Nick Lowe
Jesus of Cool 30th Anniversary Edition (Yep Roc)
ESSENTIAL "Heart of the City"
There's a certain low (or Lowe) irony in a record like "Jesus of Cool" receiving the deluxe-reissue treatment that's not unlike Jerry Lewis being held in such high esteem by the French. Released in 1978 (and issued in North America under an alternative title, "Pure Pop for Now People"), "Jesus of Cool" was Nick Lowe's first long-playing shot at taking advantage of what punk had wrought, of wedding its attitude and desire to shake things up to his razor wit and well-crafted pop music. The result was a smirking careen through gorgeous pop, cool ska lilt, Faces-like sloppiness, teen-pop parody, and, here and there, a touch of punk. It was the vinyl equivalent of discovering that the class clown is not only the smartest guy in the whole school, but the best guitar player, too. This reissue boasts the three songs that appeared only on the North American version, the 1997 "Bowi" EP that set the stage for "Jesus of Cool," and assorted singles, B-sides, and compilations. But the main attraction here is having this pure-pop classic - which was never released on CD domestically and long out of print as an import - readily available. [Stuart Munro]
