Jesus of Cool

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Jesus of Cool · In March 1978, Nick Lowe's solo debut, produced by himself, was released in England on Radar Records. The musicians were not credited on the sleeve, but Dave Edmunds and Billy Bremner, among others, played guitar. In the United States, Columbia compiled the album differently and gave it the title Pure Pop for Now People, a slogan that was already on the British sleeve.

Many songs are about the greed and superficiality of the music industry, such as Music for Money, Shake and Pop and Rollers Show, a parody of the teenage audience of the Bay City Rollers. Musically the album is refined and varied, but it shares the energy and the cynical tone of new wave. The critic Robert Christgau admired how the hooks come from sources such as the Beach Boys and the Boomtown Rats. The album was highly valued by the press.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Music for Money2:08Apple Music ↗
2. 2I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass3:15Apple Music ↗
3. 3Little Hitler3:01Apple Music ↗
4. 4Shake and Pop3:23Apple Music ↗
5. 5Tonight4:00Apple Music ↗
6. 6So It Goes2:34Apple Music ↗
7. 7No Reason3:34Apple Music ↗
8. 836 Inches High2:59Apple Music ↗
9. 9Marie Provost2:51Apple Music ↗
10. 10Nutted By Reality2:51Apple Music ↗
11. 11Heart of the City (Live)4:09Apple Music ↗
12. 12Shake That Rat2:13Apple Music ↗
13. 13I Love My Label3:01Apple Music ↗
14. 14They Called It Rock3:13Apple Music ↗
15. 15Born a Woman2:29Apple Music ↗
16. 16Endless Sleep4:09Apple Music ↗
17. 17Halfway to Paradise2:28Apple Music ↗
18. 18Rollers Show3:33Apple Music ↗
19. 19Cruel to Be Kind (Original Version)2:53Apple Music ↗
20. 20Heart of the City2:08Apple Music ↗
21. 21I Don't Want the Night to End1:57Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