Nils Lofgren – Night After Night (1977)

Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band since 1984, a member of Crazy Horse, and founder/frontman of the band Grin. Lofgren was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band in 2014.

After Grin disbanded in 1974, Lofgren released his self-titled debut solo album which was a success with critics; a 1975 Rolling Stone review by Jon Landau labeled it one of the finest rock albums of the year, and NME ranked it fifth on its list of albums of the year.

Subsequent albums did not always garner critical favor, although Cry Tough was voted number 10 in the 1976 NME Album round up; I Came to Dance in particular received a scathing review in the New Rolling Stone Record Guide. He achieved progressive rock radio hits in the mid-1970s with “Back It Up”, “Keith Don’t Go” and “I Came to Dance”. His song “Bullets Fever”, about the 1978 NBA champion Washington Bullets, would become a favorite in the Washington area. Throughout the 1970s, Lofgren released solo albums and toured extensively with a backing band that usually included brother Tom on rhythm guitar. Lofgren’s concerts displayed his reputation for theatrics, such as playing guitar while doing flips on a trampoline. (wikipedia)

Night After Night is the second live album by Nils Lofgren, released in 1977. It was released as a double LP..

Nils Lofgren has a reputation as a perpetual sideman, albeit a very good one. His own career is overshadowed by his work with Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. This reissued live release from 1977 puts him in the spotlight and is an excellent distillation of his talents.

It includes tracks from his Grin years and his first three solo albums. It was recorded at concerts in London, Glasgow and Los Angeles.

Night After Night has never been officially available on CD in this country and earlier single-disc import versions cut the album’s running time down by abridging and omitting the setlist. At the time of writing this review, Lofgren has pulled all his official albums from Spotify in solidarity with Young, but Night After Night was never on there in the first place.

I don’t it’s has ever found much favour with the critics (Allmusic gives it a measly two and a half stars). This, plus its unavailability, has left it languishing in obscurity. It deserves better.

Fortunately, BGO has now reissued a remastered, two-disc version. It’s great to hear these songs again – I’d even go so far as to call Night After Night a lost classic. These songs swing with a propulsive tight-but-loose groove. Lofgren’s distinctive, virtuoso guitar playing is stunning without being too showy.

The backing band really swings, with a notable contribution from Rev Patrick Henderson on keyboards – check out his extended intro to the cover of “Goin’ Back”.

I think Neil Young once described Crazy Horse as being like an American Rolling Stones but it’s Lofgren and his backing band on these recordings who most resemble the Stones’ seventies-era live chemistry. And of course, one of Lofgren’s most famous songs is his tribute to Keith (“Keith Don’t Go”). That’s featured here, in what sounds like a definitive version.

The German labels:

What does it all *mean*?

I first got into this album by accident. A classmate at school sold me the cassette in 1978. I bought it on impulse, without hearing it first. I thought I was getting something a bit punky, based on the sleeve’s typography and Lofgren’s shades- with-guitar cover pose. At this stage of my musical development, I’d never heard, or even knew of, Neil Young, let alone Nils Lofgren.

The first time I pressed play, I was distinctly underwhelmed. But steadily, the album made wormed its way into my affections. I persevered in the way many of us did at an age when recorded music required a high degree of emotional investment. Listening to it over 40 years later it still stands up. (by Henry Haddock)

Recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, London; Apollo Theatre, Glasgow;
The Roxy, Los Angeles

Personnel:
Rev. Patrick Henderson (keyboards, background vocals)
Wornell “Sonic Prince” Jones (bass, background vocals)
Nils Lofgren (guitar, vocals, piano on 07.)
Tom Lofgren (guitar, organ, background vocals)
David Platshon (drums, percussion)

Tracklist:
01. Take You To The Movies Tonight 1.39
02. Back It Up 6.36
03. Keith Don’t Go (Ode To The Glimmer Twin) 6.11
04. Like Rain 6.26
05. Cry Tough 4.49
06. It’s Not A Crime 5.18
07. Goin’ Back 7.04
08. You’re The Weight 5.24
09. Beggar’s Day (Eulogy To Danny Whitten) 6.19
10. Moon Tears 5.38
11. Code Of The Road 9.26
12. Rock & Roll Crook 3.14
13. Goin’ South 5.09
14. Incidentally… It’s Over 4.17
15. I Came To Dance 8.50

All songs written by Nils Lofgren
except 07.: written by Carole King & Gerry Goffin

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More from Nils Lofgrn in this blog:

The official website:

Nils Lofgren – Wonderland (1983)

Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band since 1984, a member of Crazy Horse, and founder/frontman of the band Grin. Lofgren was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band in 2014.

