Brinsley Schwarz, the band, may be best-remembered today as the launching pad for singer-songwriter Nick Lowe and as a prime exemplar of the U.K. pub rock scene.  The band's studio albums, though, reveal diverse influences and a vibrant sound that more than holds up today.  In recent months, Cherry Red's Lemon Recordings imprint brought together the band's seven albums plus more than 60 bonus tracks on the whopping 7-CD box set Thinking Back: The Anthology 1970-1975.

Guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and bassist Nick Lowe had known one another since their school days in Suffolk.  They'd played together in the group Sounds 4 + 1 before Brinsley formed a new band, Three's a Crowd.  When that group enlarged and evolved into Kippington Lodge, they'd began garnering attention but were plagued by shifting personnel.  Upon the departure of Kippington's bassist, Brinsley called his old friend Nick Lowe.  Next, the keyboardist left, and Bob Andrews was enlisted.  After a final switch of drummers to Billy Rankin, whom the bandmates had met while gigging in Munich, the quartet was solidified and all that was left to do was change the name.  Kippington Lodge became Brinsley Schwarz, and a self-titled debut was released in 1970 on the heels of an ill-fated U.S. debut at Bill Graham's famed Fillmore East.

Brinsley Schwarz, the first disc in this box set, revealed a band with plenty of American influences: chief among them Eggs Over Easy and Crosby, Stills, and Nash - but also Buffalo Springfield, Grateful Dead, and The Band.  A dash of Yes-style prog-rock (primarily via the instrumental soloing) set the group apart from their CSN-inspired brethren, as did the maturity of Nick Lowe's songwriting.  He penned every one of the album's seven tracks, all solo except one (the opening "Hymn to Me") for which he shared credit with Schwarz, Andrews, and Rankin.  Co-produced by the band and Dave Robinson, Brinsley Schwarz was a solid debut for a band oozing potential with a rootsy sound and strong harmonies.  Though they hadn't yet hit upon a distinctive sound, they already showed the ability to absorb and credibly emulate their influences.  Three previously unreleased outtakes ("Thinking Home," "Girl in Spanish Lace," "Thinking Back") are among the bonus tracks appended to this disc; the country instrumentals "Thinking Home" and "Thinking Back" showcase the band's already-formidable instrumental interplay.  (The remaining bonus tracks are chronologically out of place, drawing on Ian Gomm's time with the band which hadn't yet begun in 1970.)

Later in 1970, Despite It All arrived; the LP built on the country-rock sound of its predecessor with even more focus and texture on such tracks as the melodic opener "Country Girl."  Nick Lowe was once again taking his American inspirations and recreating them in a mostly-faithful manner; helping to flesh out the arrangements were pedal steel player BJ (then Brian) Cole, fiddler Willy Weider, and saxophonist Dave Jackson of Van Der Graaf Generator.  Bob Andrews' prominent organ channeled the spirit of The Band's Garth Hudson on such tracks as "The Slow One," while Schwarz's crisp guitar shone on the likes of "Funk Angel" and Bob Andrews' "Pieces of Home."  The folk-inflected "Ebury Down" offers a more pastoral side of the Brinsleys.  The bonus tracks jump again to the Gomm era - 1972, to be precise - for the first part of a February 13 live set from London's Roundhouse on which the Brinsleys brought a ragged live edge to such fare as "Country Girl" and embraced their R&B side on covers of the Judy Clay/William Bell hit "Private Number" and the Marvin Gaye B-side "She's Got to Be Real" (penned by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White).

With 1972's Silver Pistol, more of the familiar Brinsley Schwarz sound had developed thanks to the addition of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Ian Gomm to the line-up.  Gomm had answered an ad in Melody Maker placed by the band who were seeking a second guitarist; though Brinsley could overdub guitars in the studio, it was difficult to recreate the sound onstage with only one guitarist.  Gomm brought a love of Tamla Motown and R&B and, like Lowe, was a strong songwriter.  He would pen four songs on Silver Pistol with Lowe contributing six; a couple of covers from singer-songwriter Jim Ford rounded out the set.  The album ultimately sounded much closer to The Band's rustic warmth than CSN's California country-rock, with swirling organ and notes of light funk, soul, and boogie.  (A Dylanesque twang even appears in Gomm's voice -evident on "One More Day," among others.)  Not that country was out of the equation - not at all.  But the band was finding its own sound that would become recognized as pub-rock: an organic, back-to-basics, approach to rock that was far-removed from the grandiosity of prog and the pizazz of glam.  Lowe's gentle, acoustic waltz "Nightingale" contrasted well with the more rousing material such as Gomm's country-soul number "Dry Land," making for a varied set.  The bonus tracks include three more outtakes (two written by Bob Andrews, whose songs were absent from the album proper) and more tracks from the previous disc's Roundhouse concert.

