Jesus of Cool

There are five or six records that define "new wave" in the late 1970's and this is one of them. Nick Lowe is a genius and this record proves it. He wrote a pop classic about the Bay City Rollers, rocked hard with "They called it RocK" yet still had time to write classics such as "So it Goes" and "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass". Remember, there would be no Elvis Costello with Nick, so if you like this period in rock, buy this CD. I guarantee you will not regret it.

I had never heard of Nick Lowe until I saw a five-star link for this reissue on the corner of the main site for allmusic.com. The title "Jesus of Cool" intrigued me, and the review did so even further. It was described as a masterpiece of pop, a genre I've always been a huge fan of, from the Beatles' pop to Weezer's pop to the Shins' pop to the Format's pop. I ordered the CD from Amazon, and sure enough, it has fast become one of my all-time favorites. Let met do a track-by-track review now.
"Music for Money": This is a wicked opener, loud, head-thumpy, and instantly catchy.
9/10
"I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass": This is the one of the best songs on the record - the singing is a little more laid back than in most of the other tracks, but it is entirely beneficial to the song.
10/10
"Little Hitler": This is one of the catchiest songs, and among the most disturbed, as the title suggest.
9/10
"Shake and Pop": This is another song in the vein of the opener - a cynical, hilarious take on the record industry. Nick Lowe always has the last laugh with these songs.
10/10
"Tonight": The only slow song on the album, this is a gorgeous ballad that won't leave your head.
9/10
"So it Goes": One of the singles, this is a highlight of the disc.
10/10
"No Reason": Nick Lowe sings with a voice similar to "Tonight," but since the song isn't a ballad, it comes off as very haunting (and I mean that in a good way).
8/10
"36 Inches High": This is the most irregular song on the record. It is a hazy sort of song that you almost drown out until hours after listening to it you find it gets completely under your skin.
10/10
"Marie Provost": The album's centerpiece, if not undesputed highlight. It is a funny, and true, track about an actress from the silent film era (whose actual name was Mary Prevost) who met a depressing end dying alone in her house and then being chewed at by her dogs before days later she was discovered.
10/10
"Nutted by Reality": This song features an alternately rough pop and bouncy style, and it works great, making it a real treasure.
9/10
"Heart of the City (Live)": Though a studio version of this song exists (and can be found amongs the bonus songs on this release and was included in place of this version on the American release of "Jesus of Cool"), it's the live version that's really killer. With insanely awesome drums and an evil energy, it all makes for a great closing track.
10/10
BONUS MATERIAL:
The ten bonus tracks include the three tracks from the American release of this record, which was retitled "Pure Pop for Now People," that were different from those on the original UK release. Only one of those songs, "Rollers Show," cannot be found in any form on the actual CD. The other two are the aforementioned studio version of "Heart of the City," as well as "They Called it Rock," a slightly altered (for the worse, though it's still a good song) version of "Shake and Pop." Other tracks include an early version of "Cruel to Be Kind," his sole big hit in America, and "Shake that Rat," "Endless Sleep," and "Born a Woman," songs from his first EP, Bowi, which also included "Marie Provost" and was released a year before this album.
BONUS MATERIAL SO FAR ADDRESSED:
8/10
There is one more bonus track truly worth mentioning here, and I shall now address it:
"I Love My Label": I cannot fathom why this song was cut from the record, except that maybe his label was unwilling to release it. It is a perfect mix of the embittered musician from tracks like "Music for Money" and "Shake and Pop" with the brilliant, simple pop sound of tracks like "Little Hitler" and "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass." It has the funniest lyrics of any song here and is perhaps even the catchiest.
10/10
For any fan of pop music, this CD is a must-buy, especially since it comes incredibly cheap from Amazon considering it contains ten bonus tracks.

I was very surprised by this reissue. Surprised that the original US release's sequencing is if far superior to it's English counterpart.

Pure Pop for Now People is perhaps the finest pop album ever crafted. Perhaps one of the 100 greatest albums ever made. As it's out of print, this is a must buy. The sound quality is fantastic and the packaging and notes great .

The extras are ok...perhaps Cruel to be Kind the best but I do feel the CD is missing some of the more obscure and interesting of Lowe's work of the period.

It's a must buy but may I suggest burning a CD in the original US sequencing of just the original 12 songs to hear what a perfect pop gem Pure Pop for Now People actually was?

This is a great package, with not only the "Jesus of Cool" tracks, but the tracks on the US version, "Pure Pop for Now People." It also includes key singles from the period and the "Bowi" EP. Great songs, all, and the sound quality is an upgrade from previous releases of the same material. Nick has remained a good songwriter, but I don't think he ever topped his achievements from this period of his career.

The original, called Pure Pop for Now People, in the US, was one of the great underappreciated albums of the British new wave. Nick somehow found time between producing Elvis Costello and everyone else to do this fine work himself. The original CD is enhanced by lots of bonus tracks, featuring the top musicians of his scene. The songs have melody and wit.