Lofgren was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, to an Italian mother and a Swedish father. When he was a young child, the family moved to the Washington, D.C., suburb of Bethesda, Maryland. Lofgren’s first instrument was classical accordion, beginning at age five, which he studied seriously for ten years. After studying classical music and jazz, throughout his youth, Lofgren switched his emphasis to rock music, and focused on the piano and the guitar.

Lofgren had been a competitive gymnast in high school, a skill that was used on stage later in his performing career and reflected in the name of his 1985 album, Flip.

In 1968, Lofgren formed the band Grin with bassist George Daly (later replaced by Bob Gordon), and drummer Bob Berberich, former players in the DC band The Hangmen. The group played in venues throughout the Washington, D.C., area.

Lofgren met Neil Young while Young was performing at the Georgetown club The Cellar Door, and began a long association. Young invited Lofgren to come to California and the Grin trio (Lofgren, Daly and Berberich) drove out west and lived for some months at a home Neil Young rented in Laurel Canyon. Lofgren would eventually use his album credits from working with Young to land Grin a record deal in 1971.

Daly left the band early on to become a Columbia Records A&R Executive and was replaced by bassist Bob Gordon, who remained through the release of four critically acclaimed albums[7] of catchy hard rock from 1971 to 1974, with guitar as Lofgren’s primary instrument. The single “White Lies” got heavy airplay on Washington, D.C.-area radio. Lofgren wrote the majority of the group’s songs, and often shared vocal duties with other members of the band (primarily drummer Bob Berberich). After the second album he added brother Tom Lofgren as a rhythm guitarist. Grin failed to hit the big time, and were released by their record company.

Lofgren joined Neil Young at age 19 to play piano and guitar on the album After the Gold Rush. Lofgren maintained his musical relationship with Young, appearing as a part of the Santa Monica Flyers on Young’s Tonight’s the Night album and tour, and again on the Trans album and tour. He has also been a recurring member of Crazy Horse (1970–1971; 2018–present), appearing on their 1971 LP and contributing songs to their catalogue. In 2018, Lofgren re-joined Crazy Horse and along with the band performed on Young’s 2019 album Colorado and 2021’s Barn.

After Grin disbanded in 1974, Lofgren released his eponymous debut solo album which was a success with critics; a 1975 Rolling Stone review by Jon Landau labeled it one of the finest rock albums of the year, and NME ranked it fifth on its list of albums of the year.[8] Subsequent albums did not always garner critical favor, although Cry Tough was voted number 10 in the 1976 NME Album round up; I Came to Dance in particular received a scathing review in the New Rolling Stone Record Guide. He achieved progressive rock radio hits in the mid-1970s with “Back It Up”, “Keith Don’t Go” and “I Came to Dance”. His song “Bullets Fever”, about the 1978 NBA champion Washington Bullets, would become a favorite in the Washington area. Throughout the 1970s, Lofgren released solo albums and toured extensively with a backing band that usually included brother Tom on rhythm guitar. Lofgren’s concerts displayed his reputation for theatrics, such as playing guitar while doing flips on a trampoline.

In 1971, he appeared on stage on the Roy Buchanan Special, PBS TV, with Bill Graham. In 1973, he appeared with Grin on NBC on Midnight Special, performing three songs live. In 1978, he wrote and sang the “Nobody Bothers Me” theme for a D.C. Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do advertisement, and also appeared in the ill-received Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie. Lofgren appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, to promote his 1985 solo release Flip. Lofgren is credited on two of Lou Gramm’s (of Foreigner) solo albums: Ready or Not released in 1987 (Lofgren listed as lead guitarist) and Long Hard Look released in 1989 (Lofgren listed as one of the guitarists). In 1987, he contributed the television show theme arrangement for Hunter. In 1993 he contributed to The Simpsons, with two Christmas jingles with Bart. In 1995, he appeared on a PBS tribute to the Beatles along with Dr. John. From 1991 to 1995, he was the CableAce Awards musical director and composer.

Lofgren continues to record and to tour as a solo act, with Patti Scialfa, with Neil Young, and as a two-time member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band. Many of the people he worked with on those tours appeared on his 1991 album, Silver Lining. During the 2000s he got his own “Nils Lofgren Day” in Montgomery County, Maryland (August 25). In 2006 Lofgren released Sacred Weapon, featuring guest appearances by David Crosby, Graham Nash, Willie Nelson and Martin Sexton. In 2006 he recorded a live DVD Nils Lofgren & Friends: Acoustic Live at the Legendary Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia.