Later in 1972, Nervous on the Road arrived with a confidence and ease that set it apart from its predecessors.  Gomm's opening track "It's Been So Long" immediately recalls the '50s-inspired sound that Lowe and Brinsley pal Dave Edmunds would later perfect as part of Rockpile; the prolific Lowe was once again the LP's primary songwriter with seven out of ten credits including the appropriately-titled "Happy Doing What We're Doing," co-written with Andrews.  The rollicking "Surrender to the Rhythm" - and who wouldn't surrender to Billy Rankin's rhythms? - is one of the band's tracks that could have been released as a single had United Artists not opted to promote Brinsley Schwarz (during this period, anyway) as an album artist only.  The ballad "Don't Lose Your Grip on Love" once again conjures The Band while "Feel a Little Funky" has a breezy swing feel.  The Brinsleys find time to tip their hats to Allen Toussaint and Chris Kenner (the hit "I Like It Like That") and rockabilly hero Ronnie Self ("Home in My Hand") while crafting solid blues ("Brand New You") and rock-and-roll ("Why, Why, Why, Why, Why") to fine effect.  The seven bonus tracks on CD 4 include another four Roundhouse tracks plus other 1972-1973 live performances from Amsterdam and Paris.  Among the Roundhouse cuts is a storming rendition of Toussaint's "Wonder Woman."

The Brinsleys returned the next year with Please Don't Ever Change, subtitled And Nine Others (Including 'Home in My Hand' Live).  The band had spent spring 1973 touring with Paul McCartney and Wings.  Ian Gomm recalls in the liner notes, "We had our audiences in the UK and Germany but we never seemed to make any progress.  We were fed up with United Artists because they kept putting records out but did nothing to help them on their way.  I used to say that our albums weren't released; they escaped!"  This escapee was a typically solid set with four Lowe originals, one by Gomm (the soulful groove "Hooked on Love"), and the title cover of Carole King and Gerry Goffin's oldie "Don't Ever Change," a U.K. hit in 1962 for The Crickets which was also covered by The Beatles for BBC Radio.  The band liked "Home in My Hand" enough to include it in a live version here, adding to the country-rock and roll-R&B stew.  A dozen bonuses have been added to this disc including two lively, for-a-lark Beatles covers ("I Should Have Known Better," "Tell Me Why") released as a single under the pseudonym "Limelight," a 1973 live cover of seasonal chestnut "Run, Rudolph, Run," and eight tracks from a 1974 Cardiff concert including numerous covers.  The album instrumental "The Version (Hypocrite)," a Bob Marley tune, is also heard in a unique single mix with vocals which was credited to another pseudonym, The Hitters.  Indeed, it seemed as if the Brinsleys would try anything to garner attention for their records.

1975's The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz was hardly a misleading title; the album kicked off with what became perhaps the band's most famous song: Lowe's biting "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding."  The UA single failed to chart, but when the songwriter's pal Elvis Costello would cover it a few short years later, it would take the first steps on its path to immortality.  In fact, Nick had turned in his most consistent - and crucially, pop-oriented - collection of songs on New Favourites, all produced with muscularity and a keen ear for mid-1960s sounds by Dave Edmunds.  (The Brinsleys would appear the same year on Edmunds' second solo LP, Subtle as a Flying Mallet, setting the stage for the subsequent formation of Rockpile.)  Each track is a gem, including the relaxed "Ever Since You're Gone" (with vocal harmonies and prominent saxophone), Beatle-esque "The Ugly Things," tender ballad "The Look That's in Your Eye Tonight" (with its country overtones, though decidedly not country-rock), and honking "Small Town, Big City."  Gomm teamed with Lowe to write the boogieing "I Got the Real Thing" while Lowe and Schwarz penned the swingin' "Down in the Dive."  An upbeat cover of The Hollies' "Now's the Time" adds to the eclectic pop vibe.  New Favourites sounds like a hit record; unfortunately, it met the same quiet fate as the band's other records.  It appears here with eleven bonus tracks encompassing both sides of the non-LP single "Cried My Last Tear" b/w "(It's Gonna Be A) Bringdown" and loose, fun live cuts such as the Marvin Gaye Motown favorite "I'll Be Doggone" and even The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar."

