Cruel To Be Kind: The Life and Music of Nick Lowe

Nick Lowe's biography, "Mojo Cruel to Be Kind," is a brilliant account of his life as a songwriter and entertainer, from his days at Stiff Records to his success with Rockpile and the 1979 hit "Cruel to Be Kind." Lowe's original compositions have been recorded by a wide range of artists, including Elvis Costello, Diana Ross, and Johnny Cash, and his reputation as one of the most influential musicians to emerge from the 1970s is well-deserved.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 04 March 2021
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Brilliant biography of an undersung late-blooming treasure . . . subtly profound as well as wickedly entertaining, this biography does its subject scintillating justice. Mojo Cruel to Be Kind is the definitive account of Nick Lowe's uncompromising life as a songwriter and entertainer, from his days at Stiff Records, to becoming the driving force behind Rockpile, to the 1979 smash hit Cruel To Be Kind.

Nick's original compositions have been recorded by the best in the business, from the enfant terrible of the New Wave, Elvis Costello, to the Godfather of Rhythm and Soul, Solomon Burke; from household names, including Engelbert Humperdink, Diana Ross, and Johnny Cash, to legendary vocalists such as Curtis Stigers, Tom Petty, and Rod Stewart. His reputation as one of the most influential musicians to emerge from that most formative period for pop and rock music is cast in stone. He will forever be the man they call the Jesus of Cool.

Nick's poise as a singer, his maturity, and his use of tone are beautiful. I can't believe it's this guy I've been watching since I was a teenager. Elvis Costello, 2013.

The master of subversive pop. Nick Kent, NME, 1977.

Nick Lowe is such a f*cking good songwriter! Am I allowed to say that? Curtis Stigers, 2016.

Weight: 346g
Dimension: 126 x 197 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472129154