Goin' down to the well tonight

Had a recent disagreement with a friend over the relative value of Nick Lowe. I happen to think Lowe is a superb pop craftsman, former elite pub rocker and the aptly named (by Lowe himself) "Jesus of Cool." My friend, on the other hand, hates "Cruel to be Kind," which to him apparently ruins everything that Lowe has ever done.

So, I spent some time recently looking back revisiting Lowe's career, especially his early days with Brinsley Schwarz, to see if my memories hold up.

They do.

But an added benefit was that while watching old Brinsley videos on YouTube, I found other clips by other long-lost pub rockers: Ducks Deluxe, Dr. Feelgood and Graham Parker and the Rumor (pictured above), one of the best bands of the 70s. Pub rock was the stripped-down, back-to-basics reaction to glam rock, and the predecessor to punk in Britain, The pubbers were derided as old farts by the punks, but listen to and watch the great Wilko Johnson and Lee Brilleaux of Dr. Feelgood and tell me the punks weren't paying attention.

And this stuff was especially epic in the era of "Feelings," "You're Having My Baby" and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon." To me, it was also a most welcome change from bloated and overbearing prog rock and 20-minute drum solos.

The crowning achievement of the era, to my ears, is Parker's "Howlin' Wind," which hit my turntable like a hurricane in 1976. Yes, Parker arrived at the tail end of pub rock, but his band consisted of several of the era's stalwarts, Packed with tight, take-no-prisoners, three-minute masterpieces, "Howlin Wind" is relentless and unforgiving. Parker was pissed and could write hooks, one after the other, something most of the punks could only dream about.

Lowe's contributions duing the pub years, while not as angry (or angry at all) are still top notch; "Surrender to the Rhythm" still sounds fresh with Bob Andrews' swirling Hammond, while ("What's so Funny 'Bout ) Peace, Love and Understanding" stands as one of the best songs of the decade.

Graham Parker and the Rumour -- Back to Schooldays
Brinsley Schwarz -- Surrender to the Rhythm
Brinsley Schwarz -- "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding"
Ducks Deluxe -- Fireball

Strictly 100: Number 20 -- Pub rock