Slurpees & Tacos

Cruel To Be Kind - Lovers & Poets

Here is a song from Lovers & Poets…  Recognize it?  It is originally a Nick Lowe song, who I believe is terribly underrated as a songwriter.  He has great hooks, simple melodies, and short catchy songs.  This is a great cover that, dare I say, is better than the original.  I love Shannon’s smooth vocal with some punchy backing vocals. I love the soul/pop feel of it.  Great bass playing from thee Ben Eisen.  AND they were nice enough to ask me to play guitar on it.  I was so excited, I have always loved this song and loved their arrangement.  It turned out fantastic!

The Ben 500- Countdown to Ben Eisen’s Favorite tracks

355. Nick Lowe - “Cruel To Be Kind” (1979)

BEN:  Nick Lowe is an English pub rock, punk rock and new wave legend. His mid to late seventies bands like Brinsley Schwarz and Rockpile played some of the best loved songs from that era. Lowe himself wrote the classic Elvis Costello track “(What’s So Funny Bout) Peace Love and Understanding” and produced almost every one of Costello’s most acclaimed albums. Let’s just say that although Lowe isn’t quite a household name, especially here in the US, his contributions to the musical landscape are immeasurable. “Cruel To Be Kind” is his only US top 40 hit, but it’s a classic. Lowe’s understated vocals combine with an upbeat acoustic pop sound that masks the contempt and neurosis of the lyrics. The sad and hilarious song seems to be about a dysfunctional relationship where Lowe plays the proverbial punching bag to an abusive lover, who explains that her cruelty is a sign of affection. For those of us who have been in relationships like this, it’s enough to make you laugh and cry and the same time. Thankfully, no matter how you react, it’s got a good beat you can dance to it..

Key lyric: “Well I do my best to understand, dear/But you still mystify, and I wanna know why/I pick myself up off the ground/To have you knock me back down, again and again”

MARK:  This one is such a power pop hit.  You hear this melody once and you’ll know it for ever.  I love his big rhyming words like ‘bonafide/coincide’.  I feel like this song has a lot of doo wop influence, I can imagine the Chiffons singing it.  There is no lead instrument at the beginning and it shows you that if you have a great melody, it doesn’t matter what else is happening in the song.  This song is just bass, drums/tambourine, and acoustic guitar (besides the electric solo)… but the vocals with the backing vocals are so intriguing that it doesn’t need any fancy production tricks to make you want to hear it again and again.  Also, I love that his greatest hits album is called 16 All-Time Lowes.  Ha!

GRADE:  B

Claudia’s Review:  I love this song!  I might have to put this one on my playlist.