Thinking Back – The Anthology 1970-1975

Brinsley Schwarz: Thinking Back – The Anthology 1970-1975  

Lemon Recordings 

7CD Box Set 

Out now 

For the first time this box set brings together all the original albums by the Kings of Pub Rock Brinsley Schwarz, and who were the nearly men of the seventies British rock scene. 

Formed by British songwriting legend Nick Lowe and his schoolmate Brinsley Schwarz, this tight four piece were leaders of London’s pub rockers, even being presented with tin-foil crowns as Kings of the scene. They were also one of the great masters of Britain’s answer to country rock with some added soul later in their career, so it seems odd that a band who had a songwriter and vocalist as brilliant as Nick Lowe are now something of a footnote in history.

Their career was almost aborted before it began when their manager Dave Robinson – who later founded Stiff Records where Lowe was an inhouse producer – decided to book them into Bill Graham’s legendary Filmore East venue in New York to play a gig for the UK music press. Unfortunately, problems with the US musician’s union and an untimely strike by air traffic controllers meant the band arrived with half an hour to spare. Not surprisingly the performance was undercooked, and the reviews were poor.

A few weeks later in April 1970 their self-titled debut limped out and the band themselves were unhappy with it despite a glorious Lowe ballad Hymn To Me and the gentle prog of The Ballad Of A Has Been Beauty Queen. For fans of the band this box set is a treasure trove of unreleased tracks like the uptempo Funk Angel. Album two, Despite It All, produced by the band and Robinson, was much more them as it’s a recognisable country rock record kicking off with the Burritos influenced Country Girl, and some great organ work by Bob Andrews on The Slow One that has more than a touch of Van The Man. Schwarz offers some great guitar on Ebury Down, and the extras on this CD include a slowed down Private Number illustrating their soul side.

By album three, Silver Pistol, in 1972 they’d recruited another pub rock regular Ian Gomm on guitar/vocals, as well sharing some of the songwriting duties with Lowe.  One of his tunes Dry Land opens the record and Range War is pure Americana,  Lowe is in a more wistful mood on Merry Go Round and the title track. The bonus tracks from Gomm’s extensive band archive includes a couple of Bob Andrews numbers.

By record four, Nervous On The Road, the line up had settled down nicely and they were expanding their musical palate with the rock and roll influenced It’s Been So Long propelled along by Bolly Rankin’s drumming. There’s some superb keys on the  Lowe and Andrews joint composition Happy Doing What We’re Doing, and a lovely slab of Stax swing on the suitably titled Feel A Little Funky.

Album five, Please Don’t Ever Change, could have been the one that broke them, but it was a bit too reliant on covers, albeit great ones as the band clearly had great taste. There’s a touch of ska on Why Do We Hurt The One We Love? and some great harmonies on their version of Goffin and King’s Don’t Ever Change. I Won’t Make It Without You is a classic bittersweet Lowe ballad with a beautiful vocal, and hardcore fans will love that the singles they recorded as The Hitters and Limelight are in the extras.

In the sleeve notes Gomm notes ‘I used to say our albums weren’t released, they escaped!’ That perceived lack of record company support and their relentless touring were taking their toll as they released the ironically titled The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz, but their swansong does contain the stone cold classic (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding, which should have been a smash hit. Another great Lowe ballad Ever Since You’re Gone is a highlight as is the British invasion influenced The Ugly Things, plus a great cover of the Hollies’ Now’s The Time.

Completists will love the inclusion of It’s All Over Now that they recorded in 1975 just before they finally broke up, but eventually released in 1988 long after their heyday.  It’s actually a really good record including Cruel To Be Kind that Lowe recycled for his solo career scoring a top twenty hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and Do The Cod (The Thirty Pounder) is a pulsing instrumental with all five playing right at the top of their game. The extras included a rocking live version of Cruel To Be Kind, plus a couple of live tracks recorded just nine days before they went their separate ways.

There is much to admire in the quality songwriting and playing across these seven albums, but they also suggest it may have been a lack of clear musical identity and too much reliance on Lowe’s song smithing are among the reasons they never made that breakthrough to mainstream success.

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Words by Paul Clarke, you can see his author profile here.