Cruel to Be Kind

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  Seven Songs for the Week #145 - 14th Jan 26

  Jason Carty

  The latest Mojo came with a free CD of late 70s notreallypunknornewwavepop and right in the middle was Cruel to Be Kind - possibly the greatest song ever. But imagine my disappointment, dear reader, when the CD hits track 8 and it's a latter-day live version. Not dissing the live take, but I felt lied to. So here is the original power pop classic.

  Here's my Nick Lowe story: In 1989 I blaggarded my dad to bring me to see Elvis Costello. The ticket said "No Support" but a dude came on stage with a guitar as support. I did not know who it was. At some point he starts singing Cruel To Be Kind and part of me went "I know this song, this must be the guy who does this song" and by the end of the set I was a fully signed-up Nick Lowe fan. I got his Basher compilation that came out that summer and it is the greatest compilation. Getting to hear all these 25 tracks in one go is an embarrassment of Richards. And this was before he even got to his second act in 1994. https://www.discogs.com/release/3838124-Nick-Lowe-Basher-The-Best-Of-Nick-Lowe