Quiet Please: The New Best Of Nick Lowe CD

Songwriter extraordinaire Nick Lowe maintains an active recording and touring schedule and continues to grow as an artist, so "best of" collections need to be replenished every few nostaligia cycles. This 2009 retrospective from Yep Roc gathers 49(!) tracks, including selections from Lowe's classic recordings with Rockpile and from his excellent post-millennial work. The collection is equal parts power-pop, pub-rock, and alt-country, and reflects decades of dazzling tunesmithery.

Deluxe EditionRolling Stone (p.77) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "This veteran Brit rocker knows exactly where to put notes, chords and words for maximum satiric effect -- while paying tribute to every kind of classic pop."
Spin (p.81) - "[Lowe has been] artistically relevant for more than four decades....[An] affectionate two-CD career summation."
Q (Magazine) (p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[The songs] demonstrate Lowe's rare ability to maintain quality and mature with his art. Top drawer."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Several Nick Lowes emerge: the cut-and-paste pop collagist, the roots revivalist, the doyen of middle-aged heartbreak. In the end, though, it's all about his pure, unadulterated gift for songcraft."
Blender (Magazine) (p.65) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "These 49-tracks are near-perfect....Lowe tells listeners what they don't want to hear, and makes them love every minute."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.98) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] jam-packed collection....It's a refreshing trawl through the hits and near-misses of the glorious catalogue, with some celebrated stop-offs at less celebrated points."