SO IT GOES

SO IT GOES...

There are those books that you struggle to read , in which you re read each sentence over and over in the hopes of maybe understanding what in the ten types of instant cake mix they are trying to say, I've read a number of those, and my brain will ever be the poorer for it, naming those that you had high hopes for will remain fodder for another post...
Then there are those that are page turners like you were actually there, I suppose it all depends on the interests of you dear reader, but  as good old David Coverdale would say "Here I go again on my own"
This wasn't an epiphany in any way as I am familiar with the most famous person you have never heard of, THE Jesus of Cool, you know pure pop for now people, but hearing the words as they jumped off the page and piecing the information together chronologically, made me realize how blessed I was to have grown up in an era where this mans influence on the life and times of music of my misplaced childhood were foremost.

Kudos's must of course go to Will Birch for this classy Biography "Cruel to be Kind... the life and music of Nick Lowe".

As you read, its clear the author loves his subject, and has a talent for writing it down, which can also be seen in his previous recants of the life of Ian Dury or the great pub rock revolution " No sleep till Canvey Island", check out the man his own self on his blog or twitter accounts as he's a force in his own right as lyricist, drummer, erstwhile rock writer and so it seams all round good guy, I will shake your hand one day Mr Birch
As a teaser for those not as familiar, the ride Nick Lowe has taken is not the path well trodden, more the lets just push through and see what happens, and as if blessed by the music Gods in a time before we wish we knew what we knew now when we were younger, otherwise we just wouldn't understand anything "about peace love and understanding"... "So it Goes"
I mean the connections to The Marquee, Dr Feelgood, Huey Lewis, Elvis Costello, Nashville, Christmas and the man in black himself to namedrop a few into the Rockpile of time gone by...see what i did there!

It was earlier this year before this bio was released I had my own full
circle, I mean sitting in my comfortable coffee shop in San Diego, Its not lost on me that I've pushed my own path forwards since the days of growing up in the depressed industrial North West of England, whether its an unfair amount of shows seen at the Apollo in Ardwick Green Manchester, traipsing around a non commercialized Soho and Carnaby Street, witnessing shows at the The Marquee on Wardour Street, or for that matter embracing the Dingwall's side of life Rhythm and booze its all about the music ...

Flash forward an obscene number of years to an equally dingy and exciting venue on the Beautiful Pacific Coast line of Sunny Southern California, I'm sitting enjoying four truly great and innovative American singer songwriters of the late 90's early 2000's

who were doing the songs and stories acoustic tour they felt an endearing public wanted to see, I mean its been a while since i saw Elvis Costello and the Attractions perform a 3 hour set in their last show together in the USA, i digressed again to name drop, but here I am enjoying Art Alexakis of Everclear , John Wozniack or Marcy Playground, Max Collins of Eve 6 and Chris Collingwood of Fountains of Wayne.
As they tripped the light fantastic of memory lane, they all four took the stage to relay and sing a song that had influenced all of their careers, and led by Chris, sang an incredible homage to Nick Lowe by singing "So it Goes", from the Jesus of Cool Album, I wondered to myself will anyone ever write a Biography about the most famous man no one knows..
Surely now you can hear the sound of breaking glass.....
Ask me about that time I was with Phil Lynott in a bar on the Isles of Scilly, maybe when I shake your hand Mr Birch we can swap stories, dear readers do yourselves a favor and read this book...

@will_birch #bennysantiniproductions #grahamsataconcertagain @bennysantiniproductions