Brinsley Schwartz
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1970-72) - Bob Andrews -- vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass - Nick Lowe -- vocals, guitar - Brinsley Schwarz -- vocals, guitar, percussion - Bill Rankin -- drums, percussion
supporting musicians (1970) - Brian Cole - pedal steel guitar - David Jackson -- sax - Willy Weider -- fiddle
line up 2 (1972-75) - Bob Andrews -- vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass NEW - Ian Gomm - vocals, guitar - Nick Lowe -- vocals, guitar - Brinsley Schwarz -- vocals, guitar, percussion - Bill Rankin -- drums, percussion
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- Ian Gomm (solo efforts) - Kippington Lodge (Nick Lowe - Brinsley Schwart) - Live Stiffs (Nick Lowe) - Nick Lowe (solo efforts) - Rockpile (Nick Lowe) - The Rumour (Bob Andrews and Brinsley Schwarz) - Terraplane (Bill Rankin)
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Brinsley Schwartz Company: Capitol Catalog: ST-589 Year: 1970 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5056 Price: $20.00
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The UK band Kippington Lodge recorded a series of poor selling mid-1960s pop/rock singles. By 1969 the line up consisted of keyboardist Bib Andrews, singer/guitarist Nick Lowe, guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and drummer Bill Rankin. Expanding their reportoire into psych and California-styled folk-rock, the quartet also adopted a new name - Brinsley Schwarz.
left to right: Brinsley Schwarz - Nick Lowe - Bob Andrews - Ian Gomm - Billy Rance
Under the guidance of manager Dave Robinson the band signed with United Artists, debuting with 1970's cleverly titled "Brinsley Schwarz". Largely penned by Lowe, the results were certainly strange. Complete with multi-part vocal harmonies, banks of strumming acoustic guitars and pseudo-hippy lyrics, tracks such as 'Hymn To Me', 'Shining Brightly' and 'Ballad of a Has-Been Beauty Queen' sounded like these guys had been on a CSN&Y bender. In fact the extended 'Lady Constant' sounded so much like a CSN&Y outtake that it's hard to believe they weren't hit with a plagerism suit. Elsewhere 'Rock and Roll Women' and 'What Do You Suggest' bore more than a passing resemblance to Dylan and the Band. While the album's good natured CSN*Y mimickry was mildly enduring (especially in hindsight), it didn't leave much room in the originality category..
The commercial failure was underscored by Robinson's lame brained marketing campaign, which included a decision to showcase the band at a Fillmore East concert opening for Van Morrison. The concert idea might not have been too bad, but Robinson decided to fly all of England's leading rock critics to the New York concert. Things turned increasingly ugly when the band members were initially denied US entry visas. The visas were ultimately approved at the last minute, but left the band members with just enough time to get to New York for the concert. The final blows came when the flight carrying the music critics suffered technical problems and was delayed for hours. Plying the critics with free booze wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do since by the time they finally made it to New York most were tired, frustrated and too drunk to enjoy the concert. Coupled with a lackluster performance and the resulting reviews and publicity were universally critical. Needless to say, sales were dismal.
"Brinsley
Schwarz" track listing: 1.) Hymn To Me (Bill Rankin - Nick Lowe - Bob Andrews - Brinsley Schwarz - 4:50 2.) Shining Brightly (Nick Lowe) - 4:20 3.) Rock and Roll Women (Nick Lowe) - 3:31 4.) Lady
Constant (Nick Lowe) - 7:21 (side
2) 2.) Mayfly (Nick Lowe) - 4:37 3.) Ballad of a Has-Been Beauty Queen (Nick Lowe) - 10:27
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Nervous On the Road Company: Capitol Catalog: ST-589 Year: 1972 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/ VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5619 Price: $20.00
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As you can tell from the other reviews, it took me awhile to appreciate the joys of Brinsley Schwarz. Four albums to be honest. The funny thing is that musically 1972's "Nervous On the Road" wasn't a major departure from the band's earlier releases. So what made this one so much more palatable to me? With Nick Lowe again responsible for the majority of material, as exemplified by tracks like 'Happy To Do What We're Doing' and 'Don't Lose You Grip On Love' these guys remained big country-rock fans, but this time out they added a large chunk of pop to the mix. Lowe had always had a goofy and commercial streak in him, but up until this set he seemed reluctant to let it out. That reluctance was totally abandoned this time out with 'Surrender To the Rhythm' (you've got to love Andrews Hammond B-3), the title track, 'Why, Why, Why, Why, Why', and 'Brand New You, Brand New Me' (folks overlook what a great ballad writer Lowe was), all showcasing top-40 potential. The other thing that made a difference was the collection's overall vibe. On the earlier albums they frequently sounded as if they were trying way too hard. This time around the album had an easy-going, don't give a crap, studio vibe. Very, very nice !!! Shame it bombed in the States.