On June 23, 2006, Lofgren performed at a benefit concert for Arthur Lee at New York’s Beacon Theater, along with Robert Plant, Ian Hunter, Yo La Tengo and Garland Jeffreys. In 2007, he appeared playing guitar as part of Jerry Lee Lewis’ backing band for Lewis’ Last Man Standing Live concert DVD. He released The Loner – Nils Sings Neil, an album of acoustic covers of Neil Young songs, in 2008.

In September 2008, Lofgren had hip replacement surgery for both of his hips as a result of years of playing basketball, “performance ‘flips’ on stage, and age.”[12]

In August 2014, a box set, Face the Music, was released on the Fantasy label. The career-spanning retrospective contains nine CD’s and a DVD covering 45 years.

The creation of Lofgren’s 2015 live album UK 2015 Face the Music Tour was inspired by his wife Amy commenting that his recent live shows were the best she’d seen him do, as well as fans wanting to have a recording of the show they’d just seen.

In December 2018, PBS NewsHour aired a 10-minute career retrospective Nils Lofgren: 50 years of ‘just being a guy in the band’.

Lofgren was a guest on a “Private Lives” one-hour radio special on East London Radio in the UK in October 2020. This series is shared across radio stations online and on FM/DAB, covering much of the UK.

In 1984, he joined Bruce Springsteen’s backing band the E Street Band,[2] as the replacement for Steven Van Zandt on guitar and vocals, in time for Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. Tour. Lofgren would appear on his first Springsteen album with 1987’s Tunnel of Love and its Tunnel of Love Express and Human Rights Now! supporting tours. In 1989 Springsteen broke up the E Street Band and Lofgren returned to his solo work.

In 1995, the E Street Band, featuring both Lofgren and Van Zandt, recorded new songs for Springsteen’s Greatest Hits album however nothing else came from this reunion. In 1999, Springsteen, minus the E Street Band, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The E Street Band would finally be inducted fifteen years later in 2014. Despite not being inducted in 1999 with Springsteen, the E Street Band (again with Lofgren and Van Zandt) would perform with Springsteen for the first time since 1988 at the induction ceremony. This would soon lead to a hugely successful Reunion Tour which took place from 1999-2000 and a lineup now featuring both Lofgren and Van Zandt as full-time members. The reunion tour resulted in 2001’s album,The Rising, marking the first album featuring the E Street Band since 1988, and another huge tour in 2002 and 2003. Following this tour, Springsteen would work on other projects and tour without the E Street Band’s involvement until 2007’s Magic album and tour of 2007/2008.

This tour was followed by 2009’s Working on a Dream album and tour. In 2012, Springsteen released his album, Wrecking Ball, which featured some of the E Street Band member however Lofgren did not appear though he did perform with the band on the album’s supporting tour. 2014 saw the release of the album High Hopes along with another tour. In 2016, Springsteen would celebrate the 35th anniversary of his album, The River, with a tour in support of The Ties_That_Bind: The_River_Collection box set.[13]In 2020, Springsteen released his album, Letter to You which featured the E Street Band. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a tour in support of the album was unable to happen in 2020 or 2021 however Springsteen has said he hopes to tour with the E Street Band at some point in 2022.

The late novelist Clive Cussler lived close to Lofgren’s Arizona home, and collaborated on a song with him titled “What Ever Happened to Muscatel?”

On August 17, 2017, Lofgren was inducted into the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame.

In May 2018, Lofgren replaced Frank Sampedro in Crazy Horse for their reunion concerts with Neil Young.

On January 29, 2022, Lofgren pulled his music from Spotify, after Neil Young and Joni Mitchell had done the same. This was in response to their belief that COVID-19 misinformation was spread by the streaming service’s The Joe Rogan Experience. (wikipedia)

Wonderland is a surprisingly commercial work from guitarist/vocalist Nils Lofgren, opening with a very catchy and impressive “Across the Tracks,” followed quickly by the beautiful “Into the Night,” which has flavors of Bruce Springsteen, though Lofgren’s vocal is more precise and radio-friendly than his boss, the Boss. That’s the strange thing about the music biz — when a voice is superior and the music more commercial, it still takes a back seat to personality; listen to any hit song from Neil Young to verify that statement. And take, for example, the only cover here, Bobby Womack’s classic “It’s All Over Now.” Everything’s in tune, but the band sounds like it was programmed by a computer and Lofgren’s vocal has none of the drive found in his originals. Indeed, he is again sounding like Springsteen on the very next track, “I Wait for You,” which has that Springsteen swagger with Lofgren’s to-the-point presentation. The excellent production by the singer along with his rhythm section — bassist Kevin McCormick and drummer Andy Newmark — is much more exciting than Jeffrey Baxter’s thin sound on Night Fades Away or Newmark and Lofgren’s co-produced effort, 1977’s I Came to Dance, which had none of the snap, crackle, and pop found here.