The box set closes out with a 1975 album that didn't see release until 1988: It's All Over Now.  It was recorded after New Favourites with American producer Steve Verroca (Juicy Lucy, Link Wray) with the intention of cracking the U.S. market, but was ultimately shelved by UA; the frustrated band soon decided to call it a day.  The LP is a mixed bag, if an enjoyable one.  The original recording of Lowe and Gomm's "Cruel to Be Kind" is the obvious highlight.  Lowe recycled it as a B-side to his solo single "Little Hitler" before re-recording it at the urging of Columbia Records A&R man Gregg Geller; that new version gave Lowe his long-desired American hit when it reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.  (It hit the same position in the U.K. as well as in Australia and Canada.)  Lowe and Edmunds' sweet, Everly Brothers-styled "As Lovers Do" would be re-recorded by Edmunds; Gomm and Lowe's sparkling slice of soft Philly-style soul, "God Bless Whoever Made You," was later recorded on Stiff Records by Jona Lewie with Bob Andrews producing.  There were more covers, too, including Tommy Roe's "Everybody," William Bell and Booker T. Jones "Private Number," and the Bobby Womack song that gave the album its title (and gave the Rolling Stones a hit).  Another eleven bonus cuts have been added to It's All Over Now with the non-LP side "There's a Cloud in My Heart" and more assorted live tracks from '75.

Each album is housed in an individual replica wallet within the clamshell box; a 32-page booklet has compilation producer Russell Beecher's essay plus credits, photos, and memorabilia.  Simon Murphy has remastered the audio.

Thinking Back is truly the set for which Brinsley Schwarz fans have been waiting; while it doesn't include everything - volumes of their BBC recordings emerged in the 2000s as well as rarities discs self-released by Ian Gomm - it's pretty damn close.  Though the band never broke through commercially, its members continued to make significant music: Lowe and Gomm with their successful solo careers, and Schwarz and Andrews (initially) with Graham Parker and The Rumour.  (Schwarz even released his very first solo album in 2016.)  Billy Rankin joined Big Jim Sullivan's Tiger before retiring from the music business in 1977.  Brinsley's name is synonymous today with pub-rock; these albums are the foundation of that subgenre.  This comprehensive collection is available now from Cherry Red's Lemon Recordings imprint.

Brinsley Schwarz, Thinking Back: The Anthology 1970-1975 (Cherry Red/Lemon, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1
Brinsley Schwarz (United Artists LP UAS 29111, 1970)
1 Hymn To Me
2 Shining Brightly
3 Rock And Roll Women
4 Lady Constant
5 What Do You Suggest
6 Mayfly
7 Ballad Of A Has Been Beauty Queen

8 Thinking Home (Previously Unreleased)
9 Girl In Spanish Lace (Previously Unreleased)
10 Thinking Back (Previously Unreleased)
11 Seymour (I Love You) (from Last Orders, Mega Dodo BSCD 3, 2021)
12 Funk Angel (Alternate Version) (from Last Orders, Mega Dodo BSCD 3, 2021)
13 Crime Of Passion (from Last Orders, Mega Dodo BSCD 3, 2021)
14 Murder On My Mind (from Last Orders, Mega Dodo BSCD 3, 2021)
15 Motorway Madness (from Rarities, no label/catalogue number)
16 Rock And Roll Station (from Rarities, no label/catalogue number)

CD 2
Despite It All (Liberty LP LBG 83427, 1970)
1 Country Girl
2 The Slow One
3 Funk Angel
4 Piece Of Home
5 Love Song
6 Starship
7 Ebury Down
8 Old Jarrow

9 Intro (Live, London, 1972)
10 Country Girl (Live, London, 1972)
11 She's Got To Be Real (Live, London, 1972)
12 Home Work (Live, London, 1972)
13 Going Down The Road (Live, London, 1972)
14 Midnight Train (Live, London, 1972)
15 Private Number (Live, London, 1972)

CD 3
Silver Pistol (United Artists LP UAS 29217, 1972)
1 Dry Land
2 Merry Go Round
3 One More Day
4 Nightingale
5 Silver Pistol
6 The Last Time I Was Fooled
7 Unknown Number
8 Range War
9 Egypt
10 Niki Hoeke Speedway
11 Ju Ju Man
12 Rockin' Chair

13 The Old Country (from Rarities, no label/catalogue number)
14 That's What It Takes (from Rarities, no label/catalogue number)
15 Strange Feeling (from Rarities, no label/catalogue number)
16 One More Day (Live, London, 1972)
17 Unknown Number (Live, London, 1972)
18 Range War (Live, London, 1972)
19 Silver Pistol (Live, London, 1972)