"Nervous
On the Road" track listing: 1.) It's Been So Long (Ian Gomm) - 2:02 2.) Happy To Do What We're Doing (Bob Andrews - Nick Lowe) - 4:34 3.) Surrender To the Rhythm (Nick Lowe) - 3:18 4.) Don't Lose You Grip On Love (Nick Lowe) - 4:15 5.) Nervous On the Road (But Can't Stay Home) (Nick Lowe) - 4:50
(side
2) 2.) I Like It Like That (Chris Kenner) - 3:02 3.) Brand New You, Brand New Me (Nick Lowe) - 4:32 4.) My Home In My Hand (R. Self) - 2:49 6.) Why, Why, Why, Why, Why (Nick Lowe) - 3:40
YouTube has an appearance by the band performing 'Surrender To the Rhythm' on The Old Grey Train Whistle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c5wLR02kIU
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Despite It All Company: Capitol Catalog: ST-744 Year: 1970 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2712 Price: $30.00
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In the wake of a disastrous debut album and equally appalling marketing campaign, many bands would have simply called it quits. To their credit Brinsley Schwarz responded by redoubling their efforts. Renting a country home outside of London, they spent several months rehearsing and recording their sophomore album - 1970's "Despite It All". Musically the album served as a showcase from Nick Lowe who penned seven of the eight tracks and handled most of the vocals. Having figured out they weren't going to cut it as a CSN&Y cover band, 'Country Girl' offered up a nice Gram Parsons-era Byrds tribute. There were also plenty of The Band influences on songs like Bob Andrews' 'Piece of Home'. Tracks like 'Love Song', 'Starship' and 'Old Jarrow' were certainly authentic, but the fact they could play conventional country didn't make for the year's most exciting offer. Their occasional nods to Van Morrison (the pretty ballad 'The Slow One') were far more interesting. More consistent than their debut, but not as eclectic and too short. Call the sophomore effort a decent holding action and move on ...
"Despite It All" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Country Girl (Nick Lowe) - 3:02 rating: **** stars Imagine Gram Parson-era country-rock Byrds, or Robbie Robertson and the Band with an English twang and an easy-going attitude. With Nick Lowe handling lead vocals, it was country-rock for folks that didn't like country-rock. You simply had to scratch your head to figure out how a bunch of pale, scrawny English guys got the sound down so well.. Amazing way to start off an album. The tune was tapped as a single throughout Europe and in Japan:
- 1975's 'Country Girl' b/w 'Funk Angel' (Liberty catalog number LBF 15149) The sound quality isn't great, but YouTube has a clip of the band performing the song on a 1975 appearance on the German Rockpalast television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anYdp8GLRSc 2.) The Slow One (Nick Lowe) - 5:29 rating: **** stars Admittedly, I've never been a big sax fan, but the opening sax from David Jackson (of Van der Graff Generator fame), kicked 'The Slow One' into van Morrison territory. Beautiful ballad with a melody I unconsciously find myself humming from time to time.. 3.) Funk Angel (Nick Lowe) - 4:17 rating: **** stars The "B" side to the 'Country Girl' single, 'Funk Angel' was a wonderful track to discover Lowe's sweet, highly commercial voice. With more of a pop sound, this one would not have sounded out of place on one of Lowe' mid-'70s solo albums. The song's highlights came in the form of the Allman Brothers-styled twin lead guitars (courtesy of Bob Andrews and Brinsley Schwartz). 4.) Piece of Home (Robert Andrews) - 6:10 rating: *** stars Bob Andrews work on keyboards (in this case Hammond B-3), has always been overlooked. With Andrews handling vocals, 'Piece of Home' was a nice, bluesy ballad that would have been a bit better with some judicious editing.