The title track reflects that observation perfectly. Interesting that on both those aforementioned albums the cover tunes are the most successful performances, while here the originals are what work and are among Lofgren’s best, with superb sound to bring them to life. The vibes on “Lonesome Ranger” add spice, and having Edgar Winter, Carly Simon, and Louise Goffin adding their voices to the mix on this LP is indicative of the class spread all over these tracks. Even more cohesive than the 1979 classic Bob Ezrin-produced Nils album, Wonderland has tons of great moments, sparkling guitar work, and a groove that is commanding. The key thing that’s missing to bring music this good to the masses is an overpowering persona, and it seems Nils Lofgren is just too nice a guy to put that driving arrogance behind the sounds to catapult them onto AM and FM radio. Even more of a pity is that Backstreet/MCA couldn’t do it for him, because the artist certainly gave them extraordinary product to work with here. (by Joe Viglione)

Personnel:
Nils Lofgren (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
Kevin McCormick (bass, background vocals)
Andy Newmark (drums)
+
Louise Goffin (vocals on 06. + 09.)
Robbie Kondor (synthesizer)
Jim Maelen (percussion)
Carly Simon (vocals on 08.)
Edgar Winter (vocals on 01.)

Tracklist:
01. Across The Tracks (Lorgren) 2.59
02. Into The Night (Lofgren) 3.44
03. It’s All Over Now (Womack) 3.43
04. I Wait For You (Lofgren) 3.40
05. Daddy Dream (Lofgren) 4.53
06. Wonderland (Logren) 3.29
07. Room Without Love (Lofgren) 3:05
08. Confident Girl (Lofgren) 3.05
09. Lonesome Ranger (McCormick/Lofgren) 3.47
10. Everybody Wants (Lorfgren)
11. Deadline (Lofgren) 4.04

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More from Nils Lofgren:

The official website:

Nils Lofgren – Same (1975)

Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band since 1984, a member of Crazy Horse (1970–1971; 1973; 2018–present), and founder/frontman of the band Grin. Lofgren was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band in 2014.

Nils Lofgren is a 1975 album by Nils Lofgren, also known as the “Fat Man Album”. It was his first solo album, following the breakup of his group, Grin.

The album was critically praised at the time of its release, most notably in a 1975 Rolling Stone review by Jon Landau. The 1983 Rolling Stone Record Guide said it was a “tour de force of unquenchable vitality and disarming subtlety.” In 2007, nearly 32 years after the release of Nils Lofgren, the album was again praised by Rolling Stone in the “Fricke’s Picks” column, where David Fricke said it was one of 1975’s best albums.[3] The album was on the Billboard 200 chart for nine weeks and peaked at number 141 on May 10, 1975.

In 2007 the album was finally re-mastered and rereleased by Hip-O Select after being out of print for nearly a decade on compact disc.

The circus billboard that appears on the cover of this album also appears in an episode of The Monkees television series, “The Monkees at the Circus,” season 1, episode 22. (by wikipedia)

 

When Nils Lofgren released his first solo album in 1975, most fans were expecting a set confirming his guitar hero status, and more than a few listeners were vocally disappointed with the more laid-back and song-oriented disc Lofgren delivered. However, with the passage of time Nils Lofgren has come to be regarded as an overlooked classic, and with good reason — Lofgren has rarely been in better form on record as a songwriter, vocalist, musician, and bandleader. While Lofgren doesn’t lay down a firestorm of guitar on each selection (with his piano unexpectedly high in the mix), when he does solo he makes it count, and the rough but tasty chordings and bluesy accents that fill out the frameworks of the songs give the performances plenty of sinew. Just as importantly, this is as good a set of songs as Lofgren has assembled on one disc, consistently passionate and forceful, from the cocky “If I Say It, It’s So” and “The Sun Hasn’t Set on This Boy Yet” to the lovelorn “I Don’t Want to Know” and “Back It Up,” while “Keith Don’t Go (Ode to the Glimmer Twins)” comes from the heart of a true fan and “Rock and Roll Crook” suggests Lofgren had already learned plenty about the music business by this time.

