Back in March, it was reported that Yep Roc Records would finally start reissuing part of Nick Lowe's discography on CD for the first time in more than 25 years. While the promised April release dates never materialized, it's now breaking that the two previously cited albums--1982's Nick The Knife and 1983's The Abominable Showman--will bow on CD and vinyl along with an additional four titles (and many with bonus tracks), bringing his entire solo discography from 1978 to 1990 back into print and under one roof.

Nick The Knife, The Abominable Showman, Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit (1984), The Rose of England (1985), Pinker and Prouder Than Previous (1988) and Party of One (1990) will all be digitally available starting July 14. That same day, the expanded editions of Nick The Knife and The Abominable Showman will be available on CD and LP, with the bonus tracks appearing on a bonus 45 RPM EP. The reissued Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit and The Rose of England will follow on CD and LP August 25, and the reissued Pinker and Prouder Than Previous and expanded Party of One will bow on the formats on October 20. (Yep Roc is offering a bundle of the CDs or LPs, shipping throughout the year, with a free metal lunchbox and entry to win a trip to see Lowe perform at the label's 20th anniversary festival this year.)

A total of 11 bonus tracks abound on these releases: Nick The Knife features three demos (two of which are previously unreleased) while The Abominable Showman offers searing live versions of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" (covered by Elvis Costello years prior) and "Cracking Up." Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit offers two unreleased outtakes that indicate the more extreme country direction the album was meant to go in, while Party of One is expanded with two non-album songs and two demos, all of which have been offered on previous reissues and box sets.

Taken together, these albums found the inimitable British songwriter trying on many hats after his sole U.S. Top 40 hit "Cruel to Be Kind" in 1979. His band Rockpile had dissolved, although Nick The Knife featured that band's guitarist Billy Bremner and drummer Terry Williams throughout , alongside longtime Lowe associates Steve Nieve of Elvis Costello's Attractions and Paul Carrack (fresh off a stint with Squeeze on the album East Side Story (1981)) as vocalist/keyboardists, plus Lowe's then-wife, singer Carlene Carter, who also co-wrote the tunes "My Heart Hurts" and "Too Many Teardrops."

The Abominable Showman found Lowe fine-tuning his pub-rock sensibilities even more, working with producer Roger Bechirian and a band that included Carrack, The Rumour guitarist Martin Belmont and drummer Bobby Irwin. These three were the titular "Cowboy Outfit" lineup for Lowe's 1984 LP plus the rest of Lowe's recorded output throughout the 1980s. Then there was the rockabilly-pop of The Rose of England, including an interpretation of "7 Nights to Rock," as made famous by Moon Mullican; a "pre-cover" of Elvis Costello's "Indoor Fireworks" and the U.S. rock chart hit "I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)," featuring production and guest instrumentation from Huey Lewis & The News. Pinker and Prouder Than Previous, recorded partially in Austin, Texas, featured appearances by John Hiatt and Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, while Party of One saw not only a reunion with Rockpile's Dave Edmunds but collaborations with guitarist Ry Cooder and drummer Jim Keltner. (With Lowe and John Hiatt, they recorded as the side project Little Village in 1991.)

Specs for all reissues and most Amazon U.S. pre-order links are below.

Nick The Knife: Expanded Edition (originally released as F-Beat XXLP-14 (U.K.)/Columbia PC 37932 (U.S.), 1982 - reissued Yep Roc Records, 2017)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.

1. Burning
2. Heart
3. Stick It Where the Sun Don't Shine
4. Queen of Sheba
5. My Heart Hurts
6. Couldn't Love You (Any More Than I Do)
7. Let Me Kiss Ya
8. Too Many Teardrops
9. Ba Doom
10. Raining Raining
11. One's Too Many (And a Hundred Ain't Enough)
12. Zulu Kiss
13. Heart (Demo) *
14. Raining Raining (Demo) *
15. I Got a Job (from The Wilderness Years - Demon FIEND CD-203 (U.K.), 1991)

The Abominable Showman: Expanded Edition (originally released as F-Beat XXLP-18 (U.K.)/Columbia PC 38589, 1983 - reissued Yep Roc Records, 2017)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.

1. We Want Action
2. Ragin' Eyes
3. Cool Reaction
4. Time Wounds All Heels
5. (For Every Woman Who Ever Made a Fool of a Man There's a Woman Made a) Man of a Fool
6. Tanque-Rae
7. Wish You Were Here
8. Chicken and Feathers
9. Paid the Price
10. Mess Around With Love
11. Saint Beneath the Paint
12. How Do You Talk to An Angel
13. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? (Live @ The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH - 2/10/1982) (from "My Heart Hurts" double 7" single - F-Beat XX 23F (U.K.), 1982)
14. Cracking Up (Live @ The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH - 2/10/1982) (from "My Heart Hurts" double 7" single - F-Beat XX 23F (U.K.), 1982)

Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit: Expanded Edition (originally released as F-Beat ZL 70338 (U.K.)/Columbia FC 39371 (U.S.), 1984 - reissued Yep Roc Records, 2017)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K.
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K.

1. Half a Boy and Half a Man
2. Breakaway
3. You'll Never Get Me Up (In One of Those)
4. Love Like a Glove
5. The Gee and the Rick and the Three Card Trick
6. (Hey Big Mouth) Stand Up and Say That
7. Awesome
8. God's Gift to Women
9. Maureen
10. L.A.F.S.
11. Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young
12. Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor *
13. Walk On By *

The Rose of England (originally released as F-Beat ZL 70765 (U.K.)/Columbia FC 39958 (U.S.), 1985 - reissued Yep Roc Records, 2017)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K.
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K.

1. Darlin' Angel Eyes
2. She Don't Love Nobody
3. 7 Nights to Rock
4. Long Walk Back
5. The Rose of England
6. Lucky Dog
7. I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)
8. Indoor Fireworks
9. (Hope to God) I'm Right
10. I Can Be the One You Love
11. Everyone
12. Bo Bo Ska Diddle

Pinker and Prouder Than Previous (originally released as Demon FIEND 99 (U.K.)/Columbia FC 40381 (U.S.), 1988 - reissued Yep Roc Records, 2017)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K.
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K.

1. (You're My) Wildest Dream
2. Crying in My Sleep
3. Big Hair
4. Love Gets Strange
5. I Got the Love
6. Black Lincoln Continental
7. Cry It Out
8. Lovers Jamboree
9. Geisha Girl
10. Wishing Well
11. Big Big Love

Party of One: Expanded Edition (originally released as Reprise 26132 (U.K./U.S.), 1990 - reissued Yep Roc Records, 2017)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K.
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K.

1. You Got the Look I Like
2. (I Want to Build a) Jumbo Ark
3. Gai-Gin Man
4. Who Was That Man?
5. What's Shakin' On the Hill
6. Shting-Shtang
7. All Men Are Liars
8. Rocky Road
9. Refrigerator White
10. I Don't Know Why You Keep Me On
11. Honeygun
12. You Stabbed Me In the Front (from reissue of album - Demon FIEND CD-767 (U.K.)/Upstart Sounds 029 (U.S.), 1995)
13. Rocket Coast (from reissue of album - Demon FIEND CD-767 (U.K.)/Upstart Sounds 029 (U.S.), 1995)
14. Rocky Road (Demo) (from The Doings box set - Demon LOWE 50 (U.K.), 1999)
15. Don't Think About Her (Demo) (from The Doings box set - Demon LOWE 50 (U.K.), 1999)