CD 4
Nervous On The Road (United Artists LP UAS 29374, 1972)
1 It's Been So Long
2 Happy Doing What We're Doing
3 Surrender To The Rhythm
4 Don't Lose Your Grip On Love
5 Nervous On The Road (But Can't Stay At Home)
6 Feel A Little Funky
7 I Like It Like That
8 Brand New You
9 Home In My Hand
10 Why, Why, Why, Why, Why

11 What Would You Do (Live, Amsterdam, 1972)
12 Nervous On The Road (But Can't Stay At Home) (Live, London, 1972)
13 It's Just My Way Of Saying Thank You (Live, London, 1972)
14 Wonder Woman (Live, London, 1972)
15 I'm Ahead If I Can Quit While I'm Behind (Live, London, 1972)
16 Surrender To The Rhythm (Live, London, 1972)
17 Home in My Hand (Live, Paris, 1973)

CD 5
Please Don't Ever Change (United Artists LP UAS 29489, 1973)
1 Hooked On Love
2 Why Do We Hurt The One We Love?
3 I Worry ('Bout You Baby)
4 Don't Ever Change
5 Home In My Hand
6 Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)
7 I Won't Make It Without You
8 Down In Mexico
9 Speedoo
10 The Version (Hypocrite)

11 Hypocrite - The Hitters (United Artists single UP-35530, 1973)
12 I Should Have Known Better - Limelight (United Artists single UP-35779, 1975)
13 Tell Me Why - Limelight (United Artists single UP-35779, 1975)
14 Run Rudolph Run (Live, Newcastle, 1973) (from Original Golden Greats, United Artists LP USP-101, 1974)
15 It's Been So Long (Live, Cardiff, 1974)
16 Happy Doing What We're Doing (Live, Cardiff, 1974)
17 You're So Fine (Live, Cardiff, 1974)
18 Hip City (Live, Cardiff, 1974)
19 Trying To Live My Life Without You (Live, Cardiff, 1974)
20 Small Town Big City (Live, Cardiff, 1974)
21 Honky Tonk (Live, Cardiff, 1974)
22 Ju Ju Man (Live, Cardiff, 1974)

CD 6
The New Favourites Of Brinsley Schwarz (United Artists LP UAS 29641, 1974)

1 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding
2 Ever Since You're Gone
3 The Ugly Things
4 I Got The Real Thing
5 The Look That's In Your Eye Tonight
6 Now's The Time
7 Small Town Big City
8 Trying To Live My Life Without You
9 I Like You, I Don't Love You
10 Down In The Dive

11 Cried My Last Tear (United Artists single UP-36446, 1978)
12 (It's Gonna Be A) Bringdown (from Original Golden Greats, United Artists LP USP-101, 1974)
13 I'll Be Doggone (Live, Tilburg, 1974)
14 Love Is Gone (Live, Tilburg, 1974)
15 Don't Lie To Me (Live, Tilburg, 1974)
16 Save The Last Dance For Me (Live, Tilburg, 1974)
17 I Ain't Never (Live, Sheffield, 1974)
18 Hey Bartender (Live, Sheffield, 1974)
19 Brown Sugar (Live, Sheffield, 1974)
20 Hooked On Love (Live, Cardiff, 1974)
21 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love And Understanding (Live, Cardiff, 1974)

CD 7
It's All Over Now (Decal LP LIK 22, 1988, recorded in 1975)
1 We Can Mess Around
2 Cruel To Be Kind
3 As Lovers Do
4 I'll Take Good Care Of You
5 Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)
6 Do The Cod (The Thirty Pounder)
7 God Bless (Whoever Made You)
8 Everybody
9 Private Number
10 Give Me Back My Love
11 It's All Over
12 There's A Cloud In My Heart - The Brinsleys (United Artists single UP-35812, 1975)
13 You've Been Cheatin' (Live, Groningen, 1975)
14 You Ain't Living Until You're Lovin' (Live, Groningen, 1975)
15 Walking The Dog (Live, Groningen, 1975)
16 Snatch It Back And Hold it (Live, Groningen, 1975)
17 Play That Fast thing (One More time) (Live, Groningen, 1975)
18 We Can Mess Around (Live, Groningen, 1975)
19 I Have Cried My Last Tear (Live, Groningen, 1975)
20 Cruel To Be Kind (Live, Groningen, 1975)
21 Please Don't Ever Change (Live, Koln, 1975)
22 Don't Lose Your Grip on Love (Live, Koln, 1975)