Containing no less than 25 tracks, Basher: The Best of Nick Lowe is an excellent overview of Lowe's solo career, detailing how he evolved from a quirky, innovative new wave pop craftsman to a fine roots rocker. All of Lowe's absolutely essential songs -- from "So It Goes" and "Heart of the City" through "Cracking Up," "Born Fighter," and "Cruel to Be Kind" to "American Squirm," "The Rose of England," "Half a Boy and Half a Man," and "Raging Eyes" -- are here, and while Jesus of Cool and Labour of Lust are essential in their own right, Basher is a terrific introduction to his body of work.