Among musicians, Arthur Alexander was always considered one of the greatest R&B songwriters. Both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones covered his songs, "Anna (Go to Him)" and "You Better Move On," respectively, early in their careers. But they weren't the only ones – throughout the years, his work was rich source material for many blues, soul, rock, and country artists. He may have earned the recognition of his peers, but he remained relatively unknown to the general public, right up to his death in 1993. In order to raise his profile, Razor & Tie released Adios Amigo: A Tribute to Arthur Alexander in 1994, assembling a stellar and diverse lineup to record new versions of his songs. The diversity and the fresh arrangements illustrates the depth of Alexander's songs and how well they lent themselves to new readings. Like any tribute album, Adios Amigo is uneven, with a few tracks falling flat, but the best moments – Elvis Costello's "Sally Sue Brown," Robert Plant's "If It's Really Got to Be This Way," Chuck Jackson's "You Better Move On," Frank Black's "Old John Amos," John Prine's "Lonely Just Like Me," Gary U.S. Bonds' "Genie in the Jug," Graham Parker's "Every Day I Have to Cry" and Nick Lowe's "In the Middle of It All" – are affectionate salutes to a departed master, and they're damn enjoyable in their own right as well.

While “Cowboy Outfit” has a slightly different meaning as UK Slang, Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit marks a turn towards a more rootsy persona for our hero. Anchored by the international number one “Half a Boy and Half a Man”, the album introduces a tex-mex/roller-rink organ sound, although the lineup of Bobby Irwin, Paul Carrack, Martin Belmont and Lowe is essentially unchanged. Newly discovered Johnny Horton covers “Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor” and “Walk on By” (included here as bonus tracks) show that there may have been a more twangy intention to the record– but as it is full on rockers like “Maureen” and Mickey Jupp’s “You’ll Never Get Me Up (in One of Those)” rub shoulders with pop like Dusty Springfield’s “Breakaway” and Nick’s own “L.A.F.S.” (featuring the TKO Horns who had recently punched up arranger Elvis Costello’s own “Everyday I Write the Book”).

We are not in the times of 100 Club Oxford Street, The Nashville, Hope and Anchor … when a multitude of young people tried to escape from the musical prison that prevailed in England in the mid-70s, where rock stadium and virtuosity They made up the bars for a bunch of low-class misfits who just wanted to get out of the routine between paints.

Party of Four features two unreleased tracks and two demos from the Party of One sessions, showing Nick's recording process at the time. "You Stabbed Me in the Front" and "Rocket Coast" could've fit perfectly on the album, showcasing Nick's unrivaled wit and razor-sharp songwriting. The demo for “Rocky Road” shows an early example of how the studio cut came to be, and the demo for "Don't Think About Her" would later become fully realized when Little Village, Nick's supergroup with Ry Cooder, John Hiatt and Jim Keltner, released their self-titled album in 1992.

Nick Lowe and His Noise To Go rocked Cleveland's Agora Ballroom on February 10, 1982, adding live fury to some of Nick's most celebrated songs. The band rolls through a version of Rockpile's "Pet You and Hold You," followed by an electric performance of "Cracking Up" from Nick's Labour of Lust. The show concludes with a rockin' rendition of Nick's most enduring composition, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?"

Nick the Knife is one of master songwriter, producer and performer Nick Lowe's most underrated albums, and these demos and rarities give insight into his recording process at the time. The demo version of "Heart" shows its reggae-influenced guitar work that separates it from Rockpile's version, and the demo of "Raining Raining" exhibits Nick's vocal range that makes it sound like a long-lost soulful classic. Also included is the rarity "I Got a Job," a funny but rocking number that gets Nick laughing.

Nick Lowe strikes again with a brand new EP, Lay It On Me, where he is once again joined by his gang of masked musicians, Los Straitjackets. The limited edition EP features two new originals from Nick, "Lay It On Me Baby" and "Don't Be Nice to Me," plus a cover of Dorsey Burnette's "Here Comes That Feeling" (made famous by Brenda Lee). Nick's wordplay and razor-sharp lyrics shine bright with the twang-friendly tones of Los Straitjackets behind him.