The album's first disappointment, 'Love Song' was a country-tinged ballad that showcased some sweet harmony vocals and a nice Schwarz guitar solo. Unfortunately those efforts were wasted on the tune. 2.) Starship (Nick Lowe) - 2:36 rating: ** stars Straightforward country tune, complete with pedal steel (Brian Cole) and fiddle (Wally Weider). Again, the vocals were sweet, but do you really want to hear a bunch of English guys singing country ? I didn't. 3.) Ebury Down (Nick Lowe) - 5:10 rating: *** stars Pastoral acoustic ballad with a sweet melody and lots of harmony vocals - not quite a throwback to their CSN&Y stylings. YouTube has a 1970 clip of the band performing a "toughened up" version of the song on the German Beat Club television program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBEBDVINPjM 4.) Old Jarrow (Nick Lowe) - 7:05 rating: *** stars Yeah, they generated a bit of energy on this one (particularly Schwartz who finally cut loose on guitar), but ultimately 'Old Jarrow' was a bit too country for my tastes. Admittedly I've always been curious what Lowe's enigmatic lyrics were about ... "why don't you financially back her ...".
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Silver Pistol Company: United Artists Catalog: UAS-5566 Year: 1972 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor edge wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5076 Price: $10.00
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Co-produced by Dave Robinson and the band, creatively 1972's "Silver Pistol" wasn't a major departure from the previous self titled set. Largely penned by Nick Lowe, tracks like the pretty ballad 'Nightingale', 'One More Day' and 'The Last Time I Was Fooled' again underscored the band's affection for American country-rock and The Band styled rockers (though with a unique English edge). That said, adding singer/guitarist Ian Gomm to the lineup injected a much needed slice of diversity and kicked the band into high gear. While Lowe's material was uniformly excellent ('Unknown Number' was one of his prettiest compositions), Gomm's four contributions were even better. 'Dry Land' could have been a Lowe song, except Gomm's enthusiastic delivery kicked it up a notch, while 'One More Day' and 'Range War' should've been killer singles. Elsewhere the album included a pair of tracks that were apparently recorded for an abandoned project with American singer/songwriter Jim Ford. Loose and surprisingly funky (!!!!) their covers of 'Nicki Hokey' and 'Ju Ju Man' were simply killer, making you wonder what happened to the rest of their collaboration with Ford. Elsewhere UA tapped the album for a single:
- 'Nightingale' b/w 'Silver Pistol' (United Artists catalog UA-50915)
"Silver Pistol" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Dry Land (Ian Gomm) - 2:25 2.) Merry Go Round (Nick Lowe) - 4:01 3.) One More Day (Ian Gomm) - 2:50 4.) Nightingale (Nick Lowe) - 3:00 5.) Silver Pistol (Nick Lowe)- 2:28 6.) The Last Time I Was Fooled (Nick Lowe) - 3:58
(side
2) 2.) Range War (Ian Gomm) - 2:25 3.) Egypt (Nick Lowe) - 5:13 4.) Nicki Hokey (Jim Ford - Pat Vegas - Lolly Vegas) - 3:20 5.) Ju Ju Man (Jim Ford) - 3:39 6.) Rockin' Chair (Ian Gomm) - 2:08
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Brinsley Schwarz's Original Golden Greats Company: United Artists Catalog: USP-101 Year: 1974 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: original textured UK cover Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5057 Price: $15.00
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This UK-only retrospective seemed kind of premature at the time it was released, but it did a decent job of compiling the highlights from the band's first three studio sets. The focus was clearly on Nick Lowe's contributions giving the set set kind of a country-rock feel (at the expense of their ability to handle a broad range of genres), but you could do worse. In addition to LP highlights "Brinsley Schwarz's Original Golden Greats" added several worthy non-LP singles including '(It's Gonna Be A) Bring Down' and the live seasonal treat 'Run Rudolph Run' to the track listing.
