brinsley schwarz -- it's all over now. not a record review

More than four decades since Brinsley Schwarz* recorded their last album, the appropriately titled It's All Over Now. And until now I'd never heard it.

I've never really known the full backstory of the album, except that it was recorded and that there are some releases that may or may not be 100% legitimate. The band recorded the album, which was to be their seventh studio effort, but broke up before its release. That would put its provenance at around 1974 or 75.

After that? I've heard a bunch of different accounts. I've read that it was never released. I've read that it was released but quickly pulled from the shelves. I've read that it was released in the 1980s in limited edition. And there have been a number of other variations I've seen. All I know for sure is that, as of about ten years ago, Ian Gomm was selling CD-R copies via his website. I can't say why I never actually bought the CD-R from Gomm. I'm a huge Nick Lowe fan, and I've always had completist tendencies. But, bottom line, I never bought it.

Until now. Perusing Amazon, I found that it's been officially released. So, WTH, I bought it.

How is it?

First I should note that in some ways I go against the grain in my thoughts on the Brinsleys. For years, before I'd had all of the other six albums, I'd read the opinion in many places that the band just kept on getting better and each album was better than the last. So when I finally heard the sixth album, New Favorites of Brinsley Schwarz, I was seriously let down. Over and over again, I'd heard how great it was. I was seriously let down. There were some decent pop songs on it. But for the most part I kept trying to like songs more than I actually did like them. "I Got the Real Thing," "I Like You, I Don't Love You" and "The Ugly Things" are all good, but not great. The best track is the sarcastic as hell "What's So Funny 'bout Peace Love and Understanding"** But even that suffered by comparison to Elvis Costello's killer version. I have always felt that Silver Pistol, the country-flavored third album, was the Brinsleys' best. Their second best, for the record, was Nervous on the Road, the poppy fourth album.

Now, having said that, It's All Over Now ranks third in my book. I think. I may change my mind. but that's where I am now. It's a much more soulful outing than any of the other albums -- probably because of the influence of producer Steve Vorocca. And as such there are some really boring tracks. "Private Number," "I'll Take Good Care of You" and "(Hey Baby) They're Playing Our Song" are the most boring examples.

But the album appeals to me -- maybe more than it should -- because of the presence of, for lack of a better phrase, musical comfort food. There are a bunch of songs that I know and love from other versions, and I tend to enjoy these. The best example is "As Lovers Do," which I know of as a Dave Edmunds B-side. This simpler arrangement works really well. This Youtube clip was credited as Nick Lowe, but it's the Brinsley Schwarz track (with Nick's lead vocals).

Other examples include the early version of "Cruel to Be Kind." I've always liked this recording -- though not as much as Nick's hit version -- for its odd lounge singer vibe.

For a little more bite, there's their take on the Tommy Roe classic, "Everybody." I came to like the song by way of the cover version by Long Island favorites, Kivetsky.

Not all the comfort food works, though. "God Bless (Whoever Made You)" is just boring when compared to Jona Lewie's version. The first track, "We Can Mess Around" was later recorded by The Rumour on Max and by a solo Nick Lowe on The Abominable Showman. Both of those versions were much better than this clunky reggae-inspired rendition.

And, speaking of odd reggae-inspired songs, what possessed them to do the title track as a reggae song? I like the original version by the Valentinos. I like the Rolling Stones version. And I've heard many other covers that I liked. But this one is just painful.

Was it worth the wait? Probably not. But at least I now have all of the group's studio albums.

Yay.

*By way of background, Brinsley Schwarz was the band that Nick Lowe was in before making his name as a solo artist. It began life as "Kippington Lodge," but was renamed after its guitarist. Reportedly because some publicist decided that "Brinsley Schwarz" was a more commercially appealing name than "Kippington Lodge." Personally, I think that that publicist should be enshrined in the Stupidity Hall of Fame.

**Nick Lowe wrote PL&U as a swipe at hippies. Since 9/11 he reinvented it as a touching ode to, well, peace love and understanding.