During Fables of the Deconstruction, we take a listen to a demo or early recording and put it up against the final version to gauge the evolution of a great work.Nick Lowe has had one Top 40 hit. "Cruel To Be Kind" made it to No. 12 in 1979, and it's an absolute power-pop classic. You might be surprised that he first recorded a pub-rock version of the song during the "Jesus of Cool"/"Pure Pop For Now People" sessions two years earlier. The sound is right out of his Brinsley Schwartz days. Would this original version have been the same hit? As much as I love his early-'70s pub-rock sound, even I realize this is not the home run found later on the flawless 'Labour of Lust'. Still, I think you'll find this organ-heavy version more than just a curiosity.
Nick Lowe - Cruel To Be Kind (Original Version) (mp3)
Nick Lowe - Cruel to Be Kind (From Labour of Lust) (mp3)
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