So It Goes

Nick Lowe & His Cowboy Outfit: “Tempted” (Squeeze Cover)
Vocals by Paul Carrack of Squeeze
Live at the Paradise, October 17, 1985

I’ve had a serious Nick Lowe boner lately¹ if only because most of his music is versatile enough to soundtrack the past few days, when I’ve mainly lounged in a rented beach chair and aiming George Foreman-grilled meats towards my gaping maw.

After the demise of Rockpile—his early 80s band with Dave Edmunds—Nick put together the cheekily named Cowboy Outfit that featured a pair of stellar guitars in Martin Belmont (from Graham Parker’s Rumour) and Billy Bremner from the ‘Pile, as well as Squeeze keyboardist Paul Carrack.  They stuck together long enough to back Nick on 1984’s self-titled Nick Lowe & His Cowboy Outfit album and The Rose of England ² the following year.

Today’s track comes from a pre-Rose concert in Boston and the entire show is ace, with Lowe encouraging the crowd to shout out requests, promising to play them “if [he] can remember the words”.  This cover—along with a stellar “Marie Provost”—is maybe my favorite track from the performance.  Yes, I know you were all bashing your heads against your kitchen counter, wondering what songs I liked best.

Sigh.

¹ He’s one of my Top Three Favorite Englishmen and I’m certain that any regular readers can name the other two.

² The album was produced by Huey Lewis and features The News on several of the tracks.