Seconds of Pleasure
	no production credits
	Released on October 1980
	UK CHART POSITION #34 . . . US CHART POSITION #27
	Find it at GEMM
JC 36886 cover [high resolution photo]

T he prototypical pub rock album, part past and part future and presently playing on my turntable. Rockpile was primarily a collaboration between Dave Edmunds (a rockabilly cat) and Nick Lowe (new wave architect), so it’s no surprise that Seconds of Pleasure sounds like two halves of their albums fused together. I am a Nick Lowe fan, so half of this album is right up my alley: “Heart,” “Now And Always,” “When I Write The Book,” etc. If you enjoyed Labour of Lust, save room for Seconds. However, I’m not a big rockabilly fan. “You Ain’t Nothin’ But Fine” ain’t nothin’ special, “Oh What A Thrill” not so thrilling after all. Of course, I can imagine where some listeners might invert my judgment if they prefer Edmunds to Lowe or thought The Stray Cats were the cat’s pajamas. As a concession to both camps, “Teacher Teacher” was selected as the single, a cover song featuring Nick Lowe on vocals with one foot in the reverent past. However, it’s one of the least memorable tracks on here. Better by far are the contained ravers like “If Sugar Was As Sweet As You” or “Play That Fast Thing (One More Time).” There’s also a surprise here for Squeeze fans, “Wrong Again (Lets Face It),” written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. As clever an idea as it was, Rockpile was no more marketable than most of the pub rock movement. Four middle-aged guys dressed up like four middle-aged guys just couldn’t compete with makeup and lipstick and leather. And so Rockpile (as an entity unto itself) dissolved after a short tour, leaving behind an album of joint custody in the Lowe and Edmunds catalog. As supergroup side projects go, this one is a timeless pleasure. (*Note that the original elpees came with a bonus 7-inch EP entitled "Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds Sing The Everly Brothers.")

JC 36886 inner gatefold	JC 36886 back cover

TRACK LISTING

1. TEACHER TEACHER    (K. Pickett/E. Phillips)    2:35
2. IF SUGAR WAS AS SWEET AS YOU    (J. Tex)    2:33
3. HEART    (Nick Lowe/Rockpile)    2:36
4. NOW AND ALWAYS    (Nick Lowe/Rockpile)    1:56
5. A KNIFE AND A FORK    (Hennie/Anderson/Barge)    3:09
6. PLAY THAT FAST THING (ONE MORE TIME)    (Nick Lowe)    4:11
7. WRONG AGAIN (LETS FACE IT)    (Chris Difford/Glenn Tilbrook)    2:20
8. PET YOU AND HOLD YOU    (Nick Lowe/Rockpile)    3:10
9. OH WHAT A THRILL    (Chuck Berry)    3:09
10. WHEN I WRITE THE BOOK    (Nick Lowe/Rockpile)    3:16
11. FOOL TOO LONG    (Nick Lowe/Rockpile)    2:50
12. YOU AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT FINE    (F. Semien/F. Soileau)    2:49
    
    Bonus 7-inch EP tracks
    
13. TAKE A MESSAGE TO MARY
14. CRYING IN THE RAIN
15. POOR JENNY
16. WHEN WILL I BE LOVED
    
    CD reissue bonus track
    
17. BACK TO SCHOOLDAYS (LIVE)
18. THEY CALLED IT ROCK (LIVE)
19. CRAWLING FROM THE WRECKAGE (LIVE)

CREDITS

BILLY BREMNER -- guitar, vocals
DAVE EDMUNDS -- guitar, vocals, piano, organ
NICK LOWE -- bass, vocals
TERRY WILLIAMS -- drums, drums, drums
Aldo Bocca -- engineer
Keith Morris -- photography
Dag -- front painting

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