The production on Nils Lofgren is simple but simpatico, giving all the players plenty of room to shine, and Lofgren’s rhythm section (Wornell Jones on bass and Aynsley Dunbar on drums) fits the album’s funky but heartfelt vibe perfectly. Lofgren has made harder rocking and flashier albums since his debut, but he rarely hit the pocket with the same élan as he did on Nils Lofgren, and it remains the most satisfying studio album of his career. (by Mark Deming)

Personnel:
Aynsley Dunbar (drums)
Wornell Jones (bass)
Nils Lofgren (guitar, piano, vocals)
+
Stu Gardner (background vocals on 02. -04. + 06.)

Tracklist:
01. Be Good Tonight 0.48
02. Back It Up 2.23
03. One More Saturday Night 3.09
04. If I Say It, It’s So 2.59
05. I Don’t Want To Know 2.54
06. Keith Don’t Go (Ode To The Glimmer Twin) 4.23
07. Can’t Buy A Break 3.16
08. Duty 2.56
09. The Sun Hasn’t Set On This Boy Yet 2.48
10. Rock And Roll Crook 2.55
11. Two By Two 3.06
12. Goin’ Back 3.51

All songs written by Nils Lofgren
except 12, which was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King

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Nils Lofgren – Keith Don’t Go (2013)

Given his high profile status as a pianist and guitarist for both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, it’s sometime forgotten that Nils Lofgren enjoyed a 4 year span with Grin, before embarking on his on-going solo career in 1975. ‘Keith Don’t Go – Live at the Town & Country Club, London 1990’ dips back into his early career, for an acoustic to eclectic sweep of his formative years.

Best known as flamboyant guitarist occasionally given to trampolining – hence the album title of his last big label album ‘Flip’ – Lofgren is also a consistent song writer with a penchant for ballads and melodic pop rock as well as firebrand rocking.

And while this live set might disappoint some fans, especially as its light on material from his best studio albums ‘Cry Tough’ and ‘I Came To Dance’, he does a good job of reinvigorating some early career gems. The acoustic ‘Secrets In The Street’ and ‘Keith Don’t Go’ are given new spark while the autobiographical melodic pop-rock of ‘The Sun Hasn’t Set (On This Boy Yet)’ comes from his early Grin era.

The equally old ‘See What Love Can Do’ puts the accent more on a reggae/funk feel with a fiery vocal performance and inspired ensemble playing.

Given this live album represents 50 odd minutes of a full show, there’s still an integral dynamic to a set that builds incrementally. The band smoulders on ‘Rock And Roll Crook’ – one of the few songs that doesn’t sound much better with the passing of time – before igniting on the up tempo rocking of ‘Moon Tears’.

The song originally received its greatest exposure on the ‘I Came To Dance’, but goes back to the first Grin album, and is a riff driven gem with jangling, unison guitars and sparkling band interplay.

Inevitably there’s room for some lyric driven ballads such as ‘No Mercy’ and the love song ‘Shine Silently’ before Nils climaxes the show with the guitar driven ‘I Came To Dance’. The audience response suggests it’s that facet of his music that his fans love best.

This album is a decent snap shot of an in demand session musician with a rich solo career of his own. (by petefeenstra)

Or, just simple: An excellent album !

Recorded live at The Town & Country Club, London 1990
Digitally remastered from the original British television recording.

Personnel:
Larry Cragg (guitar, organ)
Nils Lofgren (guitar, vocals)
Tommy Lofgren (keyboards, guitar, vocals)
Ronnie Newmyer (bass)
Max M. Weinberg (drums)

Tracklist:
01. Secrets In The Street (N.Lofgren) 4.00
02. Keith Don’t Go (N.Lofgren) 5.41
03. Goin’ Back (Goffin/King) 4.11
04. Rock And Roll Crook (N.Lofgren) 3.05
05. Moon Tears (N.Lofgren) 3.57
06. The Sun Hasn’t Set (On This Boy Yet) (N.Lofgren) 2.57
07. Anytime At All (Lennon/McCartney) 2.38
08. No Mercy (N.Lofgren) 4.21
09. Shine Silently (Wagner/N.Lofgren) 7.30
10. See What Love Can Do? (N.Lofgren) 6.46
11. I Came To Dance (N.Lofgren) 7.33

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The neons are hot tonight baby
Light me up, take me in your arms
There’s so much we ought to learn baby
That ain’t in books or schools of charm
Ain’t in any university standin’ right atop the law’s long arm
Out in the streets you can get a real view and hope is the charm

