ALBUM: The Best of Dave Edmunds (1981)
MVC Rating: 4/$$$
Ah, rock and roll. Smooth unfiltered like good Kentucky bourbon. It’s Berry DIddley and for Everley Buddy Lee Lewis.
(Well that last sentence sort of belies the unfiltered description. Maybe filtered just right like Marlboro Lights? Not so good but I am deviating again.)
I picked up on Dave Edmunds from the group Rockpile’s ‘Seconds of Pleasure,’ which is similar to this best-of (although Rockpile is better). It is just rock and roll with Edmunds, and when Lowe was involved, there were some great lyrics to go with the three or four chords.
Dave is primarily a cover singer. Here he does Crawling from the Wreckage’, a Graham Parker song and John Fogerty’s ‘Almost Saturday Night’ and Elvis Costello’s ‘Girls Talk.’ And he covers his buddy Lowe, or does he expose himself?
Nick and Dave lent a hand in Carlene Carter’ very good album ”Musical Shapes,’ which has an Edmunds-Carter duet that seemed very friendly.
And Nick married Carlene.
And Nick wrote the song “I Knew the Bride (When she used to Rock and Roll).
And Dave Edmunds covered the song, coming up with what most say is the definitive version. Nick recorded several versions to lesser success than the Edmund’s.
Carlene and Nick divorced.
Subject for further research: the timeline that the above happened.
Sample lyrics.
Take a look at the bridegroom smilin’ pleased as pie
Shakin’ hands all around with a glassy look in his eye
He got a real good job and his shirt and tie is nice
But I remember a time when she would never even look him twice