Nick Lowe - The Doings - The Solo Years '1999

Tracks list

 The subtitle of the four-disc box set The Doings is The Solo Years, and the
86-track compilation never once strays from that edict. Disc one kicks off with
Nick Lowes seminal single So It Goes, bypassing his early work with Brinsley
Schwarz. By the end of that first disc, the compilation is already at Nick the
Knife, his first album after the disbandment of Rockpile, and none of that
groups official recordings are here. As it stands, The Doings falls just below
the definitive mark, mainly because of those omissions. Its still a worthwhile
set, though, playing much like an expanded version of Basher. It could be argued
that it moves a little too quickly through Lowes 70s and 80s material,
especially since the third disc contains almost all of his 90s albums Impossible
Bird and Dig My Mood. Then again, those two records really are among the best
music hes ever made, so they deserve such an elevated position. Still, such
decisions help point out whats missing from The Doings, and there are some great
songs not included, but thats nit-picking. Whats here is excellent, tracing a
good history of Nicks solo career, perfect for casual fans wanting a
comprehensive anthology. But The Doings is really for obsessive fans, and theyll
be pleased by the rarities. Not only is the original fast version of Cruel to Be
Kind here, but theres a full disc of live recordings, demos, and home
recordings, all of high quality. Not only does The Doings do a good job of
collecting obscurities, it does an even better job of drawing a portrait of
Lowes solo recordings. Ultimately, thats what makes The Doings a success. 
:: TRACKLIST ::

Disc: 1
 1. So It Goes
 2. Heart Of The City
 3. Born A Woman
 4. Shake That Rat
 5. Marie Provost
 6. Endless Sleep
 7. I Knew The Bride (When She Use To Rock N Roll) (Live)
 8. Halfway To Paradise
 9. I Dont Want The Night To End
 10. I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass
 11. Little Hitler
 12. Cruel To Be Kind (Original Version)
 13. Tonight
 14. No Reason
 15. 36 Inches High
 16. American Squirm
 17. Cracking Up
 18. Basig Street
 19. Cruel To Be Kind (Single Version)
 20. Born Fighter
 21. Switchboard Susan
 22. Without Love
 23. Burning
 24. Heart
 25. My Heart Hurts
 26. Raining Raining

Disc: 2
 1. Ragin Eyes
 2. Time Wounds All Heels
 3. Half A Boy And Half A Man
 4. Awesome
 5. Maureen
 6. Darlin Angel Eyes
 7. She Dont Love Nobody
 8. 7 Nights To Rock
 9. The Rose Of England
 10. I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock N Roll)
 11. Indoor Fireworks
 12. Bo Bo Skediddle
 13. (Youre My Wildest Dream)
 14. Crying My Sleep
 15. Lovers Jamboree
 16. Big Big Love
 17. Whats Shakin On The Hill
 18. All Men Are Liars
 19. Gai-Gin Man
 20. You Stabbed Me In The Front

Disc: 3
 1. Soulful Wind
 2. The Beast In Me
 3. True Love Travels On Gravel Road
 4. Shelley My Love
 5. Wheres My Everything
 6. 12-Step Program (To Quit You Babe)
 7. Lover Dont Go
 8. I Live On A Battlefield
 9. 14 Days
 10. In The Middle Of It All
 11. (Whats So Funny Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
 12. Faithless Lover
 13. Lonesome Reverie
 14. You Inspire Me
 15. Time I Took A Holiday
 16. Man That Ive Become
 17. Freezing
 18. High On A Hilltop
 19. Lead Me Not
 20. I Must Be Getting Over You

Disc: 4
 1. Pet You And Hold You (Live US 1982)
 2. Crackin Up (Live US 1982)
 3. (Whats So Funny Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding (Live US 1982)
 4. Baby Its You
 5. Dont Think About Her (1989 Demo)
 6. Rocky Road (1989 Demo)
 7. Losin Boy (1994 Home Recording)
 8. Love Is After Me (1994 Home Recording)
 9. Lonely Just Like Me (1994 Home Recording)
 10. 36 Inches High (Live Japan 1994)
 11. Raining Raining (Live Japan 1994)
 12. Without Love (Live Japan 1995)
 13. Lover Dont Go (Live Europe 1995)
 14. Dream Girl (Live Europe 1995)
 15. Im Coming Home (Live Europe 1995)
 16. Ill Give You All Night To Stop (1995 Studio Outtake)
 17. Soulful Wind (Live Japan 1998)
 18. She Dont Love Nobody (Live Japan 1998)
 19. Cruel To Be Kind (Live Japan 1998)
 20. Half A Boy And Half A Man (Live Japan 1998)

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