The Nerves
Best Collection
THIRD MAN
The Nerves were never a household name, to put it mildly. And yet to fans of power pop and even punk rock, their status borders on legendary. There are two reasons for that: the quality of their work and the scarcity of that work. Originally from San Francisco, guitarist Jack Lee, bassist Peter Case, and drummer Paul Collins all traded off on vocals and songwriting. Their self-titled EP was released in 1976—predating the power-pop panic of just a couple of years later—and contained just four songs.
But each of those songs was a winner. Lee contributed the rocking “Hangin’ on the Telephone” (later immortalized by Blondie) and the more reflective “Give Me Some Time.” Case’s “When You Find Out” was a somber but infectious pop song that ran less than two minutes in length. And Collins’ “Working Too Hard” was equally catchy and concise. There were plans for another Nerves single, but, alas, creative differences prevented that from seeing the light of day.
Now, 50 years later, Third Man Records has unveiled Best Collection, a 29-track, 66-minute album that basically contains everything The Nerves ever released. The disc kicks off with the original EP, then progresses through the single that never was (“One Way Ticket,” along with “Paper Dolls”) and onto live tracks, demos, and each of the individual members’ post-Nerves work. While the sound quality isn’t always great, the songs are. Beyond that, Case’s liner notes are both funny and informative.
The four original songs still sound fresh after all these years, but there are other tunes that really make you wish The Nerves had recorded a full album. Some of these—like “I Don’t Fit In” and “You Won’t Be Happy”—later surfaced on the debut disc by Collins’ post-Nerves band The Beat. Another song, Lee’s “Come Back and Stay,” became a hit for Paul Young in the ’80s. Then there’s the terrific change-of-pace ballad “Many Roads to Follow,” which was a Case/Collins cowrite. Throughout the collection, there’s an appealing rawness to the work; the lack of heavy-handed production allows the songs to shine.
These days, Collins still leads an ever-changing lineup of The Beat. Case has carved out a solo career for himself as a singer-songwriter. Sadly, Lee passed away in 2023. But The Nerves’ legacy lives on, and Best Collection offers an aural explanation of why such a short-lived group was so influential.
