Vinyl Vault

He was already a bit of a journeyman when he made his solo debut in 1978, but Nick Lowe’s biting lyrics and roots-flavored rock were a revelation at a time dominated by the twin poles of disco and punk. Jesus Of Cool, like most of Lowe’s career output, found more of a home with critics than with the general public, but its influence has only grown in the thirty or so years since its release. Here is a song-by-song review of this unheralded gem.

Jesus of Cool (1978, Radar Records)

Side A

  A1. “Music for Money”
You can practically hear the sneer as Lowe dissects those who would trade in the their music integrity for the chance at big bucks. Notice the way he employs clichéd heavy metal riffs and beat to hammer his point home without pulling any punches.

  A2. “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass”
The title and lyrics follow the punk aesthetic to the letter. But Lowe, ever the contrarian, relies on jaunty bass and piano and a quasi-reggae beat to marry those acerbic sentiments to one of his purest pop confections.

  A3. “Little Hitler”
This song is co-written by Dave Edmunds, and his musical fingerprints would seem to be all over this well-arranged throwback ballad. But it’s hard to say exactly who Lowe has in his crosshairs, and that nullifies some of the impact here.

  A4. “Shake and Pop”
It’s another broadside on disposable rock stars and idiotic execs, but, though catchy, it’s a tad too broad.

  A5. “Music for Money”
Lowe earned the nickname “Basher” for his Spartan production techniques, but he lays the sugar on this slow one and pretties up what could have been a repetitive track.

Side B

  B1. “So It Goes”
So effortlessly catchy that it could easily be misconstrued as lightweight. But Lowe’s nimble lyrics ride over that pub-rock groove to create an understated gem.

  B2. “No Reason”
The itchy beat is very similar to the work Lowe was turning out as producer for his buddy Elvis Costello. The lyrics aim for reassurance but the paranoid, unresolved nature of the music knows otherwise.

  B3. “36 Inches High”
This slow-building cover builds a ton of tension, but it stands as a bit of a moody misfire.

  B4. “Marie Provost”
“She was a winner/That became the doggie’s dinner.” Get past the macabre outcome of the tale of a fading silent-film star and you’ll hear a pretty telling observation on fame and its inherent cruelty, all set to irresistibly churning acoustic guitars.

  B5. “Nutted By Reality”
It’s an ambitious arrangement, almost like one of Paul McCartney’s multi-part song-suites. The second, Latin-flavored portion almost atones for the awkward political commentary of the first.

  B6. “Heart of the City (Live)”
It’s a breathless song to begin with, and the live version, featuring crackerjack work by all of the players, is even more frenzied and fantastic.

  Bonus Track: “They Called It Rock”
Included as a bonus single, but credited to Rockpile, it’s essentially the lyrics of “Shake And Pop” given a Chuck Berry spin. This arrangement takes some of the bile out and makes it far more palatable.

The Bottom Line

Balancing the unflinching narratives with just enough production sweetness and consistently great musicianship, Jesus Of Cool is Lowe at his cleverest and catchiest. And those values help it stand the test of time while clunky genre moves by contemporaries of the era now seem hopelessly dated.

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