The secrets in the street are waiting to remind you
Secrets in the street, high hopes will never blind you
Secrets in the street, they’ll teach you about survival
Secrets in the street and not the self denial we’ve been sold

Been so uninspired and lonely
Been studying hard
The values of pain bottomed out, went waikin’ at midnight
The streets breathed life
I danced with the rain
Gotta move my mind and heart from the celler
Out in the street where you get a real view
In the street where you find the real dreams
Know that some do come true

Nils Lofgren – Back It Up! – Live (An Authorised Bootleg) (1976)

Back It Up!! is a promotional “live” album from Nils Lofgren initially released 1975. The title of the original vinyl LP was Back It Up!! – Nils Lofgren Live – An Authorized Bootleg. Although the recording was officially released by A&M Records, the artwork was designed to give the appearance of a live bootleg recording, similar to Decca Records’ original vinyl release of the Who’s Live at Leeds in 1970, which was a legitimate live album designed to look like a bootleg. Back It Up!! was not officially available to the public until it was issued on CD in 2007, 32 years after its original release.

The songs were recorded at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California, on October 31, 1975, and primarily features material from Lofgren’s first solo album which had been released earlier in the year. At the time of the recording, Lofgren had recently signed with A&M and had just begun a solo career following the dissolution of his previous group, Grin. Despite its limited release, songs from Back It Up!! were featured on FM radio broadcasts during the 1970s and had been generally praised by the musical press as worthy of a proper release.

The CD re-release includes the same seven songs from the original vinyl release in 1975. An additional song, “Rock and Roll Crook”, was also performed at the concert (following “Goin’ Back”), but was not included on the 1975 vinyl release or the CD reissue. Currently, all of the songs from Back It Up!!, along with “Rock and Roll Crook”, are available as a digital download from the Wolfgang’s Vault website. (by wikipedia)

Finally available on wide release 32 years after it was a limited-edition, and much coveted, vinyl release sent to 1,000 radio stations and critics (each one with a sticker hand-glued to the cover), this 44-minute live radio station concert is half as long and more than twice as exciting as Nils Lofgren’s official live concert souvenir, 1977’s disappointing and bloated Night After Night. Al Kooper, who was then doing pre-production on Lofgren’s second solo effort, sits in on keyboards and the stripped-down band also featuring Nils’ brother Tommy on second guitar and a bassist and drummer keeps the sound lean and mean. There are only seven tracks, with five grabbed from Lofgren’s then recently released debut, along with two tunes from Grin, the band he recorded four albums with that also included his brother. In retrospect, the sound is a little dry and the 2007 CD reissue doesn’t remix it or add any additional tracks (there may not have been any), but this is nevertheless a classic album, arguably Lofgren’s finest, whose belated presence on CD is most welcome.

The singer and guitarist also plays decent piano on a stunning version of the Goffin & King nugget “Goin’ Back,” rearranged substantially from the Byrds’ more popular cover. The only real rockers are the opening title track and the closing “Beggar’s Day”; the latter tune, dedicated to Crazy Horse’s Danny Whitten (Lofgren was a member of that band for a brief period), is a highlight of Lofgren’s catalog. The rest display his pop roots that are often obscured on later discs where he flirted with R&B, disco, and hard rock to various degrees of success. Any Nils collection is unthinkable without this, so its appearance, even three decades after its original release, should be greeted with enthusiasm by anyone even vaguely interested in Lofgren’s career. (by Hal Horowitz)

CD front + back cover

Personnel:
Scotty Ball (bass)
Nils Lofgren (guitar, piano, vocals)
Tom Lofgren (guitar, background vocals)
Michael Zak (drums)
+
Al Kooper (pianoYear Of Rec)

Tracklist:
01. Take You To The Movies Tonight (N.Lofgren) 1.01
02. Back It Up (N.Lofgren) 5.58
03. Keith Don’t Go (Ode to the Glimmer Twin) (N.Lofgren) 6.26
04. I Don’t Want To Know (N.Lofgren) 3.48
05. Nils talks to the audience 0.30
06. The Sun Hasn’t Set On This Boy (N.Lofgren) 3.13
07. Goin’ Back (Goffin/King) 6.03
08. Band intro 0.42
09. Like Rain (N.Lofgren) 5.49
10. Nils thanks crew 0.30
11. Beggar’s Day (N.Lofgren) 7.52
12. Soft Fun (N.Lofgren) 2.45

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