The Impossible Bird
1994 studio album by Nick Lowe
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The Impossible Bird is an album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe. Produced by Lowe and Neil Brockbank, it was released in the United Kingdom in 1994 on Demon Records and elsewhere by Upstart Records.[2]
- The Turk's Head Function Room (Winchester Hall), St. Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex
- The Old Cinema (Broadvale Centre), Brentford, Middlesex
- The Bonaparte Rooms, St. Margaret's, Twickenham, Middlesex
- Mixed at The Town House and RAK Studios (London, UK)
| The Impossible Bird | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 November 1994 | |||
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| Genre | Country rock[1] | |||
| Length | 40:12 | |||
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| Producer |
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| Nick Lowe chronology | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [3] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [4] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[5] |
| The Guardian |  [6] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [7] |
| Q | [8] |
In a contemporary review of The Impossible Bird, Rolling Stone critic Paul Evans said that the album showed Lowe "in excellent form" with songs that "demonstrate a prodigious productivity and an emotional realism that ranges from heartbreak... to a well-earned bittersweet humor".[9] People called it a "high point" for Lowe,[10] while Los Angeles Times critic Mike Boehm wrote: "The only real impossibility on this album lies in trying to resist the gently seductive pop charms of the crafty old bird who made it."[11] Less receptive was Robert Christgau of The Village Voice, who merely gave the album a "neither" rating.[12]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Nick Lowe, unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Soulful Wind" | 3:01 | |
| 2. | "The Beast in Me" | 2:27 | |
| 3. | "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" | 3:35 | |
| 4. | "Trail of Tears" | 3:25 | |
| 5. | "Shelley My Love" | 3:12 | |
| 6. | "Where's My Everything?" | 2:40 | |
| 7. | "12-Step Program (To Quit You Babe)" | 3:11 | |
| 8. | "Lover Don't Go" | 4:03 | |
| 9. | "Drive-Thru Man" | 2:42 | |
| 10. | "Withered on the Vine" | 3:22 | |
| 11. | "I Live on a Battlefield" |
| 3:23 |
| 12. | "14 Days" | 2:58 | |
| 13. | "I'll Be There" |
| 2:13 |
Personnel
- Nick Lowe – vocals, rhythm guitars, bass (5–7, 10–12)
- Geraint Watkins – organ, electric guitars, electric lead guitar (4)
- Bill Kirchen – electric guitars, trombone (1)
- Gary Grainger – fuzz guitar (11)
- Paul Riley – bass (1–4, 8, 9, 13)
- Bobby Irwin – drums
- Paul Laventhol – shakers (7)
Production
- Nick Lowe – producer
- Neil Brockbank – producer, mixing
- Paul Laventhol – session assistant
- David Scheinmann – cover photography
- Jimmy Gaston – personal photography
- Barry Jones – acrylic on cardboard ("the room")
- Valerie Boyd – design concept, back photography
- Clinton Blue – hair stylist