Today is, of course, the official birthday of one Jesus. However you celebrate it, or don’t celebrate it, I hope it’s a good day for you. Tomorrow is the 5th birthday of my daughter Maddie. Here’s a picture of her and her younger brother. She started the picture, but someone older (not me) finished it off.
I had a rather round-numbered birthday a few days ago. Presents included a print by a local artist, books, and a rather retro music CD. The CD format itself is retro, and not my usual medium for music these days, but this year’s reissue of Nick Lowe’s Jesus of Cool album has enough in the way of artwork, liner notes, etc., for me to ask for it.
The album originally came out 30 years ago. In the USA, it was called Pure Pop For Now People, for fear that the original UK title would offend. Here’s a track that didn’t appear on the album, but appears on the reissue in the form of the demo version. “Cruel to be Kind” includes one of my favorite rock rhymes: “You say your love is bona fide/ But that don’t coincide/ With the things that you do.”