Nick Lowe/Germany 1985

“FOREST HILLS 1984” has received great acclaim as a surprising sound source that captures Nick Lowe at the height of his solo career with a perfect audience recording in the situation of being an opening act for Elvis Costello. There is no doubt that the release of this album established him as an expert musician in Japan, so it is no surprise that there are constant requests from enthusiasts to hear RAW’s live recordings from the 1980s. So this time we are releasing a radio live in Bremen, Germany, half a year after Forest Hills. If so, it is natural that it is a sound board recording, with perfect quality in stereo. Even more surprising is the transformation of Lowe and his band Cowboy Outfit’s live sound in the six months since Forest Hills. At that time, following the smash hit album “NICK LOWE AND HIS COWBOY OUTFIT,” they were playing a lively sound that was conscious of New Orleans, but here they have evolved into a basic, straight rock sound. . Despite this, the masterpiece “ROSE OF ENGLAND”, which was being recorded at the time, turned out to be so pop-like (to the taste of Japanese people), that we were reminded of the depth of generosity that Lowe and Cowboy Outfit had. I can’t help but feel like it. In fact, the cover song “Seven Nights To Rock” from “ROSE OF ~”, which was not released yet, has already been played, but I was surprised that it was played more solidly than the album version. That rockabilly lightness version is also good, but the straight performance here is also really attractive. On the other hand, “Hope To God I’m Right” and “Lucky Dog” are brilliantly played as trailers for the album, and since they are both new songs, the tight and enthusiastic performances below Low are wonderful. Of course, as with Forest Hills, Paul Carrack takes lead vocals on two songs here, but these have clearly evolved into solid and straight performances compared to that time. Speaking of 1985, synth pop was at its peak in the music world. Despite this, I’m surprised that Lowe and his friends were able to play such a straightforward and simple live sound. If you think that it has evolved and culminated in the pop and tightly organized sound of the masterpiece “ROSE OF ENGLAND”, you can say that the live performance here is a valuable sound source that captures that transitional period. It’s a shame that the last song, “Half a Boy and Half a Man,” fades out after a little over a minute, as it seems to be a radio broadcast, but it’s not a big deal that this song, which is representative of 1984, is incomplete. Rather, in 1985, the value lies in the performance of new songs just before making a masterpiece album and the big change in the sound throughout. The best radio live performance, compactly compiled like the masterpiece album “ROSE OF~”. It is also a document that captures the beginnings of that album with perfect sound quality. For this release, we have adjusted the slightly lowered pitch to create a more perfect soundboard album. This is a piece that I highly recommend to Nick Lowe enthusiasts. Live at Schauburg, Bremen, Germany 27th February 1985 STEREO SBD (53:01) 01. The Rose Of England 02. Tempted 03. Little By Little 04. Cruel To Be Kind 05. Threw Away The Rose 06. Seven Nights To Rock 07 Maureen 08. I Knew The Bride 09. I Need You 10. Hope To God I’m Right 11. Lucky Dog 12. How Long Is This Being Going On? 13. Crackin’ Up 14. Burnin’ 15. Half A Boy And Half A Man FM Broadcast Recording STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING NICK LOWE & HIS COWBOY OUTFIT Nick Lowe – bass, vocals Paul Carrack – keyboards, vocals Martin Belmont – guitar Bobby Irwin – drums