Here's a link to a YouTube clip showing the band performing '' on BBC's The Old Grey Train Whistle television program:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOnXqW-BJPg
"Brinsley
Schwarz's Original Golden Greats" track listing: 1.) Shining Brightly (Nick Lowe) - 3:30 2.) Country Girl (Nick Lowe) - 3:07 3.) Starship (Nick Lowe) - 2:39 4.) Funk Angel (Nick Lowe) - 4:16 5.) Nightingale (Nick Lowe) - 3:00 6.) Ju Ju Man
(Ford) - 3:30 (side
2) 2.) Surrender To the Rhythm (Nick Lowe) -3:18 2.) Don't Lose Your Grip On Love (Nick Lowe) -4:15 4.) Hypocrite (Bob Marley) - 2:57 5.) (It's Gonna Be a) Bring Down (Ian Gomm) - 2:50 6.) Run Rudolph Run (Chuck Berry) - 3:20
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Brinsley Schwartz Company: Capitol Catalog: SWBC-11869 Year: 1978 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: double LP; gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5056 Price: $20.00
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An apparent attempt to capitalize on the late-1970s successes Nick Lowe enjoyed as a member of Rockpile and as a solo act, Capital repackaged the band's first two studio sets ("Brinsley Schwarz" and "Despite It All") as a two-fer collection under the "Brinsley Schwartz" nameplate. I've simply replicated the review comments from the original albums. I'll simply add this is a great please to get an introduction to the band at a reasonable price.
"Brinsley
Schwarz" track listing: 1.) Hymn To Me (Bill Rankin - Nick Lowe - Bob Andrews - Brinsley Schwarz - 4:50 2.) Shining Brightly (Nick Lowe) - 4:20 3.) Rock and Roll Women (Nick Lowe) - 3:31 4.) Lady
Constant (Nick Lowe) - 7:21 (side
2) 2.) Mayfly (Nick Lowe) - 4:37 3.) Ballad of a Has-Been Beauty Queen (Nick Lowe) - 10:27
(side 3) 1.) Country Girl (Nick Lowe) - 3:02 rating: **** stars Imagine Gram Parson-era country-rock Byrds, or Robbie Robertson and the Band with an English twang and an easy-going attitude. With Nick Lowe handling lead vocals, it was country-rock for folks that didn't like country-rock. You simply had to scratch your head to figure out how a bunch of pale, scrawny English guys got the sound down so well.. Amazing way to start off an album. The tune was tapped as a single throughout Europe and in Japan:
- 1975's 'Country Girl' b/w 'Funk Angel' (Liberty catalog number LBF 15149) The sound quality isn't great, but YouTube has a clip of the band performing the song on a 1975 appearance on the German Rockpalast television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anYdp8GLRSc 2.) The Slow One (Nick Lowe) - 5:29 rating: **** stars Admittedly, I've never been a big sax fan, but the opening sax from David Jackson (of Van der Graff Generator fame), kicked 'The Slow One' into van Morrison territory. Beautiful ballad with a melody I unconsciously find myself humming from time to time.. 3.) Funk Angel (Nick Lowe) - 4:17 rating: **** stars The "B" side to the 'Country Girl' single, 'Funk Angel' was a wonderful track to discover Lowe's sweet, highly commercial voice. With more of a pop sound, this one would not have sounded out of place on one of Lowe' mid-'70s solo albums. The song's highlights came in the form of the Allman Brothers-styled twin lead guitars (courtesy of Bob Andrews and Brinsley Schwartz). 4.) Piece of Home (Robert Andrews) - 6:10 rating: *** stars Bob Andrews work on keyboards (in this case Hammond B-3), has always been overlooked. With Andrews handling vocals, 'Piece of Home' was a nice, bluesy ballad that would have been a bit better with some judicious editing.
The album's first disappointment, 'Love Song' was a country-tinged ballad that showcased some sweet harmony vocals and a nice Schwarz guitar solo. Unfortunately those efforts were wasted on the tune. 2.) Starship (Nick Lowe) - 2:36 rating: ** stars Straightforward country tune, complete with pedal steel (Brian Cole) and fiddle (Wally Weider). Again, the vocals were sweet, but do you really want to hear a bunch of English guys singing country ? I didn't. 3.) Ebury Down (Nick Lowe) - 5:10 rating: *** stars Pastoral acoustic ballad with a sweet melody and lots of harmony vocals - not quite a throwback to their CSN&Y stylings. YouTube has a 1970 clip of the band performing a "toughened up" version of the song on the German Beat Club television program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBEBDVINPjM 4.) Old Jarrow (Nick Lowe) - 7:05 rating: *** stars Yeah, they generated a bit of energy on this one (particularly Schwartz who finally cut loose on guitar), but ultimately 'Old Jarrow' was a bit too country for my tastes. Admittedly I've always been curious what Lowe's enigmatic lyrics were about ... "why don't you financially back her ...".
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