his music than you'd expect, with traces of country, R&B, dancehall, Tejano and other influences. For a little variety there are tracks included from his earlier band Brinsley Schwarz, and from side projects such as Rockpile, and Little Village. Many of Lowe's mid-period CDs like "Nick the Knife" "Abominable Showman" and "Cowboy Outfit" are near impossible to find now, so this is about the only place you'll likely be able to find some of these tracks. I hadn't heard tracks like "Raging Eyes" or "Half a Boy" in ages and loved them and the videos from way back in the early MTV era...it was WELL worth the purchase price to hear them again! I can honestly say this compilation is not missing any track I wanted to hear, and that is the hallmark of a great compilation!

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